The Van Apfel Girls Are Gone

4.5 stars. We have all read countless books about missing girls, but this felt different. It wasn't your standard mystery - so some readers may be disappointed if going into it with thriller expectations. It is a coming of age story; a division between childhood and adulthood; a before and after. I really enjoyed Tikka's narration as a child - a precocious, lively voice that made me smile.