Before reading this, I was both in a reading slump and wanted to read something with horror. I don't normally read horror, but I was craving it and I had this book in my tbr and finally picked it up. Although I didn't find it scary, it did cure my reading slump.
Rules of Vanishing revolves around Sara, one year after her sister disappeared without a trace. It follows the town unrban leyend of Lucy Gallows, a girl who disappeared and became trapped in a mysterious road, a paranormal world where you can walk through and maybe even survive if you follow the rules. It's told in narratives and transcripts and interviews as well as text records and video recording.
Our main character is Sara. I really liked her. She was determined to both find and save her sister as well as sacrifice herself for her friends. Bur what I really liked was how unreliable her narrative was. The road played tricks on her (and her friends). There were timelines that didn't make sense and things she remembered differently, but through it all, she fought to find the truth and get her sister back.
The setting was undoubtedly the best part. It was atmospheric and layered. The road that they traveled on was forest and swamp and even a labyrinth style mansion. It was one level after another with strange creatures and travelers who wore their deaths on their bodies. It was creepy and fun and suspenseful. I liked all the layers and how the world was built, which was very fairy tale takes a dark turn when you learn what had actually happened.
The ending was both as expected and not. It ties up all loose ends but also leaves a bit of mystery. There are a few things that I'd still like to know, like with Miranda and the video of Kyle, but it makes sense how it ends. It wasn't their story, it was the story of Becca and Sara and it was wrapped up nicely.
Overall, I enjoyed every second of this book. The narrative was cool and easy to follow, there were twists and turns and things I didn't see coming. It was creepy and suspenseful and a new favorite and I can't wait to read more of this author in the future.
Rules of Vanishing revolves around Sara, one year after her sister disappeared without a trace. It follows the town unrban leyend of Lucy Gallows, a girl who disappeared and became trapped in a mysterious road, a paranormal world where you can walk through and maybe even survive if you follow the rules. It's told in narratives and transcripts and interviews as well as text records and video recording.
Our main character is Sara. I really liked her. She was determined to both find and save her sister as well as sacrifice herself for her friends. Bur what I really liked was how unreliable her narrative was. The road played tricks on her (and her friends). There were timelines that didn't make sense and things she remembered differently, but through it all, she fought to find the truth and get her sister back.
The setting was undoubtedly the best part. It was atmospheric and layered. The road that they traveled on was forest and swamp and even a labyrinth style mansion. It was one level after another with strange creatures and travelers who wore their deaths on their bodies. It was creepy and fun and suspenseful. I liked all the layers and how the world was built, which was very fairy tale takes a dark turn when you learn what had actually happened.
The ending was both as expected and not. It ties up all loose ends but also leaves a bit of mystery. There are a few things that I'd still like to know, like with Miranda and the video of Kyle, but it makes sense how it ends. It wasn't their story, it was the story of Becca and Sara and it was wrapped up nicely.
Overall, I enjoyed every second of this book. The narrative was cool and easy to follow, there were twists and turns and things I didn't see coming. It was creepy and suspenseful and a new favorite and I can't wait to read more of this author in the future.