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The Vanishing of Leah Lockwood
When Leah Lockwood dies during a viral challenge on TRENDVERSE—the most addictive social media platform on the planet—her girlfriend Maya is left with nothing but questions. The video was brutal. The dare was dangerous. But Leah wasn’t reckless. Not really.
Now Maya’s determined to find out who’s behind the stunt that went too far. Everyone’s grieving. Everyone’s posting tributes. But someone in their circle is lying. Because Leah wasn’t the first. And she won’t be the last.
Now Maya’s determined to find out who’s behind the stunt that went too far. Everyone’s grieving. Everyone’s posting tributes. But someone in their circle is lying. Because Leah wasn’t the first. And she won’t be the last.
292 pages, Hardcover
Published March 10, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
March 13, 2026
I received The Vanishing of Leah Lockwood as an ARC from Hamley Books.
In this story we follow Leah, a 17-year-old girl who is struggling with typical teenage problems. Her parents are going through a divorce, which means she suddenly has to navigate life between two households. Leah feels unseen, unappreciated, and like she doesn’t really belong anywhere.
Because she feels so lost and down, she downloads an app called Trendverse, where users complete challenges to gain views and recognition. Leah is desperate to be seen, so she starts pushing herself further and further, trying to stand out and gain attention online.
From that point on, something major happens that brings out the mysterious side of the story.
The beginning of the book felt a bit slow to me, but I understand why the author chose this pace because it helps you get to know the characters and their situations. Once the second half of the book begins, the mystery really starts to unfold, and that was my favorite part of the story. I found myself constantly trying to figure out what had really happened and how everything connected.
What stood out to me is how current and realistic the topic of the book feels. With so many social media platforms today, the idea of people doing extreme challenges for attention isn’t unrealistic at all. The author portrays this modern issue very well.
That being said, there were moments where the story felt a bit confusing to me. At times it seemed like there were some small plot holes, which made the reading experience slightly less smooth.
However, I did appreciate the message behind the story and the author’s writing style.
⭐ 3/5 stars
In this story we follow Leah, a 17-year-old girl who is struggling with typical teenage problems. Her parents are going through a divorce, which means she suddenly has to navigate life between two households. Leah feels unseen, unappreciated, and like she doesn’t really belong anywhere.
Because she feels so lost and down, she downloads an app called Trendverse, where users complete challenges to gain views and recognition. Leah is desperate to be seen, so she starts pushing herself further and further, trying to stand out and gain attention online.
From that point on, something major happens that brings out the mysterious side of the story.
The beginning of the book felt a bit slow to me, but I understand why the author chose this pace because it helps you get to know the characters and their situations. Once the second half of the book begins, the mystery really starts to unfold, and that was my favorite part of the story. I found myself constantly trying to figure out what had really happened and how everything connected.
What stood out to me is how current and realistic the topic of the book feels. With so many social media platforms today, the idea of people doing extreme challenges for attention isn’t unrealistic at all. The author portrays this modern issue very well.
That being said, there were moments where the story felt a bit confusing to me. At times it seemed like there were some small plot holes, which made the reading experience slightly less smooth.
However, I did appreciate the message behind the story and the author’s writing style.
⭐ 3/5 stars
Did Not Finish
March 3, 2026Dnf 40%
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Wow!😮 What a story!!😨
This story went very different nearing the end than I would have expected but wow, this is a really good book!
This is story about the dangers of the internet but in a way that didn’t feel forced. It was mostly about grief. And it is described painfully beautiful. I felt a lot while reading. I think it’s good to know before you decide to read this book because it’s such a huge part of the story. It sometimes was a bit hard to read because it felt so real but that’s what made it so good at the same time.
It is so beautifully written in a way that is also very easy to read. It does has some repetition but I think this also fits the theme of this book and the way grief feels like very well. Actually the only thing I’d have to say I liked less about this book is the overuse of the sentence “Not really.” At first it hit hard but the more it was used it felt overdone and sometimes not necessary. But later into the book this wasn’t done as much anymore. Otherwise there was absolutely nothing of note to this book, it’s a really good and strong story that I would definitely recommend .
The point of view is from third person and sometimes just changes to another character for a little bit to see things more about how they experience things. The first time this happend I was confused but after that I understood it, it actually made a lot of sense the times this happend and I could catch on to it more quickly.
I really enjoyed the friend group and how there were more layers to these characters than you would think at first.
Alsooo, I really liked the way this story contained boys/men but was still sort of centered around women, in a casual way. I think the only reason I noticed is that so many stories, even with woman as the main character, still somehow end up being centered around men. So I really liked this even though I don’t think its very noticable, which made it feel right.
Overall, I think this is a great story with some good lessons and thoughts woven in. I give The Vanishing of Leah Lockwood ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (4,5/5 stars).
This story went very different nearing the end than I would have expected but wow, this is a really good book!
This is story about the dangers of the internet but in a way that didn’t feel forced. It was mostly about grief. And it is described painfully beautiful. I felt a lot while reading. I think it’s good to know before you decide to read this book because it’s such a huge part of the story. It sometimes was a bit hard to read because it felt so real but that’s what made it so good at the same time.
It is so beautifully written in a way that is also very easy to read. It does has some repetition but I think this also fits the theme of this book and the way grief feels like very well. Actually the only thing I’d have to say I liked less about this book is the overuse of the sentence “Not really.” At first it hit hard but the more it was used it felt overdone and sometimes not necessary. But later into the book this wasn’t done as much anymore. Otherwise there was absolutely nothing of note to this book, it’s a really good and strong story that I would definitely recommend .
The point of view is from third person and sometimes just changes to another character for a little bit to see things more about how they experience things. The first time this happend I was confused but after that I understood it, it actually made a lot of sense the times this happend and I could catch on to it more quickly.
I really enjoyed the friend group and how there were more layers to these characters than you would think at first.
Alsooo, I really liked the way this story contained boys/men but was still sort of centered around women, in a casual way. I think the only reason I noticed is that so many stories, even with woman as the main character, still somehow end up being centered around men. So I really liked this even though I don’t think its very noticable, which made it feel right.
Overall, I think this is a great story with some good lessons and thoughts woven in. I give The Vanishing of Leah Lockwood ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (4,5/5 stars).
March 12, 2026
Met dank aan Hamley Books mocht ik deze ARC vooruit lezen.
Vanaf de eerste pagina zat ik meteen in het verhaal. Het boek leest enorm vlot, waardoor je er echt doorheen vliegt. De spanning bouwt zich langzaam op en het mysterie rond Leah zorgt ervoor dat je wilt blijven lezen om te ontdekken wat er precies met haar gebeurd is. Daardoor is het moeilijk om het boek weg te leggen.
Leah Lockwood voelt zich in het echte leven onzichtbaar, waardoor haar behoefte om online gezien te worden alleen maar groter wordt. In de hoop viraal te gaan, gaat ze steeds gevaarlijkere challenges aan. Wanneer Leah overlijdt tijdens zo’n virale challenge, blijft haar vriendin Maya achter met niets dan vragen.
Maya is vastbesloten om te achterhalen wat er echt gebeurd is. Iedereen rouwt en plaatst condoleances, maar iemand in hun omgeving liegt. Leah was niet de eerste. En ze zal ook niet de laatste zijn.
De vriendengroep vond ik interessant. Naarmate het verhaal vordert, merk je dat de personages complexer zijn dan je in eerste instantie denkt. Het is mooi om te zien hoe ze stukje bij beetje dichter bij de waarheid komen. Tegen het einde neemt het verhaal een verrassende wending die ik niet had verwacht, wat het boek voor mij nog sterker maakte.
De verdwijning van Leah Lockwood is een spannende YA over de gevaren van sociale media en de drang om online gezien te worden. Het behandelt zware thema’s en zeer actuele onderwerpen. Rouw en verlies staan centraal, maar er is ook ruimte voor groei. Sociale media zijn een groot onderdeel van ons dagelijks leven geworden, maar brengen ook risico’s met zich mee, vooral voor jongeren die er veel tijd doorbrengen. Juist daarom vind ik het belangrijk dat dit soort verhalen verteld worden.
Een sterk, meeslepend en actueel verhaal dat ik zeker zou aanraden.
Vanaf de eerste pagina zat ik meteen in het verhaal. Het boek leest enorm vlot, waardoor je er echt doorheen vliegt. De spanning bouwt zich langzaam op en het mysterie rond Leah zorgt ervoor dat je wilt blijven lezen om te ontdekken wat er precies met haar gebeurd is. Daardoor is het moeilijk om het boek weg te leggen.
Leah Lockwood voelt zich in het echte leven onzichtbaar, waardoor haar behoefte om online gezien te worden alleen maar groter wordt. In de hoop viraal te gaan, gaat ze steeds gevaarlijkere challenges aan. Wanneer Leah overlijdt tijdens zo’n virale challenge, blijft haar vriendin Maya achter met niets dan vragen.
Maya is vastbesloten om te achterhalen wat er echt gebeurd is. Iedereen rouwt en plaatst condoleances, maar iemand in hun omgeving liegt. Leah was niet de eerste. En ze zal ook niet de laatste zijn.
De vriendengroep vond ik interessant. Naarmate het verhaal vordert, merk je dat de personages complexer zijn dan je in eerste instantie denkt. Het is mooi om te zien hoe ze stukje bij beetje dichter bij de waarheid komen. Tegen het einde neemt het verhaal een verrassende wending die ik niet had verwacht, wat het boek voor mij nog sterker maakte.
De verdwijning van Leah Lockwood is een spannende YA over de gevaren van sociale media en de drang om online gezien te worden. Het behandelt zware thema’s en zeer actuele onderwerpen. Rouw en verlies staan centraal, maar er is ook ruimte voor groei. Sociale media zijn een groot onderdeel van ons dagelijks leven geworden, maar brengen ook risico’s met zich mee, vooral voor jongeren die er veel tijd doorbrengen. Juist daarom vind ik het belangrijk dat dit soort verhalen verteld worden.
Een sterk, meeslepend en actueel verhaal dat ik zeker zou aanraden.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
The Vanishing of Leah Lockwood is a hyper relevant, scary and real story where we follow Leah, a young girl who dies during a viral challenge on the social media platform TRENDVERSE. Her girlfriend Maya is determined to make someone pay for Leah's death and she'll do whatever it takes to find the person who started this dangerous trend.
This story has a way of immediately grabbing your attention because it's shocking close to the reality we currently live in. People want to be seen and liked and in order to do, they have to go viral. One of the best ways to do so is to challenge yourself and even go as far as performing dangerous stunts. What I really liked in this book is that the author created a thriller-feeling by really making someone responsible for Leah's death. It's not just the app, but there's an actual organisation behind it which makes it more scary. While as a reader you're not really expected to dig into the truth yourself, it's really interesting to see Maya and her friends figure out the truth bit by bit.
There were even some plottwists I didn't see coming so that definitely kept the story interesting to me as well. But what stood out most to me in this book is its thematic. On the one side it's a story about the dangers of today's pressure and social media, but on the other side, it's a story rooted in grief and loss. There's plenty of room for the different people in Leah's life to deal with her passing, but there is also room for growth and I really enjoyed that.
This story has a way of immediately grabbing your attention because it's shocking close to the reality we currently live in. People want to be seen and liked and in order to do, they have to go viral. One of the best ways to do so is to challenge yourself and even go as far as performing dangerous stunts. What I really liked in this book is that the author created a thriller-feeling by really making someone responsible for Leah's death. It's not just the app, but there's an actual organisation behind it which makes it more scary. While as a reader you're not really expected to dig into the truth yourself, it's really interesting to see Maya and her friends figure out the truth bit by bit.
There were even some plottwists I didn't see coming so that definitely kept the story interesting to me as well. But what stood out most to me in this book is its thematic. On the one side it's a story about the dangers of today's pressure and social media, but on the other side, it's a story rooted in grief and loss. There's plenty of room for the different people in Leah's life to deal with her passing, but there is also room for growth and I really enjoyed that.
March 10, 2026
Van Hamley books ontving ik deze ARC.
Ik ben van mening dat dit een boek is die wij met jongeren moeten delen.
In dit boek staat trendverse centraal, een app waarbij hoe extremer je filmpjes, hoe meer jij gepusht wordt ik het algoritme. Dit zorgt voor meer aandacht van mensen.
Leah is een meisje die graag gezien wil worden en dus gevoelig is voor deze app en de challenges die rondgaan. Het moet steeds een beetje extremer, want dan hoor je erbij. Tot het fout gaat….
Dit heeft ontzettend veel invloed op haar vriendengroep & in dit boek lees je hoe de groep op ontdekking gaat naar antwoorden. Wie is de bedenker van deze challenge en hoe kan deze waanzin gestopt worden.
Dit is een boek over vriendschap, liefde maar bovenal de bewustwording van wat voor plek het internet nou eigenlijk is.
Het boek is in de derde persoon geschreven waardoor je echt ervaart wat meerdere personages ervaren. Dit werkt goed voor dit boek.
Nogmaals mega bedankt voor deze ARC Hanley Books! Ik heb genoten
Ik ben van mening dat dit een boek is die wij met jongeren moeten delen.
In dit boek staat trendverse centraal, een app waarbij hoe extremer je filmpjes, hoe meer jij gepusht wordt ik het algoritme. Dit zorgt voor meer aandacht van mensen.
Leah is een meisje die graag gezien wil worden en dus gevoelig is voor deze app en de challenges die rondgaan. Het moet steeds een beetje extremer, want dan hoor je erbij. Tot het fout gaat….
Dit heeft ontzettend veel invloed op haar vriendengroep & in dit boek lees je hoe de groep op ontdekking gaat naar antwoorden. Wie is de bedenker van deze challenge en hoe kan deze waanzin gestopt worden.
Dit is een boek over vriendschap, liefde maar bovenal de bewustwording van wat voor plek het internet nou eigenlijk is.
Het boek is in de derde persoon geschreven waardoor je echt ervaart wat meerdere personages ervaren. Dit werkt goed voor dit boek.
Nogmaals mega bedankt voor deze ARC Hanley Books! Ik heb genoten
Review of advance copy received from Author
From the very first chapter, I was completely drawn into the story. What immediately stood out to me and made me excited was the way social media is physically visible in the book. The emojis, hashtags and the presence of the phone are not just added details, but feel like an essential part of the story. It reads as if you are scrolling through a feed yourself, which makes the book feel very realistic.
You can feel the tension and curiosity from the very first pages, making you want to keep reading and find out what happens next. The way suspense is built around the messages and their meaning worked incredibly well for me.
What I found especially strong is that the story never feels distant. Because the phone is literally present in the book, everything feels close and intense. The first chapter immediately grabbed my attention and made it clear that this is a story that won’t easily let you go.
You can feel the tension and curiosity from the very first pages, making you want to keep reading and find out what happens next. The way suspense is built around the messages and their meaning worked incredibly well for me.
What I found especially strong is that the story never feels distant. Because the phone is literally present in the book, everything feels close and intense. The first chapter immediately grabbed my attention and made it clear that this is a story that won’t easily let you go.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
If Black Mirror and A Good Girls Guide to Murder had a baby it would be this book!
Storyline: I mostly read romance and romantasy, so this book was a little out of my comfort zone. Yet, I enjoyed every page of it. We follow Maya who tries to find out what exactly happened to her girlfriend, Leah. This is where the A Good Girls Guide To Murder resemblance comes in. Why it's like Black Mirror I cannot tell or else I will spoil a part of the story. Not only do we follow Maya, but we follow Leah's entire friend group. It isn't promoted as such but for me this book also had a found family trope, which I love. The story keeps you on your toes and it's difficult to predict what exactly happened, so it stays a mystery until the end. The ending was not what I had expected it to be, but that made it so much better.
Characters: The characters are not perfect at all, which I love. When characters are imperfect it makes the story much more believable and it adds a lot of depth not only to the story but also to the dynamic between the characters. Each person has their flaws and strengths.
Writing style: This is the second book I read by Stefanie Sybens and she always adds an element that I love, which is a different way of telling the story. Instead of just penning down line after line, she conveys the story by adding text messages/ news articles/ mails/... This adds variation and freshness to the story. Besides that, her writing style reads very smoothly. You will truly fly through the book.
CONCLUSION: I really loved how fast I was able to read this book and how variated the writing style was. The imperfection of the characters added a lot of depth to the story. The ending still had an unexpected twist. Even for someone who doesn't normally read mystery this book was still very enjoyable. I would definitely recommend!
I received this book as an ARC from Hamley Books and am so grateful for it.
Storyline: I mostly read romance and romantasy, so this book was a little out of my comfort zone. Yet, I enjoyed every page of it. We follow Maya who tries to find out what exactly happened to her girlfriend, Leah. This is where the A Good Girls Guide To Murder resemblance comes in. Why it's like Black Mirror I cannot tell or else I will spoil a part of the story. Not only do we follow Maya, but we follow Leah's entire friend group. It isn't promoted as such but for me this book also had a found family trope, which I love. The story keeps you on your toes and it's difficult to predict what exactly happened, so it stays a mystery until the end. The ending was not what I had expected it to be, but that made it so much better.
Characters: The characters are not perfect at all, which I love. When characters are imperfect it makes the story much more believable and it adds a lot of depth not only to the story but also to the dynamic between the characters. Each person has their flaws and strengths.
Writing style: This is the second book I read by Stefanie Sybens and she always adds an element that I love, which is a different way of telling the story. Instead of just penning down line after line, she conveys the story by adding text messages/ news articles/ mails/... This adds variation and freshness to the story. Besides that, her writing style reads very smoothly. You will truly fly through the book.
CONCLUSION: I really loved how fast I was able to read this book and how variated the writing style was. The imperfection of the characters added a lot of depth to the story. The ending still had an unexpected twist. Even for someone who doesn't normally read mystery this book was still very enjoyable. I would definitely recommend!
I received this book as an ARC from Hamley Books and am so grateful for it.
March 10, 2026
Ik kreeg van Hamley Books de kans om een ARC te lezen van De verdwijning van Leah Lockwood van Stefanie Sybens, waarvoor heel erg bedankt!
Vanaf de eerste pagina zat ik meteen in het verhaal. Het boek leest enorm vlot, waardoor je er echt doorheen vliegt. Wat mij al snel opviel, was hoe sociale media een fysieke plaats kregen in het verhaal. Door het gebruik van hashtags en emoticons voelt het echt alsof je zelf door een feed aan het scrollen bent, wat het verhaal heel herkenbaar en eigentijds maakt.
Doorheen het boek voel je de spanning steeds verder opbouwen. Het mysterie rond Leah zorgt ervoor dat je voortdurend wilt blijven lezen om te ontdekken wat er precies met haar gebeurd is. Die opbouw maakt het moeilijk om het boek weg te leggen.
Ik zou dit boek zeker aanraden aan mensen die houden van mysteries en spanning in een verhaal.
Nogmaals bedankt aan Hamley Books voor het ARC-exemplaar en aan Stefanie Sybens voor het schrijven van dit boek!
Vanaf de eerste pagina zat ik meteen in het verhaal. Het boek leest enorm vlot, waardoor je er echt doorheen vliegt. Wat mij al snel opviel, was hoe sociale media een fysieke plaats kregen in het verhaal. Door het gebruik van hashtags en emoticons voelt het echt alsof je zelf door een feed aan het scrollen bent, wat het verhaal heel herkenbaar en eigentijds maakt.
Doorheen het boek voel je de spanning steeds verder opbouwen. Het mysterie rond Leah zorgt ervoor dat je voortdurend wilt blijven lezen om te ontdekken wat er precies met haar gebeurd is. Die opbouw maakt het moeilijk om het boek weg te leggen.
Ik zou dit boek zeker aanraden aan mensen die houden van mysteries en spanning in een verhaal.
Nogmaals bedankt aan Hamley Books voor het ARC-exemplaar en aan Stefanie Sybens voor het schrijven van dit boek!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Thank you @hamleys for the e-arc.
This was a fast paced YA story that focuses on the dangers of social media and viral content.
Leah Lockwood's feeling unseen in real life drives her addictive want to feel seen online. The need to go viral has her doing all kinds of dangerous online challenges on this app called TRENDVERSE
When Leah Lockwood dies during a viral challenge on TRENDVERSE—the most addictive social media platform on the planet—her girlfriend Maya is left with nothing but questions. The video was brutal. The dare was dangerous. But Leah wasn’t reckless. Not really.
Now Maya’s determined to find out who’s behind the stunt that went too far. Everyone’s grieving. Everyone’s posting tributes. But someone in their circle is lying. Because Leah wasn’t the first. And she won’t be the last.
This topic is a pretty heavy topic as it is a very real one in today's world. Social media has grown to be a huge part of everyday life but there are many dangers in it, especially for children and young people.
This book shows this issue and adds in suspense by showing what happens when you're not careful and take it too far.
This was a fast paced YA story that focuses on the dangers of social media and viral content.
Leah Lockwood's feeling unseen in real life drives her addictive want to feel seen online. The need to go viral has her doing all kinds of dangerous online challenges on this app called TRENDVERSE
When Leah Lockwood dies during a viral challenge on TRENDVERSE—the most addictive social media platform on the planet—her girlfriend Maya is left with nothing but questions. The video was brutal. The dare was dangerous. But Leah wasn’t reckless. Not really.
Now Maya’s determined to find out who’s behind the stunt that went too far. Everyone’s grieving. Everyone’s posting tributes. But someone in their circle is lying. Because Leah wasn’t the first. And she won’t be the last.
This topic is a pretty heavy topic as it is a very real one in today's world. Social media has grown to be a huge part of everyday life but there are many dangers in it, especially for children and young people.
This book shows this issue and adds in suspense by showing what happens when you're not careful and take it too far.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
⭐️⭐️
Soms lees je een boek dat gewoon niet helemaal voor jou werkt. Helaas was dat voor mij het geval bij The Vanishing of Leah Lockwood.
Het concept van het verhaal klonk interessant, maar tijdens het lezen voelde het voor mij vaak wat vaag en verwarrend. Het verhaal wist me daardoor niet echt te grijpen en ik had regelmatig moeite om volledig in het verhaal te komen.
Wat ik vooral lastig vond, was de manier waarop er tussen personages werd gewisseld. In gesprekken sprong het perspectief soms ineens naar een ander personage binnen hetzelfde hoofdstuk. Dat gebeurde vrij vaak en zorgde ervoor dat het verhaal voor mij minder vloeiend las.
Ook bepaalde reacties van personages voelden voor mij niet helemaal geloofwaardig. Zonder te veel te spoilen: een van de relaties in het verhaal veranderde erg snel na een ingrijpende gebeurtenis, wat voor mij wat vreemd aanvoelde.
Wat ik wél leuk vond, was de dynamiek binnen de vriendengroep. Ze stonden duidelijk voor elkaar klaar en dat gaf het verhaal momenten die wel werkten.
Omdat dit een ARC was, wilde ik het boek een eerlijke kans geven en heb ik het volledig uitgelezen. Helaas bleek het uiteindelijk gewoon niet mijn boek te zijn
Soms lees je een boek dat gewoon niet helemaal voor jou werkt. Helaas was dat voor mij het geval bij The Vanishing of Leah Lockwood.
Het concept van het verhaal klonk interessant, maar tijdens het lezen voelde het voor mij vaak wat vaag en verwarrend. Het verhaal wist me daardoor niet echt te grijpen en ik had regelmatig moeite om volledig in het verhaal te komen.
Wat ik vooral lastig vond, was de manier waarop er tussen personages werd gewisseld. In gesprekken sprong het perspectief soms ineens naar een ander personage binnen hetzelfde hoofdstuk. Dat gebeurde vrij vaak en zorgde ervoor dat het verhaal voor mij minder vloeiend las.
Ook bepaalde reacties van personages voelden voor mij niet helemaal geloofwaardig. Zonder te veel te spoilen: een van de relaties in het verhaal veranderde erg snel na een ingrijpende gebeurtenis, wat voor mij wat vreemd aanvoelde.
Wat ik wél leuk vond, was de dynamiek binnen de vriendengroep. Ze stonden duidelijk voor elkaar klaar en dat gaf het verhaal momenten die wel werkten.
Omdat dit een ARC was, wilde ik het boek een eerlijke kans geven en heb ik het volledig uitgelezen. Helaas bleek het uiteindelijk gewoon niet mijn boek te zijn
April 11, 2026
📖 ✨ The Vanishing Of Leah Lockwood is het eerste boek van dit jaar waarbij ik écht geboeid bleef en gewoon niet kon stoppen met lezen.
Hoe ver zou jij gaan voor een internettrend? 🤯 Dat is precies de vraag die door dit verhaal blijft spoken. Het boek is spannend, vlot geschreven en perfect in tempo — nergens te traag, maar ook niet overdreven gehaast.
Een echte aanrader voor wie houdt van een fast-paced, YA thriller die je tot het einde nieuwsgierig houdt. 👀
Hoe ver zou jij gaan voor een internettrend? 🤯 Dat is precies de vraag die door dit verhaal blijft spoken. Het boek is spannend, vlot geschreven en perfect in tempo — nergens te traag, maar ook niet overdreven gehaast.
Een echte aanrader voor wie houdt van een fast-paced, YA thriller die je tot het einde nieuwsgierig houdt. 👀
Review of advance copy received from Author
I received an ARC of The Vanishing of Leah Lockwood in exchange for an honest review. The characters felt well-developed, and I especially enjoyed how their relationships and pasts played into the larger mystery. The writing is smooth and immersive, making it easy to get lost in the story. Fans of mystery and suspense will definitely want to check this one out.
Review of advance copy received from Author
The Vanishing of Leah Lockwood heeft me echt verrast. Vanaf de eerste pagina zat ik helemaal in het verhaal. De spanning bouwt langzaam maar intens op, en ik bleef maar doorlezen omdat ik móést weten wat er met Leah gebeurd was. Absoluut een aanrader voor wie houdt van sterke mysteries met emotionele diepgang.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Thank you, Hamley Books and Stefanie Sybans, for letting me review an e-arc of The Vanishing of Leah Lockwood
A thrilling and confronting story about the hidden dangers of addictive viral content. From the very first page, you feel the sensation of Leah Lockwood's drive to feel seen, to be real. Written from her perspective, you understand to a certain extent her motivation to do these crazy daredevillish challenges. This makes you instantly connect with Leah, who turns out to be a victim of the story. We progress further with her best (girl)friend Maya. A totally different character; while portrayed as shy, she's actually very brave in pursuing the secret organization behind TRENDVERSE. Their friendgroup are all very distinct and immediately feels like a family. Each of them experiences grief differently, but they're all loyal to the core, even when Sophia comes onto the scene. I wish there were more little scenes within the friendgroup, so that we can get a better feel about their inner frienddynamic, but it was sufficient enough to give the characters some depth.
The writing is easy to follow, and the pacing is perfect for the scenes. Sometimes, there are chapters of this anonymous user, talking about Leah's last challenge, giving you the creeps as if you're being stalked. I loved that we didn't stay in some random town, but followed the group along their travels. This really complements the feeling of being in motion. Alltogether the story is as addictive and suspenseful as the TRENDVERSE app that set all of this in motion.
The underlying themes of grief, self-exploration, social media addiction, and social pressure felt confrontingly real. These are some heavy topics, but fortunately, there were some light-hearted moments to uplift the mood. Did Maya find justice for Leah and all the other victims of TRENDVERSE? Maybe. The ending was a form of closure and openness.
A thrilling and confronting story about the hidden dangers of addictive viral content. From the very first page, you feel the sensation of Leah Lockwood's drive to feel seen, to be real. Written from her perspective, you understand to a certain extent her motivation to do these crazy daredevillish challenges. This makes you instantly connect with Leah, who turns out to be a victim of the story. We progress further with her best (girl)friend Maya. A totally different character; while portrayed as shy, she's actually very brave in pursuing the secret organization behind TRENDVERSE. Their friendgroup are all very distinct and immediately feels like a family. Each of them experiences grief differently, but they're all loyal to the core, even when Sophia comes onto the scene. I wish there were more little scenes within the friendgroup, so that we can get a better feel about their inner frienddynamic, but it was sufficient enough to give the characters some depth.
The writing is easy to follow, and the pacing is perfect for the scenes. Sometimes, there are chapters of this anonymous user, talking about Leah's last challenge, giving you the creeps as if you're being stalked. I loved that we didn't stay in some random town, but followed the group along their travels. This really complements the feeling of being in motion. Alltogether the story is as addictive and suspenseful as the TRENDVERSE app that set all of this in motion.
The underlying themes of grief, self-exploration, social media addiction, and social pressure felt confrontingly real. These are some heavy topics, but fortunately, there were some light-hearted moments to uplift the mood. Did Maya find justice for Leah and all the other victims of TRENDVERSE? Maybe. The ending was a form of closure and openness.
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