HOW TO BE LOST

HOW TO BE LOST by Amanda Eyre Ward

From the back of the book:

Joseph and Isabelle Winters seem to have it all:  a grand home in Holt, New York, a trio of radiant daughters, and a sense that they are safe in their affluent corner of America.  But when five-year-old Ellie disappears, the fault lines within the family are exposed:  Joseph, once a successful businessman, succumbs to his demons; Isabelle retreats into memories of her debutante days in Savannah; and Ellie's bereft sisters grow apart - Madeline reluctantly stays home, while Caroline runs away.

Fifteen years later, Caroline, now a New Orleans cocktail waitress, sees a photograph of a woman in a magazine.  Convinced that it is Ellie, all grown up, Caroline embarks on a search for her missing sister.  Armed with copies of the photo, an amateur detective guide, and a cooler of Dixie beer, Caroline travels through the New Mexico desert, the mountains of Colorado, and the smoky underworld of Montana, determined to salvage her broken family.

Boring.  And confusing.  And I didn't like any of the characters.

The viewpoint of the book changed from one character to another, making it hard to follow in parts.  Too much was left unsaid, leaving a lot to the reader's imagination.  I usually don't mind having to figure out parts of a story, but this one left too many holes.

A good thing about the book?  It was short and I was able to finish quickly.