The Unexplainable Disappearance of Mars Patel

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.

• This action-packed, sci-fi middle grade series is based on a Peabody-award-winning podcast that the New York Times called "the 'Serial' of children's podcasts"
• With an Indian-American main character and a gender fluid secondary character, this series brings welcome diversity to the sci-fi genre
• Tackling drones, bio-engineering, the corporatization of schools, and other hot button concerns, this series feels very timely in its details yet classic in its friends-against-the-world plot

“Interweaving podcast transcripts, instant message threads, emails and newspaper stories, Chari deftly constructs a mystery that is strong in both plot and character. Mars's friend group is as diverse as their unique abilities, and their teamwork and loyalty are unshakable. Based on the Peabody Award-winning podcast, fans of James Dashner's The Maze Runner and Stranger Things will clamor for more of Mars Patel. --School Library Journal (starred review)”

Interweaving podcast transcripts, instant message threads, emails and newspaper stories, Chari deftly constructs a mystery that is strong in both plot and character. Mars’s friend group is as diverse as their unique abilities, and their teamwork and loyalty are unshakable. Based on the Peabody Award–winning podcast, fans of James Dashner’s The Maze Runner and Stranger Things will clamor for more of Mars Patel.
—School Library Journal (starred review)

This terrific start to a book series contains intriguing characters, conspiracy theories, customized drones, holograms and a tantalizing mystery that could be leading readers anywhere in this world... or beyond.
—Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

Sheela Chari is the author of Finding Mighty and Vanished , which was an Edgar Award finalist. She lives with her family in New York.

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