My multi-award-winning new novel, Losing Austin, focuses on the Bowman family, represented by possibly unreliable narrator Colton, who tells the story of how his older brother vanished one rainy day and cannot be found. Since Colton screamed in Austin’s face right before the disappearance, he feels responsible and vows to find his missing brother at all costs. He’d also like to prove to the world that he didn’t kill Austin, as many people want to believe.
Losing Austin is a story of grief and trauma and of not being able to take back angry words because the other person is no longer present to accept your apology. It’s about letting go, about accepting that some people aren’t ours, no matter how much we love them. It’s about redemption and the ability to overcome one’s past. And it’s about the need for parents to love their children equally—no matter that one child might require more of their time—because all children need to be nurtured. It’s maybe my most emotional book yet, if early reviews are any indication.
“For readers who seek stories that are emotionally rich, unafraid to confront difficult truths, and tinged with just enough mystery to keep the pages turning, “Losing Austin” is an unforgettable experience. It is a novel that lingers, like a memory, like a question, like the ghost of someone you are not ready to let go.”—Aulia at Goodreads
“This book is not just about a missing boy. It is about grief. About the way loss fractures a family, leaving jagged edges that do not quite fit together anymore. It is about guilt and redemption and that desperate, aching hope that maybe, just maybe, love can transcend time, space, and even reality itself.”—Ralphseyi at Goodreads
Losing Austin has been compared with bestsellers like Gone Girl, We Were Liars, and The Vanishing Season. Author Kim Bartosch (Ask The Girl) had this to say: “If you’re a fan of books that blend real-world emotion with eerie mystery—think Paper Towns meets Stranger Things—this one should be on your TBR.”
I feel I’ve crafted something extra special with this book simply by tapping into the raw emotions of the family members and keeping the story simple and accessible. Yes, Austin disappears without a trace and Colton comes to believe in the possibility of alien abduction. But this book is about holding onto hope under all circumstances. Colton refuses to stop hoping his brother will be found, even when everyone around him says he should, and he refuses to give up searching. His tenacity and devotion to finding Austin against all odds makes Colton Bowman one of my favorite and most memorable characters.
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