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Boarding School Mysteries #1
Vanished
Lonely and a long way from her Iowa home, twelve-year-old Jeri McKane reacts to boarding school the way most middle schoolers would. Even with close friends, she wonders whether her scholarship to prestigious Landmark School was worth it. She’s tempted to give up when her Mom can’t make parents’ weekend, and the school bus carrying her roommate, Rosa, disappears. But this reporter for the sixth-grade newspaper has an eye like Nancy Drew and more faith and courage than she realizes. Jeri solves the mystery—and makes landmark decisions to trust God and his Word through circumstances and feelings that don’t make sense.
Kindle Edition
First published June 1, 2008
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390 people want to read
About the author
Kristi Holl
67 books16 followersKristi Holl is a best-selling award-winning author of dozens of middle-grade novels. With additional background as an elementary school educator and instructor of writing for children, Kristi's books are on many recommended reading lists and have been nominated for numerous Children's Choice Awards. Kristi has three grown daughters and lives in Texas.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
May 24, 2019
This is a mini ‘Books For Christian Girls’ review. It is not a full content review and will not receive one. These mini-reviews are years old and just for clarity on the rating the book received on Goodreads.
12/27/2014-
“This was a pretty decent mystery as far as mysteries go. Probably not best for young girls with the mentions of serial killers & kidnappers killing those and dumping the bodies in a lake. Hmm. Yeah, probably not the best for younger girls. Thankfully, everything works out okay and no one is hurt.”
*Main Content-
Jeri goes off on a bunny trail about what could have happened to the people on the missing bus; Rumors that Mr. Reeves gambles (he doesn't); Mentions of that the missing people could have been murdered; Mentions of frostbite & what happens to your skin; A couple mentions of bobcats & how they kill their prey (barely-above-not-detailed); A mention of horse poop; Curses are said but not written; a 'dumb', a 'stupid', an unfinished 'what the', and two 'jerk's.
12/27/2014-
“This was a pretty decent mystery as far as mysteries go. Probably not best for young girls with the mentions of serial killers & kidnappers killing those and dumping the bodies in a lake. Hmm. Yeah, probably not the best for younger girls. Thankfully, everything works out okay and no one is hurt.”
*Main Content-
Jeri goes off on a bunny trail about what could have happened to the people on the missing bus; Rumors that Mr. Reeves gambles (he doesn't); Mentions of that the missing people could have been murdered; Mentions of frostbite & what happens to your skin; A couple mentions of bobcats & how they kill their prey (barely-above-not-detailed); A mention of horse poop; Curses are said but not written; a 'dumb', a 'stupid', an unfinished 'what the', and two 'jerk's.
March 30, 2012
This is totally Nancy Drew in Christian form. It's a quick read, action-packed, and not too preachy. In fact, despite my misgivings at picking up a book in a series titled FaithGirlz (that "z"... why do they do that?!), I found that the Christian element was well treated. There is no come-to-Jesus-preachy-message; instead, Jeri's faith seems genuine and realistic--much like what many 12-year-old Christians might be thinking/feeling.
My biggest issue is that Jeri consistently disobeys orders. I know, I know--her "instincts" and good detective skills are what save everyone in the end! Just like Nancy Drew! But, when you imply that those are in response to some vague direction from the Lord... well, that's a troubling message to give to impressionable middle school girls. In my experience, the Lord doesn't usually lead us to continually and flagrantly disobey those in authority over us.
It's a subtle thing, perhaps, and not something that would keep me from passing this book out. Indeed, it's far, far better than most Christian fiction out there. But still, it's worth noting.
My biggest issue is that Jeri consistently disobeys orders. I know, I know--her "instincts" and good detective skills are what save everyone in the end! Just like Nancy Drew! But, when you imply that those are in response to some vague direction from the Lord... well, that's a troubling message to give to impressionable middle school girls. In my experience, the Lord doesn't usually lead us to continually and flagrantly disobey those in authority over us.
It's a subtle thing, perhaps, and not something that would keep me from passing this book out. Indeed, it's far, far better than most Christian fiction out there. But still, it's worth noting.
May 30, 2011
Twelve-year old Jeri McKane attends boarding school. Her life changes when her best friend and roommate Rosa goes missing. Before Rosa's disappearance, her greatest fear was that her mom would not be able to attend Parent's Weekend at the end of the month.
But it is not only Rosa who disappears but the school van carrying several children. Fingers are pointed in different directions. Jenna doesn't know who to trust at times.
It is up to Jenna to find the clues and bring Rosa back without getting hurt.
This is a Cristian literature.
The short story is fast and as long as you can believe a twelve year old is able to accomplish what the police couldn't, you will enjoy it.
2/5 Fangs
cross posted at my blog http://mrsleifs.blogspot.com(less)
But it is not only Rosa who disappears but the school van carrying several children. Fingers are pointed in different directions. Jenna doesn't know who to trust at times.
It is up to Jenna to find the clues and bring Rosa back without getting hurt.
This is a Cristian literature.
The short story is fast and as long as you can believe a twelve year old is able to accomplish what the police couldn't, you will enjoy it.
2/5 Fangs
cross posted at my blog http://mrsleifs.blogspot.com(less)
February 22, 2011
This is the first in the Faithgirlz boarding school mysteries. Jeri wants to be an investigative reporter but she didn't think the first case she would have to solve would be the disappearance of a school van with six students and a teacher in it. One of the students is her roommate Rosa. Jeri is a sixth grader. She discovers lots of clues and has a lot of suspects. She manages to solve the problem. This is a good middle grade mystery with a definite Christian bent.
May 26, 2011
This book was okay. It was a freebie for the Kindle but I didn't realize that it was mostly geared for middle school kids. It was a good story but not something that I would read again. It kept me guessing until the end but again it is not for my age group. I would recommend for younger teens though.
December 3, 2022
Loved the series when I was younger-the plot, characters, and mysteries never failed to please. The mystery itself is well-told; the culprit isn’t obvious like most kid mysteries, which I deeply appreciate. I remember as a kid that I always hated it when I knew who did it before the book was even halfway over! There was just never any suspense in books like that.
Anyways, Vanished didn’t have that problem :) The author did such a good job hiding the villain (even by the end I was still baffled!) and I wasn’t able to predict who the kidnapper is. I don’t want to spoil the ending, but let’s just say it’s a character who was suspiciously involved all along. I should’ve known! But somehow it never occurred to me that they were so suspicious. And you know it’s a good mystery when you can’t tell who the villain is until the end!
SPOILERS BELOW:
So then, with all those positives I mentioned, why did I rate Vanished four stars instead of five? Because I disliked how lucky the protagonist got when solving the mystery. She had a hunch that maybe the kidnapped kids were in an old abandoned barn. Decent hunch. But then she crossed the line from pretty realistic to too lucky to be realistic. Based on the hunch alone, the twelve year old girl decides to voyage through freezing cold snow; literally risking her life over a hunch. Realistic? Hell no! But it was still acceptable to me because it’s difficult to make mystery stories completely realistic. So I continued reading. The girl borrows a horse from the school stable. Good idea, considering the snow! Halfway to the barn, the horse bucks her off and runs away. The girl believes she is too close now to turn back. Reminder-she has no clue if they’re really in the barn-it’s just a hunch. Fast forward about twenty pages of nothingness. They’re in the barn. More skeptical guesses further resolve the story (predicting where the villain is currently). The mystery is solved because of a hunch. Pure luck. That’s the only thing that disgusted me about Vanished. Everything else was spot on. This concludes my review. Please comment your opinion. ;)
Anyways, Vanished didn’t have that problem :) The author did such a good job hiding the villain (even by the end I was still baffled!) and I wasn’t able to predict who the kidnapper is. I don’t want to spoil the ending, but let’s just say it’s a character who was suspiciously involved all along. I should’ve known! But somehow it never occurred to me that they were so suspicious. And you know it’s a good mystery when you can’t tell who the villain is until the end!
SPOILERS BELOW:
So then, with all those positives I mentioned, why did I rate Vanished four stars instead of five? Because I disliked how lucky the protagonist got when solving the mystery. She had a hunch that maybe the kidnapped kids were in an old abandoned barn. Decent hunch. But then she crossed the line from pretty realistic to too lucky to be realistic. Based on the hunch alone, the twelve year old girl decides to voyage through freezing cold snow; literally risking her life over a hunch. Realistic? Hell no! But it was still acceptable to me because it’s difficult to make mystery stories completely realistic. So I continued reading. The girl borrows a horse from the school stable. Good idea, considering the snow! Halfway to the barn, the horse bucks her off and runs away. The girl believes she is too close now to turn back. Reminder-she has no clue if they’re really in the barn-it’s just a hunch. Fast forward about twenty pages of nothingness. They’re in the barn. More skeptical guesses further resolve the story (predicting where the villain is currently). The mystery is solved because of a hunch. Pure luck. That’s the only thing that disgusted me about Vanished. Everything else was spot on. This concludes my review. Please comment your opinion. ;)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 17, 2019
As a child I really wanted to go to boarding school. I loved to read books about girls having adventures at school without their parents. When I saw this series I was intrigued, even though potential boarding school is no longer as option even for my children.
I found this to be well-written, with a surprise ending and a tidy wrap-up at the end. 10-year-old me would have loved it. 60-year-old me sure did.
I found this to be well-written, with a surprise ending and a tidy wrap-up at the end. 10-year-old me would have loved it. 60-year-old me sure did.
March 22, 2022
˗ˏˋ3 stars´ˎ˗
September 16, 2023
I got this book for Christmas along with 2 other books in the series. I LOVE this book. I really love all FaithGirlz books, but these especially. Recommended for middle school girls.
January 5, 2014
1.5 stars rounded up to 2
I actually got Vanished as a Kindle freebie back in early 2011, and it proceeded to sit on my Kindle ever since. However, I was trying to finish up my A-Z Title Challenge and needed a V. Of the 3 V’s on my Kindle, Vanished was the shortest and didn’t sound too bad. It served its purpose, but it certainly was not a great book.
I’ve read some Christian books that aren’t too bad or in your face. Vanished was not one of them. It seemed that all too often, Jeri was praying and talking to God. I mean, I believe in God, but I’m not overly religious, so I don’t like to feel like it’s being forced down my throat, especially when I’m reading for pleasure.
Jeri was just a frustrating character. She seemed to always act without thinking and got herself involved in some potentially dangerous situations. For a girl who is supposed to be smart, she made some really dumb decisions and stuck her nose in places where it didn’t belong.
My biggest pet peeve is the ending. It did surprise me a little bit; I’ll give it that. I didn’t predict who the bad guy was. However, it just all came together too easily. I’m sorry, but a 12-year-old girl should not be able to solve a crime that has the police baffled. It just didn’t make sense.
Overall, I guess that Vanished was okay in that I didn’t give up on it, but it was also really short, so I didn’t have to suffer much. I guess I’ll give it 1.5 stars. I didn’t really like it, but I am impressed that the slightly corny story actually managed to surprise me.
This review is also posted on my blog: http://mommysreadingbreak.wordpress.c...
I actually got Vanished as a Kindle freebie back in early 2011, and it proceeded to sit on my Kindle ever since. However, I was trying to finish up my A-Z Title Challenge and needed a V. Of the 3 V’s on my Kindle, Vanished was the shortest and didn’t sound too bad. It served its purpose, but it certainly was not a great book.
I’ve read some Christian books that aren’t too bad or in your face. Vanished was not one of them. It seemed that all too often, Jeri was praying and talking to God. I mean, I believe in God, but I’m not overly religious, so I don’t like to feel like it’s being forced down my throat, especially when I’m reading for pleasure.
Jeri was just a frustrating character. She seemed to always act without thinking and got herself involved in some potentially dangerous situations. For a girl who is supposed to be smart, she made some really dumb decisions and stuck her nose in places where it didn’t belong.
My biggest pet peeve is the ending. It did surprise me a little bit; I’ll give it that. I didn’t predict who the bad guy was. However, it just all came together too easily. I’m sorry, but a 12-year-old girl should not be able to solve a crime that has the police baffled. It just didn’t make sense.
Overall, I guess that Vanished was okay in that I didn’t give up on it, but it was also really short, so I didn’t have to suffer much. I guess I’ll give it 1.5 stars. I didn’t really like it, but I am impressed that the slightly corny story actually managed to surprise me.
This review is also posted on my blog: http://mommysreadingbreak.wordpress.c...
April 13, 2011
Vanished by Kristi Holl is about a 6th grade girl named Jeri McKane at an all girls boarding school. Her best friend Rosa goes missing while on an art class field trip along with 5 other students and the art teacher Mr. Reeves. The town turns out to help look for the van and missing people. Jeri calls Jake Phillips, a local reporter whom she looks up to, to come and help with the investigation. Then Jeri discovers that Jake’s stories aren’t adding up. Did the van run off the road and crash through the ice on the lake? Did Mr. Reeves kidnap the students? Did Jake have something to do with the disappearance? Jeri is determined to discover the truth.
The main character acts like an older sixth grader. Some of her logic seems to be a bit old for her but perhaps that works for a detective personality.
Overall this was an enjoyable read and not overly preachy. In fact, there are only a few references sprinkled throughout the story of Jeri’s relationship with Jesus. I think this would be fun and appropriate for girls aged 10-12 years. It has just enough suspense to keep you guessing and turning pages without being too scary.
The main character acts like an older sixth grader. Some of her logic seems to be a bit old for her but perhaps that works for a detective personality.
Overall this was an enjoyable read and not overly preachy. In fact, there are only a few references sprinkled throughout the story of Jeri’s relationship with Jesus. I think this would be fun and appropriate for girls aged 10-12 years. It has just enough suspense to keep you guessing and turning pages without being too scary.
April 11, 2012
I would have to say this is a great little Nancy Drew type of mystery book for young girls.
It was really well written and though it's classified as a Christian mystery book, I can see anybody reading this book, as I didn't get a Christian pull from the book, just mainly a Godly prayer when the young girl's friends classmates vanished, something that almost anyone would do if they were put in this situation.
It was really well written and though it's classified as a Christian mystery book, I can see anybody reading this book, as I didn't get a Christian pull from the book, just mainly a Godly prayer when the young girl's friends classmates vanished, something that almost anyone would do if they were put in this situation.
February 12, 2011
Quick, easy read about an incident at a girls' boarding school. A group of girls and their van driver disappear on their way back to the school, and most of the story is spent trying to find them. It actually wasn't very easy to figure out who the culprit was, so that makes this a little more interesting.
May 31, 2011
This is a Nancy Drew type book. It is definitely for young adult and was good if you want to read and don't want to think hard. The young protagonist is a determined want to be investigator. I wouldn't read it unless you want this genre, but having said that, it was fun and required no brain power. I picked it for its title. Crazy.
January 19, 2015
Awesome read! :)
I really liked this book! Some parts of the book I just couldn't wait to see what would happen!
I couldn't believe who was the bad guy!
Recommend this book for pre-teens and teens!
Boys would NOT like this book as it is mostly about girls at a boarding school for girls.
I don't think adults would like this book either.
It was an AWESOME RE READ!
I really liked this book! Some parts of the book I just couldn't wait to see what would happen!
I couldn't believe who was the bad guy!
Recommend this book for pre-teens and teens!
Boys would NOT like this book as it is mostly about girls at a boarding school for girls.
I don't think adults would like this book either.
It was an AWESOME RE READ!
March 25, 2011
This book by Kristi Holl was a good read. It is an easy read but one in which you do get invoved in teh characters. It is an enjoyable short, easy read.
J. Robert Ewbank author "John Wesley, Natural Man, and the 'Isms'"
J. Robert Ewbank author "John Wesley, Natural Man, and the 'Isms'"
May 17, 2011
It was a good story. My daughter who is 11 absolutely loved it. We discussed the story and the plot twist. It is a good series for young girls providing suspense and intrigue appropriate to the age group.
February 7, 2011
While it seemed that Jeri acted and spoke more adult-like than the average 6th grader, this was a good enough mystery to keep me reading.
February 4, 2011
Free kindle book
March 6, 2011
Pleasant mystery for younger readers.
February 18, 2011
A totally easy read. But a good story.
February 22, 2011
Cute little book for 3-6th grade girls. Not much depth, but I really liked the main character, Jeri.
March 4, 2011
This is a book in a series. Mystery. Thought the book was for adults, but it turned out to be a read for teenagers. Pretty good otherwise.
March 15, 2011
A pretty fun/cute tween read.
December 24, 2015
Meh - decent little mystery but I'm not really that into the heavy-handed Christian fiction vibe...
April 16, 2011
Didn't realize it was a teen book when I started. Decided to read. Would recommended to the tween crowd.
May 4, 2011
For pre-teen/young teenagers. Was a free kindle download.
May 7, 2011
Good for adolescent mystery reading ... kept my interest.
May 11, 2011
Had no idea what the book was about or I wouldn't have read it. I found it on my kindle and it was free so I wanted an easy read. It was okay, nothing too bad but I wouldn't highly recommend it.
May 17, 2011
Short suspense thriller. Kept me reading the whole day.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews