Exploration of Loss

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Timely given the crimes occurring in the vacation islands, but this is no beach read. Saint X is an imaginary island the author has created as a character on its own in conjunction with hotel employees, Edwin and GoGo. Both these young men have been raised on Saint X and have seen a relatively simple, yet beautiful island change dramatically into a resort life-style of those that are seemingly unaware the island they experience is only a facade.
Enter the East Coast family of Alison and Claire. Alison a teenager full of all that angst and hidden behaviors and Claire the 7-year-old sister. Alison disappears without a trace prior to the family's departure for home after a island vacation. Eventually Edwin and GoGo are held then released in Alison's disappearance. The family is decimated and moves to the West Coast to start over.
However, Claire cannot start over. Her life is defined by this moment and though she tries to live as though it is not, a chance encounter years later with GoGo brings it all back to front and center. Claire becomes haunted by the small amount of memories she has of her sister and the lack of closure. Finding out the truth not only about what happened to her sister but the truth of who her sister was becomes her whole focus at the risk of her sanity.
Saint X is a long, meandering tale of sisterhood, white entitlement, prejudice, moneyed vs poor, and environmental issues to name a few. A bit to meandering for me but lots to ponder.