Elizabeth Is Missing by Emma Healey

Maud's friend Elizabeth is missing, and that's the only thing she knows for sure. Everything else is a bit muddled, that's all. In Emma Healey's debut novel Elizabeth Is Missing, Maud doggedly searches for her friend Elizabeth as she battles with dementia. Compounding the problem, Maud's memories of her sister Sukey who disappeared when she was a girl intertwine with her need to search for Elizabeth, which makes finding the truth that much harder.

Healey's debut is a haunting depiction of a character with dementia, as the reader is drawn inexorably into Maud's downward spiral as her disease worsens. Though Maud doesn't remember what happened a few pages ago, the reader remembers, and it is truly heart-wrenching when she doesn't recognize her own daughter. The historical touches from the post-WWII era and the twin mysteries add layers of realism and suspense, but the true star of the novel is Maud's dementia. For a debut author to create such a convincing, sympathetic portrayal of a dementia patient while intertwining two different, intricate mysteries is an impressive literary achievement.

Shannon Wood, Adult Services Librarian

Terms and Conditions by Robert Glancy

When Frank wakes up in a hospital bed with quite a few broken bones, he can't remember how he got there. In fact, he can't remember who he is. His wife and brother mention a "little episode" he had, but won't give him any other details. Amnesiac Frank eventually learns that he is a contract lawyer specializing in the small print that no one reads. In Terms and Conditions by Robert Glancy, Frank struggles through the journey back to himself as he observes the world and himself with biting wit.

The most striking stylistic choice in Glancy's novel is that it is presented as a series of contracts, with Frank's fine print (numerous, hilarious footnotes) adding insight the narrative. Frank is an everyman, someone who could be one of your coworkers or acquaintances, which makes him extremely sympathetic and relatable as a character. However, what Frank hates about himself is what many of us dislike about ourselves: cowardice, passivity, and total lack of ambition. The novel is about how memory shapes who we are and whether one can be a better person if they forget who they are and start over. At the same time, it is a searing portrait of a marriage falling apart and of a couple growing into different people than when they met. Glancy's debut novel will appeal to anyone who likes insightful, funny novels, or who found the movie Office Space hauntingly true-to-life.

Shannon Wood, Adult Services Librarian

The Bees by Laline Paull

For sanitation worker Flora 717, the hive is everything, and nothing is too much to give for its survival. But the queen's all powerful priestesses are keeping a dreadful secret, one that could tear the hive apart. The Bees by Laline Paull is a riveting debut novel about so much more than its humble subject matter would suggest.

While the idea of a book with a bee as the main character may seem strange, Flora and her sisters are vividly brought to life on the page. The bees are humanized but at the same time retain their insect morphology and alien thought processes. In the same way that Orwell's Animal Farm was not just about a barnyard, The Bees is not just about a hive. Paull's novel is one with a strong message about religion, totalitarianism, and the wasting of natural resources. Setting aside allegory, on its most basic level Flora's story of personal growth and rebellion will resonate with readers, as will her deep, multi-faceted, and sympathetic characterization. From someone who used to hate bees, take this from me: read this book. You'll be glad you did.

Shannon Wood, Adult Services Librarian

A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki

Not long after the 2011 tsunami which devastated much of Japan and destroyed the Fukushima nuclear power plant, Ruth finds a diary wrapped in a freezer bag on the shores of a Canadian island. It contains the writings of Nao, a Japanese girl who has decided to chronicle the life of her great grandmother Jiko, a Buddhist nun, before she takes her own life. As Ruth reads the diary, she becomes obsessed with finding out what happened to Nao and Jiko during the tsunami. Shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize, A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki is a thoughtful, deeply emotional novel that will resonate long after you turn the final page.

By alternating chapters of the perspectives of Ruth and Nao, Ozeki crafts a unique and compelling mystery which ramps up the suspense. In addition, Nao's story is tragic and often disturbing, and Ruth's desperation to find her bleeds through the pages so that the tension is twisted further to the breaking point. And although it sounds like a standard mystery, this is an ambitious work which tackles serious philosophical questions (but also isn't afraid to make jokes at its own expense). Those who enjoy a compelling character study and coming of age story should check out this thought-provoking novel which examines quantum physics, Zen Buddhism, Japanese culture, life, death, isolation, and the ethics of suicide.

Shannon Wood, Adult Services Librarian