Author, blog, and media reviews

“Andrea Gunraj's debut novel, The Sudden Disappearance of Seetha, is wonderfully accomplished. It is a riveting, often violent tale of the lives of girls who grow to be women in a fictional, politically corrupt Guyana ... This is certainly a novel to relish, and I'm sure — I hope — we will see much more of Gunraj in the future.” (Michelle Berry, Globe and Mail, February 24, 2009)
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“Andrea Gunraj has written a sparkling first novel ... a riveting, expertly told tale full of satisfying counterbalances and impeccable narrative timing. This is an exciting, memorable debut.” (Emily Donaldson, starred review in Quill & Quire, March 2009)
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“In this impressive Canadian debut, a young Guyanese woman steps out from under the shadow of her brother by running off with the local bad boy. Gunraj isn't afraid of dark subjects - jealousy, violence, regret - but she keeps a grip on her optimism, too.” (Danielle Groen, Chatelaine, April 2009)

“Just a few paragraphs into The Sudden Disappearance of Seetha, the debut novel by Andrea Gunraj, are enough to captivate and transfix the imagination of a reader.” (Noor Javed, Desi Life, June 9, 2009)
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“And if my [interpretation of the book] doesn't quite cut it for you, well, this rich text provides plenty of material from which to form an alternate theory.” (Niranjana Iyer, Herizons, Summer 2010)

“Andrea Gunraj’s debut novel is a tale of innocence and experience ... Gunraj’s true facility as a storyteller [is] her ability to humanize the freak as well as the villain.” (Tobias Atkin, The Rover, May 23, 2009)
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“As Neela hurtles from one crisis to another, her special power waxing and waning, you find yourself anxious to find out if she, too, will pass her power on to her daughter Seetha.” (Bookworm section, Desi News, September 2009)
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“I will say right off that I loved this book! ... Once I picked up this novel I could not put it down.” (Dar, Peeking Between the Pages, March 10, 2009)
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“The Sudden Disappearance of Seetha announces the arrival of a wonderful storyteller. The dynamics of the relationship between Navi and Neela, a brother and a sister, and how their individual lives play out show that fate is unalterable depending on one’s social standing in life. Andrea Gunraj has written a book that once you pick up, you won’t be able to put down—a thrilling and excellent read.” (Musharraf Ali Farooqi, author of The Story of a Widow)

Reader reviews

“I enjoyed it from cover to cover, and couldn't put it down ... Her writing is powerful.” (Debra, reader)

“It was a wonderful read. I devoured it.” (Melanie, reader)

“Andrea is an exceptional storyteller and for her first book I found her remarkably controlled and unbiased in how she spins this tale of estranged siblings, violence, innocence and even a little magic.” (Tasnuva, reader, on goodreads.com)

“Andrea Gunraj's debut novel captures all the elements you want in a book: humour, suspense, drama, mystery, and action. The sibling rivalry between Navi and Neela and the twists and turns of Neela's destiny makes this book a wonderful read, a real page turner.” (Jannette, reader)