Lucy Gallows disappeared about 50 years ago last seen walking towards the woods with an unnamed man. What happened to her, or where she went has remained a mystery. But there are those who swear they can hear her calling them, imploring them to find her and help her home.
A year ago Sara's sister, Becca, disappeared while following the urban legend of Lucy Gallows into the woods. Since then Sara has become an outcast by those at school who think she had something to do with her sister's disappearance, and she's pushed away the group of friends that her and Becca once shared.
One day the whole school receives a mysterious text inviting all those who dare to walk the road at midnight. Sara knows that Becca is out there stuck on the road, and she's going to get her back. As former friends band together, they'll set off on an adventure that will challenge and ultimately change all of them.....that is, if they can survive.
I love the way Rules for Vanishing gives the reader a chance to "participate" in the story by making us the ones who are reading this manifest of what transpired on the day in April 2017 when Sara and her friends go into the woods. We are reading what amounts to transcriptions of text messages, interviews, videos from cell phones all converged with Sara's own account of what happened. I think that breaking this fourth wall kind of pushes the reader to the end in order to discover everything that happens - good or bad - while the group is on the road.
It's quite eerie honestly. I had to put the book down a couple of times early on because it was so spooky. Definitely a perfect read for this time of year as we transition into Fall.
What also becomes readily apparent is the fact that things are not at all what they seem, both in what transpires on the road and Sara's recollection of events. It's up to you, the reader, to stick through to the end and discern what is truth. This technique works through the majority of the first part of the story. When I first realize things were wonky, my ears perked and I sat up straighter. Did I just find an editing error? Or was that intentional? I was intrigued. But as the story progresses it loses just a bit of the intrigue in the mythology. Reconciling the past with the present things got a bit too muddled for something that started out so mind-blowingly interesting.
This far from ruins the story. I just wish it could have continued the strong momentum throughout. Still, I was invested in finding out what happened that day in April 2017, and what happened to Sara's sister Becca. Kate Alice Marshall is not above taking chances with our group of characters which makes for some trilling moments as you never truly know what's going to happen next. But like many paranormal reads the true ending is left up for interpretation. Which is probably why I can't stop thinking about this book.
If you're looking for a good ghost story-type read this season, Rules for Vanishing will give you the shivers and have you pulling the covers up just a little higher at night.
A year ago Sara's sister, Becca, disappeared while following the urban legend of Lucy Gallows into the woods. Since then Sara has become an outcast by those at school who think she had something to do with her sister's disappearance, and she's pushed away the group of friends that her and Becca once shared.
One day the whole school receives a mysterious text inviting all those who dare to walk the road at midnight. Sara knows that Becca is out there stuck on the road, and she's going to get her back. As former friends band together, they'll set off on an adventure that will challenge and ultimately change all of them.....that is, if they can survive.
I love the way Rules for Vanishing gives the reader a chance to "participate" in the story by making us the ones who are reading this manifest of what transpired on the day in April 2017 when Sara and her friends go into the woods. We are reading what amounts to transcriptions of text messages, interviews, videos from cell phones all converged with Sara's own account of what happened. I think that breaking this fourth wall kind of pushes the reader to the end in order to discover everything that happens - good or bad - while the group is on the road.
It's quite eerie honestly. I had to put the book down a couple of times early on because it was so spooky. Definitely a perfect read for this time of year as we transition into Fall.
What also becomes readily apparent is the fact that things are not at all what they seem, both in what transpires on the road and Sara's recollection of events. It's up to you, the reader, to stick through to the end and discern what is truth. This technique works through the majority of the first part of the story. When I first realize things were wonky, my ears perked and I sat up straighter. Did I just find an editing error? Or was that intentional? I was intrigued. But as the story progresses it loses just a bit of the intrigue in the mythology. Reconciling the past with the present things got a bit too muddled for something that started out so mind-blowingly interesting.
This far from ruins the story. I just wish it could have continued the strong momentum throughout. Still, I was invested in finding out what happened that day in April 2017, and what happened to Sara's sister Becca. Kate Alice Marshall is not above taking chances with our group of characters which makes for some trilling moments as you never truly know what's going to happen next. But like many paranormal reads the true ending is left up for interpretation. Which is probably why I can't stop thinking about this book.
If you're looking for a good ghost story-type read this season, Rules for Vanishing will give you the shivers and have you pulling the covers up just a little higher at night.