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Vanished #1
Vanished
Gone Girl meets Pretty Little Liars in the first book of this fast-paced psychological thriller series full of delicious twists and turns.
Friendship. Obsession. Deception. Love.
Kalah knows better than to fall for Beth Taylor . . . but that doesn't stop her from falling hard and falling fast, heart first into a sea of complications.
Then Beth vanishes. She skips town on her eighteenth birthday, leaving behind a flurry of rumors and a string of broken hearts. Not even Beth's best friend, Britney, knows where she went. Beth didn't even tell Kalah good-bye.
One of the rumors links Beth to Britney's boyfriend, and Kalah doesn't want to believe the betrayal. But Brit clearly believes it—and before Kalah can sort out the truth, Britney is dead.
When Beth finally reaches out to Kalah in the wake of Brit's suicide, Kalah wants to trust what Beth tells her. But she's swiftly realizing that nothing here is as it seems. Kalah's caught in the middle of a deadly psychological game, and only she can untangle the deceptions and lies to reveal the unthinkable truth.
Friendship. Obsession. Deception. Love.
Kalah knows better than to fall for Beth Taylor . . . but that doesn't stop her from falling hard and falling fast, heart first into a sea of complications.
Then Beth vanishes. She skips town on her eighteenth birthday, leaving behind a flurry of rumors and a string of broken hearts. Not even Beth's best friend, Britney, knows where she went. Beth didn't even tell Kalah good-bye.
One of the rumors links Beth to Britney's boyfriend, and Kalah doesn't want to believe the betrayal. But Brit clearly believes it—and before Kalah can sort out the truth, Britney is dead.
When Beth finally reaches out to Kalah in the wake of Brit's suicide, Kalah wants to trust what Beth tells her. But she's swiftly realizing that nothing here is as it seems. Kalah's caught in the middle of a deadly psychological game, and only she can untangle the deceptions and lies to reveal the unthinkable truth.
320 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 12, 2015
11 people are currently reading
2692 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 121 reviews
April 2, 2015
(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to HarperCollins and Edelweiss.)
“Being let into Brit and Beth’s circle had been like discovering a portal to Narnia in the back of the closet. Once you know the world is a magical place, you can’t unknow it.”
This was an interesting mystery story, and I’m intrigued to know what really happened.
I liked Kalah in this story, and I felt really sorry for her too at points. Not only was she hiding something from her family and friends by not telling them who she was in love with, but then to have to deal with losing her friends too was truly horrible for her.
“I pulled my extra pillow close and inhaled the scent of rosemary and mint still lingering from Beth’s shampoo. Even sheets didn’t forget her.”
The storyline in this was good, and the mystery aspect was done well. I did find the pace a little slow, which was the only bad thing about this book really, but I was quite desperate to work out what was going on.
“You’ve reached Beth. I’m off believing in the impossible, so leave a message.”
There was some romance, and it was quite secret and forbidden, as very early on in the book we found out that Kalah was kissing someone else other than her boyfriend, and that that someone else was a girl.
“It was always like this with her. Hot and cold. Kisses and then confusion. It had been weeks since our first kiss, and despite everything we’d done and what we felt for each other, I still didn’t know what it was that we were doing.”
The ending to this wasn’t much of an end, I felt like there were so many things unresolved, and the mystery hadn’t even been 100% uncovered, so I really hope that there will be a sequel to this story so that we can find out exactly what was going on, and what happened to a certain somebody.
7 out of 10
“Being let into Brit and Beth’s circle had been like discovering a portal to Narnia in the back of the closet. Once you know the world is a magical place, you can’t unknow it.”
This was an interesting mystery story, and I’m intrigued to know what really happened.
I liked Kalah in this story, and I felt really sorry for her too at points. Not only was she hiding something from her family and friends by not telling them who she was in love with, but then to have to deal with losing her friends too was truly horrible for her.
“I pulled my extra pillow close and inhaled the scent of rosemary and mint still lingering from Beth’s shampoo. Even sheets didn’t forget her.”
The storyline in this was good, and the mystery aspect was done well. I did find the pace a little slow, which was the only bad thing about this book really, but I was quite desperate to work out what was going on.
“You’ve reached Beth. I’m off believing in the impossible, so leave a message.”
There was some romance, and it was quite secret and forbidden, as very early on in the book we found out that Kalah was kissing someone else other than her boyfriend, and that that someone else was a girl.
“It was always like this with her. Hot and cold. Kisses and then confusion. It had been weeks since our first kiss, and despite everything we’d done and what we felt for each other, I still didn’t know what it was that we were doing.”
The ending to this wasn’t much of an end, I felt like there were so many things unresolved, and the mystery hadn’t even been 100% uncovered, so I really hope that there will be a sequel to this story so that we can find out exactly what was going on, and what happened to a certain somebody.
7 out of 10
August 27, 2016
3.5 stars That blurb is convoluted, isn't it? But while I think the characterization could be a little more complex, I liked this.
Points for:
-- a protagonist who isn't the standout "smart" or "strong" one in a BFF trio that includes two popular girls, but one who thinks through what's happening and is involved in plausible sleuthing
-- that same protagonist definitely grows throughout the story as well
-- lesbian/gay relationships handled in a matter-of-fact way
-- diverse characters and relationships.
A little questionable:
-- some specifics of the mystery ask for a bit of a pass (the timelines for declaring someone missing or dead, does everyone other than Kalah take everything they're told at face value? That sort of thing)
-- the interactions with police are pretty typical and uninteresting, and kind of didn't go anywhere
-- a little more history and complexity in the characters and their motivations would have made this more interesting.
Still, this kept me interested throughout, while I guessed what was going in early on, the plot progressed in a way that that didn't even matter. I also really, really liked the ending. Ambiguity! Open-ended! Leaves you wondering! Doesn't tie up everything in a bow! Yay.
All in all, a short, fast-paced mystery that doesn't succumb to the obvious. I think teenagers in particular will love it.
An advance copy was provided by the publisher for this review.
Points for:
-- a protagonist who isn't the standout "smart" or "strong" one in a BFF trio that includes two popular girls, but one who thinks through what's happening and is involved in plausible sleuthing
-- that same protagonist definitely grows throughout the story as well
-- lesbian/gay relationships handled in a matter-of-fact way
-- diverse characters and relationships.
A little questionable:
-- some specifics of the mystery ask for a bit of a pass (the timelines for declaring someone missing or dead, does everyone other than Kalah take everything they're told at face value? That sort of thing)
-- the interactions with police are pretty typical and uninteresting, and kind of didn't go anywhere
-- a little more history and complexity in the characters and their motivations would have made this more interesting.
Still, this kept me interested throughout, while I guessed what was going in early on, the plot progressed in a way that that didn't even matter. I also really, really liked the ending. Ambiguity! Open-ended! Leaves you wondering! Doesn't tie up everything in a bow! Yay.
All in all, a short, fast-paced mystery that doesn't succumb to the obvious. I think teenagers in particular will love it.
An advance copy was provided by the publisher for this review.
June 28, 2016
See more of my reviews on The YA Kitten! My copy was an ARC I got for review from YA Books Central.
3.5 stars.
No one ever tells you the important things about books. Here I am telling you right now: THIS BOOK STARS A BISEXUAL INDIAN GIRL WITH ANXIETY AND OCD. Doesn't that sound enticing? She's also an unreliable narrator. That doesn't really work out too well for me because this is the first entry of a series and unreliable narrators work best in standalone novels, but Vanished is a lightning-fast and fun even though I have a few problems with it.
#WeNeedDiverseBooks has been going strong for over a year now and Vanished is the kind of novel that fits in perfectly with what they want: novels with intersectional diversity across the board. Kalah, our bisexual Indian narrator with OCD and anxiety, has a well-written voice has a habit of saying things that make you wonder how much we should trust her at all. As such, she makes for an excellent unreliable narrator as she tries to figure out where Beth is and what really happened the night she disappeared.
Vanished is intensely readable and fast-paced too. Some books can be easily picked up and put down when life gets in the way. Others are life-ruiners because you will neglect all but eating and sleeping so you can keep reading. Vanished is absolutely a case of the latter. It will have you scribbling theories in your notebooks and trying to sneak in a few pages when you should be doing something else.
For all it does right, there are a lot of missed opportunities. It prepared me for a mind-bending ending a la Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas but didn't deliver on its promise. Even for the first novel in a series, it leaves a few too many questions unanswered and doesn't go deeply enough into certain character facets.Readers will hear a lot about the toxic dynamic between Britney and Beth but won't see it in action even in flashbacks. It may not push far enough, but Vanished a boundary-pusher and is certainly a good start for the first book in a trilogy.
All in all, Vanished is a quick read that will cure you of your reading slump and keep you in your seat even if you have to attend to important life things like eating, sleeping, and going to school. You may just find yourself trying to sneak a few pages in during class when you're supposed to be taking notes and scribbling theories in your notebook! As long as you're aware this is a series and it will be a long time before some of the questions raised in this novel are answered, go for it.
3.5 stars.
No one ever tells you the important things about books. Here I am telling you right now: THIS BOOK STARS A BISEXUAL INDIAN GIRL WITH ANXIETY AND OCD. Doesn't that sound enticing? She's also an unreliable narrator. That doesn't really work out too well for me because this is the first entry of a series and unreliable narrators work best in standalone novels, but Vanished is a lightning-fast and fun even though I have a few problems with it.
#WeNeedDiverseBooks has been going strong for over a year now and Vanished is the kind of novel that fits in perfectly with what they want: novels with intersectional diversity across the board. Kalah, our bisexual Indian narrator with OCD and anxiety, has a well-written voice has a habit of saying things that make you wonder how much we should trust her at all. As such, she makes for an excellent unreliable narrator as she tries to figure out where Beth is and what really happened the night she disappeared.
Vanished is intensely readable and fast-paced too. Some books can be easily picked up and put down when life gets in the way. Others are life-ruiners because you will neglect all but eating and sleeping so you can keep reading. Vanished is absolutely a case of the latter. It will have you scribbling theories in your notebooks and trying to sneak in a few pages when you should be doing something else.
For all it does right, there are a lot of missed opportunities. It prepared me for a mind-bending ending a la Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas but didn't deliver on its promise. Even for the first novel in a series, it leaves a few too many questions unanswered and doesn't go deeply enough into certain character facets.Readers will hear a lot about the toxic dynamic between Britney and Beth but won't see it in action even in flashbacks. It may not push far enough, but Vanished a boundary-pusher and is certainly a good start for the first book in a trilogy.
All in all, Vanished is a quick read that will cure you of your reading slump and keep you in your seat even if you have to attend to important life things like eating, sleeping, and going to school. You may just find yourself trying to sneak a few pages in during class when you're supposed to be taking notes and scribbling theories in your notebook! As long as you're aware this is a series and it will be a long time before some of the questions raised in this novel are answered, go for it.
September 6, 2021
no but what does the line "it sort of looked like his mouth had epilepsy" even mean! & why is the mc's best friend's mother being massively racist to the mc with NO challenge (not only is this...entirely needless, but it's about the only time, name aside, that you're aware the mc isn't white...)
Rep: biracial Indian American bi mc with OCD, bi side character, Indian American side character
CWs: racism & microaggressions (unchallenged), ableism (unchallenged), suicide
Rep: biracial Indian American bi mc with OCD, bi side character, Indian American side character
CWs: racism & microaggressions (unchallenged), ableism (unchallenged), suicide
May 20, 2023
This book was ok.
June 14, 2015
Vanished is a really, really hard book for me to think about without wanting to breakdown and beg for a sequel like, NOW.
When I first started Vanished, I was surprised with the huge amount of information that the blurb already gave out about the book. I felt like most of the story was already laid out for the reader to judge, and I still stand by that. But what I realised as I started to really invest myself into the story was the sheer nothingness that is the synopsis, because it does not even begin to scratch the surface of the depth of this story. And what’s more fantastic is that the synopsis is faithful to the story to a T; it’s only that the story has so, so much more.
Kalah is the voice of the story, describing in complete detail her friendship with Britney and Beth. You know when you feel like you’ve crossed some rite of passage because you become friends with certain people in a society? That’s how it is for Kalah. High school is the stage and with Britney and Beth centre stage, and their friendship with her, Kalah feels undefeatable. She’s not cruel to people, or a bully, nothing like that. It’s only that she feels important having best friends at the top of the food chain.
But of course what Kalah forgets is that even best friends are allowed to keep secrets from each other and sometimes envy can take a life.
I think the part I loved best about Vanished is the depiction of Kalah being comfortable with her bisexuality. It is revealed early on that Kalah adores her boyfriend, but she also experiences a certain degree of rightness with Beth…and it was lovely to see. She appeared to be quite comfortable within her skin, not bothering much for opinion outside of her own. Of course she had moments of guilt when she felt like she was betraying both the people she seemed to love, but I think that was more of a moral problem than anything else.
As for Britney and Beth and their relationship with both each other and Kalah, the less you know, readers mine, the better it is. It’s not easily defined, this type of friendship, and believe me when I say that it’s best unravelled when you read it yourself.
On a more special note, this book is full of diversity, no matter what type you seek! Kalah is an Indian, she is also bisexual. And she is okay with it. So is everyone around her. Isn’t that great?
What I’d really like to talk about is E. E. Cooper and her seemingly perfect understanding of the teenage psyche.
Being a debut author is one thing, but being a debut author with a voice that is as distinct as it is powerful is completely another. Miss Cooper has managed to bring Kalah, Beth and Britney, along with a whole slew of characters in the Vanished universe to life spectacularly. And I’m not saying it in a way that is hollow or without true meaning…I’m saying it with every fibre of my being. If you want to read a YA book, truly worthy of a comparison to Gone Girl, let it be Vanished. And since we’re being honest here, let me come clean too: I didn’t know if I was even going to finish this book. My entire problem lied around Kalah, and whether or not she would allow herself to be stepped on by her “friends.”
But here’s what I realised: To stand up for yourself, taller and prouder than you ever have, you have to be trampled upon. You have to know the pain and humiliation of being used by friends, to understand that such people are really not your friends at all. And I’m going to leave it at that for you readers to interpret. Kalah’s story is a story you NEED in your life. And if by the end of the book you aren’t asking for a sequel as desperately as I am, then man, I don’t even know if we can be friends anymore.
*I was provided a free ecopy of this book in exchange of an honest review. This did not in any way, however, influence the content of this review.*
When I first started Vanished, I was surprised with the huge amount of information that the blurb already gave out about the book. I felt like most of the story was already laid out for the reader to judge, and I still stand by that. But what I realised as I started to really invest myself into the story was the sheer nothingness that is the synopsis, because it does not even begin to scratch the surface of the depth of this story. And what’s more fantastic is that the synopsis is faithful to the story to a T; it’s only that the story has so, so much more.
Kalah is the voice of the story, describing in complete detail her friendship with Britney and Beth. You know when you feel like you’ve crossed some rite of passage because you become friends with certain people in a society? That’s how it is for Kalah. High school is the stage and with Britney and Beth centre stage, and their friendship with her, Kalah feels undefeatable. She’s not cruel to people, or a bully, nothing like that. It’s only that she feels important having best friends at the top of the food chain.
But of course what Kalah forgets is that even best friends are allowed to keep secrets from each other and sometimes envy can take a life.
I think the part I loved best about Vanished is the depiction of Kalah being comfortable with her bisexuality. It is revealed early on that Kalah adores her boyfriend, but she also experiences a certain degree of rightness with Beth…and it was lovely to see. She appeared to be quite comfortable within her skin, not bothering much for opinion outside of her own. Of course she had moments of guilt when she felt like she was betraying both the people she seemed to love, but I think that was more of a moral problem than anything else.
As for Britney and Beth and their relationship with both each other and Kalah, the less you know, readers mine, the better it is. It’s not easily defined, this type of friendship, and believe me when I say that it’s best unravelled when you read it yourself.
On a more special note, this book is full of diversity, no matter what type you seek! Kalah is an Indian, she is also bisexual. And she is okay with it. So is everyone around her. Isn’t that great?
What I’d really like to talk about is E. E. Cooper and her seemingly perfect understanding of the teenage psyche.
Being a debut author is one thing, but being a debut author with a voice that is as distinct as it is powerful is completely another. Miss Cooper has managed to bring Kalah, Beth and Britney, along with a whole slew of characters in the Vanished universe to life spectacularly. And I’m not saying it in a way that is hollow or without true meaning…I’m saying it with every fibre of my being. If you want to read a YA book, truly worthy of a comparison to Gone Girl, let it be Vanished. And since we’re being honest here, let me come clean too: I didn’t know if I was even going to finish this book. My entire problem lied around Kalah, and whether or not she would allow herself to be stepped on by her “friends.”
But here’s what I realised: To stand up for yourself, taller and prouder than you ever have, you have to be trampled upon. You have to know the pain and humiliation of being used by friends, to understand that such people are really not your friends at all. And I’m going to leave it at that for you readers to interpret. Kalah’s story is a story you NEED in your life. And if by the end of the book you aren’t asking for a sequel as desperately as I am, then man, I don’t even know if we can be friends anymore.
*I was provided a free ecopy of this book in exchange of an honest review. This did not in any way, however, influence the content of this review.*
January 3, 2016
I received a free copy via Edelweiss for review purposes
Slowly, Kalah is falling for Beth Taylor. But Beth is bad news. She likes to break hearts. Plus, Kalah has a boyfriend. Then Beth skips town and Kalah can't help but think it's something to do with their secret relationship. Beth's best friend, Britney, doesn't even know why she left. The rumor mill starts going and before you know it Beth's run off to be a movie star in New York, or got in trouble with a mob boss. But one of the rumors links Beth and Britney's boyfriend together and both Britney and Kalah feel betrayed. Then Britney's dead and Kalah is left alone, until Beth reaches out, but things aren't as they seem. Kalah becomes trapped in the middle of a net of deception and she must work out what's true and what's not.
Despite the slow start, Vanished turned into a really engaging mystery. I was prepared to give it three stars, but the last 50% or so was enough to put it up to four. Vanished wasn't overly clever, but enough to keep you on your toes and to keep you guessing.
I enjoyed the characters, though at times Kalah bordered on annoying. She pined over Beth and was pretty insistent she left because of her. Yet she was left alone so I can kind of understand why she attached herself to the idea of her and Beth. I wanted to see more of Beth because she was my favorite and seemed like such a dynamic character. Britney was another great character -- complex and intriguing.
What is also great about Vanished is that it's an LGBT book, and is one of a range of 2015 books that are including a lot more diverse and open characters.
Overall, a great mystery thriller that I would recommend to fans of Sara Shepard and the like.
Slowly, Kalah is falling for Beth Taylor. But Beth is bad news. She likes to break hearts. Plus, Kalah has a boyfriend. Then Beth skips town and Kalah can't help but think it's something to do with their secret relationship. Beth's best friend, Britney, doesn't even know why she left. The rumor mill starts going and before you know it Beth's run off to be a movie star in New York, or got in trouble with a mob boss. But one of the rumors links Beth and Britney's boyfriend together and both Britney and Kalah feel betrayed. Then Britney's dead and Kalah is left alone, until Beth reaches out, but things aren't as they seem. Kalah becomes trapped in the middle of a net of deception and she must work out what's true and what's not.
Despite the slow start, Vanished turned into a really engaging mystery. I was prepared to give it three stars, but the last 50% or so was enough to put it up to four. Vanished wasn't overly clever, but enough to keep you on your toes and to keep you guessing.
I enjoyed the characters, though at times Kalah bordered on annoying. She pined over Beth and was pretty insistent she left because of her. Yet she was left alone so I can kind of understand why she attached herself to the idea of her and Beth. I wanted to see more of Beth because she was my favorite and seemed like such a dynamic character. Britney was another great character -- complex and intriguing.
What is also great about Vanished is that it's an LGBT book, and is one of a range of 2015 books that are including a lot more diverse and open characters.
Overall, a great mystery thriller that I would recommend to fans of Sara Shepard and the like.
December 30, 2015
Books that keep me up until the early hours of the morning because I just can't put them down are generally really good, Vanished is no exception. From the synopsis, I assumed this book was right up my alley, and it didn't disappoint.
Kalah is a great main character. She has her flaws, but I think they were realistic. I liked how her culture, her sexuality and her anxiety are all a part of her without question.
The set up for the story was already promising, but the plot really started going after Beth disappears . My favorite part was the chat conversations that
All in all, this is a really good book. If you like thrillers, mysteries, and female friendships (as well as female/female romantic relationships), I would definitely recommend it.
Kalah is a great main character. She has her flaws, but I think they were realistic. I liked how her culture, her sexuality and her anxiety are all a part of her without question.
The set up for the story was already promising, but the plot really started going after Beth disappears . My favorite part was the chat conversations that
All in all, this is a really good book. If you like thrillers, mysteries, and female friendships (as well as female/female romantic relationships), I would definitely recommend it.
July 24, 2015
I liked this! It's really hard to rate (ETA: but I came back and did it anyway) because it's so, so demanding of a sequel (though I do like the ending), but I read the whole thing in one night and was really pleased with several aspects of it. By far, my most pleasant surprise was the bisexuality representation - I hope that ends up being something people talk about a lot with this book even though marketing isn't, really, the same way it sort of "came out" (no pun intended) about Far From You. It's really nice and refreshing to see how Kalah is comfortable with her feelings for Beth, and also genuinely likes her boyfriend (who's a legit good guy), and even ends up talking about it. For all that Kalah has some very adolescent insecurities and anxieties, it's so, so nice to read a character who contemplates her sexuality but doesn't feel shame about it, and who isn't shamed by other characters, either.
Also, where it's super, super common to have one girl in the cool group be of color, it was incredibly refreshing to have it be the main character for once.
The story itself took some fun twists and turns, and I liked that it didn't take Kalah forever to figure things out - this could've easily been one of those books where the reader is groaning the entire time at an obvious thing and waiting for the MC to catch up, so it was nice that wasn't the case here. The writing didn't reflect as much tension as it could have, and for a whole bunch of early chapters I couldn't tell the difference between Beth and Britney, but Kalah very much has her own personality, and I found a lot to like in this. I JUST NEED A SEQUEL. (Which I hear there is? GOOD.)
Also, where it's super, super common to have one girl in the cool group be of color, it was incredibly refreshing to have it be the main character for once.
The story itself took some fun twists and turns, and I liked that it didn't take Kalah forever to figure things out - this could've easily been one of those books where the reader is groaning the entire time at an obvious thing and waiting for the MC to catch up, so it was nice that wasn't the case here. The writing didn't reflect as much tension as it could have, and for a whole bunch of early chapters I couldn't tell the difference between Beth and Britney, but Kalah very much has her own personality, and I found a lot to like in this. I JUST NEED A SEQUEL. (Which I hear there is? GOOD.)
May 12, 2015
I’m a sucker for thrillers and mysteries, so when I read the summary for this book, I HAD to request it. It sounds absolutely amazing, right? Well, I went into it with high expectations. Sadly, I was disappointed in so many aspects of this book.
First of all, there was way too much lovesick crap going on in the first 30% of this book. Which I expected some based on the summary, but it’s like that’s all the first part of this book was. But I stuck it out cause I was hoping it would pick up, and it did around 40-50%. Then I started getting invested in the story and I was loving all the mystery surrounding Beth’s disappearance and Brit’s suicide. However, that didn’t last long.
The ‘big’ reveal didn’t really feel all that big to me. I saw it coming a mile away, and I kept thinking, “that’s too easy, that can’t be it” so I would try to come up with other theories. Unfortunately, I was wrong and that was it and that REALLY disappointed me.
Aside from the lovesick stuff and the disappointing ‘twist’, things didn’t really feel complete at the end of this book. I’m not sure if there will be another one and that’s why things weren’t completely wrapped up, but I was left with so many questions and I just didn’t feel satisfied with the ending. I kept checking the percentage, thinking that it couldn’t be the end because so many things were left unanswered, but it was the end and I was so frustrated that I was left with so many lingering questions.
Overall, Vanished is one that I feel could have been amazing, but unfortunately it fell short.
First of all, there was way too much lovesick crap going on in the first 30% of this book. Which I expected some based on the summary, but it’s like that’s all the first part of this book was. But I stuck it out cause I was hoping it would pick up, and it did around 40-50%. Then I started getting invested in the story and I was loving all the mystery surrounding Beth’s disappearance and Brit’s suicide. However, that didn’t last long.
The ‘big’ reveal didn’t really feel all that big to me. I saw it coming a mile away, and I kept thinking, “that’s too easy, that can’t be it” so I would try to come up with other theories. Unfortunately, I was wrong and that was it and that REALLY disappointed me.
Aside from the lovesick stuff and the disappointing ‘twist’, things didn’t really feel complete at the end of this book. I’m not sure if there will be another one and that’s why things weren’t completely wrapped up, but I was left with so many questions and I just didn’t feel satisfied with the ending. I kept checking the percentage, thinking that it couldn’t be the end because so many things were left unanswered, but it was the end and I was so frustrated that I was left with so many lingering questions.
Overall, Vanished is one that I feel could have been amazing, but unfortunately it fell short.
June 19, 2023
this could have been way more interesting
July 22, 2015
3.5 stars.
While Vanished wasn't everything that I had hoped for, it was still an enjoyable mystery.
Plot: The day before Beth's 18th birthday, Britney and Beth have an argument which has Britney stomping out of the house in anger. As this is the norm of their relationship, Kalah doesn't think much of it until Beth skips town and Britney commits suicide. Clearly there is something afoot. The mystery is simple, and it was something that I figured out with ease on my own. The premise sets this mystery to be bigger than it actually is, which is the biggest letdown of this mystery. Twists and turns? No, there is maybe one turn and half of a twist. Everything else is pretty straight forward.
Characters: We are first introduced to Kalah and her two new best friends in Kalah's room where Britney is trying on Kalah's sari and Beth is chastising her for treating it as a costume. One, OMG A PERSON OF COLOR IS A MAIN CHARACTER, Those always win two points in my book. And two, DOUBLE POINTS for the author making a comment on people who choose formal wear from other cultures as Halloween costumes. Now let's examine the relationships.
Beth and Britney are always at each other's throats, but they love each other the only way best friends can. In true cool kid fashion, they set their sights on Kalah and make her apart of their group, which has her feeling both anxious and uncomfortable with the new status. I would have enjoyed Vanished a lot more if there was more depth to Beth and Britney. We get small snippets of their lives through flashbacks, but I never felt like I knew them, and so it was hard for me to really care when bad things happened to them.
The synopsis claims that Kalah is in love with Beth which I disagree with. First because Kalah has a boyfriend and Kalah and Beth's relationship is never established. They're not a couple afraid to bring their love to the public, instead Beth is the token "easy girl" who likes to sneak kisses with Kalah in dark corners. Kalah, to me, just seems like the naive girl who reads too much into situations. Despite that, I liked Kalah for her quirks and insecurities.
World Building: The world building was a bit shallow, but I did like how the author incorporated social media and chat rooms into the story telling.
While that was interesting, the storytelling still suffered. Books like Gone Girl and Pretty Little Liars are popular because they have a specific tone. With Vanished, it didn't feel like I was in the middle of mystery, There was no sense or urgency or fear....just words on paper.
Short N Sweet: Vanished is a typical mystery with not so typical characters, and while the storytelling isn't perfect, the ending wins a few points with me.
While Vanished wasn't everything that I had hoped for, it was still an enjoyable mystery.
Plot: The day before Beth's 18th birthday, Britney and Beth have an argument which has Britney stomping out of the house in anger. As this is the norm of their relationship, Kalah doesn't think much of it until Beth skips town and Britney commits suicide. Clearly there is something afoot. The mystery is simple, and it was something that I figured out with ease on my own. The premise sets this mystery to be bigger than it actually is, which is the biggest letdown of this mystery. Twists and turns? No, there is maybe one turn and half of a twist. Everything else is pretty straight forward.
Characters: We are first introduced to Kalah and her two new best friends in Kalah's room where Britney is trying on Kalah's sari and Beth is chastising her for treating it as a costume. One, OMG A PERSON OF COLOR IS A MAIN CHARACTER, Those always win two points in my book. And two, DOUBLE POINTS for the author making a comment on people who choose formal wear from other cultures as Halloween costumes. Now let's examine the relationships.
Beth and Britney are always at each other's throats, but they love each other the only way best friends can. In true cool kid fashion, they set their sights on Kalah and make her apart of their group, which has her feeling both anxious and uncomfortable with the new status. I would have enjoyed Vanished a lot more if there was more depth to Beth and Britney. We get small snippets of their lives through flashbacks, but I never felt like I knew them, and so it was hard for me to really care when bad things happened to them.
The synopsis claims that Kalah is in love with Beth which I disagree with. First because Kalah has a boyfriend and Kalah and Beth's relationship is never established. They're not a couple afraid to bring their love to the public, instead Beth is the token "easy girl" who likes to sneak kisses with Kalah in dark corners. Kalah, to me, just seems like the naive girl who reads too much into situations. Despite that, I liked Kalah for her quirks and insecurities.
World Building: The world building was a bit shallow, but I did like how the author incorporated social media and chat rooms into the story telling.
While that was interesting, the storytelling still suffered. Books like Gone Girl and Pretty Little Liars are popular because they have a specific tone. With Vanished, it didn't feel like I was in the middle of mystery, There was no sense or urgency or fear....just words on paper.
Short N Sweet: Vanished is a typical mystery with not so typical characters, and while the storytelling isn't perfect, the ending wins a few points with me.
April 20, 2016
Review copy provided by HarperCollins for an honest review.
I feel like I should have a lot to say about Vanished. I gave it a pretty negative rating, didn't I? Surely that deserves a big, long review detailing why this book wasn't suited to me. But I honestly don't have the much to say about it. It can be summed up like this: bland writing, boring mystery, bothersome protagonist and a bad ending.
Vanished was a long, slow book. There was the potential for some clever twists and turns, but none of them happen and it remained pretty dull for the entire book. I think it was trying to be like Pretty Little Liars too much. The creepy messages. The high school clichés. The intangible web of relationship drama. Missing girls. Secrets that were not so secret after all. It was the same recycled setting and I am just tired of it.
The writing didn't help and ultimately, I would say that it was this element that made the book such a flop. Is it even possible for writing to be whiny? 'Cause Kalah's voice sure came across like that. She was in love with someone who didn't love her back. Her friends kept secrets from her. She was screwed up. Blah, blah, blah. I wanted mystery, not drama. It got tiresome after the first few chapters.
And that ending? Seriously? It was worse than Gone Girl. I don't know why you would spend the entire book building up a mystery, resolving one tiny elements of it and then leaving it open like that? That's not to say that I won't be picking up the sequel - because I certainly will. I am not going to let the curiosity kill me!
Overall, I felt that this book tried too hard. I didn't like the protagonist. The writing was too bland. The romance didn't work. The mystery elements were not concluded and - as a result - were rather anticlimactic. If there isn't a sequel, I will cry. This would've been pointless - a long, long prologue. It would cruel to leave us hanging like that!
I feel like I should have a lot to say about Vanished. I gave it a pretty negative rating, didn't I? Surely that deserves a big, long review detailing why this book wasn't suited to me. But I honestly don't have the much to say about it. It can be summed up like this: bland writing, boring mystery, bothersome protagonist and a bad ending.
Vanished was a long, slow book. There was the potential for some clever twists and turns, but none of them happen and it remained pretty dull for the entire book. I think it was trying to be like Pretty Little Liars too much. The creepy messages. The high school clichés. The intangible web of relationship drama. Missing girls. Secrets that were not so secret after all. It was the same recycled setting and I am just tired of it.
The writing didn't help and ultimately, I would say that it was this element that made the book such a flop. Is it even possible for writing to be whiny? 'Cause Kalah's voice sure came across like that. She was in love with someone who didn't love her back. Her friends kept secrets from her. She was screwed up. Blah, blah, blah. I wanted mystery, not drama. It got tiresome after the first few chapters.
And that ending? Seriously? It was worse than Gone Girl. I don't know why you would spend the entire book building up a mystery, resolving one tiny elements of it and then leaving it open like that? That's not to say that I won't be picking up the sequel - because I certainly will. I am not going to let the curiosity kill me!
Overall, I felt that this book tried too hard. I didn't like the protagonist. The writing was too bland. The romance didn't work. The mystery elements were not concluded and - as a result - were rather anticlimactic. If there isn't a sequel, I will cry. This would've been pointless - a long, long prologue. It would cruel to leave us hanging like that!
May 14, 2015
My thanks to Katherine Tegen Books
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Point of View: Single (Kalah)
Writing: First Person | Past Tense
Setting: Michigan
Genre: Young Adult | Mystery/Contemporary
Taglines: Keep your friends close...
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One thing I love about reading a mystery thriller is that it always keeps me on my toes trying to piece everything together. And that's why I didn't find this book that interesting.
The storyline was somewhat intriguing. I actually enjoyed the subtle GLBT plot and all that. However, I was hoping for more mystery and more excitement that usually comes with it. Everything was just meh.
Kalah, the main character, was not a strong character. In fact, she annoyed me with her pining over Beth. I wished she would have shut up for once, but gosh no, right from the start of the book until almost the end of the book, Kalah was like a pathetic lovesick puppy.
In short, for a teenage drama, love triangle sort of book, it wasn't so bad. But for a mystery thriller, I have to say it didn't get the job done.
March 5, 2017
Good mystery novel, but I don’t appreciate being represented as a cheater who’d jump on a person regardless their gender when I’m in a relationship. Nor do I appreciate being represented as someone who’s willing to murder a girl because she “stole” a friend’s boyfriend.
June 23, 2016
This series captured my attention as the tagline read Pretty Little Liars meets Gone Girl. Now when it comes to Pretty Little Liars, I am on board as I loved the books and enjoyed the TV show. However, whenever I read the words Gone Girl - my mind goes into skeptical mode as out of all of Gillian Flynn's books - Gone Girl was the one I couldn't get into. I just found the whole story unrealistic , slow and frustrating. I just don't understand how it managed to win over a lot of people and win thriller of the year as when it comes to mysteries and thriller novels - I love them and have read my more than fair share amount of them and there are plenty that were better than Gone Girl. So when it came to Vanished, I was in two minds but eager to read it and I have to say right through the whole book - there were parts I loved, parts I hated and parts that frustrated me but overall I enjoyed this story and am looking forward to reading the sequel Avenged. Vanished surrounds a trio of best friends - Britney , Beth and Kalah. Britney and Beth were seniors and had been best friends since the 2nd grade whereas Kalah was new to the school and what I gathered a year or so younger. Britney and Beth took Kalah under their wings and allowed her to join their group and they became a trio. Kalah felt closer to Beth and they even shared a few moments together , whereas Britney had that whole narcisstic Queen B type personality going on where she had to always be the centre of attention. On the night of Beth's birthday, the girls had plans but Beth vanishes. As the week gets on , Kalah discovers no-one is looking for her and she becomes classed as a runaway. Kalah can't help but be worried , but no-one else is voicing her concerns. Not till Britney goes missing and is presumed dead. Now both Kalah's friends have gone missing and the cops are involved as everyone but Kalah thinks that Beth killed Britney. A week or so later, Kalah starts to recieve IM's from Beth - though things aren't adding up as Kalah believes it is in fact Britney and starts chucking in clues and questions only Beth would know the real answer too. What happens though when one of them arrives home and the other is found dead ? What happened that night and what really went down ? Can Kalah keep herself safe before she too is involved too deep into the mess ? As The Pierces would sing on Pretty Little Liars - Two can keep a secret, if one of them is dead.
December 3, 2016
Grade: B+
High school junior Kalah is on the fringes of her best friends, seniors Beth and Brit, who have known each other since childhood. But Brit doesn't know Kalah and Beth are lovers, nor does Kalah's boyfriend Zach. First Beth disappears. Then Brit commits suicide, but her body isn't found. Soon Kalah wonders if things are not as they appear to be.
Reading VANISHED felt like a guilty pleasure. Often campy, I felt like I should be rolling my eyes at the implausibility, but instead I couldn't get enough of EE Cooper's story and couldn't wait to figure out who and what.
Kalah was a complex character, and I'm still not sure the reliability of her as a narrator. Usually I'd feel frustrated, but because VANISHED is part one of two, I know/hope my questions will be answered when I start AVENGED later today. I also want details on what really happened at her old school. Her anxiety issues and OCD added a dimension to her persona as did her low self esteem in what she was willing to tolerate from people she called her friends.
Aside from Kalah, the minor characters were somewhat flat, but in a campy story, I'm okay with that. I loved how her parents and brother were supportive and not just cardboard cutout figures in her life.
VANISHED is a fun read, a perfect story to break out of book rut or an escape that's mysterious and dark enough without being depressing.
High school junior Kalah is on the fringes of her best friends, seniors Beth and Brit, who have known each other since childhood. But Brit doesn't know Kalah and Beth are lovers, nor does Kalah's boyfriend Zach. First Beth disappears. Then Brit commits suicide, but her body isn't found. Soon Kalah wonders if things are not as they appear to be.
Reading VANISHED felt like a guilty pleasure. Often campy, I felt like I should be rolling my eyes at the implausibility, but instead I couldn't get enough of EE Cooper's story and couldn't wait to figure out who and what.
Kalah was a complex character, and I'm still not sure the reliability of her as a narrator. Usually I'd feel frustrated, but because VANISHED is part one of two, I know/hope my questions will be answered when I start AVENGED later today. I also want details on what really happened at her old school. Her anxiety issues and OCD added a dimension to her persona as did her low self esteem in what she was willing to tolerate from people she called her friends.
Aside from Kalah, the minor characters were somewhat flat, but in a campy story, I'm okay with that. I loved how her parents and brother were supportive and not just cardboard cutout figures in her life.
VANISHED is a fun read, a perfect story to break out of book rut or an escape that's mysterious and dark enough without being depressing.
May 6, 2017
This book amazing, every single character was interesting and I have not been sucked into a new literary world in quite some time, I read the first two chapters earlier this week and i finished the rest of the book in one sitting. This story was not only extremely interesting, but the book was SO well written. I could see the characters and their actions so vividly in my mind. What drew me to this book was the bisexual indian protagonist with OCD and anxiety!!!!!! I was so happy with this entire book and I am so excited to read the next one as well. I definitely have a new favorite author and series.
February 13, 2022
maybe if there was more bethbritney and less of kalah whining it would’ve been 5 stars
September 17, 2015
3.5 stars
Vanished came in a package along with a Harper book they’d requested. Often, I’m not interested in the tagalong books, but sometimes you strike gold. I hadn’t requested Vanished or downloaded the egalley, because I had a bad feeling about it. Let’s be real, though: my bad feeling was that the cover reminded me heavily of a cover for a book that wasn’t for me. I almost vainished this book out of my mind. When it showed up, though, I looked it up, saw that it was lgbt, and determined that I simply had to give it a chance. Vanished by E. E. Cooper came out of left field and proved to be nigh unputdownable.
Here’s my pitch for Vanished: it’s Paper Towns meets Dangerous Girls. Neither of these books were actually huge hits with me, but the combination proved much more fascinating. To be clear, though, when I say Dangerous Girls, I’m not revealing the twisty bits, but the mystery and unreliable narrator aspects really brought that comparison to the forefront of my brain.
The opening of Vanished really brought John Green’s Paper Towns or Looking for Alaska to mind. Kalah has been accepted as a best friend by seniors Brit and Beth; they’re older, gorgeous, and popular. Being friends with Brit and Beth changes everything for Kalah. Beth and Kalah have a secret, though: they’ve been hooking up. Beth has a total mystery girl manic pixie vibe going, which, I have to admit, was probably my least favorite part. I find it a bit less annoying when she’s not just a vehicle to drive a boy’s development, but still.
Obviously I enjoyed the girl kissing bits but Vanished isn’t a romance. Heck, Kalah’s actually cheating on an incredibly sweet, wonderful guy with Beth, so it’s not exactly a book of good life choices. There’s actually a lot of infidelity going on in this book, but it’s not romanticized so it works. Come for the girls kissing; stay for the mystery.
The mystery plot takes a bit of time to really get rolling, but, once it did, I did not put the book down. Admittedly, I called one of the major twists, even without the accidental spoiler in the ARC version: However, I didn’t get the rest of the twists right, though I admit I like my version a bit better. To be fair, though, Cooper’s ending is darker, so I”m pretty happy with it, especially because .
I love the way Cooper handles Kalah’s sexuality. There’s actually very little discussion of it in Vanished. She enjoys kissing her boyfriend and she enjoys kissing Beth, but she doesn’t know if she’s a lesbian, bisexual, or Bethsexual. So often books feel the need to slap a designation on sexuality, but Cooper leaves that open. Kalah, realistically, still needs to work out exactly who she is and what she wants. It’s not just Kalah but the other inclusions of LGBT relationships and tolerance that really made Vanished shine.
If you hear LGBT mystery and get excited, then you should very much be excited for Vanished. I’m very glad I fit it into my schedule despite mysteries not being my genre of choice.
Vanished came in a package along with a Harper book they’d requested. Often, I’m not interested in the tagalong books, but sometimes you strike gold. I hadn’t requested Vanished or downloaded the egalley, because I had a bad feeling about it. Let’s be real, though: my bad feeling was that the cover reminded me heavily of a cover for a book that wasn’t for me. I almost vainished this book out of my mind. When it showed up, though, I looked it up, saw that it was lgbt, and determined that I simply had to give it a chance. Vanished by E. E. Cooper came out of left field and proved to be nigh unputdownable.
Here’s my pitch for Vanished: it’s Paper Towns meets Dangerous Girls. Neither of these books were actually huge hits with me, but the combination proved much more fascinating. To be clear, though, when I say Dangerous Girls, I’m not revealing the twisty bits, but the mystery and unreliable narrator aspects really brought that comparison to the forefront of my brain.
The opening of Vanished really brought John Green’s Paper Towns or Looking for Alaska to mind. Kalah has been accepted as a best friend by seniors Brit and Beth; they’re older, gorgeous, and popular. Being friends with Brit and Beth changes everything for Kalah. Beth and Kalah have a secret, though: they’ve been hooking up. Beth has a total mystery girl manic pixie vibe going, which, I have to admit, was probably my least favorite part. I find it a bit less annoying when she’s not just a vehicle to drive a boy’s development, but still.
Obviously I enjoyed the girl kissing bits but Vanished isn’t a romance. Heck, Kalah’s actually cheating on an incredibly sweet, wonderful guy with Beth, so it’s not exactly a book of good life choices. There’s actually a lot of infidelity going on in this book, but it’s not romanticized so it works. Come for the girls kissing; stay for the mystery.
The mystery plot takes a bit of time to really get rolling, but, once it did, I did not put the book down. Admittedly, I called one of the major twists, even without the accidental spoiler in the ARC version: However, I didn’t get the rest of the twists right, though I admit I like my version a bit better. To be fair, though, Cooper’s ending is darker, so I”m pretty happy with it, especially because .
I love the way Cooper handles Kalah’s sexuality. There’s actually very little discussion of it in Vanished. She enjoys kissing her boyfriend and she enjoys kissing Beth, but she doesn’t know if she’s a lesbian, bisexual, or Bethsexual. So often books feel the need to slap a designation on sexuality, but Cooper leaves that open. Kalah, realistically, still needs to work out exactly who she is and what she wants. It’s not just Kalah but the other inclusions of LGBT relationships and tolerance that really made Vanished shine.
If you hear LGBT mystery and get excited, then you should very much be excited for Vanished. I’m very glad I fit it into my schedule despite mysteries not being my genre of choice.
April 27, 2015
Huge thank you to Harper Collins Canada for this ARC!
Vanished, admittedly wasn't on my radar until I had grabbed a copy of it at this year's OLA Super Conference. It sounded interesting, but I didn't entirely know if it would be something I enjoy. Having finished it, I can say with all certainty, how pleasantly surprised I was by this story.
First off, I need to praise the story itself. The mystery that Cooper takes the reader on completely will mess with your head, and even when you get to the end, there's something to be said about what actually happened. Brit's dead, Beth's missing, and yet Kalah, our heroine, finds herself trapped in a unique mind game. There's so much appeal from the way in which the story is told, and while it's not Dangerous Girls scary or messed up, the level of intrigue is there and I found myself constantly flipping pages trying to piece together what actually happened.
Kalah is a wonderful heroine. She's a bisexual Indian girl, and her FAMILY ACCEPTS HER. I was so stoked for that, and the scene where Kalah comes up is so wonderfully done and powerful, it just made me love the story that much more. Kalah spends a lot of the novel uncovering the mystery surrounding Beth and Brit, but she's unravelling her own personal mystery as well. She constantly grows throughout the story (and considering how short the novel is, it's impressive), and she's someone who actually accepts blame, knows when she has done wrong, and she's open about it. She's also someone so perspective to others flaws, but also her own.
I really loved the way Cooper tackled Kalah's relationships. This novel is about friendship, obsession, and love, but it looks at all three themes from such varying angles. If I have any criticism of the story, it's that admittedly, I wanted more Nadir. He was such an amusing foil for Kalah at times, and I thought their relationship as siblings was done quite well. Even her relationships with Zach and Beth, there's a lot of depth to how Cooper presents these relationships in connection to Kalah, and it's really well thought out. Admittedly, I didn't like Beth or Brit, but I found myself still needing to know more, and I needed to see Kalah persevere. It was all I wanted!
Vanished kept me on the edge of my seat, and I am amazingly glad I picked this book up at OLA and gave it a shot. It was an unexpected, if fun and messed up ride that I didn't want to get off of. I am eager to see what E.E Cooper writes next, because if it is as fun and trippy as Vanished? I am totes in.
Vanished, admittedly wasn't on my radar until I had grabbed a copy of it at this year's OLA Super Conference. It sounded interesting, but I didn't entirely know if it would be something I enjoy. Having finished it, I can say with all certainty, how pleasantly surprised I was by this story.
First off, I need to praise the story itself. The mystery that Cooper takes the reader on completely will mess with your head, and even when you get to the end, there's something to be said about what actually happened. Brit's dead, Beth's missing, and yet Kalah, our heroine, finds herself trapped in a unique mind game. There's so much appeal from the way in which the story is told, and while it's not Dangerous Girls scary or messed up, the level of intrigue is there and I found myself constantly flipping pages trying to piece together what actually happened.
Kalah is a wonderful heroine. She's a bisexual Indian girl, and her FAMILY ACCEPTS HER. I was so stoked for that, and the scene where Kalah comes up is so wonderfully done and powerful, it just made me love the story that much more. Kalah spends a lot of the novel uncovering the mystery surrounding Beth and Brit, but she's unravelling her own personal mystery as well. She constantly grows throughout the story (and considering how short the novel is, it's impressive), and she's someone who actually accepts blame, knows when she has done wrong, and she's open about it. She's also someone so perspective to others flaws, but also her own.
I really loved the way Cooper tackled Kalah's relationships. This novel is about friendship, obsession, and love, but it looks at all three themes from such varying angles. If I have any criticism of the story, it's that admittedly, I wanted more Nadir. He was such an amusing foil for Kalah at times, and I thought their relationship as siblings was done quite well. Even her relationships with Zach and Beth, there's a lot of depth to how Cooper presents these relationships in connection to Kalah, and it's really well thought out. Admittedly, I didn't like Beth or Brit, but I found myself still needing to know more, and I needed to see Kalah persevere. It was all I wanted!
Vanished kept me on the edge of my seat, and I am amazingly glad I picked this book up at OLA and gave it a shot. It was an unexpected, if fun and messed up ride that I didn't want to get off of. I am eager to see what E.E Cooper writes next, because if it is as fun and trippy as Vanished? I am totes in.
May 19, 2015
2 stars
MINI REVIEW:
I read this straight after finishing The Girl on the Train, and man did it pale in comparison. Even if I didn’t read this right after The Girl on the Train, Vanished by E.E. Cooper is still not the best YA Mystery I’ve ever read. The main issues I had were with the characters and the predictability of the mystery. Vanished tells the story of three best friends: one mysteriously disappears or “runs away”, and shortly after, the second best friend commits suicide. The third best friend is the girl we get the first-person POV from. Cooper characterizes the girls in a way that is more “tell than show”. I wanted to get to know the girls through their actions, not a biased perspective.
Additionally, the mystery is extremely predictable. I was bored throughout the entire story. By the end, the mystery is not 100% solved because apparently, there is going to be a sequel. I was about to DNF this about halfway through the story, but I decided to keep going just because the book itself is short. All in all, if you’re looking for a YA Mystery, I would look elsewhere.
Check out this review and more at Books and Other Happy Ever Afters
MINI REVIEW:
I read this straight after finishing The Girl on the Train, and man did it pale in comparison. Even if I didn’t read this right after The Girl on the Train, Vanished by E.E. Cooper is still not the best YA Mystery I’ve ever read. The main issues I had were with the characters and the predictability of the mystery. Vanished tells the story of three best friends: one mysteriously disappears or “runs away”, and shortly after, the second best friend commits suicide. The third best friend is the girl we get the first-person POV from. Cooper characterizes the girls in a way that is more “tell than show”. I wanted to get to know the girls through their actions, not a biased perspective.
Additionally, the mystery is extremely predictable. I was bored throughout the entire story. By the end, the mystery is not 100% solved because apparently, there is going to be a sequel. I was about to DNF this about halfway through the story, but I decided to keep going just because the book itself is short. All in all, if you’re looking for a YA Mystery, I would look elsewhere.
Check out this review and more at Books and Other Happy Ever Afters
May 18, 2015
I read this book in one day! The mystery and intrigue in this book was plotted just perfectly. The author does an amazing job at drawing the reader in. And let me say, once you are drawn in, it won't let you go until the end! The balancing of the main character's psyche was just absolutely fascinating as she was struggling with what she thinks she knows about the people she loves and the reality of that begins to emerge. Watching her internal struggle with her feelings for Brit contrasted with new evidence that comes to light about their friend Beth's disappearance was captivating. E.E. Cooper did a fantastic job creating this world and the tension around every corner making me need to know what Kalah would do next. It really is Gone Girl meets Pretty Little Liars and I look forward to the sequel!
I received this book in a Goodreads first reads giveaway! Thank you.
I received this book in a Goodreads first reads giveaway! Thank you.
September 28, 2015
The resolution of the mystery didn't quite work for me and almost countered all the greatness of the bi-racial, bi-sexual (or at least heavily questioning), anxiety- and OCD-ridden protagonist. Seriously, Kalah is awesome and human and she got stuck in a kinda bog-standard thriller plot, poor thing.
This is labeled as Vanished #1, so I'm glad there will be more of Kalah in the future. I just hope she gets a more unique story as time goes on. She deserves it.
This is labeled as Vanished #1, so I'm glad there will be more of Kalah in the future. I just hope she gets a more unique story as time goes on. She deserves it.
April 22, 2015
I JUST GOT DONE READING THE BOOK CALLED VANISHED BY E.E. COOPER THIS WAS A EASY BOOK FOR ME TO READ.IN FACT I FELT LIKE I WAS IN THE EPISODE OF THE BOOK.ONCE THE STORY TOOK OFF I COULDN'T PUT THE BOOK DOWN.I GOT MY BOOK THANKS TO GOODREADS FRIST READ AND BY THE AUTHOR E.E. COOPER I WOULD HAVE TO GIVE THIS A 5 STAR RATING.
January 24, 2015
Not gripping me
May 11, 2015
You can check out my review here: http://diariesofabooklover.blogspot.c...
March 22, 2015
All I can say is that both my daughters loved the book and have shared it with their friends! Great job E.E. Cooper. I won this great book on GoodReads.
May 11, 2015
I liked it until I got to that ending. What the hell!
January 9, 2016
Extremely well constructed, and I am terrified for the next book- and of what Kalah might do, as in the end she started to become a bit sinister.
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