The Mysterious Disappearance of Aidan S.
Ratings6
Average rating3.4
15
Ratings6
Average rating3.4
New York Times bestselling author David Levithan takes young readers on twisting journey through truth, reality, and fantasy and belief. Aidan disappeared for six days. Six agonizing days of searches and police and questions and constant vigils. Then, just as suddenly as he vanished, Aidan reappears. Where has he been? The story he tells is simply. . . impossible. But it's the story Aidan is sticking to. His brother, Lucas, wants to believe him. But Lucas is aware of what other people, including their parents, are saying: that Aidan is making it all up to disguise the fact that he ran away. When the kids in school hear Aidan's story, they taunt him. But still Aidan clings to his story. And as he becomes more of an outcast, Lucas becomes more and more concerned. Being on Aidan's side would mean believing in the impossible. But how can you believe in the impossible when everything and everybody is telling you not to?
Reviews with the most likes.
OH. MY. GOD.
This is one of the best things ive ever read.
I finished it and squealed, its THAT good.
Welp I read this one in this sitting, it is a bonefide page turner. I think the folks who were annoyed that Aveinieu didn't turn into some modern day Narnia are kind of missing the point. This is a really quick, fascinating read about needing an escape and how middle schoolers deal with not having an outlet for that escape. The dialogue with the parents is tense and as a parent I really empathized with them. I will say, the kid dialog definitely felt like an adult talking through a kid.
3.5 stars. Somehow the first book I've ever read by David Levithan!
This book gives off major Goosebumps vibes and it was so much fun! I don't read much middle grade mystery but this book definitely has me interested in picking up more. There was a lot of LGBTQIA+ diversity including a trans character (that was just trans and it wasn't a big deal) and a male character with a boyfriend.
Thank you to Text Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with an eBook copy to review
I'm a big fan of portal fantasy books so when I saw that David Levithan had written a portal fantasy, I was like, sign me up! But this was a really interesting take on it because it's actually not a portal fantasy, it's just the aftermath of a portal fantasy. Like [b:Every Heart a Doorway 25526296 Every Heart a Doorway (Wayward Children #1) Seanan McGuire https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1431438555l/25526296.SX50.jpg 45313140] by Seanan McGuire but for tweens. But with the extra twist of the “as told to his brother” so the reader isn't even 100% sure if there is a portal fantasy or if Aidan is lying/had some kind of psychotic break.So I saw some reviews being disappointed about that but I thought it was really interesting, and I think for some young readers who grew up with Narnia etc they will also find this concept interesting–the details of having to talk to the police after you come back, of the town reaction to this missing boy suddenly returning, the way that Aidan is depressed because he misses his fantasy world but can't really explain it...I really loved that, and I think more thoughtful tweens will too. Readers looking for a Narnia-style adventure will be disappointed tho. Also lovely to see that the family has a casually beloved trans aunt, and that Aidan is also queer and his new boyfriend ends up being what kind of ties him back to the real world. It's also so interesting that this is NOT from Aidan's POV but you as the reader wonder, did he go to Aveinieu because he was struggling with his sexuality? Is it a closet metaphor? But his brother the narrator doesn't wonder about this at all so it doesn't have to be part of the story...just something for a reader to think about and engage with as they wish.
