We received a review copy of The Unexplainable Disappearance of Mars Patel for free to read and review. Opinions are our own.
The Unexplainable Disappearance of Mars Patel by Sheela Chari had the potential to be incredible but for me, it feel a bit flat. The reason for this is that I was not that invested in the characters. I found many things unexplainable and wondered if they would ever be explained but they were not. Mars’ disappearance was the only thing that you could explain. I did like that the characters were representative of different races and genders. It was an inclusive story that even featured a strong non-binary character. We’ll get to them later.
Our main character is Mars Patel, a smart kid who does anything to protect his friends. He has a close knit group of friends who appear to be in detention nearly every day because of the pranks pulled by Mars and his friend Aurora. Then Aurora disappears. Mars takes charge to find her. He enlists help from his friends Toothpick, JP., Caddie and Jonas. Soon Jonas disappears as well.
To me, the book was a bit clunky. The kids appear to have powers but that is not explained. There is an omniscient podcast that appears to always be playing. Mars is always listening to it and thee are moments where the podcast is speaking directly to him. So, is it a 24/7 type thing. I have no idea. The book sets up for a sequel and maybe in that book you will get some explanations. I was left with many more questions than answers after reading the book.
Eva’s opinion was slightly different. She enjoyed the book more than I did. Below is what she thought of it.
“The Unexplainable Disappearance of Mars Patel is a modern and brilliant sci for story. There is something I particularly admire about this book is the representation. Author Sheela Chari made a bold and brave choice to include a character that uses they/them pronouns. This choice absolutely made the book extremely enjoyable for me. Seeing a character that is not commonly shown in media like books and movies represented so causally made me extremely excited. JP being a person using they/them pronouns and that fact not being the main point of the story is something that needs to be more normalized in stories and TV.
I did also like that – as unfortunate as it is- J P was made fun of for it because it is a thing that happens and it helps make it not feel forced or unrealistic. The way that JP made themself stand out from both the binary genders and dressing a way that made them happy was a detail that I thought was very exciting and realistic as many non-binary people (but not all) choose to dress very androgynous as not to get misgendered. Having an openly trans character that is outside the binary spectrum is very important especially in today’s world where more and more LGBTQ+ people are coming out and living life as their authentic selves. The Unexplainable Disappearance of Mars Patel is an amazing sci-fi book for people of all ages to enjoy.” –Eva Bennett
More about the book below.
The Unexplainable Disappearance of Mars Patel
author: Sheela Chari
Middle Grade Nonfiction – Ages 8-12 years
Author video:
The Unexplainable Disappearance of Mars Patel, presented by Sheela Chari from Candlewick Press on Vimeo.
Mars Patel’s friend Aurora has disappeared! His teachers are clueless. His mom is stressed out about her jobs. But Mars refuses to give up—after all, his own dad disappeared when Mars was a toddler, before he and Ma moved to Puget Sound from India. Luckily, Mars has a group of loyal friends eager to help—smart Toothpick, strong and stylish JP, and maybe-telepathic Caddie. The clues seem to point toward eccentric tech genius (and Mars’s hero) Oliver Pruitt, whose popular podcast now seems to be commenting on their quest! But when the friends investigate Pruitt’s mysterious, elite school, nothing is as it seems—and anyone could be deceiving them. Slick science, corporate conspiracies, and an endearingly nerdy protagonist make this first book in the series a fresh, exciting sci-fi adventure.
Based on the Peabody Award–winning podcast, this tech-filled adventure series pits intrepid Mars Patel and his outcast friends against a brilliant, enigmatic billionaire as they race to figure out why kids are disappearing from their school.