There's nothing left to prove: YOU MUST NOT MISS.

You Must Not Miss by Katrina Leno

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Magpie Lewis has been abandoned. Her father left. Then her sister, Eryn, too. Now it's just Magpie and her mom. Who truly isn't really present, as she drowns herself in booze and a haze of alcoholism. Magpie's sister left the same night as Brandon Phipps's party--after which Magpie's longtime friendship with Allison ended, and Magpie was branded a slut and left to be an outcast at school. So she starts writing in a yellow notebook, creating a world called Near. It's Magpie's magical place, where everything is perfect: no cheating father, no drunk mom, no missing sister, and no horrific school experiences. She thinks up Near so clearly, so fully, that she wills it into existence, and Magpie realizes that in Near, she can have it all: even revenge on those who have hurt her.


"There was one month left of her sophomore year of high school, and she had decided, after a mountain of evidence to support it, that the entire world was a joke."


I just love Katrina Leno, and her beautiful writing. You Must Not Miss is no exception: it's a poetic, stark take on high school friendship, rape culture, and the ties that bind us. The story is a clever variation of "One for Sorrow." Magpie is our main character and takes center stage: it's hard not to feel sympathetic for this poor abandoned girl--with no family who cares for her and, for a while, no friends.


"If you give a name to an impossible thing, does it make the impossible thing any less impossible?


But then the story takes a dramatic, dark twist--as Magpie creates Near both in her mind and in reality--and as Magpie's portal to another world takes true shape, we see our character find strength before our very eyes. I won't lie, I'm not sure this book is for everyone. It reminded me in some ways of a Maggie Stiefvater novel. It's true magical realism, and there's a suspension of disbelief to be had, to be sure. But it's a book that I feel like Leno was meant to be write. Her way of eviscerating rape culture, misogyny, and more is so adept, so searing. It is a call to arms to those who are not believed, who are ignored and mocked, who are the ones who see their lives ruined when the attackers run free.

In this way, You Must Not Miss is a strong, complex book tackling a tough topic. It may be difficult for some that this topic is underneath the magical world of Near, but I liked how that was what Magpie needed to deal with all that happened to her. Beware, this book is brutal at times (and yes, there's a trigger warning for rape/sexual assault). But it's beautifully written, too. It's complicated, much like its subject matter and its protagonist, who is still trying to figure herself out, as well. It's a different read, but if you're willing to give it a try, I think you'll be glad you did. 4 stars.

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