Thoughts on YA Literature: Found: The Missing: Book 1 (Margaret Peterson Haddix)

Margaret Peterson Haddix’s Found is by far my favorite novels out of the ones that I have read for this class so far. I am not one for science fiction, but I made an exception for Found because of its adaptable characters. Though the plotline was quite predictable in terms of what the characters were going to do next and how the story would end for that particular novel; I thoroughly enjoyed spending the time that I did reading the novel.

I love the way that the author managed to transition the novel. It was definitely very easy to follow in terms of where I was at with the events. It was as if she was able to use the exact wording for her audience to keep the story moving with enough sidetracks. You could really see yourself watching as the story unfolds within your mind as you read. I think that is a very important aspect for a novel, if you are to be successful as a writer. The plot itself was very interesting as well; it fed the reader enough information to keep the reader going and wondering what the characters were going to do next. I noticed that Haddix had something for the characters as they were constantly doing something for some sort of cause. I thought that was a sort of hidden message for her targeted readers that they should perhaps start thinking about doing the same in the near future, as a way of developing what they want to know or find out about themselves with his or her friends.

This (book) made me think of the 1980s “Back into the Future” movies with Michael J. Fox. I suppose that sort of nostalgic emotion made me appreciate Found in more ways than one. I enjoyed the movie series when I was younger. I do not believe that the series will stop there for me. I believe that sometime in the future, I will have to pick up the entire series just to see the story progress. It’s amazing what these children are putting themselves through strangely out of curiosity! I wonder what Haddix has in store for her characters; will the two adopted children find peace within their lives? Are they really going to be sent back to their original time periods, or will there be an honest to goodness loophole somewhere unbeknownst to them (and everyone else)?

Why do you suppose Jonah’s sister has to tag along with the boys? I wonder oftentimes why Haddix has the only non-adopted child follow the boys around. There just has to be some sort of relevance between her and the plotline. I have a theory that maybe she is also an adopted child as well, but that sort of gesture does not appear within the text from what I remember.