I adore the way Levithan weaves the most magical yet impactful stories for all ages - and this book is no exception. Truly enchanting!!

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an e-ARC of this novel.

Aidan returns from his own version of Narnia, cliched wardrobe and all. I loved Lucas as a character. I loved his faith in his brother, and his willingness to be the one that kept his confidence and believed him wholeheartedly. Aidan's story puts him in a difficult position in the real world, but Lucas' support makes it all a little more bearable.

3.5
I really enjoyed this fun mystery story which I think is perfect for fans of Malamander by Thomas Taylor! This book follows our main character Lucas who when his brother goes missing for 6 days tries to find out what happened. I really loved the brotherly relationships in this story as well as the complicated family relationships. I also loved the atmosphere and creativity that was woven into this novel. The only issue I had with it was I was never completely gripped or connected to the story.

“It was a game of hide and seek that got old after five minutes, alarming after an hour, and the scariest thing that had ever happened to any of us after that.
Aidan couldn’t be found.”

Lucas’ older brother, Aidan, disappeared without a trace for six days. Now he’s returned home and the story he tells about the time he was missing seems too strange to be true.

“Where were you?
Nobody’s going to believe me.
I’ll believe you.
I don’t think you can.”

I loved the interactions between the brothers as they navigated the suspicion surrounding Aidan’s story and the people who felt they deserved an explanation because they’d helped search for him. Lucas’ initial disbelief and his subsequent wavering between thinking Aidan’s story is impossible and wondering if it actually could be true was realistic, especially given Aidan’s propensity for telling his younger brother some far-fetched things in the past.

I liked Lucas, especially appreciating how much he wanted to believe what his brother was telling him and doing his best to protect him. I thought it was particularly appropriate that Lucas was studying Roanoke at school during the time immediately after Aidan’s return.

My favourite character was Aunt Brandi, whose wisdom and compassion made me wish she was my Aunt. I definitely wanted to spend more time with her. She managed to snag the best lines. I loved this one:

“It stretches credibility - but life stretches credibility all the time, to the point that credibility doesn’t have much credibility left, you know?”

I really wanted to learn more about the place Aidan spent his time while he was missing. Previous books I’ve read that feature portals spend a significant amount of time world building and oftentimes I’ve been able to travel to far flung worlds with the main character. But that’s not what this book is about; Aidan’s story is about the after.

“Aidan was no longer missing, but now it was like the answers to his disappearance were missing instead.”

What happens when you return from a place that others find unbelievable? How will your family, friends and the wider community respond to you? How will you adapt once again to this world, knowing you can’t return to the one you’ve so recently lived in? How do you do this life after experiencing another?

The entire time I was reading I kept thinking this is the perfect gateway book to Seanan McGuire’s ‘Wayward Children’ series. As Aidan attempted to reacclimate himself to his life at home, I found myself wanting to refer him to Eleanor West's School for Wayward Children, a place where his experience would be believed and the complicated feelings he had about his return validated.

I only had a couple of nitpicks, but none of them prevented me from loving this book. While Lucas and Aidan’s relationship was both endearing and believable, they tended to speak as though they were older than 11 and 12. There was never any explanation provided for why Aidan described the maddoxes differently throughout the book.

While I understood his reasons for doing so, I was disappointed when Lucas made a decision on Aidan’s behalf towards the end of the book. I’d love to say more, but spoilers. I wanted Aidan to make that decision for himself, though.

Food I craved while reading: cinnamon rolls.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Text Publishing for the opportunity to read this book. I’m rounding up from 4.5 stars.

I am absolutely in love with this book. I expected it would be a fun read but I was blown away by how incredible it was. While it is marketed as a Middle-Grade book, the story is so well-written and nuanced that it will appeal to children and adults alike.

Discovering hidden worlds is a well explored trope in children's stories and YA novels, from the Narnia series, to Inkheart to The Magicians for older readers, there are books a-plenty that follow plucky young adventurers through fantasy realms after they mysteriously vanish from our reality. There is a comforting familiarity to these stories that draws us back again and again, even if they are, in essence, just variations on the same theme. Then comes David Levithan, ready to flip the whole paradigm on its head.

The realm of Aveinieu and Aidan's journey there, is not in fact, central to the tale. Rather, Levithan focuses on the emotional toll that is experienced by those left behind and the general upheaval that accompanies Aidan's reintegration into his life when he reappears just as suddenly as he had left. The story is told from the perspective of Aidan's younger brother Lucas, who keenly observes the reactions of everyone around him as he struggles with his own complex feelings. While others pressure Aidan for details about his disappearance, Lucas approaches his brother with a touching level of compassion, choosing to suspend disbelief so that he can offer support.

The book features excellent explorations of trust, betrayal, family, public scrutiny, and the fine distinction between what is true and what is real. I definitely recommend this book to readers of all ages! Fantastic read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Text Publishing for providing this ARC.

4/5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley for the e-arc!

Loved it and i look forward to reading more from the author!

Thank you Netgalley and Text Publishing for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

As it always happens with every book I read by David Levithan, I was hooked from page 1 and I just couldn’t stop reading or thinking about this story, every new line lured me in and pushed me to read more.

I devoured this book in just 2 days!

I loved everything about this story, I seriously couldn’t pin point one thing I wished was different. As usual Levithan’s world building and character making is spectacular, his writing style is immaculate and he has a way with words that just makes every story so good you feel like you’re part of it.

This book made me think a lot: about the stories we tell and the support we get and give people, about friendship and family, about sometimes wishing we were somewhere else while we’re stuck in this world and at the same time wouldn’t want it any other way.

As usual David Levithan has written a brilliant story full of amazing characters (YES for the trans and gay rep!), the kind of story that stays with you long after you turned the last page, the kind of story you wish would never end.

Aidan has been missing for days. There is no sign of him anywhere in the house, and everyone in town has been searching for him. One evening, his brother, Lucas, finds him in the attic but doesn't know how he got there. Aidan tells his story, but nobody believes him. Lucas tries to figure out what happened to Aidan, and the truth of where he went may just be out of this world.

The Mysterious Disappearance of Aidan S. is the first David Levithan book I have ever picked up, and I absolutely loved it! This middle grade novel has a sprinkle of fantasy mixed in with contemporary and mysterious elements that usually draw me to books in the first place. Aidan and Lucas were both great characters, and I liked how the story was told from Lucas's perspective. The book had me hooked from the first page, and I was able to fly through it in just a few hours. Middle grade is a genre that I have recently learned I adored, and I am so glad to have had the opportunity to read this book and grow my love for the genre even more.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC of The Mysterious Disappearance of Aidan S. by David Levithan! I can't wait to see this book in stores.

*Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.*

This was a fantastically written book and an interesting read. Just shy of touching, the whimsy was kept to a minimum which went well with the almost solemn tone of the book. The question in my mind throughout was not “is the protagonist’s reason for his disappearance true?” rather it was “how will everyone move on from this?”.

It was extremely interesting to see how the protagonist’s relationships where affected by the story behind his disappearance. I would say that it did seem as though everyone reacted as little too cordially to it, only just having quietly curious manners or persisting for a bit and then respectfully giving space. More intense confrontations could’ve occurred to really take the book to another level.

The ending was not really what I expected and there was one moment I would love to change. I guess the moment at the end with the protagonist’s brother and the dresser emphasises even more that this book is less about where Aidan went and more about how he moved on from it. That moment seemed to eclipse the whole book and even though overall the book was good, it could’ve been so much better if that moment was changed in really any way.

A really intriguing concept, though the story moves a little too slowly. The central relationship between the brothers was beautifully-drawn.

I must thanks to net gallery and publisher to give me DRC. I read this book again and again. I had make sure I haven't miss a line. But first I realized that the main page, the contents and the cover page must include in this book rather than book cover. I found Acknowledgement from the author at the last page. So, I must say I didn't like this book actually because there was no formal assigned pages. I haven't found error in grammar, spellings and plots but I hate to drag down more and more to read it to end. I felt so hard to go back to main page because I couldn't go there easily. The mysterious and magical disappear and appearance of aidan was so childish plots but middle grader will love it. I just give you my honest review for this book. Anyway thanks for being honest story lines and effortless writing.

I honestly, truly enjoyed this. It's a very good twist on kid goes off to fantasy world. This story focuses on the family he leaves behind, the brother who wants to know the truth of where he went. My heart broke for Aidan throughout this story and I do wish it had a slightly different ending, but overall I thought the take was interesting and Aidan and Lucas had a great brotherhood. It kind of reminds me of Last Bus to Everland.

This was a fun read, however it did fall a bit short. I was under the impression that we were going to get Aidan’s story from his time at Aveinieu (a Narnia-like portal world), but that was sadly not the case. The book dealt with the aftermath of Aidan’s disappearance and how Lucas and his family dealt with it.

Family was an important theme throughout the novel. I loved the sibling relationship between Aidan and Lucas. They were so supportive of each other and it was lovely seeing them bond over the course of the novel.

Levithan’s easy-going and fun writing style made for a quick read. I was fascinated with Aidan and Lucas’s story. However, I felt that the plot progression was rather slow. Nothing really happened and the plot did not go anywhere. I also wished we got to learn more about Aveinieu and why the portals appeared when they did. That wasn’t touched on.

Overall, this was a fun read! This was my first time reading Levithan’s works and it won’t be my last.

Thank you Netgalley and Knopf Books for Young Readers for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.


I have read David's books before, but they were YA, not middle grade books, but then I read the summary and I thought the cover was so beautiful, I thought: why not trying?

I was not disappointed.


This book is MAGICAL. It's so powerful in how it's written it makes you feel like you're going back in time to experience your childhood all over again. It filled me with nostalgia and warmed my heart with how David mixed fantasy and realism all in one story. I also really loved the dynamic between the two brothers, made me think of the one I have with my own sister. Simply stunningly beautiful and magical. I couldn't recommend this one more, I think children will love it.

I haven't read much by David Levithan, so I didn't have any expectations going into this story. I ended up really enjoying it and was hooked by the mystery. The writing style is very easy to read. While this didn't blow my mind, it was still a worthwhile read and I do want to read more by David Levithan in the future.

I enjoyed this, in similar fashion to every David Levithan book I’ve read. It didn’t give way to anything in depth. Lucas’ brother goes missing for 6 days. When he returns, Aiden believes that the dresser in the attic took him away to another land.

For a middle grade I enjoyed it, but as an older reader I wanted more. More everything. I felt like without the extra plot lines it was a very average read.

When Aidan disappears no one knows where he is and the entire town goes looking.

Six days go by and they expect to find a body but his younger brother Lucas finds him in their attic. Where has Aidan been? He tells Lucas he was in a fantasy world called Aveinieu and that he wishes he'd never left. What follows isn't your typical young kid goes to a magical land book and honestly it was so much better than I am probably making it sound.

The characters, the setting, the events, it's just all so great. I've never read a book from this author before but now I want to. I really loved this.

Thank you to NetGalley for letting me read this ARC.

— thanks to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

a fun and interesting middle-grade read! we usually read books about the adventures of a character, but this book dealt with what happens after—after all the fun and the adventures ensued, comes the return to mundane life. i was hooked in the beginning of this book, it seemed promising and i was invested in finding the secret. the author does a great job of making the reader doubt themselves as they read, or at least that was my case.

unfortunately, the concept got boring after the first 30-40% or so of the book. i wanted to love this, but it started to get repetitive and boring and rather predictable. i waited for something to happen to make me interested again but it lost its shine for me rather quickly and even the ending didn’t win me back.

i just think this wasn’t for me. the writing style was fun and easy enough for young readers to follow, the story gripping and i can see many loving it. so still a solid mg book!

A fun and quick middle grade book. Not usually into fantasy, but I enjoyed this book just fine. Thanks Netgalley for the ARC

I'm hoping to read more Middle Grade reads this year, and there was just something about The Mysterious Disappearance of Aidan S. that caught my eye immediately. And then I'm not just talking about the stunning cover... The promise of a mysterious disappearance, an impossible to believe story and the consequences of telling such story sounded absolutely fascinating, and I'm glad to say that the execution without doubt lived up to expectations for me. This turned out to be an excellent MG story that is perfect for the target group as well as older readers!

The interesting thing about The Mysterious Disappearance Of Aidan S. is that it's hard to put the story firmly inside a genre box. Is it a contemporary with focus on family and the aftermaths of a missing child and brother? Yes. Is it a magical realism story where the lines between the 'real' world and fantasy are blurred? Yes. And is that fictional world called Aveinieu not a sign this is actually fantasy? Maybe. But the thing is: while we have the fantasy world right there front and center, we never actually get to see Aveinieu for ourselves. The main character of this story, Lucas, is Aidan's brother and therefore never actually visited Aveinieu... Giving us an unique perspective on what happened to his brother, as like Lucas you are left wondering what is real and what is (possibly) made up. This angle definitely made the story stand out for me!

There isn't a lot of development of the fantasy world, mostly because the story is told from Lucas' POV and he never actually went there. Still, the glimpses we get through Aidan's words are more than enough to enchant you, and it feels like a whimsical world we are so close to touch, but never actually get to visit. The focus on the real world and what happens after Aidan is found makes for an interesting contrast, and brings forwards questions about believing the unbelievable and the consequences of telling a story that is basically impossible. As a whole this story tends to tip towards the real world, with a magical realism feel popping up in between. The door (or dresser in this case) to a different world might have been done before (think Narnia, the Wayward Children books), but it is the outsider perspective that makes The Mysterious Disappearance Of Aidan S. unique.

As a whole this story turned out to be an excellent Middle Grade read I'm sure children and adults alike will enjoy. I personally simply couldn't stop reading until I reached that final page! It has wonderful hidden deeper meanings as well.