For as long as Avicenna can remember, it has always been her and her mother - a duo. But when her mother goes missing she has to step up on her own and even take charge. The police are involved but they are asking the wrong questions and seem to be getting nowhere with their investigation. What nobody else realizes is the fact that Joanne's disappearance has something to do with her knowledge and connected to her livelihood somehow. With Simon by her side, Avicenna is finally ready to embrace her gift because she feels that it is the only way she can bring her mother home. But is Avicenna ready to discover the lies and the truth both her mother and her own life? Is she ready to risk her life for her mother's? 
 First of all, what an uncommon yet beautiful name - Avicenna! I heard it for the first time and I am in love with the name... Also, occult has always piqued my interest, so it was awesome to read about astrology in a fictional setting. 
 Avicenna is your normal teenage girl. I had a love - hate relationship with her for most of the book. On one hand I loved her relationship with her mother, enjoyed the romantic confusions in her life and cheered her for doing what was necessary in the time of need. On the other hand I also found her a bit too whiny. But in the end her good qualities stack up higher than the whiny side of her. Simon's character could have been developed a bit further. But I absolutely loved the character of Joanne even though she was 'missing' for most of the book. Joanne's personality and her relationship with her daughter is the best thing about this book. 
 The writing style of the author is beautiful - peppered with sarcasm, and the narration is fluid. It was pretty easy to get into the rhythm of the book and get lost in it. The ending leaves you a bit on the edge though... But I would surely love to read more about Avicenna and her exploits. Can we convince the author to turn this standalone into a series?