The Strange Disappearance of Imogen Good

Applebaum, Kristy. The Strange Disappearance of Imogen Good  

May 5, 2026 by Nosy Crow

E ARC provided by Netgalley

Fran is not happy that she has to spend a week with her Aunt Liz, Uncle Pete, and cousin Imogen in a small village near Stillness Estate, since she's never gotten a long with her cousin. Her mother has to go to a conference with her father to try to save the family business, though, so she's summarily dropped off despite her objections. Things get weird when her aunt and uncle tell her that they don't have a daughter! Since they still have Imogen's room with pictures of her in it, Fran feels she's being pranked, but neighbor Bex doesn't remember her either. Stillness Manor has a new owner, Ms. Quincey, who doesn't like children, and the secret garden there is supposedly evil and dangerous. Is it possible that Imogen went there? In alternating chapters, we see the story of Lord and Lady Stillness, who desperately wanted a child, only to have their son Leo become terribly ill when he was ten years old. A storyteller traveled to get a plant that could grant wishes, but wasn't able to make it back in time before Leo died, and Lord Stillness made a terrible wish. Fran manages to get Bex to help her investigate, but when they sneak into the garden, Bex is turned into a statue! Oddly, Imogen comes back. Fran and Imogran then try to save Bex, whose family doesn't remember her and is moving away in a few days. Will they be able to uncover the secret of the garden and work with Ms. Quincey to make sure that no more children go missing? 

Strengths: This had a very classic feel to it; the first thing I was reminded of was Cameron's 1973 The Court of Stone Children. The back story about the death of Leo Stillness and the terrible wish his father made was interesting, and was a very British addition. Young readers will be very uncomfortable with the idea of their family not remembering them, even if the original thought was for families not to suffer when their children were turned into statues. Fran's desire to figure out the mystery and save Imogen and Bex was admirable, and I loved how hard she worked to do this. I would have very much enjoyed this book as a child. 
Weaknesses: The backstory of Lord and Lady Stillness won't appeal to all readers, and this does have a particularly British feel to it. 
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who liked fantasy stories like Almond's Puppet, Dassori's Greta Ever After, or Saunders' Beswitched. This somehow reminded me of the surprisingly dark 13 Wishes by Harrison.