Review: Picture Unavailable - Andrew Brandt

Review: Picture Unavailable - Andrew J. Brandt - October 2022

Picture Unavailable was an interesting book and I grabbed it as the title sounded intriguing. The book was tween to YA orientated and aimed at the younger audience as was very clean despite the horror and supernatural aspect. In this book, there is a shadow that gets a child every 6 years and over time it is like that child never existed as he fades from society and the only people who remember them are the ones who were close to them at the beginning and had a connection. The book starts with Ben's friend disappearing as Ben clutches the light and survives. Now years later, Ben is a teacher and a student named Johnny has disappeared. He knows it's the shadow but he is confused as he was so sure Charlie was the one the shadow wanted. Charlie feels guilty about the night Johnny went missing as his life changed too as his dad died that night looking for Johnny. When it's the end of the year and they get their yearbooks, they notice the pages where Johnny should be read picture unavailable even though they know he was there on picture day. Why is he being erased? This leads Charlie and his friends with Ben's help finally face the Shadow and stop it once and for all - even if it means being a sacrificial lamb. This book reminded me of a YA version of Darcy Coates's Where He Can't Find You as had a similar vein of child snatcher in a supernatural creature. If you are in the mood for an indie read, then check out Picture Unavailable.

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3OM60LW