Common Sense Media Review
By Michael Berry
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
African princess on engaging quest to rescue girl prodigies.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 9+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
As THE VANISHED opens, princess Shuri is desperate to attend a conclave of experts in technology, but can go only if she receives top grades while training for a slot in Wakanda's security forces. She's distracted by her best friend's suspicions about missing young women from around the world. Shuri and K'Marah eventually sneak away from Wakanda to find the mysteriously absent girls.
Is It Any Good?
Comic-book movies are all the rage, and this girl-centric spin-off offers pleasures similar to the movie and graphic novels. Author Nic Stone concocts for The Vanished a plot that isn't strong on action but is full of enjoyable character moments. Shuri and K'Marah are an engaging duo, ready to head off on a half-baked adventure at a moment's notice, and their banter is fresh and actually funny. They make a strong case for the need to train girls in the sciences and tech. Fans of Marvel Comics will be rewarded by cameo appearances by some favorite superheroes.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how The Vanished extends the details of a comic-book universe. Why do audiences like movies, books, and television shows that are connected by setting or characters?
How does the book use the cultures and mythology of Africa to tell a modern-day story? Why have there been fewer superheroes of color, and why is that number increasing?
Why is it important to give opportunities to young women who are interested in science and technology?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Science Fiction
- Topics : Superheroes
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Scholastic Inc.
- Publication date : February 3, 2021
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 9 - 12
- Number of pages : 272
- Available on : Paperback, Nook, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
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