Everything We Lost

Geary follows her well-received debut, 2014’s Crooked River, with a compelling if ambiguous psychological thriller. In December 1999, 16-year-old Nolan Durant disappears near isolated Bishop, Calif. Ten years later, his younger sister, Lucy, returns to Bishop to confront her missing memories of the night he vanished. Flashbacks reveal Nolan growing increasingly volatile, convinced his new girlfriend is an alien and government agents are trailing him. Meanwhile, Lucy, who’s in love with a charismatic, manipulative older boy, participates in a series of cruel pranks that might be exacerbating her brother’s paranoia. Geary excels at describing the toll undiagnosed mental illness takes on Nolan, his family, and fellow members of his UFO group, as well as the ostracism he endures from classmates. She also insightfully probes how his parents and sister live with uncertainty about his fate. The anticlimactic ending, however, may disappoint readers who prefer neat resolution. Agent: Julia Kenny, Dunow, Carlson & Lerner Literary Agency. (Aug.)