What She Missed

Award-winning author Liara Tamani’s What She Missed is a rich and emotional novel that celebrates change, nature, friendship, growing up, and love, for readers of Sarah Dessen’s The Rest of the Story and Elizabeth Acevedo’s Clap When You Land.

When Ebony and her parents move from Houston, Texas, to her grandmother’s house in a small lake town, Ebony is sure her life is doomed. And to make matters worse, the ghost of Ebony’s beloved grandmother—a strong swimmer who tragically drowned in the lake—is everywhere. Alula Lake does offer one perk: reconnecting Ebony with her childhood friend, Jalen.

But as Ebony settles into life, she finds herself drifting away from Jalen and gravitating to his older sister, Lena. Lena is chaotic, disorderly, and rebellious, yet she offers a reprieve for the anger and sadness Ebony feels about losing so much.

An ode to nature, art, friendship, history, family, and love, this lyrical coming-of-age story explores one girl’s summer of self-discovery as she reimagines the world and her place in it. What She Missed is for fans of Sarah Dessen, Nina LaCour, and Nicola Yoon.

In a town haunted by her family's past, can she paint a new future for herself?

• Childhood Friends to Lovers: Reconnecting with her best friend Jalen is the only perk of Alula Lake. But as old friendship sparks into something more, Ebony finds herself pulled in a more reckless direction.
• Grief and Healing: The lake where her grandmother drowned is a constant, terrifying reminder of her loss. Facing her fear of the water is the first step to facing herself.
• An Artist's Block: An aspiring painter, Ebony is tasked with creating a self-portrait. But how can she paint who she is when she feels like a stranger to herself?
• A Historic Setting: Alula Lake is more than just a country town—it's a historic freedom colony. As Ebony explores her family's roots, she uncovers a history that will change how she sees her future.