By Laurie Morrison
New York: Amulet Books, 2026. Fiction. 288 pages.
Where Ella Went is a middle-grade mystery about the disappearance of The Birchfield School's eighth grade class president, Ella, the night before the biggest soccer game of the season. Two of her teammates, Sadie and Pug, just know that something is up- so despite strict instructions not to contact or worry about Ella, they undertake an investigation to find out what exactly happened to their star player. Told through letters, journal entries, text messages, podcast transcripts, etc., this novel is fast-paced and exciting!
This book was so enjoyable! It was heartfelt, with many different characters opening up about the difficult things going on in their lives. It tackled a lot of issues that current middle schoolers will find relevant, like perfectionism, neurodivergence, difficult friendships, and the stress of balancing school and extracurriculars. Soccer fans will be especially drawn to this book, as the fall soccer season is a major plot point throughout, but any reader will find a lot to enjoy here!
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