An analysis of Megan Miranda's debut adult-fiction thriller, All the Missing Girls.
When Carmelina and I started the S + C Book Club, we set out with the intention to learn more about different writing genres and explore new topics. I am happy to say Megan Miranda's All the Missing Girls gave us such an experience. The novel tells the homecoming story of Nicolette Farrell, who must leave the life she created for herself in Philadelphia and return to Cooley Ridge to care for her father. Nicolette had left her hometown ten years prior, after the disappearance of her best friend, Corrine Prescott. Not too long after Nicolette's return, Annaleise Carter goes missing. As the town enters their second investigation, Nicolette must unravel the truth about Annaleise's disappearance and what happened to Corrine ten years ago. Telling the story backward, author Megan Miranda shows readers the fragility of the human mind when trying to cope with extreme tragedy.
As stated in the first S + C Book Club, Carmelina and I will be discussing several questions related to the novel's plot, character development, symbolism and general thoughts and opinions. In a recent YouTube video, Carmelina and I share ideas on the book, addressing each question on the S + C Discussion Sheet.
Download the Book Club Discussion Question Sheet to follow along in our conversation! Continue reading for my analysis of the thriller and the introduction of August's book.
In addition to the questions answered in the video, I reflected on the themes of reality, morality and justice in a separate essay. If it wasn't made obvious in the video, SPOILERS AHEAD.
In All the Missing Girls, Megan Miranda uses the plot of a small-town investigation to highlight human tendencies when understanding personal truths, judging the ethics of actions and gaining closure. Supported by the characters, overarching motifs, and vivid symbols, the three themes of reality, morality, and justice are entangled throughout the novel. As in life, all three subjects relate to one another; one cannot determine if an action is right or wrong without identifying facts from fiction and, if not able to do so, cannot reach a final judgement.
In the novel, the people of Cooley Ridge follow the theory of moral subjectivism where right and wrong are determined based on the individual's opinion in a particular situation. The theme of morality first presents itself when the reader learns that Mr. Farrell was a philosophy professor. Philosophy is the study of the fundamental nature of knowledge, reason and mind, and it is not unintentional that Mr. Farrell is the character who represents false realities. While he might be considered the most knowledgeable in terms of ethics, Patrick Farrell still acts ignorant. He commits actions that are lawfully wrong as he follows the town's primitive theory of morality. Though Mr. Farrell is one of the first characters to touch upon the theme, he is not the only character committing wrongful acts. Several of the main characters commit crimes that, in their eyes, are seen as right. Laura murdered Annaleise but did it to protect her family just as Patrick had covered up Corrine's death to keep his daughter safe. Annaleise blackmailed the Farrells but saw it as retributive justice on Corrine's murder. Nicolette lied during both investigations to protect herself and loved ones. It is the outsiders of the town, such as Everett and Hannah, that practice contractarianism where morality is the agreement among rational agents to advance their mutual benefit and create a formal social contract. These characters are the only exceptions to the pattern. Everett, who is the personification of the law, and therefore, reason, works to uncover the truth to decide definitely if an action was right or wrong. When Everett leaves Cooley Ridge, yes, it signifies the end of his and Nicolette's relationship, but it also symbolizes Cooley Ridge as a whole is devoid of all lawfulness. Hannah, a detective in both Corrine's disappearance and Annaleise's disappearance, signifies that right or wrong, the truth will always be revealed. No, Hannah does not solve either case. Still, Hannah was there when our protagonist was lying to herself and when Nicolette finally discovers the truth. Through Hannah, the reader can notice how closely related morality is with the theme of reality.
In Miranda's All the Missing Girls, several characters struggle with reality. Nicolette has been lying to herself for the past ten years, never admitting to her friend's death. Developing with the theme of reality, the symbolic nature of time becomes an adversary for Nicolette when coming to terms with the accident. Time is mocking her for not discovering the truth, and it is why she can only place her life together piece by piece in random ordering rather than sequential. Mr. Farrell's mental illness is the literal representation of distorted realities. For a sizable portion of the book, Patrick’s statements are unverifiable, as he leaves his remarks elusive. They become more evident and more rooted in reality throughout the book until we realize that he’s been giving the reader the correct answers. Annaleise distorts the truth through her artwork. The art is a physical byproduct of her obsessive interest with Corrine and servers as a constant reminder that Annaleise was an alibi the night of the disappearance from which all lies stem. Many smaller incidents showcase a twisted truth—Daniel's affair, Nic's engagement ring from Everett and Laura's baby shower. Individual lies combined with small-town gossip, make truth in Cooley Ridge a foreign figure. However, by the novel's conclusion, all is made clear, and the characters begin retribution.
The characters have the free will to decide what is right and wrong for themselves. Not circumscribe to the law, the town creates its own sense of justice. At many points in the novel, Nicolette reflects that many townspeople believed Corrine got the fate she deserved as she acted recklessly and met an inevitable end. However, the irony is that the rumours circulated during Corrine's investigation were not hers at all, but Nicolette's. The ring, the pregnancy test and the scars were all Nicolette's secrets. If, as I stated in the video, Laura is Nicolette's foil, then Corrine is Nicolette's mirror. These tokens belonging to Nic, heavily foreshadowed her being Corrine’s murderer. If so much of Corrine's disappearance belongs to Nicolette, then isn’t it apparent that so would Corrine's death. The justice for Corrine's passing came when Nicolette returned to Cooley Ridge, knowing she'd never leave again. Mr. Farrell's penance is to suffer through delusions - unable to forget the darkness of his family's past, he too will never escape Cooley Ridge. In fact, all of the main characters must stay in Cooley Ridge to keep their actions hidden; it is in this way that the town becomes their life sentencing. It may seem more comfortable than a court ruling, but the Farrell family must confront their monsters each time they step out the back door and see the woods.
On a lighter note, as we did for the previous book in series, Carmelina and I created a playlist that suits Miranda's novel perfectly! My favourite song in the queue is a cover of Little Big Town's Girl Crush by Harry Styles. Check out the full list of songs here, and follow S + C on Spotify to continue streaming the compilation.
As mentioned in the video, the book to read for August is author Mhairi McFarlane's latest release, If I Never Met You. A romantic comedy, this is a heartfelt read that is suitable for the end of summer!
Sincerely,
Sara
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