No Such Person opens with an arrest; the girl being arrested is confused and stunned that the police believe she committed a murder. The story unfolds from the alternating view points of two sisters, Miranda and Lander. Lander is the older, wiser, and more aloof sister, who seems to throw all her put togetherness out the window when she meets Jason Firenza (a week before the arrest). Their meeting however involved a horrific accident on the river the girls summer cottage looks out onto, where Jason's friend is nearly killed by a barge. Miranda, the younger, slightly less grounded, sister is almost positive the incident with the barge was no accident and Jason is an attempted murderer. Cooney's book not only addresses the mystery of the murder, but also family relationships, how sheltered parents and a lifestyle can make someone, and the prevalence of technology and social media in every aspect of life. While all of this adds to the main drama (how well do Miranda and Lander really know each other?) some of it is a bit too pointed in the narrative. I understand a dependence on technology, and feel lost when I've accidentally left my cell phone at home for a day, I've never thought about my technology while using it as much as these girls. Instead of having Miranda simply look at her iPad, while simultaneously having an important phone conversation with her mother, the book states, "... but is also looking at the iPad, because when a screen is active, Miranda finds it difficult to look away." Still a decent, quick read, whodunit.
Lisa
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