The Jigsaw Jungle

Claudia Dalton's father is gone.  He sent a message saying he had to stay late at work, but then he never comes home.  Claudia and her mother are frantic worrying what could have happened when they finally get a message saying he needs time to think and he's spending time with a friend.

Claudia feels a confusing mix of fear, anger, and confusion.  She always thought her family was perfect.  How could he do this?  She starts digging through emails and receipts looking for clues.  She decides staying with her recently widowed grandfather while her mother goes to a conference will be a great way to investigate her father's past. 

Then she finally gets a message from him--a puzzle piece with a word on the back.  This is it.  Maybe her father isn't really gone.  Maybe it's all just an elaborate puzzle he's set up for her, and when she solves all the clues, she'll find her father. 

With the reluctant help of her grandfather and the enthusiastic help of Luis, an aspiring documentary filmmaker who lives next door, Claudia sets out to solve the puzzle. 

Kristin Levine's new contemporary novel is told through emails, texts, receipts, phone calls, and any other scraps Claudia deems appropriate as she documents her journey.  The novel is inspired by Levine's own experiences when her husband came out as gay.  Savvy readers will figure this out early on, but younger readers may be just as shocked as Claudia is when she discovers the truth.  I'm of two minds about this one.  The mystery is great, but I was just so angry at her father for running away and leaving her a game to figure out the truth that it was difficult to have sympathy for him.  His family does express their anger and frustration, but everyone gets over it really quickly.  There are also parts of the book that feel more like an adult story, not in content but in tone.  Other readers could enjoy this book, but it seems more targeted at those in Claudia's (and her mother and grandfather's) specific situation.