"When Mimi Went Missing" by Suja Sukumar is an absolute page-turner that will keep you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. This expertly crafted YA thriller delves deep into the complex relationship between two Indian American cousins, Tanvi and Mimi, against the backdrop of a chilling disappearance.

Sukumar's writing shines as she weaves a dark and twisty narrative that explores themes of grief, belonging, and the often cruel dynamics of high school social hierarchies. The author's ability to capture the unique pressures and vulnerabilities of teenage life is truly remarkable, making the characters feel authentic and relatable.

The plot is masterfully constructed, with unexpected twists and turns that will keep readers guessing until the very last page. The pacing is perfect, creating a sense of urgency that makes it nearly impossible to put the book down.

One of the standout elements of this novel is its diverse representation. Sukumar skillfully incorporates Indian American cultural references throughout the story, adding depth and authenticity to the characters' experiences.

"When Mimi Went Missing" is not just a thrilling mystery; it's also a poignant exploration of family, identity, and the lengths we go to fit in. The emotional depth of the story will resonate with readers long after they've turned the final page.

In conclusion, Suja Sukumar has crafted a compelling, emotionally charged mystery that deserves a place on every YA thriller fan's bookshelf. It's a must-read for anyone who enjoys authors like Tiffany D. Jackson, Karen McManus, and Angeline Boulley.

This one was a struggle for me. Here's the thing, the main character wakes up with memory loss and a massive bump on the back of her head, deep cuts and bruises up and down her arms and legs, and decides that it must have been the hedges at the house she was hiding in. She doesn't go get things checked out by a medical professional, she doesn't have her aunt, who is a nurse who she lives with, check them out. It's no big deal, definitely the hedges. It takes her until 48% of the way into the book for her to say, hey, maybe something DID happen and I had a concussion and because I decided hedges were responsible and didn't get it checked out I definitely suffered some memory loss. 48% into the book! Too much stupidity/naivete on the part of the heroine of the book for me to enjoy this one.

Unfortunately I found this difficult to get into, the writing didn’t captivate me and I got a bit bored.

This is an excellent YA thriller and I’m so happy to see some diversity in the genre. This story does excellent to complicated family relationships and weaves its mystery thoughtfully.

I rarely get to read YA thrillers with south asian leads. This was a welcome change! The book depicts the elements of culture, bullying and mystery. It also has several realistic characters and portrayals of college.

The book is a page turner and sets up the action from the get go. It is quite well written too. Thank you Soho Press and NetGalley for this e-arc in exchange of my unbiased review.

This book was a hit or miss for me. The ending if the book was amazing. Once I got to the 80% I couldn't put it away anymore. But to get there was hard. It took me days to get into the book and I always felt like I was missing something. Like there could have been more. And we got the more but that was just very late in the story itself.

The splintered relationship between two Indian American cousins is at the center of this dark, twisty YA mystery—perfect for fans of Tiffany D. Jackson, Karen McManus, and Angeline Boulley.

This was so good. I loved the characters, the tension, the plot twits, everything! Highly recommended!

With a premise mildly intriguing, When Mimi Went Misding is certainly page-turning enough and an enjoyable slice of YA mystery, following a cousin's attempt to solve her estranged cousin's disappearance. It suffers from real drag in the middle, some half-baked plot contrivances, and a slightly milquetoast protagonist in the doormat Tanvi, but readers could do a lot worse than this short, readable thriller.

*3.5 Stars*

I really wanted to love this, but it was just fine to me. The characters weren't as layered as I would have like? And there were so few twists that surprised me. I was expecting a little more, I think. So it wasn't bad, really? My hopes were just a little too high really. I didn't really connect with the main character and I didn't really understand her.
Still, this is a debut and I did enjoy it overall. I'll have to come back to this author for her next books!

This book was just ok for me. I was sure the killer wouldn't be the main character but not sure why she couldn't remember more of what happened? Was she drugged, I'm not sure.

Gripping story with engaging characters! This is a great YA mystery for adults as well as youth. Liked the diversity of the characters and true-to-life themes of trying to fit in with the wrong people. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Pub Date: Nov. 19, 2024

#WhenMimiWentMissing
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3.5 stars, rounded up

This was fast-paced and gripping, even if I though the villain was a bit too obvious. Definitely recommended if you’re in the mood for a YA mystery.

Engaging read! When fitting in is so important that you turn on your cousin but then your cousin turns up missing. Tanvi turned on her cousin Mimi by posting an incriminating picture of her cousin Mimi to befriend the It girl at school Beth but then Mimi goes missing. Will blood be thicker than water and make Tanvi do the right thing by her cousin? Good YA read enjoyed by an adult! Loved the diversity of the characters.

This book was impossible to put down. Its thrilling, twisty, utterly addictive with characters I was immediately invested in. It was a gripping story.

This plot was engaging and kept me invested. Who doesn’t love a dark mystery with lots of family secrets? Bonus points for a diverse cast of characters!

What a pageturner! I could not put this book down, and I read it in under 24 hours. Sukumar has created compelling and empathetic characters and penned a twisty mystery that pulled on my emotions at every step and kept me guessing until the very last page. In this own voices story, she captures the unique cruelty and violence that can exist in teenage girls, paralleled with the universal yearning for acceptance and belonging so common at this age, as well as weaving in elements of loss and grief. I cannot wait to read more by this author!

DNFed. I’ll probably be in the minority on this but I just couldn’t get into this one. I didn’t think Mimi, after knowing what her cousin had been through, would turn on her and bully her like she did. Some of the writing didn’t make much sense to me either. I’m sure a younger audience would enjoy this more than I did. Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for a copy of the arc in return for an honest review!

Thank you to NetGalley and SoHo Teen for the arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was a decent YA thriller that I have at 3.5⭐️ and rounded up.

I loved the representation of an Indian American and the cultural custom references throughout.
While I figured out the culprit it wasn’t an easy thing to figure out. I liked going along for the ride as Tanvi looked into what happened to her cousin while trying to remember what happened to herself along the way.

While there was a bit too much repetition of certain things and Tanvi constantly declaring her love for her cousin there was plenty to keep the reader engaged in the mystery as well as Tanvi coming to terms with her own history.

So for those that like YA out this on tour TBR list for November 2024

My rating system since GoodReads doesn’t have partial stars and I rarely round up.

⭐️ Hated it
⭐️⭐️ Had a lot of trouble, prose issues, really not my cup of tea (potentially DNF’d or thought about it)
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Meh, it was an ok read but nothing special
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really enjoyed it! Would recommend to others
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding! Will circle back and read again

After the death of her parents in a recent car crash, eight-year-old Tanvi moves in with her aunt and cousin - I feel like car crashes are a big motif nowadays? Struggling to fit in with her peers as she gets older, Tanvi finds herself with an injury after a party plan gone wrong and her classmate nowhere to be found.

Overall, I think my middle school girls will eat this one up with all its drama and twists - I certainly would have loved it during my teen years! Otherwise, the characters felt a bit undeveloped and I called the ending pretty early on in the story. In the end, I'm simply not the target audience, but will still add this one to my classroom library! Thanks for the ARC!

When Mimi Went Missing by Suja Sukumar is an engaging narrative which tells the story of Tanvi, a high school sophomore who is taken in by her aunt and older cousin Mimi after the death of her parents. Tanvi’s mother is rumored to have been responsible for the car crash that killed both her and Tanvi’s father. As the story opens, Tanvi is 8 years old trying to adjust to her new surroundings while feeling homesick for her parents. Mimi, her older cousin, feels responsible for her and often comes to her rescue when Tanvi falls victim to school bullies. The story then flashes forward to Tanvi as a sophomore in high school where she is rumored to be crazy like her mother. Beth, Mimi’s best friend, claims to have an incriminating video of Tanvi and is threatening to release it. Tanvi enlists her best friend, Krista, in a scheme to blackmail Beth into giving her the video. Tanvi, an uninvited guest, plans to catch Beth drinking and taking drugs at a party in hopes of exchanging the video for the photograph. Tanvi discovers Mimi doing drugs with Beth and snaps an unsuspecting picture. As Tanvi arrives home from the party, she is muddy, dizzy and achy from a bump on the head but cannot recall how she got that way. Furthermore, Mimi never makes it home from the party, which sets off a series of events to try and find her. Tanvi cannot remember what happened that night; however, as she slowly starts to regain her memory, she learns more and more about Beth, Mimi's so-called friend, and others who may have had reason to want Mimi out of the way.

Middle school girls will find this book appealing because it has elements of teen drama, suspense, betrayal, psychological manipulation and violence, yet I find the plot line very cliche and predictable. The characters are flat, uncomplicated and stereotypical; the rich girl who is neglected and starving for attention, the drug-addicted boyfriend who gets expelled from school, the clueless aunt who is in need of rescue, and the incredulous police detective who accuses Tanvi of hiding something all leads the reader on a never-ending maze of who’s who. Many times Tanvi finds herself in precarious situations, and like a cat with nine lives, she avoids death too many times to be believable. It is revealed that Tanvi’s mother suffered from mental illness due to the grief of miscarrying a child and was taken advantage of by a healer who turned out to be a fraud. This story angle sheds light on a very real and relevant issue. Overall, there is an attempt to create a gritty, mind-game thriller with twists and turns; however, it only left me feeling confused. I will purchase this title for my classroom library because the readability is accessible and the content high-interest.