logo

74 pages 2 hours read

Caroline B. Cooney

The Face on the Milk Carton

Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 1990

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.

Before You Read

Roundup icon

Super Short Summary

In The Face on the Milk Carton by Caroline B. Cooney, fifteen-year-old Janie Johnson’s life is upended when she discovers a photo of herself as a child on a milk carton, claiming she was kidnapped at age three. As she investigates her past, Janie uncovers startling truths about her family and grapples with her identity amidst resurfacing memories and emotional turmoil. References to cults and sexual activity are present in the book.

Reviews & Readership

Roundup icon

Review Roundup

Caroline B. Cooney's The Face on the Milk Carton captures readers with its suspenseful plot and relatable protagonist. Praised for its engaging narrative and emotional depth. Criticized by some for predictable elements and slower pacing. Overall, it remains a compelling read for young adults, blending mystery and self-discovery.

Who should read this

Who Should Read The Face on the Milk Carton?

Readers who relish suspenseful young adult novels with reliable emotional depth will adore Caroline B. Cooney’s The Face on the Milk Carton. It captures the same gripping intrigue and teenage angst found in Jay Asher’s Thirteen Reasons Why and John Green’s Looking for Alaska.

Book Details
Pages

164

Format

Novel • Fiction

Setting

Connecticut • 1980s

Theme
Publication Year

1990

Audience

YA

Recommended Reading Age

12-18 years

Lexile Level

660L

Continue your reading experience

Subscribe now to unlock the rest of this Study Guide plus our full library, which features expert-written summaries and analyses of 8,000+ additional titles.