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The Vanished Ones
From award-winning author Chad Lucas comes an enthralling new story about a strange island where boys go missing—and the two boys intent on uncovering the truth about it On Rhodenroode Island, a remote colony of the Homeland, there sits a Mission on the Hill, where boys are taken in and taught the ways of the faith. Darian is the only trainee of his race there, and he doesn’t remember how he came to the Mission. All he remembers are brown hands and the belly of a ship. Life among the other boys and the cantankerous Brothers is not always easy, but Darian is determined to live up to the lofty calling the leaders of the Mission have laid out for that one day he will carry the Sacred Word to places it has yet to reach. But when another trainee at the Mission disappears—the latest in a string of vanishings—Darian is determined to solve the mystery that begins to shake his faith in what he’s always been taught. When he and his friend Micah sneak away from the Mission and head east to see what they can learn about the rebel sect supposedly responsible for the vanishings, they discover that the island holds far more secrets than they ever could have imagined—and somehow, they must save the other boys at the Mission from a danger that’s even greater than they realized.
329 pages, Hardcover
First published January 28, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
November 27, 2024
Received from NetGalley, thanks!
Do you ever read a book and think *oh damn, this is going to get banned*. This is the first time it's ever happened to me, and I honestly hope I'm wrong, because I think this book is super important.
Basically, we start off with a group of kids, mostly orphans, who are living in a commune type place, as part of a religious order. The story is from Darian's point of view, and he doesn't really know anything about his life before he arrived on Rhodenroode Island; where he came from, who his people are, nothing. He is the only one of his race in the order, though his best friend, Micah, also doesn't look like the other boys. Darian tried his best to live according to the rules and not ask questions, because when you ask questions you are punished by the brothers. But when boys go missing, Darian and Micah have too many questions and not enough answers, and this leads them on an adventure of discovery.
So, we start off with a mostly whitewashed religious order who view others as less-than. We have a religious order that uses physical punishments when anyone questions the rules or anything else about the order. The book really highlights the hypocrisy within Christianity, and I could see the parallels it was drawing between Canadian residential schools, as well as I'm sure any kind of schools that were set up by colonizers and the church in any number of other countries.
The book is incredibly critical of colonization and how Christianity has used the ideas of terra nullius and having dominion over the land (as it states in the bible) to just do whatever they want, wherever they want. There is the sense of manifest destiny, that we regularly see south of the border, but that I'm sure is prevalent elsewhere as well. And we see this group of supposedly godly men, abusing the most vulnerable in society: orphans, people of colour, 2SLGBTQIA+ folks. And by the end of the book, it's shown what actually being godly means, how there is no right way to serve god other than to do your best and be a good person.
This is such an important story and I love that it's being aimed at a young audience.
Do you ever read a book and think *oh damn, this is going to get banned*. This is the first time it's ever happened to me, and I honestly hope I'm wrong, because I think this book is super important.
Basically, we start off with a group of kids, mostly orphans, who are living in a commune type place, as part of a religious order. The story is from Darian's point of view, and he doesn't really know anything about his life before he arrived on Rhodenroode Island; where he came from, who his people are, nothing. He is the only one of his race in the order, though his best friend, Micah, also doesn't look like the other boys. Darian tried his best to live according to the rules and not ask questions, because when you ask questions you are punished by the brothers. But when boys go missing, Darian and Micah have too many questions and not enough answers, and this leads them on an adventure of discovery.
So, we start off with a mostly whitewashed religious order who view others as less-than. We have a religious order that uses physical punishments when anyone questions the rules or anything else about the order. The book really highlights the hypocrisy within Christianity, and I could see the parallels it was drawing between Canadian residential schools, as well as I'm sure any kind of schools that were set up by colonizers and the church in any number of other countries.
The book is incredibly critical of colonization and how Christianity has used the ideas of terra nullius and having dominion over the land (as it states in the bible) to just do whatever they want, wherever they want. There is the sense of manifest destiny, that we regularly see south of the border, but that I'm sure is prevalent elsewhere as well. And we see this group of supposedly godly men, abusing the most vulnerable in society: orphans, people of colour, 2SLGBTQIA+ folks. And by the end of the book, it's shown what actually being godly means, how there is no right way to serve god other than to do your best and be a good person.
This is such an important story and I love that it's being aimed at a young audience.
March 24, 2026
Chad Lucas made his name as a middle-grade novelist in 2021 with Thanks a Lot, Universe, and in 2025 The Vanished Ones furthered his creative skills via a mystery set in an alternative version of our world. Thirteen-year-old Darian has lived at the Mission on the Hill of Rhodenroode Island since being orphaned as a tiny child. The Mission's religious leaders teach all the boys orphaned there about the Sacred Word and God's purpose for their lives. There are enemies in the eastern lands, people whom Brother Phyffer and other leaders at the Mission blame for the occasional abduction of the boys who live here. Darian, who has darker skin than the others, feels estranged from all but Micah, a mute orphan his age who has developed sign language with Darian. As Darian begins a village apprenticeship to learn how to bake, he hopes to earn favor from his peers and the Apostle, the great leader of the Mission.
Unswervingly faithful to the Sacred Word, Darian experiences cognitive dissonance when Micah presents evidence the Mission isn't what it claims to be. Did he and Micah arrive here under secret circumstances? Why does no one in authority take action when boys are stolen by marauders from the east? The village bakers who are mentoring Darian hint that they believe the Mission leaders bear culpability for the abducted boys. When a crisis hits and Darian and Micah are separated from the Mission with no simple way back, they head east in hopes of rescuing the boys taken by the people said to live there.
"But the fact is, truth always faces opposition, and it is much easier to surrender to doubt than to stand firm in faith. And once you surrender to doubt, what is wrong begins to seem right."
—The Vanished Ones, P. 87
Are the stories true about eastern invaders kidnapping boys from the Mission? Braving harsh weather on their journey, Darian and Micah grow close in ways Brother Phyffer would regard with horror and condemnation, but ignoring these echoes from the past becomes easier. Uncovering Rhodenroode Island's true history is a shock, but Darian and Micah have opportunity to return home heroes if they can muster the moral courage to free those held captive. Confronting past trauma is the hardest thing you'll ever do, but when your loved ones' futures are at stake, you must find a way.
"To fall is human. But to learn from your errors and reach again for the light instead of sinking into darkness, this is a path that few choose."
—The Vanished Ones, P. 87
This book has some good atmosphere, but feels…long. I get the feeling the author holds animosity toward religion in general, and it pops out in narrative ways that aren't totally fair. Some of the book's social politics is presented awkwardly, and acts as a burden to the story's believability. The climax is too easy a triumph, so I never felt deeply invested. This isn't a bad book, but reading it felt like work; Chad Lucas is capable of better.
Unswervingly faithful to the Sacred Word, Darian experiences cognitive dissonance when Micah presents evidence the Mission isn't what it claims to be. Did he and Micah arrive here under secret circumstances? Why does no one in authority take action when boys are stolen by marauders from the east? The village bakers who are mentoring Darian hint that they believe the Mission leaders bear culpability for the abducted boys. When a crisis hits and Darian and Micah are separated from the Mission with no simple way back, they head east in hopes of rescuing the boys taken by the people said to live there.
"But the fact is, truth always faces opposition, and it is much easier to surrender to doubt than to stand firm in faith. And once you surrender to doubt, what is wrong begins to seem right."
—The Vanished Ones, P. 87
Are the stories true about eastern invaders kidnapping boys from the Mission? Braving harsh weather on their journey, Darian and Micah grow close in ways Brother Phyffer would regard with horror and condemnation, but ignoring these echoes from the past becomes easier. Uncovering Rhodenroode Island's true history is a shock, but Darian and Micah have opportunity to return home heroes if they can muster the moral courage to free those held captive. Confronting past trauma is the hardest thing you'll ever do, but when your loved ones' futures are at stake, you must find a way.
"To fall is human. But to learn from your errors and reach again for the light instead of sinking into darkness, this is a path that few choose."
—The Vanished Ones, P. 87
This book has some good atmosphere, but feels…long. I get the feeling the author holds animosity toward religion in general, and it pops out in narrative ways that aren't totally fair. Some of the book's social politics is presented awkwardly, and acts as a burden to the story's believability. The climax is too easy a triumph, so I never felt deeply invested. This isn't a bad book, but reading it felt like work; Chad Lucas is capable of better.
January 11, 2025
E ARC provided by Amulet Books
Darian has been raised by the brothers in the Order of the Right Hand on Rhodenroode Island ever since he was young, and is now a trainee. He is one of the few who have brown skin, and thinks his parents may have been from Yabaland. Life in the mission, ruled by a leader called the Apostle, is very ascetic, and all of the members of the community follow the very strict religious teachings. One of the accepted facts is that twice a year, during the spring and fall equinoxes, a boy goes missing. Darian is sad when Gregor, an older boy who also apprentices at the village bakery with him, is gone, but one of the tenents of the mission's beliefs is that nothing is to be questioned. The disappearances are blamed on the Eastern Cloister, and soon forgotten. Darian is close to Micah, a boy who doesn't often speak, and the two communicate in signs. They are punished for being close friends. While life in the mission is difficult, Darian takes comfort in being with the Bakers, but when Mrs. Baker starts to help him question the disappearances, Darian is told he will no longer be coming to the village to help. There are more and more inconsistencies in the brothers' philosophy versus their actions, and the more Darian investigates, the more he is punished. Another boy, Lowery, tries to help, because he recognizes that Darian feels the same way about Micah that Lowery feels about Seb, even if Darian himself doesn't quite realize it. When Micah runs away, Darian goes after them, and the two set off towards the Eastern Cloisters to try to find the other missing boys. When they get there, they are shocked to find nothing but burned ruins. They are almost captured by officers from the village who want to return them to the mission, but saved by Zaide, who tranquilizes the officers with darts. Zaide is from Lagoja, and takes the boys back with her to meet her sibling, Ikebi, as well as her mother, who is an elder. The boys find out secrets about the mission and the entire community, and find that Lagoja is not the wilderness they have been taught to believe. They are cared for, but have to go before the Circle of Elders to see what their fate will be. The people from Rhodenroode, referred to as the "stone men" because of the gray cast to their skin and their general demeanor, have tried to insert their influence into Lagoja, but have been rebuffed. Some of the elders don't trust the boys, for good reason, but finally allow them to stay. Darian, however, wants to travel back to the mission to try to rescue some of the boys. The Lagojans are a much more advanced society, and have solar powered trains, cars, and even aircraft, so Zaide helps Darian fly back. He meets some resistance from the boys at the mission, but when a dark and evil secret about the Apostle, they all know that the must break free from what they were taught. Will Darian be able to save himself, Micah, and his community?
Strengths: The world building in this is quite effective, and the book split evenly between the horrors of life in the mission and the freedom of the Lagojan society. There are lots of good themes of personal identity and community, and on trend discussions about religion and colonization. The mystery of what has happened to the missing trainees is threaded though the entire story, and resolved in a sensational and satisfying manner. Darian and Micah's relationship is very supportive and sweet, and they work well together to figure out what is wrong in their world. The Lagojan society is such a relief after all of the horrible treatment Darian and Micah experience at the mission. The ending works well, and I liked that Darian finally has some agency in what happens to him.
Weaknesses: This had a decided 1980s medievalish/dystopian fantasy style to it; I felt like Richard Cuffari should have designed the cover. It's a well written book, but it's not quite the style of fantasy that my students ask for. Lucas' Thanks a Lot, Universe has circulated well, but my readers would be far more likely to pick up a book about basketball than this type of fantasy.
What I really think: This labor of love for Lucas is a good choice for readers who liked Gemeinhart's Scar Island, or allegorical tales like Sndyer's Orphan Island or Spinelli's Hokey Pokey.
Darian has been raised by the brothers in the Order of the Right Hand on Rhodenroode Island ever since he was young, and is now a trainee. He is one of the few who have brown skin, and thinks his parents may have been from Yabaland. Life in the mission, ruled by a leader called the Apostle, is very ascetic, and all of the members of the community follow the very strict religious teachings. One of the accepted facts is that twice a year, during the spring and fall equinoxes, a boy goes missing. Darian is sad when Gregor, an older boy who also apprentices at the village bakery with him, is gone, but one of the tenents of the mission's beliefs is that nothing is to be questioned. The disappearances are blamed on the Eastern Cloister, and soon forgotten. Darian is close to Micah, a boy who doesn't often speak, and the two communicate in signs. They are punished for being close friends. While life in the mission is difficult, Darian takes comfort in being with the Bakers, but when Mrs. Baker starts to help him question the disappearances, Darian is told he will no longer be coming to the village to help. There are more and more inconsistencies in the brothers' philosophy versus their actions, and the more Darian investigates, the more he is punished. Another boy, Lowery, tries to help, because he recognizes that Darian feels the same way about Micah that Lowery feels about Seb, even if Darian himself doesn't quite realize it. When Micah runs away, Darian goes after them, and the two set off towards the Eastern Cloisters to try to find the other missing boys. When they get there, they are shocked to find nothing but burned ruins. They are almost captured by officers from the village who want to return them to the mission, but saved by Zaide, who tranquilizes the officers with darts. Zaide is from Lagoja, and takes the boys back with her to meet her sibling, Ikebi, as well as her mother, who is an elder. The boys find out secrets about the mission and the entire community, and find that Lagoja is not the wilderness they have been taught to believe. They are cared for, but have to go before the Circle of Elders to see what their fate will be. The people from Rhodenroode, referred to as the "stone men" because of the gray cast to their skin and their general demeanor, have tried to insert their influence into Lagoja, but have been rebuffed. Some of the elders don't trust the boys, for good reason, but finally allow them to stay. Darian, however, wants to travel back to the mission to try to rescue some of the boys. The Lagojans are a much more advanced society, and have solar powered trains, cars, and even aircraft, so Zaide helps Darian fly back. He meets some resistance from the boys at the mission, but when a dark and evil secret about the Apostle, they all know that the must break free from what they were taught. Will Darian be able to save himself, Micah, and his community?
Strengths: The world building in this is quite effective, and the book split evenly between the horrors of life in the mission and the freedom of the Lagojan society. There are lots of good themes of personal identity and community, and on trend discussions about religion and colonization. The mystery of what has happened to the missing trainees is threaded though the entire story, and resolved in a sensational and satisfying manner. Darian and Micah's relationship is very supportive and sweet, and they work well together to figure out what is wrong in their world. The Lagojan society is such a relief after all of the horrible treatment Darian and Micah experience at the mission. The ending works well, and I liked that Darian finally has some agency in what happens to him.
Weaknesses: This had a decided 1980s medievalish/dystopian fantasy style to it; I felt like Richard Cuffari should have designed the cover. It's a well written book, but it's not quite the style of fantasy that my students ask for. Lucas' Thanks a Lot, Universe has circulated well, but my readers would be far more likely to pick up a book about basketball than this type of fantasy.
What I really think: This labor of love for Lucas is a good choice for readers who liked Gemeinhart's Scar Island, or allegorical tales like Sndyer's Orphan Island or Spinelli's Hokey Pokey.
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June 18, 2025DNF.
This book was... a lot. Three hours into the audiobook and all I've gotten out of it is the feeling of being back in my catholic high school and being told about god's plan for me. For someone who has been exposed to catholicism all their life and come out of it coming to the same realizations the characters are coming to in this book, it's a lot like being beaten over the head with a brick.
C.S. Lewis did the same thing.
Didn't finish his books either.
This book was... a lot. Three hours into the audiobook and all I've gotten out of it is the feeling of being back in my catholic high school and being told about god's plan for me. For someone who has been exposed to catholicism all their life and come out of it coming to the same realizations the characters are coming to in this book, it's a lot like being beaten over the head with a brick.
C.S. Lewis did the same thing.
Didn't finish his books either.
November 11, 2024
The Vanished Ones, Chad Lucas's newest novel is at once an adventure, a fantasy, and an exploration of the very powerful and relevant themes of belief, belonging, and the vagaries of truth. As he has done in his previous novels, Lucas creates characters with great tenderness, yet he never hesitates to push them, testing their mettle and their limits. The richly built world immediately grounds the reader, leaving us to think we know where we are. And yet, Lucas's tale is full of exciting twists and turns that will leave you turning pages as fast as you can!
The Vanished Ones is a beautiful addition to books for upper MG readers who are hungry for more complex themes, ideas, and moral dilemmas to get lost in!
Thank you to the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for the opportunity to read early.
The Vanished Ones is a beautiful addition to books for upper MG readers who are hungry for more complex themes, ideas, and moral dilemmas to get lost in!
Thank you to the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for the opportunity to read early.
July 29, 2024
3.5 stars
A children’s book which deals with many adult issues to do with identity and religion. It was an interesting read although I found it a little slow. Plenty of adventure for the intended audience and nicely written.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ebook.
A children’s book which deals with many adult issues to do with identity and religion. It was an interesting read although I found it a little slow. Plenty of adventure for the intended audience and nicely written.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ebook.
December 14, 2024
I am continually floored by Lucas's range, as he's pivoted effortlessly between genres with his growing list of books. In The Vanished Ones, his first fantasy adventure, I was immediately drawn into the austere setting of the colony on the island at the edge of the world, where main character Darian is seemingly the only one with the courage to challenge authority when boys in his religious order mysteriously vanish from their beds in the night. This book kept me up way later than I'd planned as I kept flipping pages to follow Darian's journey as he ventures out to solve the mystery of the vanished ones!
February 13, 2025
By turns enthralling and moving, The Vanished Ones tells the story of Darian who has grown up in a cloistered religious mission on an island, surrounded by piety and fear, among other orphans and abandoned children. Twice a year, students from the mission go missing, and when Darian finally starts questioning what is happening and investigates, he learns about the lies of his religion and a larger conspiracy to hide the truth about the land and people he grew up with. In this story, readers will explore themes of anti-colonialism, religious skepticism, historical whitewashing, and gay awakening, all while being immersed in a thrilling adventure and mystery.
June 3, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5. This book felt a lot like Scar Island with an LGBTQIA+ twist to me. Darian is a part of a group of boys living in this Mission, run by these awful religious men. They’re totally cut off from the rest of the world. Every so often, one of the boys disappears and everyone’s like well that’s too bad, and just go about their business. So Darian and another boy, Micah, who is selectively mute, team up to try and figure out what’s going on, fall in love, and escape the compound. Weird twist and the end and uneven pacing, but the right reader will enjoy this. Recommended for grades 5-8. #mglit #librarian #librariansofinstagram #middleschoollibrarian
December 17, 2024
I enjoyed that this book has children learning to question religion and breaking down some of the barriers that I find personally hindering when dealing with religion. This is not a book that I would probably recommend to a younger reader, but one that an older reader questioning the some of the beliefs religion has or questioning if they can still have a relationship with a higher deity and believe some of the things they do. This is an intriguing book, and I am glad I got to read it.
Thank you so much to Abrams Kids and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this title.
Thank you so much to Abrams Kids and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this title.
December 2, 2024
Darian lives in a mission on a mysterious island where boys vanish without a trace. Despite their hard lives and the cruelty of the adults in charge, Darian is determined to grow up to spread the faith in accordance with his training. But when yet another boy vanishes, Darian and his best friend (crush?) Micah set out to find the truth. This is a beautiful adventure that weaves colonization and faith into a story about friendship and acceptance.
October 2, 2024
At once a story of adventure, of friendship, and of self-discovery, THE VANISHED ONES by Chad Lucas is about the importance of questioning what we’ve always been told is true. Characters to fall for, extraordinary world-building, and a fabulously twisty-turny plot will keep readers on the edges of their seats while always reminding them to choose the path of love.
January 13, 2025
I couldn't stop turning pages. I had to know what happened! I loved the contrasting worlds that the main characters visit and how the story reads like a modern parable. I don't think I've read a middle grade novel that touched on colonialism and dualing civilizations in such an understandable, human-scaled way. Brilliantly done, Chad Lucas, and I can't wait to see what he writes next!
February 15, 2025
Chad Lucas has written another page turner, this time set in a world where darkness and evil lurk in the shadows and only the determination of kind, courageous boys will save the day. This book will resonate with readers on many levels, and is a perfect jumping off place for conversations about tyranny and truth, and the human rights that hang in the balance.
February 7, 2025
Fantastic! Thought-provoking, suspenseful and sweetly romantic. I’ve loved Chad’s other books, but this is his best yet. I would definitely welcome a return to this exquisitely built world in the future. Highly recommended.
February 16, 2026
This is a very interesting middle grade fantasy novel. It is an interesting commentary on colonialism, though I’m not sure how much of that a middle grade reader would understand. The definitely has more sophistication than most novels for this age category.
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