Vanished by Sheela Chari – Review

Book Jacket:

Eleven-year-old Neela dreams of being a famous musician, performing for admiring crowds on her traditional Indian stringed instrument. Her particular instrument used to be her grandmother’s—made of warm, rich wood, and intricately carved with a mysterious-looking dragon.

When this special family heirloom vanishes from a local church, Neela is devastated. As she searches for it, strange clues surface: a teakettle ornamented with a familiar-looking dragon, a threatening note, a connection to a famous dead musician, and even a legendary curse. The clues point all the way to India, where it seems that Neela’s intrument has a long history of vanishing and reappearing. If she is able to track it down, will she be able to stop it from disappearing again?

Review:

A sweet, engaging, and well plotted mystery, Vanished has a quiet charm that reminds me of A Little Princess – and I don’t just say that because of the India connection!

Vanished, like A Little Princess, brings a deft touch of wonder to its story as it carefully teeters between reality and magical realism, leaving us to wonder whether what happens is real or magic. With a dragon, a curse, and even a hidden gem, Vanished dances merrily along the line, but never crosses over it, which brings a fun sense of tantalizing mystery to the proceedings while at the same time firmly keeping both its feet on the ground. That sense that this story could absolutely happen in our everyday life just makes it all the more fun.

Neela’s voice is utterly charming and perfectly believable. I love the nuances of how Neela keeps rubbing up against her Middle School frustrations and insecurities in the course of her sleuthing, and how her determination to find her missing Veena brings her into interesting conflicts with her friends and family. I also downright love how this story plays out across the intersection of Neela’s dual heritage, as both an Indian and an American – the push and pull of her dueling cultural norms adds a fun layer to this story, with the question of assimilation lurking in the background as she has to decide which heritage to honor and when. At times it plays a bit like a younger version of Bend it like Beckham, with nice touches of humor provided by her family.

I’ll admit I’m always impressed when a Middle Grade mystery keeps me guessing, as Vanished most certainly did. There was a fun array of suspects and plenty of red herrings, and Chari does a lovely job of keeping us in the dark without ever losing the thread of her story. The mystery ties into Neela’s family history in intriguing ways, and I found myself easily caught up in it all. This story is just smart, both in how its plot plays out and in how it trusts itself enough to not have to employ bells or whistles to keep our attention – believe me, the mystery is more than enough to keep you glued to this quiet, absorbing story.

With lovely layers of family, culture, and intrigue, Vanished is an old fashioned kind of mystery that makes for a highly engrossing read. (And can I just say how much I adore that John Klassen cover?) Definitely pick this one up.

Byrt Grade: A

As Levar Burton used to say – you don’t have to take my word for it…

Kirkus Reviews says:

Well-paced and with moments of family humor—Mrs. Krishnan performs an aarti to drive away back luck (“That’s so unscientific,” according to Mr. Krishnan)—the novel offers a strong cast of characters and richly-described settings; both the legend and the contemporary mystery come alive for readers…Chari, in her debut novel, strikes the right note with this engaging, intricate story that spans generations and two countries.

Mundie Kids says:

I really liked the way Neela’s Indian and American cultures were interwoven together. I felt like Sheela gives the reader a realistic portrayal of how Neela learns to embrace both…Overall I felt Vanished was a good story, and I liked the unique, diverse elements that really brought the story together.

Publishers Weekly says:

Indian history and culture (musical and otherwise), well-observed family and friendship dynamics, and elements of fate, luck, and tradition bring depth this quiet but enthralling mystery.