Rules for Vanishing
Ratings38
Average rating3.7
This is the perfect spooky book to start October with!
I love the mixed media aspect of this. It emphasizes that someone in the story is lying, but who and why?
The gates and the road and the secrets and the history! Wow, I did not see the twists coming. There is horror, but also relationship struggles, grief, guilt and more. The ending is not my favorite, but maybe I am missing something.
Rating: 4.09 leaves out of 5-Characters: 4.5/5 -Cover: 5/5-Story: 3.75/5-Writing: 4/5Genre: Horror, Fantasy, YA, LGBT, Mystery, Thriller, Paranormal-Horror: 3/5-LGBT: 2/5-Mystery: 4/5-Fantasy: 4/5-YA: 5/5-Thriller: 4.75/5-Paranormal: 5/5Type: AudiobookWorth?: YeahHated Disliked Meh It Was Okay Liked LovedThe book started out pretty strong. For a YA I really liked it and there weren't much cringe? I think I did once. If you like THE LEFT RIGHT GAME I think you will like this book. I enjoyed that part. My problem though with this book was how confused I got during some parts, especially the end. I think if I had read it physically I would have understood it better.
Rules for Vanishing is unlike any book i've read in awhile!
We follow the ghost story of Lucy Gallows and the road where people keep disappearing. In an attempt to find her missing sister, Becca, Sara and her friends embark on the adventure of a lifetime.
The atmosphere? Spooky.
The friend dynamics? Adorable.
The multi-media components? Fun as heck.
Plus we always love some LGBTQ+ representation in YA.
The only downside is it slowed down significantly around the 60% mark and the ending was confusing. Otherwise, this was a great time and I would highly recommend!
4.5 stars.
This book is a trip!! There's even a specific trope that I usually hate but it works here well.
Spoiler
And while the ending may leave some upset with its lack of definitive answers, I liked the way it lets you figure out or guess what happened. If gave me Head Full of Ghosts Vibes as far as the ending goes.
I do agree with the Blair Witch reference for the style of storytelling but once you're in the woods it really feels very Silent Hill-esque in many ways! I can't wait to read the next book. I've seen that this is a series in a way that the investigators are the same in this and the Our Last Echoes.
And anyone thinking that YA Horror pulls punches in regards to horror or tragedy should read this!
Well, friends, I think we have a new addition to my favorite books.
Told through epistolary style we discover a story about the local ghost, the missing girl trying to prove that it isn't just a story and a sister who will do everything in her power to bring her back home.
This was so much a story about friendship and family. About navigating how to show up for your friends when you don't know how. It really took me by surprise just how much I loved this. It also completely reinforced my love for epistolary style writing (I'm nosy) and has inspired me to want to pick up more horror in this style.
I hadn't really looked at the reviews before picking it up and it was the best surprise to have queer characters in it as well.
Reading this book in the dark was probably the stupidest idea I had in a while.
Couldn't sleep after reading it! What a haunting scary ride!
This was an odd little book. I wasn't put off by the format but I thought the whole story was missing SOMETHING. I loved the descriptions of the different creatures on the road, but I wanted more. Plus the origin of the road was muddled at best. This book wasn't scary in the least. In addition, there were too many characters, and I honestly didn't care about any of them. Several of the characters had no reason to be there at all, they existed only to be dispensable. Everyone was dispensable, if every single character had died, I would've been like “Oh well.” and tossed my kindle aside. I think all in all this book wasn't exactly what I expected and I couldn't shake that feeling the whole way through, thus dampening my enjoyment. 2.5 stars.
Rules for Vanishing follows Sara, whose sister Becca (that's also my name!) went missing a year ago. Thing is, Sara knows where Becca is. Getting there is the problem.This book is a confusing and stressful masterpiece. Perfect for this time of year, or really any time you want to read something before bed that makes it difficult to fall asleep. Marshall uses common horror tropes, but I think you need that in a genre that makes reality so slippery. You need something to hold onto while you try to figure everything else out. It's a balancing act.Rules for Vanishing reminds me of the middle grade horror series beginning with [b:Small Spaces 36959639 Small Spaces (Small Spaces, #1) Katherine Arden https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1539180297l/36959639.SY75.jpg 56656020]: Both have main characters pining after lost female family members, who end up facing unimaginable threats to their lives in a group that don't all know or like one another that well. But this is YA, so it's comparatively scarier, weirder, and angstier. Everyone is smitten with and rejected by everyone else. It's present, but I like that it never swallows the plot, as YA can (not to name names but [b:Children of Blood and Bone 34728667 Children of Blood and Bone (Legacy of Orïsha, #1) Tomi Adeyemi https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1516127989l/34728667.SX50.jpg 55911580], [b:In Other Lands 31944679 In Other Lands Sarah Rees Brennan https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1496783711l/31944679.SY75.jpg 52603350], [b:A Very Large Expanse of Sea 38720939 A Very Large Expanse of Sea Tahereh Mafi https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1558453377l/38720939.SY75.jpg 60301626]). Also, though neither are the same genre, at moments Rules for Vanishing reminded me of both [b:Truly Devious 29589074 Truly Devious (Truly Devious, #1) Maureen Johnson https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1498501619l/29589074.SX50.jpg 49916452] and [b:Sadie 34810320 Sadie Courtney Summers https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1556559178l/34810320.SY75.jpg 56026767]—two of my favorites.
3.5 stars
YA horror is a fun genre for me. This a ghost story with teenagers. For teenagers. So going in I'm well aware of that. So I'm not going to knock off points for it not really scaring me. I'm an adult who watches and reads heavier stuff. That being said, This was a good book and I don't regret using my Bookish First points to get an ARC.
I have found that I enjoy books have transcripts ( or descriptions of videos, texts, etc etc.) included along the chapters to help bring you into the situations more. The entire book doesn't read this way so it's not too much either.
I only had two issues..they weren't enough to make me stop reading but still worth noting...There are a lot of characters in this book. There could have easily been one or two less. My other is issue that it felt like the author tried to add one of every type of teenager you could think which isn't bad at all..but in this case came across as less authentic as I think it was supposed to.
All in all a good read and I think it would definitely have it's intended reaction were a teenager to read it.
A solid 4 that would've been higher if the book was about 100 pages shorter. The middle dragged.