The Strange Disappearance of Imogen Good by Kirsty Applebaum - Book Review

Publication Date: 11th Sep2025

Genre: Middle-Grade Mystery,Fantasy

4.5 Stars

One Liner: Love it!

Fran doesn’t want to stay withher uncle and aunt or their daughter, her annoying cousin Imogen. Doesn’tmatter if it is only for a week. However, even Fran doesn’t expect what shesees. Imogen has disappeared, and no one remembers her, not even her parents orher best friend, Bex!

Fran is not willing to let itgo. She will find out where Imogen is. But first, Fran has to determine whatthe hidden garden on the Stillness Estate has to do with it.

The story comes in thefirst-person POV of Fran, the third-person POV of Imogen and Bex, and thethird-person POV of another character.

My Thoughts:

Nosy Crow is fast becoming afavorite middle-grade publisher. Their books are short, quick, andentertaining! This one is no different.

It has short chapters, 2-3pages each, and maintains a wonderful tempo. I finished the entire book in asingle sitting. Also, the cover is apt for the book.

The storytelling stands outhere. We get the story in different POVs and a dual timeline narrative. Thatensures that we can know what has happened and see how it affects the present.This also prevents the need for an info dump at a later stage and keeps thereader hooked.  

Though Fran is theprotagonist, she is not the only main character. Imogen and Bex also play majorroles. I like that Imogen gets a third-person POV while Fran has thefirst-person (since her narration is a bit more). Kids will not be confusedabout whose story they are reading.

Moreover, the three girls aredistinct from each other. They are layered while still being kids. Neither ofthem is perfect. They learn, they change, and they grow – all without makingthe story preachy or boring.

The actual mystery surrounding the disappearance is really intriguing. I wish we had more details about the thing, but kids will enjoy the plot as it is. There’sadventure, suspense, and danger.

The ending feels a bit abrupt,but I can see why it ended that way. It’s perfect for the plot.

After asking forillustrations, I did get one in this book. The first page of each chapter hasthe illustration of an element from the cover. I won’t mind more, though!

To summarize, The StrangeDisappearance of Imogen Good is a wonderful blend of fantasy, mystery, a bit ofadventure, danger, and kids who learn to look beyond appearances.

Thank you, NetGalley and NosyCrow, for the eARC. 

#NetGalley