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The Case of the Vanishing Boy
His memory gone, a mysterious youth knows only one It’s time to runOn a crowded commuter train, a young boy shakes with fear, unable to remember how he got there or where he’s going. His memory is a total blank. He doesn’t even know his name. But beside him is a blind girl, Ginny, who has a way of seeing deep within people’s souls. Looking inside the boy’s addled memory, she discovers that his name is Jan—and he has every reason to be afraid. When the train stops, Jan flees into the night, and the police come charging after him. No matter where he goes—a church, the woods, the back alleys of this cozy suburban town—the hunters keep getting closer. He has incredible powers, and the government wants to use them for evil purposes. As his memory returns, Jan will tame his powers and stop running. With Ginny’s help, he will begin to fight back.
213 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 1979
14 people are currently reading
198 people want to read
About the author
Alexander Key
73 books99 followersLibrarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
An American science fiction writer, most of whose books were aimed at a juvenile audience. He became a nationally known illustrator before he became an author. After he began writing novels for young people, he moved his family to the North Carolina mountains, and most of his books include that wild and rugged landscape.
His novel Escape to Witch Mountain was made into a popular film in 1975 and again in 1995. His novel The Incredible Tide became a popular anime series, Future Boy Conan.
He is known for his portrayals of alien but human-like people who have psychic powers and a close communion with nature, and who can speak with animals. In The Strange White Doves, he professed his belief that animals are conscious and aware, and have subtle ways of communicating, perhaps via telepathy.
The protagonists of Key's books are often ostracized, feared, or persecuted due to their abilities or alien origin, and Key uses this as a clear metaphor for racism and other prejudice. In several of the books (most notably The Case of the Vanishing Boy,) Key portrays some sort of communal withdrawing from society with a group of like-minded individuals. - Wikipedia -
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
An American science fiction writer, most of whose books were aimed at a juvenile audience. He became a nationally known illustrator before he became an author. After he began writing novels for young people, he moved his family to the North Carolina mountains, and most of his books include that wild and rugged landscape.
His novel Escape to Witch Mountain was made into a popular film in 1975 and again in 1995. His novel The Incredible Tide became a popular anime series, Future Boy Conan.
He is known for his portrayals of alien but human-like people who have psychic powers and a close communion with nature, and who can speak with animals. In The Strange White Doves, he professed his belief that animals are conscious and aware, and have subtle ways of communicating, perhaps via telepathy.
The protagonists of Key's books are often ostracized, feared, or persecuted due to their abilities or alien origin, and Key uses this as a clear metaphor for racism and other prejudice. In several of the books (most notably The Case of the Vanishing Boy,) Key portrays some sort of communal withdrawing from society with a group of like-minded individuals. - Wikipedia -
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
May 16, 2020
I was so crazy about this book when I was a kid! It holds up well - still exciting.
March 9, 2017
I was so excited to find out that Alexander Key wrote more than just the Witch Mountain books and The Forgotten Door. This one is a lot more adventure and less mystery than the others, but it has similarities, too. There is the kid (or kids) with special powers trying to get along in the world while being hunted by evil men who want to use them for nefarious purposes. It's not a great book, but it's fun and would have appealed to me even more as a child.
December 17, 2023
Having a wonderful time rereading books I loved as a child. This one has definitely stood the test of time. Still drew me in and kept me turning pages.
April 8, 2022
Just like the others a masterpiece and even better. I was so engrossed in the book and was rooting for the protagonists in such a way like I was part of them.
December 21, 2014
Jan can't remember who he is or where he's going, but he does know someone is after him. Someone who can manipulate the police, someone whose white van sends him into a state of mindless terror. But Jan has power beyond what even he suspects. Ginny, a not-quite-blind girl he meets on the train, is determined to draw out both his power and his memory. Yet even Ginny and her odd family cannot escape being caught up in Jan's trouble.
A boy with amnesia, a whole family with strange powers, and a bunch of shadowy enemies pack this thriller. Jan isn't even sure what his talent is at first, but he learns quickly enough that Ginny, the girl he meets on the train, is somehow able to sniff it out without being told. Ginny herself has the ability to see without using her eyes. And it is Ginny's friendship that Jan desperately needs as he struggles to find a way out of the hell that is determined to embrace him.
The plot is tight and full of action, but because of the nature of the story there isn't any room for side plots. It would have been interesting to learn more about Ginny's family in particular and the various abilities within, but there wouldn't have been a good place to put any more. It's a light read, suspenseful, and not particularly memorable.
Overall this might be a good read for fans of supernatural thrillers, but on the whole there isn't much that makes this stand out. It's not necessarily bad, just not one I would have hunted down. I rate this book Neutral.
A boy with amnesia, a whole family with strange powers, and a bunch of shadowy enemies pack this thriller. Jan isn't even sure what his talent is at first, but he learns quickly enough that Ginny, the girl he meets on the train, is somehow able to sniff it out without being told. Ginny herself has the ability to see without using her eyes. And it is Ginny's friendship that Jan desperately needs as he struggles to find a way out of the hell that is determined to embrace him.
The plot is tight and full of action, but because of the nature of the story there isn't any room for side plots. It would have been interesting to learn more about Ginny's family in particular and the various abilities within, but there wouldn't have been a good place to put any more. It's a light read, suspenseful, and not particularly memorable.
Overall this might be a good read for fans of supernatural thrillers, but on the whole there isn't much that makes this stand out. It's not necessarily bad, just not one I would have hunted down. I rate this book Neutral.
February 13, 2011
This isn't my favourite of the Key books I've read (and the title is admittedly kind of unfortunate), but enough of it has stayed with me from when I first read it to now, that I really can't fault it much! I still feel rushed by the ending - everything comes together all of a sudden, and gets explained almost as an afterthought. And the final revelation - the huge one - is done in the last couple of sentences.
Maybe I am just used to having more time to process. ;)
Still, this story of amnesiac Jan with his mysterious abilities, and the extraordinary and wonderful Rhodes family, is filled with adventure and action from opening to close. The details are rich, the characters are memorable, and the villains are totally evil.
A true page-turner in Key's unequivocal style, The Case of the Vanishing Boy is impossible not to love. :)
Maybe I am just used to having more time to process. ;)
Still, this story of amnesiac Jan with his mysterious abilities, and the extraordinary and wonderful Rhodes family, is filled with adventure and action from opening to close. The details are rich, the characters are memorable, and the villains are totally evil.
A true page-turner in Key's unequivocal style, The Case of the Vanishing Boy is impossible not to love. :)
December 1, 2025
Jan, who does not remember why he is on a train, meets Ginny, a girl who seems to be blind but isn't.
I absolutely adored this book as a kid and have read it many times. I'm happy to say that an adult re-read still gave me joy. Jan has a special power (two actually) and Ginny is telepathic and can see in a different way than most. When I was a kid, I wanted to be just like them - powers, danger, being special! Now I'm happy to have no powers and no danger and to be me. Still love it!
I absolutely adored this book as a kid and have read it many times. I'm happy to say that an adult re-read still gave me joy. Jan has a special power (two actually) and Ginny is telepathic and can see in a different way than most. When I was a kid, I wanted to be just like them - powers, danger, being special! Now I'm happy to have no powers and no danger and to be me. Still love it!
September 21, 2008
One of the first sci-fi, ESP adventures I ever read. Very well done, terrific characters that draw the reader in immediately. A mystery that begs to be solved.
December 11, 2014
One from my childhood. Exciting plot, dangerous mystery, although a bit Heinleinesque.
October 30, 2018
This is a tough book to review. Key did the same themes much better in "Escape to Witch Mountain," but this is probably the most perfect example of the trope Key himself created.
Jan realizes he is in a train. He remembers nothing except getting on it, not even his own name. Next to him is an adorable girl in dark glasses who asks him if he needs help. This starts a journey to find the truth about his past, and his own secret powers; powers someone is willing to capture him to obtain...
Key I believe was the first writer to create a new trope, which is a little hard to sum up in a phrase. Cozy Child Espers might be as close to a label as any. The trope goes something like this:
I'm a boy! I don't really remember who I am or what I'm doing, but I do know I need to escape from the people chasing me! Oh! I have psychic powers! But why? At least I'm accompanied by my sister/cousin/girl I care very much for, and our powers together might help us overcome the bad men after us! Oh, and the grownup who knows our secret can help too! He's so nice, even if he isn't powerful as us/has no powers.
Oh no! They caught us! A needle/judo chop/nerve pinch! I'm...I'm passing out...
*wakes up* We're trapped! Don't worry! I'll get us out of here! We're so close to the truth, I won't let them stop us!
The Vanishing Boy is incredibly cozy like this. Jan is constantly captured or put in peril, and Ginny is such a winsome girl. She's not blind! But well, even though she is a telepath, she has weak eyes and poor depth perception, so she needs Jan's help even as she can help him. The villains are villainous, but the children's lives aren't in peril even if their freedom is. It's a very attractive child fantasy, and a powerful one. The book is decently written too.
However as a story, Escape to Witch Mountain is much better. Jan's true identity is spoiled way too early in the book, and the background about why they have powers is paper thin. The little paragraph about the trope above is literally what happens in most of the book; a repeated series of captures and escapes. This book is a weird case of an existing trope made perfect; what came to mind reading it was Robert Young doing the same thing in his books, save it's "An older man is enchanted by a young girl who comes looking for him later on."
So it's hard to rate the book. As a book its just average, but as an expression of a trope its near perfect. I feel i would have devoured this as a kid, since Witch Mountain was very dear to my heart.
Jan realizes he is in a train. He remembers nothing except getting on it, not even his own name. Next to him is an adorable girl in dark glasses who asks him if he needs help. This starts a journey to find the truth about his past, and his own secret powers; powers someone is willing to capture him to obtain...
Key I believe was the first writer to create a new trope, which is a little hard to sum up in a phrase. Cozy Child Espers might be as close to a label as any. The trope goes something like this:
I'm a boy! I don't really remember who I am or what I'm doing, but I do know I need to escape from the people chasing me! Oh! I have psychic powers! But why? At least I'm accompanied by my sister/cousin/girl I care very much for, and our powers together might help us overcome the bad men after us! Oh, and the grownup who knows our secret can help too! He's so nice, even if he isn't powerful as us/has no powers.
Oh no! They caught us! A needle/judo chop/nerve pinch! I'm...I'm passing out...
*wakes up* We're trapped! Don't worry! I'll get us out of here! We're so close to the truth, I won't let them stop us!
The Vanishing Boy is incredibly cozy like this. Jan is constantly captured or put in peril, and Ginny is such a winsome girl. She's not blind! But well, even though she is a telepath, she has weak eyes and poor depth perception, so she needs Jan's help even as she can help him. The villains are villainous, but the children's lives aren't in peril even if their freedom is. It's a very attractive child fantasy, and a powerful one. The book is decently written too.
However as a story, Escape to Witch Mountain is much better. Jan's true identity is spoiled way too early in the book, and the background about why they have powers is paper thin. The little paragraph about the trope above is literally what happens in most of the book; a repeated series of captures and escapes. This book is a weird case of an existing trope made perfect; what came to mind reading it was Robert Young doing the same thing in his books, save it's "An older man is enchanted by a young girl who comes looking for him later on."
So it's hard to rate the book. As a book its just average, but as an expression of a trope its near perfect. I feel i would have devoured this as a kid, since Witch Mountain was very dear to my heart.
May 26, 2020
A little dated but still good
I read several of Alexander Key's novels as a child and loved them (The Forgotten Door, Escape To Witch Mountain, The Incredible Tide and a couple others), but also missed a few, including this one. This was a nice juvenile adventure involving a child with amnesia and special abilities, nasty people who want to brainwash and use him, and some helpful friends. The story involves quite a lot of action and dangerous thrills as well as heartwarming moments of compassion. Nothing can match the special place in my heart that The Forgotten Door created, but this was nice!
I read several of Alexander Key's novels as a child and loved them (The Forgotten Door, Escape To Witch Mountain, The Incredible Tide and a couple others), but also missed a few, including this one. This was a nice juvenile adventure involving a child with amnesia and special abilities, nasty people who want to brainwash and use him, and some helpful friends. The story involves quite a lot of action and dangerous thrills as well as heartwarming moments of compassion. Nothing can match the special place in my heart that The Forgotten Door created, but this was nice!
August 21, 2021
For its time, a great introduction for kids to SF. Not as good as The Forgotten Door, but young me would have loved it, as she did that one. Exciting & engaging.
October 27, 2018
Loved the Witch Mountain books & movies. This was a fun read - wish it were longer so we could hear more about these special people, especially Ginny. Seems a precursor to X-Men and similar scenarios. (One of several from “the kids’ shelves” that I’m reading before donating.)
December 13, 2018
I had vague, but fond, memories of reading this when I was young. It was light and quick, filled with just enough of the paranormal/SF to remind me why I was into it.
June 3, 2023
The kid in me loved this. Wish I had read it when I was younger.
June 27, 2021
Alexander Key's last published work. The author died the same year as publication (1979). The Case of the Vanishing Boy seems to have been published by Key's wife (Alice Towle Key) postmortem. Vanishing Boy is similar in many ways to Key's earlier and well-known story, The Forgotten Door.
Favorite Passages:
Dedication
This book is for those quiet ones among us whose abilities are seldom suspected, for they do not speak of themselves.
Flight
The possibilities of the void seemed far better than the coldness of reality.
Favorite Passages:
Dedication
This book is for those quiet ones among us whose abilities are seldom suspected, for they do not speak of themselves.
Flight
The possibilities of the void seemed far better than the coldness of reality.
April 21, 2019
Decent story, though the mystery around the name relies on ignorance of Spanish pronunciation.
I'd say that parts of the book haven't aged well--e.g. the assumption that someone with dark skin must be a foreigner--but given the political climate, I can't make that argument in good faith. Ignorance like that is all too timely.
I'd say that parts of the book haven't aged well--e.g. the assumption that someone with dark skin must be a foreigner--but given the political climate, I can't make that argument in good faith. Ignorance like that is all too timely.
October 17, 2019
A book by the author of Escape to Witch Mountain, which has many similar themes to his better know work. Good fun stuff, but very dated and with an outrageous bunch of stereotypes about the world. Not great character development, but enjoyable in much the same way as Escape to Witch Mountain was enjoyable.
July 7, 2011
I don't think this is in print anymore, but the ebook has been published online. I remember loving this one more than any other Alexander Key as a kid--it seems a little dated now, but still fun.
May 8, 2012
Awesome young adult!
Read
March 8, 2014I loved it. It became a thrilling book, that you couldn't put down.
January 27, 2015
Fantastic
I enjoyed it as much today as I did 20 years ago. I hope I that my kids enjoy it as well.
I enjoyed it as much today as I did 20 years ago. I hope I that my kids enjoy it as well.
December 3, 2014
1988 grade C+
Juvenile.
Juvenile.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews