Once Was Lost by Sara Zarr
Sara Zarr's talent for writing believable teen characters is evident in Once Was Lost. Samara's mom is in rehab, a young girl in her community has gone missing, and he dad has left the building. You'll sympathize with Sam as she expresses her loneliness without whining; she daydreams of the past when her family was a close unit. Her crush on a friend from church is painfully real. The end ties up neatly without being obvious. Grade 7+