About This Book:
Steeped in mystery and adventure, this brisk and beautifully crafted middle-grade debut set in modern-day India explores the complexities of the sibling bond.
When her older brother, Karthik—Kay-Kay, the golden child of the family—heads to camp for two weeks, Lena’s parents begin showering her with all the attention she craves. For a time, she’s the golden child and secretly wishes her brother wouldn’t come home. But when the scheduled train arrives and Karthik isn’t on it, Lena is stricken with guilt and fear for her beloved Kay-Kay. Her brother has vanished without a trace, and the police view him as a runaway. Incredulous, Lena undertakes a search of her own—reading mysterious poems left in his backpack, interrogating his fellows from the train, retracing his route, and encountering shadowy strangers along the way. Convinced Kay-Kay is still alive even when the rest of her family has given up, Lena steadily unearths her brother’s secrets as her determination to bring him home leads to a heart-stopping discovery. Perhaps Kay-Kay isn’t a golden child after all? Set in a vividly evoked modern-day India, this character-driven middle-grade mystery tackles rich themes—from the sibling bond to self-worth—in a taut and suspenseful adventure.
*Review Contributed by Mark Buxton, Staff Reviewer*
What worked:
The plot is a missing-person story with Lena trying to find her older brother Kay-Kay. It’s kind of a locked-door mystery as Kay-Kay was on a moving train when he went to bed but there’s no evidence of how he disappeared when passengers unload the next day. Lena doesn’t feel the police are doing enough so she begins investigating on her own. It’s hard to believe she’ll succeed but she’s more emotionally motivated than anyone else. Some people she interviews are kind and helpful while others think she’s interfering and should let the police do their jobs. Lena is able to uncover secrets about her brother but his life is a bigger mystery than she could ever know.
Grief is a major issue as Kay-Kay’s disappearance is devastating for the family. The mother is hit hardest as she withdraws into her sorrow and can’t function anymore. Lena does her best to support her parents during this trying time but it’s not enough to make her mother feel better. The father struggles to carry on but Lena’s investigation wears on his nerves. Lena creates friction with others and her father is the one who hears their complaints about how his daughter is behaving.
The author weaves poetry and flashbacks into the plot as Lena remembers happy times with her brother. She idolizes him and her memories are of times when he supported her, counseled her, or simply brought joy to her life. The poems shared fit Lena’s thoughts of the situations that arise. One called “Expectations” goes with the chapter where Lena is on a bus to find her brother and “A Love Letter” fits her mood later in the story.
What didn’t work as well:
Uncovering the truth about what’s happened to Kay-Kay moves at a slow pace as Lena hits one dead end after another. This is especially evident once Lena leaves the city since readers are already anticipating significant developments in the case. It feels like Lena is back at square one.
The final verdict:
This emotional tale highlights the loving bond between a girl and her older brother. Parental expectations complicate the family dynamics but the conflicts are resolved in a compassionate manner in the end. This book will appeal to readers interested in India and sibling love and I recommend you give it a shot.
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