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Message Not Found
An emotionally complex portrayal of secrets, loss, and grief from Dante Medema, Indies Introduce author of the Indie Next Pick title The Truth Project.
Bailey and Vanessa shared everything: laughter, secrets, and packets of Pop Rocks to ward off bad days. But that all changed the night Vanessa left Bailey's, headed for home, and ended up swerving off a cliff nowhere near her house. Now Bailey, who thought she knew Vanessa better than anyone in the world, is left with a million unanswered questions, and the only person with answers is gone.
To help grieve her loss, Bailey creates a chat bot of Vanessa using years' worth of their shared text messages and emails. The more data she uploads to the bot, the more it feels like she's really talking to her best friend. That is, until the bot starts dropping hints that there was more going on with Vanessa than Bailey realized--a secret so big, it may have contributed to Vanessa's death.
This compelling puzzle of a story, filled with engrossing twists and turns, is written in alternating prose and text message formats. Teens will gobble up this fast-paced page-turner.
Bailey and Vanessa shared everything: laughter, secrets, and packets of Pop Rocks to ward off bad days. But that all changed the night Vanessa left Bailey's, headed for home, and ended up swerving off a cliff nowhere near her house. Now Bailey, who thought she knew Vanessa better than anyone in the world, is left with a million unanswered questions, and the only person with answers is gone.
To help grieve her loss, Bailey creates a chat bot of Vanessa using years' worth of their shared text messages and emails. The more data she uploads to the bot, the more it feels like she's really talking to her best friend. That is, until the bot starts dropping hints that there was more going on with Vanessa than Bailey realized--a secret so big, it may have contributed to Vanessa's death.
This compelling puzzle of a story, filled with engrossing twists and turns, is written in alternating prose and text message formats. Teens will gobble up this fast-paced page-turner.
400 pages, Hardcover
First published March 29, 2022
52 people are currently reading
10429 people want to read
About the author
Dante Medema
2 books272 followersDante Medema is an author of books for young readers. She lives in Anchorage, Alaska with her husband, four daughters, and room full of alien memorabilia—and books, of course. When she’s not writing, she dabbles in baking, decorating, painting, sewing, and reading up on enneagram personality types.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 512 reviews
July 27, 2022
NOT ME CRYING OVER BOB ROSS AND POP ROCKS.
September 20, 2021
Hey! I wrote this book!
I wrote this book before I even knew I would need it.
More details to come. <3
I wrote this book before I even knew I would need it.
More details to come. <3
July 21, 2022
2.5☆
I have mixed feelings about this book.
I found the plot intriguing, it was going okay but then as it progressed, it felt underwhelming.
I like how it dealt with grief and so much confusion and doubt that came along with it, but the whole conclusion of what happened left me with this unsettled feeling that i can't quite place.
The chapters are short and easy to read.
It was all such a chaos, curiousity and hurt. I necessarily wasnt attached to any character but i felt for them nonetheless. Most of what happened was so messed up.
(SPOILERs)
I hate cheating so much. I don't even know what to fathom of whatever happened. Everything in line was tossed aside, hardly talked and just forgiven cuz grief. Im just feeling very uneasy lmfao like now mason and bailey getting together is ok?😭 they shared grief i understand but sugdhsgsusjs given the situation, its quite weird
I have mixed feelings about this book.
I found the plot intriguing, it was going okay but then as it progressed, it felt underwhelming.
I like how it dealt with grief and so much confusion and doubt that came along with it, but the whole conclusion of what happened left me with this unsettled feeling that i can't quite place.
The chapters are short and easy to read.
It was all such a chaos, curiousity and hurt. I necessarily wasnt attached to any character but i felt for them nonetheless. Most of what happened was so messed up.
(SPOILERs)
I hate cheating so much. I don't even know what to fathom of whatever happened. Everything in line was tossed aside, hardly talked and just forgiven cuz grief. Im just feeling very uneasy lmfao like now mason and bailey getting together is ok?😭 they shared grief i understand but sugdhsgsusjs given the situation, its quite weird
June 7, 2022
im not really sure how i feel about this. i think it was very well written and had a very important message, and the whole story was very beautiful. however, i found myself getting a bit bored because it felt like there wasn’t a whole lot going on. i went into this thinking it would be a mystery/thriller, since that’s what it was advertised as, but it wasn’t. i think if i had gone into this not expecting that, i would’ve enjoyed it a lot more! this was very well written and i definitely recommend, i think i just didn’t enjoy it as much because it wasn’t what i was expecting.
July 30, 2021
Rating 5
I loved this book. This book will take your emotions on a roller coaster and when it’s time to get off you will stay seated to go again. Bailey and Vanessa were friends since they were little and they shared absolutely everything with one another. They weren’t just friends, they were practically sisters. On a snowy night Vanessa leaves Bailey’s house for her own and on the way she ends up swerving her car over a cliff. However, Vanessa’s car isn’t found by her house but instead a pass that Vanessa would have no reason to be on. Bailey is now grieving the loss of her best friend while trying to understand where Vanessa was truly headed that night. Wanting answers Bailey creates a chat bot of Vanessa that incorporates all of their text messages, emails, and all of her social media posts/comments. It starts to feel like Bailey is actually talking to Vanessa again and she will stop at nothing to get her answers.
Watching Bailey go through everything she did was truly heartbreaking. I cannot imagine losing someone so close to you and never getting the closure/answers you wanted. Grief will make you do crazy things and I completely understand why Bailey did what she did. If I could have the opportunity to chat with a passed loved one then I would. Especially if that loved one was hiding secrets from me. Of course, the more she talks to V the harder it will be to let go but sadly, that is something one has to learn the hard way. I hope this book shows the importance of not drinking then driving and not texting and driving. While it’s unclear how Vanessa crashed her car I’m sure drinking champagne before and texting while driving in those wintery conditions didn’t help. The guilt Bailey felt for letting Vanessa leave when she knew the roads were bad and on top of that when she might have been tipsy was devastating. She was also texting Vanessa out of worry but still that could have caused Vanessa to look at her phone instead of the road. Bailey blamed herself for Vanessa’s death as anyone would in that situation and I think this made her want those answers even more. Luckily, Bailey had a great support system throughout this story. Both of Bailey’s moms were supportive and never once made Bailey feel like a monster. Instead they let her grieve her friend and did their best to help her move on. Mason, Vanessa’s boyfriend before she passed, became a great support system for Bailey. Together they were able to remember the good times and bad times. They both struggled with letting go and realizing maybe Vanessa wasn’t this great person like they thought she was. I’m so glad Bailey was able to open up and become friends with Esther because it showed her that she can eventually have a great best friend with someone else. That eventually no matter what her life has to move on but that doesn’t mean it can’t move on for the better. Their friendship seemed natural and effortless. I did enjoy Vanessa’s character and her bubbly personality. While she did do some questionable things (going to stay vague-no spoilers) it is important to remember she was a teenager and is only human. Overall, this story has an emotional storyline with real characters going through real life events. The incorporation of the AI was creative and having Bailey be a coder/into computers was nice to see.
Should you read “Message Not Found”?
Yes, but prepare the tissues because you might cry. While this book does have a slight mystery it mostly focuses on Bailey’s grief and what it means to lose that special person. The story was well written and will leave you filled with almost every emotion.
**Received an advanced copy through NetGalley in return for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. **
I loved this book. This book will take your emotions on a roller coaster and when it’s time to get off you will stay seated to go again. Bailey and Vanessa were friends since they were little and they shared absolutely everything with one another. They weren’t just friends, they were practically sisters. On a snowy night Vanessa leaves Bailey’s house for her own and on the way she ends up swerving her car over a cliff. However, Vanessa’s car isn’t found by her house but instead a pass that Vanessa would have no reason to be on. Bailey is now grieving the loss of her best friend while trying to understand where Vanessa was truly headed that night. Wanting answers Bailey creates a chat bot of Vanessa that incorporates all of their text messages, emails, and all of her social media posts/comments. It starts to feel like Bailey is actually talking to Vanessa again and she will stop at nothing to get her answers.
Watching Bailey go through everything she did was truly heartbreaking. I cannot imagine losing someone so close to you and never getting the closure/answers you wanted. Grief will make you do crazy things and I completely understand why Bailey did what she did. If I could have the opportunity to chat with a passed loved one then I would. Especially if that loved one was hiding secrets from me. Of course, the more she talks to V the harder it will be to let go but sadly, that is something one has to learn the hard way. I hope this book shows the importance of not drinking then driving and not texting and driving. While it’s unclear how Vanessa crashed her car I’m sure drinking champagne before and texting while driving in those wintery conditions didn’t help. The guilt Bailey felt for letting Vanessa leave when she knew the roads were bad and on top of that when she might have been tipsy was devastating. She was also texting Vanessa out of worry but still that could have caused Vanessa to look at her phone instead of the road. Bailey blamed herself for Vanessa’s death as anyone would in that situation and I think this made her want those answers even more. Luckily, Bailey had a great support system throughout this story. Both of Bailey’s moms were supportive and never once made Bailey feel like a monster. Instead they let her grieve her friend and did their best to help her move on. Mason, Vanessa’s boyfriend before she passed, became a great support system for Bailey. Together they were able to remember the good times and bad times. They both struggled with letting go and realizing maybe Vanessa wasn’t this great person like they thought she was. I’m so glad Bailey was able to open up and become friends with Esther because it showed her that she can eventually have a great best friend with someone else. That eventually no matter what her life has to move on but that doesn’t mean it can’t move on for the better. Their friendship seemed natural and effortless. I did enjoy Vanessa’s character and her bubbly personality. While she did do some questionable things (going to stay vague-no spoilers) it is important to remember she was a teenager and is only human. Overall, this story has an emotional storyline with real characters going through real life events. The incorporation of the AI was creative and having Bailey be a coder/into computers was nice to see.
Should you read “Message Not Found”?
Yes, but prepare the tissues because you might cry. While this book does have a slight mystery it mostly focuses on Bailey’s grief and what it means to lose that special person. The story was well written and will leave you filled with almost every emotion.
**Received an advanced copy through NetGalley in return for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. **
April 6, 2022
I don’t know what this book is about. I don’t know who this book is about. All I know is Dante Medema wrote it, so I’m going to read it
UPDATE (POST READ): I cried.
UPDATE (POST READ): I cried.
August 30, 2021
Dang - this was one of the most emotional books that I’ve read in a long time. Friendship, unexpected premature death, grief, betrayal, then add in an A.I. to fill in the blanks.
I’ll be honest, my older brain had a hard time in the beginning wrapping myself around this YA as it’s a genre that I rarely delve into, but I continued because I do appreciate the heart-ache we can all feel after loss, and the premise that we do what we feel we have to in the aftermath of loss. That was intention of Bailey towards her high school best friend, Vanessa whom she lost in an unexpected accident, thus building a special “bot”.
What she learns, well……is life changing, but the biggest lesson, is the lesson she learns about herself.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced uncorrected copy in exchange for my honest opinion. All opinions on my own.
I’ll be honest, my older brain had a hard time in the beginning wrapping myself around this YA as it’s a genre that I rarely delve into, but I continued because I do appreciate the heart-ache we can all feel after loss, and the premise that we do what we feel we have to in the aftermath of loss. That was intention of Bailey towards her high school best friend, Vanessa whom she lost in an unexpected accident, thus building a special “bot”.
What she learns, well……is life changing, but the biggest lesson, is the lesson she learns about herself.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced uncorrected copy in exchange for my honest opinion. All opinions on my own.
January 5, 2022
Message Not Found is a beautiful exploration of grief, friendship, trauma and trust.
Medema throws you right into the thick of it from the very beginning in such an expert way that has you feeling for our protagonist Bailey instantly as she tries to grapple with the fact her best friend, Vanessa, is simply gone. It was heartbreaking and uplifting all at the same time to watch Bailey, and the friends and family around her, cope with this sudden huge loss.
The addition of AI technology in here was fascinating and really helped highlight how far some will go to appease guilt and grief. I understood where Bailey’s need for answers were coming from but how far she was willing to go for them was, from an outsider’s point of view, terrifying, but so grounded in reality.
There's a little mystery in here where we wonder where Vanessa was actually going the night she left Bailey. And the revelation of this mystery had me putting the book down and stepping away because I just couldn’t believe what I was reading and it was right in front of me the whole time. I was stunned to say the least, in the best way possible, and that’s just a minor moment of brilliant storytelling that Medema weaves in so seamlessly to this story.
You’ll start Message Not Found and you won’t want to stop until you reach the end. Beautiful and brilliant.
Medema throws you right into the thick of it from the very beginning in such an expert way that has you feeling for our protagonist Bailey instantly as she tries to grapple with the fact her best friend, Vanessa, is simply gone. It was heartbreaking and uplifting all at the same time to watch Bailey, and the friends and family around her, cope with this sudden huge loss.
The addition of AI technology in here was fascinating and really helped highlight how far some will go to appease guilt and grief. I understood where Bailey’s need for answers were coming from but how far she was willing to go for them was, from an outsider’s point of view, terrifying, but so grounded in reality.
There's a little mystery in here where we wonder where Vanessa was actually going the night she left Bailey. And the revelation of this mystery had me putting the book down and stepping away because I just couldn’t believe what I was reading and it was right in front of me the whole time. I was stunned to say the least, in the best way possible, and that’s just a minor moment of brilliant storytelling that Medema weaves in so seamlessly to this story.
You’ll start Message Not Found and you won’t want to stop until you reach the end. Beautiful and brilliant.
May 8, 2022
4.5 stars
"I can’t stop looking at this picture of our toes in the sand and wondering why the ocean heard my wish and sent hers out to sea."
A story where MC's best friend dies in a car crash, so to cope with her death, MC makes a bot chat using their old texts and emails? And then, thanks to the bot, she discovers there's more to her friend's death than it seems??
Don't think I ever ran quicker to get a book after reading a blurb.
And it did not disappoint.
My heart is broken.
I want to throw this book out a window and hug it tightly at the same time.
"I can’t stop looking at this picture of our toes in the sand and wondering why the ocean heard my wish and sent hers out to sea."
A story where MC's best friend dies in a car crash, so to cope with her death, MC makes a bot chat using their old texts and emails? And then, thanks to the bot, she discovers there's more to her friend's death than it seems??
Don't think I ever ran quicker to get a book after reading a blurb.
And it did not disappoint.
My heart is broken.
I want to throw this book out a window and hug it tightly at the same time.
May 6, 2022
actual rating 3.5
I enjoyed this and recommend listening to it on audiobook if you can!
I enjoyed this and recommend listening to it on audiobook if you can!
February 6, 2022
I thought the author was joking when she said I would need tissues for this one…. She wasn’t joking in the slightest.. this one had me crying like a little baby. This heartbreaking book follows Bailey as she tries to piece together the death of her best friend Vanessa. One night Vanessa gets a text on her phone which has she leaving Bailey’s house in a rush, despite it being a very snowy and icy night, and the next thing she hears is that Vanessa is dead. Her car swerved off a cliff, a cliff she had no business being near as that’s not her way home from Bailey’s house, and Bailey is absolutely shattered. Bailey struggles to get over the loss of her best friend, so she uses her mums software and creates a chat bot version of Vanessa by feeding in all of her emails to the machine. So can this AI version of Vanessa help poor Bailey to understand exactly what happened to her friend that night? You’ll have to pick this book up to found out!
Honestly I was heart broken for Bailey, loosing someone you love is hard enough when you see it coming, but to lose someone unexpectedly, and with no clear reason as to how it happened, is enough to drive someone insane with trying to find out just what happened. Bailey blamed herself for Vanessa’s death, but Vanessa was texting her while she was driving, and presumably right before she went over that cliff. Bailey’s mums were absolutely amazing and really helped her through the loss and the grief that comes with it.
Thank you so much to Harper360 for ruining my emotions with this one!
Honestly I was heart broken for Bailey, loosing someone you love is hard enough when you see it coming, but to lose someone unexpectedly, and with no clear reason as to how it happened, is enough to drive someone insane with trying to find out just what happened. Bailey blamed herself for Vanessa’s death, but Vanessa was texting her while she was driving, and presumably right before she went over that cliff. Bailey’s mums were absolutely amazing and really helped her through the loss and the grief that comes with it.
Thank you so much to Harper360 for ruining my emotions with this one!
April 19, 2022
i screamed i cried 5/5
April 27, 2022
3.5 ⭐️
Hmm I’ll definitely be writing a review for this one but I have to sit and see how I feel about it. I still have to process what happened tbh
Hmm I’ll definitely be writing a review for this one but I have to sit and see how I feel about it. I still have to process what happened tbh
June 10, 2022
RTC
It's an interesting exploration of grief, of the people we thought we knew and the parts we didn't.
It's an interesting exploration of grief, of the people we thought we knew and the parts we didn't.
May 22, 2022
This book had captured my attention as who wouldn't want to chat with someone they loved after they have passed. I know as someone who has had several people in my family who have passed including my mum, I would do anything to be able to chat to them or at least feel like I was. The theme of this book is about setting up a chatbot AI for someone who has passed, so you can feel like they are still here and chat with them and relive memories. If you watch NCIS, you would see this featured on an episode as well as they were trying to solve the female's murder and her AI version of herself helped. For Bailey, her best friend Vanessa died leaving her house - the events surrounding her death though don't add up as she died on the pass which was out of her way and she left Bailey's to go home earlier than she said. As the book goes on we read as the different characters try to process Vanessa's death but as Bailey chats and inputs Vanessa's phone, Mason's phone, and her laptop into the app - will Bailey like what she finds out as she learns Vanessa kept quite a few secrets from her and one of them could be viewed as the ultimate betrayal to their friendship that Bailey assumed had been perfect. Message Not Found is a powerful read as it does leave you thinking about what you would do if you lost someone you loved? If you have read The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler, then you will find this book in the same vein as I did.
January 31, 2022
dante medema is seriously one of the most talented YA authors right now!
(btw - thank you for the ARC dante but also i’m a little angry at you because this pages are a little water stained from my tears….)
like ‘the truth project’, message not found’ is a achingly beautiful story that details grief, love, betrayal, and growth in a way that is not overwhelming, rushed, or hastily executed. the chapters are short and leave you needing to read the next one, and the style of writing that includes the text messages and breaks so you can keep track of the timeline is incredibly thoughtful and really enhances the reading experience.
also, not many authors can incorporate pop culture and do it in a way i actually enjoy, so major kudos to dante! she knows how to write teenagers! every teen in this book is incredibly realistic, so i also appreciated that. the storyline is incredible, and there’s a kind of pain that you can only experience from losing a best friend that is so different than losing a lover, so reading about our main character’s grief and her hunt to find out what truly happened to her best friend on the night of her death was an intense and emotional experience. speaking of emotions, if you want to cry your face off, read this‼️‼️‼️‼️
(btw - thank you for the ARC dante but also i’m a little angry at you because this pages are a little water stained from my tears….)
like ‘the truth project’, message not found’ is a achingly beautiful story that details grief, love, betrayal, and growth in a way that is not overwhelming, rushed, or hastily executed. the chapters are short and leave you needing to read the next one, and the style of writing that includes the text messages and breaks so you can keep track of the timeline is incredibly thoughtful and really enhances the reading experience.
also, not many authors can incorporate pop culture and do it in a way i actually enjoy, so major kudos to dante! she knows how to write teenagers! every teen in this book is incredibly realistic, so i also appreciated that. the storyline is incredible, and there’s a kind of pain that you can only experience from losing a best friend that is so different than losing a lover, so reading about our main character’s grief and her hunt to find out what truly happened to her best friend on the night of her death was an intense and emotional experience. speaking of emotions, if you want to cry your face off, read this‼️‼️‼️‼️
August 13, 2021
This book was so sad, yet so beautiful. I love how to book jumped into the action and it didn't take too long to explain things. It was to the point and quick.
I love reading books where there is mystery with loss. I think those books are always the books that I love the most. When the book is sad and sad, it's just too much. My heart is breaking and nothing in the book is making me happy to read it. In this book, you're sad, but you don't really know the character enough to like cry like some other books where you get attached.
Medema did a really good job at making us feel interested in the death even though we hardly know the character. There were many characters in the book, but towards the end those characters turn into the final 4-5 and you finish all of their stories.
I really enjoyed this book and I wish I could read more. I want to know everything.
Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this book before it comes out.
xoxo,
Bea
I love reading books where there is mystery with loss. I think those books are always the books that I love the most. When the book is sad and sad, it's just too much. My heart is breaking and nothing in the book is making me happy to read it. In this book, you're sad, but you don't really know the character enough to like cry like some other books where you get attached.
Medema did a really good job at making us feel interested in the death even though we hardly know the character. There were many characters in the book, but towards the end those characters turn into the final 4-5 and you finish all of their stories.
I really enjoyed this book and I wish I could read more. I want to know everything.
Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this book before it comes out.
xoxo,
Bea
September 2, 2022
Seriously cute!!
dnf
May 1, 2022dnf @ 35%
March 29, 2022
Message Not Found made me emotional. Like a hot mess of emotions. Even though I knew it was the death was coming, it still left me in shock. I've never lost a best friend like that, and I hope I never will. So, seeing what Bailey, Mason, and everyone else Vanessa touched definitely hurt my heart. Then when the big reveal came my way, well, I was so angry.
This whole book is a journey about Bailey learning to heal from the untimely death of her best friend. It doesn't help that she is so focused on learning all her secrets. But, in some ways, I did find learning about what happened that night was helping her. It just sucks with the way that she found out certain things because it goes to show that you don't really know a person. Which can definitely hurt like a bitch.
Once the little mystery was solved, I sat back and watched how things were going to end. I was happy that secrets finally came out so that everyone could heal and move on. It did, however, suck that everyone basically knew about this huge secret before Bailey did. I think that's what hurt her the most. Shoot, it hurt me the most even if little things were leading up to it.
In the end, I'm so happy that I dove into this. It's such a short book and very easy to devour.
This whole book is a journey about Bailey learning to heal from the untimely death of her best friend. It doesn't help that she is so focused on learning all her secrets. But, in some ways, I did find learning about what happened that night was helping her. It just sucks with the way that she found out certain things because it goes to show that you don't really know a person. Which can definitely hurt like a bitch.
Once the little mystery was solved, I sat back and watched how things were going to end. I was happy that secrets finally came out so that everyone could heal and move on. It did, however, suck that everyone basically knew about this huge secret before Bailey did. I think that's what hurt her the most. Shoot, it hurt me the most even if little things were leading up to it.
In the end, I'm so happy that I dove into this. It's such a short book and very easy to devour.
August 5, 2021
I received a copy of this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I want to start by saying this book was fine. But just fine. The plot centers on the main character named Bailey. She is trying to move on from the sudden death of her best friend in the world, but some of the circumstances leading up to her death aren't lining up. In an attempt to seek out answers, Bailey uses an artificial intelligence app, fueled by old texts and social media posts, to recreate her best friend and track down the truth.
I don't want to spoil anything, so I will be vague here. This novel had so much potential for me, but kind of let me down. I was invested in the mystery, but the reveal and answers were so...simple. And cliche. It was not particularly special, despite the AI program aspect. I find this feeling of disappointment happens to me a lot when I read realistic fiction, so if you are a lover of that genre, don't let me sway you. I'm just a SciFi/Mystery lover who wanted more from the AI part of this novel.
I want to start by saying this book was fine. But just fine. The plot centers on the main character named Bailey. She is trying to move on from the sudden death of her best friend in the world, but some of the circumstances leading up to her death aren't lining up. In an attempt to seek out answers, Bailey uses an artificial intelligence app, fueled by old texts and social media posts, to recreate her best friend and track down the truth.
I don't want to spoil anything, so I will be vague here. This novel had so much potential for me, but kind of let me down. I was invested in the mystery, but the reveal and answers were so...simple. And cliche. It was not particularly special, despite the AI program aspect. I find this feeling of disappointment happens to me a lot when I read realistic fiction, so if you are a lover of that genre, don't let me sway you. I'm just a SciFi/Mystery lover who wanted more from the AI part of this novel.
May 9, 2022
I’m crying
Wow! This book was really not what I expected and I mean that in the nicest way possible.
I loved the writing, the vibe, the scenery, story and characters. There were so many plot twists — even one that made me gasp! — and most of them were nearly impossible to figure out.
This book was kind of heavy as the main topic is grief but I really liked how it was handled.
Bailey’s and Mason’s romance felt a bit weird at first but as the plot unravels I started to love them.
Can’t wait to read more of this author.
Wow! This book was really not what I expected and I mean that in the nicest way possible.
I loved the writing, the vibe, the scenery, story and characters. There were so many plot twists — even one that made me gasp! — and most of them were nearly impossible to figure out.
This book was kind of heavy as the main topic is grief but I really liked how it was handled.
Bailey’s and Mason’s romance felt a bit weird at first but as the plot unravels I started to love them.
Can’t wait to read more of this author.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 27, 2021
I love this book with my whole heart. I'm lucky enough to have read several versions of this story, and I can honestly say readers will be thinking about these characters long after they've turned the last page.
March 23, 2022
now that was some serious emotional damage 😃
April 25, 2022
I actually enjoyed this more than I expected to!
January 27, 2022
3 stars
This is a solid YA novel focusing on grief and processing, and I expect that readers who are having (or perhaps recently have had) similar experiences will find this a helpful read.
Bailey, the m.c., lives in Alaska, is a high school senior, and has a best friend, Vanessa, who dies in a shocking and tragic incident right at the start of the book. Throughout the rest of the book, Bailey attempts to address a series of unanswered questions and find a way to come to terms with this incredible loss. A particularly interesting aspect of this novel is how Bailey uses technology to cope. There are also many changing relationships with romantic and platonic options. With her best friend gone, Bailey's life has opened up for many more people to enter it (or at least to do so) in new ways.
I did have some challenges while reading, the most obvious of which is the pacing. For me, this was very slow. Processing grief takes a long time but having recently (by total happenstance) read several other books centering on this subject, it doesn't have to dominate the entire novel. I'd have loved to see more character and relationship growth and less rehashing. The small but irritating factor of Bailey's moms' names - Jacky-mom and Kat-mom - was too much for me. I've yet to encounter a naming convention like this in life or in a novel, and it made me feel like there was an insinuation that Bailey's parents were somehow not REAL parents: did not enjoy this. While the tech piece had promise, I found myself getting bored by that feature somewhat quickly and then very frustrated by the communication that occurs at the end of the novel. The end was just too easily resolved, even keeping the genre in mind.
While this one didn't work as well for me as I hoped it would, I do think there's a certain kind of reader who will get a lot out of this. Teens with mirrored experiences might benefit from the read. I'll be back for more from this author.
*Special thanks to NetGalley and Quill Tree Books for this arc, which I received in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
This is a solid YA novel focusing on grief and processing, and I expect that readers who are having (or perhaps recently have had) similar experiences will find this a helpful read.
Bailey, the m.c., lives in Alaska, is a high school senior, and has a best friend, Vanessa, who dies in a shocking and tragic incident right at the start of the book. Throughout the rest of the book, Bailey attempts to address a series of unanswered questions and find a way to come to terms with this incredible loss. A particularly interesting aspect of this novel is how Bailey uses technology to cope. There are also many changing relationships with romantic and platonic options. With her best friend gone, Bailey's life has opened up for many more people to enter it (or at least to do so) in new ways.
I did have some challenges while reading, the most obvious of which is the pacing. For me, this was very slow. Processing grief takes a long time but having recently (by total happenstance) read several other books centering on this subject, it doesn't have to dominate the entire novel. I'd have loved to see more character and relationship growth and less rehashing. The small but irritating factor of Bailey's moms' names - Jacky-mom and Kat-mom - was too much for me. I've yet to encounter a naming convention like this in life or in a novel, and it made me feel like there was an insinuation that Bailey's parents were somehow not REAL parents: did not enjoy this. While the tech piece had promise, I found myself getting bored by that feature somewhat quickly and then very frustrated by the communication that occurs at the end of the novel. The end was just too easily resolved, even keeping the genre in mind.
While this one didn't work as well for me as I hoped it would, I do think there's a certain kind of reader who will get a lot out of this. Teens with mirrored experiences might benefit from the read. I'll be back for more from this author.
*Special thanks to NetGalley and Quill Tree Books for this arc, which I received in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
August 3, 2021
5 stars—ok just listen. A YA book that openly confronts grief, friendship, the idea of betrayal, and AI?
Dante Medema brings Bailey to life in a way that I think truly cements how literature has changed for the better. While her prose is contemporary and fresh, it’s also full of beautiful phrases, descriptions, and emotions that even with all the technology references I can see how Message Not Found will be a timeless classic in its own right.
With just two books in her catalogue, Medema is one of those authors that knows who she is and understands exactly how to deliver the stories she wants to share with the world. That aspect in itself is magic—just like each of her books.
What would a senior in high school know and understand about grief? More than you think. Bailey’s journey is one that hits you in the feels but makes your heart soar too. Best Friends are like family. The friendship between girls run closer to a sisterhood more than anything and yet when one friend is tragically ripped away from this earth, picking up the pieces and living life is not without mess.
I adored how grief is addressed in Message Not Found. I’m well-versed in that particular emotion and while I was prepared to be wrecked emotionally by Bailey’s story. Instead I felt more like a proud momma. Like I could have easily been Jes-Mom while watching Bailey navigate through her last semester as a senior in high school.
Even if you’re not a fan of YA, Message Not Found is truly a special book that deserves your time and attention. Friendship is transcendent of age and so is grief. This beautiful book speaks volumes on both topics.
Brava, Dante!
Dante Medema brings Bailey to life in a way that I think truly cements how literature has changed for the better. While her prose is contemporary and fresh, it’s also full of beautiful phrases, descriptions, and emotions that even with all the technology references I can see how Message Not Found will be a timeless classic in its own right.
With just two books in her catalogue, Medema is one of those authors that knows who she is and understands exactly how to deliver the stories she wants to share with the world. That aspect in itself is magic—just like each of her books.
What would a senior in high school know and understand about grief? More than you think. Bailey’s journey is one that hits you in the feels but makes your heart soar too. Best Friends are like family. The friendship between girls run closer to a sisterhood more than anything and yet when one friend is tragically ripped away from this earth, picking up the pieces and living life is not without mess.
I adored how grief is addressed in Message Not Found. I’m well-versed in that particular emotion and while I was prepared to be wrecked emotionally by Bailey’s story. Instead I felt more like a proud momma. Like I could have easily been Jes-Mom while watching Bailey navigate through her last semester as a senior in high school.
Even if you’re not a fan of YA, Message Not Found is truly a special book that deserves your time and attention. Friendship is transcendent of age and so is grief. This beautiful book speaks volumes on both topics.
Brava, Dante!
November 3, 2021
A beautifully written, compulsively readable tale of friendship, betrayal and grief in its many forms, Message Not Found is a timely stunner of a book. Medema is enormously skilled at seeing into the heart of hard subjects, and tackling them with grace.
A must-read.
A must-read.
September 16, 2022
A beautiful surprise of a book, it deserves all 5 of these stars!
I picked up this book for the thriller, and in return I got an introspective, beautiful, heartbreaking narrative about death, grief, love, friendship and growing up.
Reading this novel from Bailey's PoV tore me apart. Her feelings are ocean-deep, her grief so raw, her will to resist and go on so strong, I felt the urge to pluck her from the pages and hug her tight. For the sake of truth and healing, she digs into her friend's past and bravely takes in every new discovery, even though it makes her whole world fall apart, even though she knows the memory of her friend won't ever be the same again. I would never have the guts to do such a thing.
Despite the heaviness of its story and themes, I gulped down this book in a second. The narrative flows very easily, and the chapters written as chat-conversations give the reader a much-needed breathing space from Bailey's thoughts and feelings.
Personally, I would have liked a more detailed narration about how Bailey programs and creates the chat-robot, but I understand that the author wanted to focus on other themes rather than computer programming.
I picked up this book for the thriller, and in return I got an introspective, beautiful, heartbreaking narrative about death, grief, love, friendship and growing up.
Reading this novel from Bailey's PoV tore me apart. Her feelings are ocean-deep, her grief so raw, her will to resist and go on so strong, I felt the urge to pluck her from the pages and hug her tight. For the sake of truth and healing, she digs into her friend's past and bravely takes in every new discovery, even though it makes her whole world fall apart, even though she knows the memory of her friend won't ever be the same again. I would never have the guts to do such a thing.
Despite the heaviness of its story and themes, I gulped down this book in a second. The narrative flows very easily, and the chapters written as chat-conversations give the reader a much-needed breathing space from Bailey's thoughts and feelings.
Personally, I would have liked a more detailed narration about how Bailey programs and creates the chat-robot, but I understand that the author wanted to focus on other themes rather than computer programming.
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