Bringing Back Kay-Kay
by Dev Kothari (Author)
Steeped in mystery and adventure, this brisk and beautifully crafted middle-grade debut set in modern-day India explores the complexities of the sibling bond.
When her older brother, Karthik--Kay-Kay, the golden child of the family--heads to camp for two weeks, Lena's parents begin showering her with all the attention she craves. For a time, she's the golden child and secretly wishes her brother wouldn't come home. But when the scheduled train arrives and Karthik isn't on it, Lena is stricken with guilt and fear for her beloved Kay-Kay. Her brother has vanished without a trace, and the police view him as a runaway. Incredulous, Lena undertakes a search of her own--reading mysterious poems left in his backpack, interrogating his fellows from the train, retracing his route, and encountering shadowy strangers along the way. Convinced Kay-Kay is still alive even when the rest of her family has given up, Lena steadily unearths her brother's secrets as her determination to bring him home leads to a heart-stopping discovery. Perhaps Kay-Kay isn't a golden child after all? Set in a vividly evoked modern-day India, this character-driven middle-grade mystery tackles rich themes--from the sibling bond to self-worth--in a taut and suspenseful adventure.
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Publishers Weekly
Debut author Kothari centers adventure, poetry, and an indelible sibling bond in this character-driven mystery set in India. Tween Lena loves her older brother Kay-Kay, 15, even though Lena can't seem to do anything right by their parents, who put Kay-Kay on a pedestal. Then Kay-Kay doesn't return after two weeks away at summer camp. Because he left his backpack and friends behind on the train ride home, the police assume he is one of many runaway teens, despite Lena's parents' insistence that would never be the case. Vowing to track down her brother, Lena embarks on a clandestine investigative journey. During her quest, she discovers that her studious, seemingly perfect sibling was a secret poet; she uses his poems as clues to determine where he might have disappeared to and why. Contemporary India is depicted in sparse yet palpable detail via Lena's urgent first-person narration in which she speaks directly to Kay-Kay. While this missing person mystery is action-packed, it is Lena's devotion to her brother, rich inner world, and meditations on her complicated feelings for her family and her culture that drives the story forward. Ages 10-14. (Oct.)
Copyright 2024 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.
Kirkus
"A fast-paced mystery thoughtfully exploring family relationships."
ALA/Booklist
"Debut author Kothari weaves a memorable tale of familial love and fidelity that is filled with compassion and everyday magic. With the beautiful countryside of India as a backdrop to the caper-like plot, this story will engage young fans of cozy mysteries and thrilling adventures alike."
Review quotes
This is a feel-good, lyrical debut that I enjoyed immensely. Bringing Back Kay-Kay is the story of a girl who goes looking for her missing brother and finds him—and herself—in so many different ways. It's a mystery, but it's so much more than that. It's a quest through various towns and trains in India, meeting many personalities and discovering that the truth is many-layered and steeped in love. Read it!
—Nizrana Farook, author of The Girl Who Stole an Elephant
The lyrical prose, ongoing pressure of the unsolved mystery, and deeply felt emotions of everyone in Lena's family will keep middle-school readers hooked.
—The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
JUV030020 - Juvenile Fiction | People & Places | Asia
JUV039240 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Depression & Mental Illness
India
Mystery and detective stories
Detective and mystery stories
Missing children
Detective and mystery fiction
Action and adventure fiction
Siblings
