Nobody knows by Shelley Tanaka

Eleven-year-old Akira, eight-year-old Shigeru, and four-year-old Yuki must fend for themselves after their mother abandons them to be with a new boyfriend. Initially she is gone for about a month, and then later, after she's been gone many months, it becomes apparent to Akira that she is never coming back. The story was inspired by true events in Tokyo, which made it all the more heart breaking to read. I won't spoil anything for you, but I will tell you that I despised the ending! It left me shaking my head and wondering HOW an author could end a story the way it ended. Now that a bit of time has passed since I finished the book, I realize that the ending might be exactly the way the real events transpired.

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