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Roswell High #7

The Vanished

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Gone for good?
Max is on a mission to save Alex, who is stranded on the home planet. Alex may be lost or wounded -- or worse. To get Alex back, Max knows he'll need one of the Stones of Midnight. If only he knew where to find one...
Liz understands that Max can't rest until he finds Alex. And she's been busy herself -- spending time with Roswell newcomer Adam. She's been having so much fun with Adam that Max is in danger...of being forgotten.

167 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published May 1, 2000

23 people are currently reading
833 people want to read

About the author

Melinda Metz

118 books629 followers
Melinda Metz grew up in San Jose, California. People sometimes ask if she knows the way there. She kinda does, but she has an off-kilter sense of direction, so to be confident of arriving, it's better to consult some kind of navigational device.

Her mother tried to teach her to read in kindergarten, but Melinda had no interest. She also had no interest in learning to write her name. (FYI, when Melinda was in kindergarten it was all about finger-painting, play time, and naps.) Eventually, she mastered both and even majored in English at San Jose State University.

After college, Melinda moved to Manhattan to seek her fortune, which involved learning to identify fruits and vegetables while working at a grocery store,
making $2.73 working backstage for an off-off Broadway play (her part of the box-office profits), and editing books.

Melinda and the lovely and talented Laura J. Burns pretty much became unofficial writing partners when they were editors at the same company. They teamed up to brainstorm story ideas, and at some point their brains fused in some key places. Later they worked on the Roswell High book series, Laura developing and editing the series, Melinda writing.

That series led to Melinda and Laura, now an official writing team, writing two TV pilots, moving to L.A. to work on the Roswell TV show, and briefly living in Toronto while on the writing staff of 1-800-Missing. They both continue to write books, together and separately.

Laura and Melinda's new book, Sanctuary Bay, a YA thriller, is coming out in January 2016. It's set at an ultra-exclusive private school on an island. Once a student is accepted to the school, they must stay until graduation. No visits home, no contact with the outside world at all. Find out why in January!

The first four books in Melinda's new middle-grade mystery series,S.M.A.R.T.S., are out now. The books involve a group of kids in a makerspace club and they all have lots of science info. For all the cool geeks out there!

Melinda lives in Concord, NC with her dog, Scully (yes, she loves the woo-woo so much she named her dog after a kickass X-Files character). She has never regretted learning to read and write her name.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
Profile Image for Craig.
6,373 reviews179 followers
January 19, 2024
The Vanished is the seventh book in the Roswell High series of ten books, upon which the television series was based (a quarter of a century ago!) The television iteration didn't stick as closely to the plotline after the first book, so it can be seen as an interesting alternate history story. The books were targeted for adolescent girls, and the main focus is on the angst of teen romance, but the science-fiction twist adds a bit of a fun twist. This focuses more on two characters who weren't tv cast members, Adam and Cameron. Alex is marooned off-planet, and we learn something surprising about his family. Max is working on a rescue, but Liz is spending that time with Adam... the never-ending Liz (who's Ortecho in the books, not Parker)-Max drama continues, Michael's obsession with Cameron escalates, and they all seem to hold hands a lot, and, oh yeah, there's interplanetary stuff going on, too. It ends on another cliffhanger... When the television series became popular Pocket reprinted the earlier books with photographs of the cast on the covers, so the characters didn't look much like they were described, but I believe the first printing of this one came out with the actors' photographs.
Profile Image for Kelly.
291 reviews1 follower
April 25, 2020
So much fun. Starting to worry book 10 ends on a cliffhanger...
Profile Image for Meredith .
252 reviews154 followers
August 28, 2013
*This review is a guest review I did for the blog Mel Erin & Regina Read-A-Lot. To read the original review, check it out here*

As a fan of the Roswell television series, I was a little reluctant to read the books, especially when I found out the books actually preceded the television show. I had fallen in love the with actors who played the characters, and so many things get changed in the process of creating a show or movie based on a book.

I was pleasantly surprised by Vanished. There are a lot of differences in the character descriptions, and several differences in the powers each character has. But the similarities were heart-warming. Isabel is just as snarky. Liz is just as logical. Michael seems a little nicer in the books, although I’ve only read the one, so who knows? I absolutely love that Maria is just as New Age-y and scatterbrained in the books. I don’t think I could have pictured her any other way. I’m still torn with Max. He doesn’t feel like he’s as strong a leader in the books as he is in the show, but maybe I just need to keep reading to see.

We learn a lot about the collective consciousness in this book. I loved this. In the television show, Max, Michael and Isabel have virtually no contact with their home planet, and I found this to be a really awesome thing that the books did, but that was not included in the show.

I adore Alex and Isabel. So much. I wish more could have come from their relationship in the show, and I was giddy when I read that they had a relationship in the book. But then I read what happened to Alex, and I was really upset. This was probably one of my least favorite parts of the book. Poor Alex just can’t catch a break!

One of the coolest powers mentioned is Michael’s ability to sense and smell auras. I was a little confused as to whether or not Max and Isabel could do this, as well. I understand why it wasn’t included in the television show – it would have been impossible to depict it visually. That, or really annoying. I also thought it was interesting that Liz and Maria could add their auras/energies to the aliens to strengthen them. That, if I remember correctly, wasn’t in the books and while I don’t understand how it works, it was very awesome to read and visualize.

Now for the bad... Well, not bad, really. These are just the things that I didn’t enjoy about this book. I didn’t like Adam. He felt like a useless character. Maybe there’s more to him Maybe I need to keep reading and I’ll end up liking him. I hated the differences between Sheriff Valenti and Kyle in the television show versus the books. It made me so sad! Also, this book in general just kind of felt like filler. I don’t feel like a lot was accomplished; mostly, it just moved the storyline forward.

The last chapter was... Whoa! While the book as a whole felt like filler, the last chapter had an epic cliffhanger. I have so many questions, and I’m so glad I can read book 8 (The Rebel) next to see what happens!


You can also find more from me on my blog: Pandora's Books
Profile Image for Katie Jauncey.
23 reviews1 follower
January 11, 2012
These books are rated more for teens, and I read the Roswell series when I was about 15 ..... but I still really love reading them now. They're written in an easily worded way so that if you want something quick and easy to read, they're perfect ..... I love the whole series :)
Profile Image for Kailey (Luminous Libro).
3,584 reviews548 followers
September 5, 2023
Max is distracted and distant, worried about Alex who is stranded on an alien planet. Liz feels the distance growing between herself and Max. She tries to keep a friendly demeanor with Adam, knowing that he has a crush on her. But Adam feels himself increasingly drawn to her, and they are often together. The group of friends are all searching for a way to bring Alex home, but there are enemies hidden in plain sight.

I loved the Roswell TV show when I was a teenager, and it was so fun to rediscover this story through the books! I don't think I would have enjoyed the books now as an adult if I didn't already have the nostalgia of the TV show.

I like that the books are different than the TV show and have different plot lines. It keeps it interesting for me, and it's fun to see how the books differ from the show. The character's personalities are a little different too. Michael is way more funny and less brooding. Isabel is more haughty and proud. Alex is more confident. Max is way less calm than in the TV show. It's weird to see these different sides to their personalities.

The writing is really dorky and has all the high school tropes that you would expect from a 90s teen novel. But I don't care! I love it anyway! Most people would probably roll their eyes at the teen angst, but it just makes me laugh because I already adore the characters.

I can't wait to read more from this series!
Profile Image for Khione .
156 reviews38 followers
August 17, 2021
Another quick and easy read but not memorable book. The book had some nice upsides to it but this isn't going to be my best review.
It was nice that Michael got to be independent thanks to Ray. I liked how despite the ridiculous love triangles that there was some great humour between Michael, Isobel and Maria. I was smiling while they play fought with the marshmallows. I enjoyed the build up with Kyle Valenti being the villian and them trying to rescue Alex and find their ship. It seems like he's really in trouble. I also enjoyed the connection of Mr. Manes trying to get his son back and learning their secret. Love the cliffhanger as usual.

Now for the downsides.
The book focuses on too much love triangles. Where's the epic Michael and Maria relationship? Why are their only small moments where i can truly enjoy Liz and Max's relationship but the rest is just a bore. I don't like how the most enjoyable parts are so close to the end of the book and not in the middle of the book.

Sadly I wish I could say I loved this book but like I've said in my other reviews that I'm probably not the demographic for the book.
But because it's Roswell, I shall continue this journey of Alien lore because I love these characters in the tv series and two I must know how it ends. Lol.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Lucie ⋆ ☾.
486 reviews2 followers
February 22, 2025
3/ 5 stars

Catching one last train before heading home so continuing my day of binge reading alien stories and back at Roswell High

I hope Michael chills with the love interest because we have three rn. I want him to pick Mariaaaaaaaa

Also Maria I love her so much I can picture the actress so much during the scenes !! She is just a drama Queen I am OBSESSED

Adam is not a freak it was Dupris controlling his body ( Dupris is an alien)

That scene of Isabelle sending a message to Alex in space with a rocket because he is lost and they don’t know where he was uuuuuuh cringe cringe cringe

Maria and Michael are cutie pies MICHAEL PICK ONE GIRL SERIOUSLY

Maybe Alex’s dad was part of the experiment with Valenti at the compound ?

That little camping trip in the desert trying to watch over the ship to get back Alex is adorable

I feel like in the books Michael enjoys more the company of the others rather than in the series

They got the solution pretty quickly on how to get back Alex and I didn’t really understand how

This is all just one chapter separated into books 😂 it takes like one hour to read each book
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Jonathan Currinn (Good Star Vibes).
248 reviews11 followers
March 22, 2020
It has been a long time since I last read a Roswell novel, but I'm close to finishing the whole series and that is exciting. The crazy shocking ending of the last book made me want to pick this one up immediately, but I have so many books that I kind of forgot about this one - regardless, I got around to reading it and easily remembered what happened in the last book.

This one started off with the ramifications of the last book, with the intention to save Alex, but it's not simple to do so. They realise they need one of the Stones of Midnight and they end up going to look for DuPris and hopefully save Alex in the process.

This book just felt like they were wrapping the loose endings from the last book in the series. It was a progressive book that will surely lead to better novels in the series. The ending gripped me completely - once again, and now I'm dying to read the next book, as always with this Roswell series.
Profile Image for Steven Betge.
66 reviews2 followers
August 27, 2025
I never intended to own this series. I got the 1st and 2nd books from the free library. When I asked for the 3rd and 4th, they told me none of the libraries in the country that they partnered with had them. None. Over the last 27 years, they had all been removed from collections or lost and never reordered.

So, I turned to eBay and was able to purchase 7 of the books from one seller. I intended to read them, then resell them. Books take up valuable space.

After finishing the 7th book, I'm so emotionally invested. I can't resell these. In part, because I don't know another series that has given me this experience. Granted, it really was the TV show that made me love these characters, but the books have been such a compliment to their personalities, teen melodrama, and struggle to be safe.

As for book #7, it appears that for the first time in the series, Metz is cementing who the super villain of the story will be. Am I right? Onward to books 8-10 !!!!
Profile Image for Isabella ⸙.
258 reviews17 followers
October 2, 2022
I thought a book without Alex would be a slog to get through, but I was very wrong! I did miss Alex, of course, but his absence didn't impede my enjoyment at all, in fact, I think they made it work. (I can't say the same for Cameron, though. She annoys me and I didn't miss her at all.)

The one thing this series knows how to do is cliffhangers, and this one was particularly good. I held my breath for that last 10% or so. The pacing was also good, the reveals were interesting and the stakes were high so I flew through The Vanished pretty quickly.

I've ended up really liking Max and Liz's relationship. I actually find theirs the sweetest and most believable and I feel sorry for Max having to deal with the collective consciousness breathing down his neck. Otherwise, the lack of relationship drama was refreshing. Adam is cute when he's not pining for Liz and seeing Kyle go off the deep end was kind of funny.

Looking forward to the last stretch!

Profile Image for Katelyn Jones.
226 reviews2 followers
September 23, 2025
3.5 ⭐

**Spoilers below**

I love these books- they're my guilty pleasure lol. They're short, the writing is easy to follow, and the character development is top notch. How Melinda manages to fit so much into a book that's less than 200 pages is baffling to me. Being a fan of the OG show, these books play out like an episode to me, and it's really fun to follow along, especially since they're wildly different from the TV show.

I can't wait to find out if they can help Alex or not... I am hoping for a POV of his experience while he's being held hostage on another planet, or at the very least, have Max be able to communicate with him via the consciousness. I'm also hoping Michael wakes the hell up from his Cameron obsession, however, I have a feeling the next book is going to iron that out. I am so sad I'm almost done with the series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Jaime K.
Author 1 book44 followers
August 5, 2022
The back blurb for Liz made me roll my eyes. "Max is in danger...of being forgotten." As if that makes any sense at all, even with Adam's crazy crush.
I hate being in his head.

Who has a school assembly for a new sheriff?

Other than that though, it's good. The collective forces its way into Max's life and it's creepy. Max thinks he can get messages to Alex that way, but the collective Does Not Want Alex on their world. Mr. Manes is Project Clean Slate, and Kyle Valenti is positive Liz & friends know what happened to his dad.
Profile Image for Sammy.
99 reviews
February 15, 2021
Incredibly good follow on from the series so far with a climactic cliffhanger leaving you frustrated all the while gagging to know what happened next. This book had alot to follow on from the last and with a higher bar set for each one it leaves me wondering, fool that I am, how they could possibly top it. With this book they topped the last in story and won the award for the most annoying cliffhanger yet!
Profile Image for Adric Rangel.
845 reviews29 followers
March 4, 2018
Pensé que sería más emocionante que el anterior, pero no fue así. Aumenta la incógnita de cómo regresará Alex. Le tomé más cariño al personaje de Adam. Y he de admitir que me sorprendió leer sobre el padre de Alex al final. Seguiré leyendo a ver que pasa en el siguiente libro.
2 reviews
April 18, 2019
The Cave With The Ship.

Well written and character development is good and settings are believable and the pace is well done in the story. I really enjoyed the suspense and the drama development.p
Profile Image for 光彩.
684 reviews
March 20, 2022
I don't know whether to be grateful or indignant that we never actually get Alex's perspective on his time in hell. he doesn't have a body adaptable to the home planet's atmosphere, so how did he survive there, anyway? no one asks those kinds of questions here.
Profile Image for Charisma.
80 reviews2 followers
October 29, 2019
Damn cliffhangers...

Lots of interesting new developments and unexpected turns and twists. Do not really like that collective consciousness one little bit.
Profile Image for Kimberley Perkins.
40 reviews
April 8, 2022
After a disappointing previous book. This one is back on form. Fast paced and an enjoyable ride. Consise and flowing well.
Profile Image for OAZ.
835 reviews1 follower
October 26, 2024
Ok walk thru nostalgia land is over. This is bad!
Profile Image for Sal Niner.
19 reviews3 followers
August 20, 2012

Preliminary thoughts *SPOILERS*:

The Vanished is Alex Manes.

Biggest reveal of this story is that the Major, Mr. Manes (Alex's father), is part of Project Clean Slate and that he knows that his son Alex had been transported to another planet.

The group deals with the aftermath of Alex's absence.

Michael gets emancipated and inherits all of Ray's belongings.

Roswell gets a new sheriff, Kasey Dodson, after the death/disappearance of Sheriff Valenti; and she seems to know Maria's mother Mrs. DeLuca. Immediately, we wonder if history will repeat itself...will we have more of the same of Sheriff Valenti in Dodson?

Liz and Adam get closer; this is significantly illustrated when Liz has a nightmare and Adam steps into her dream to change it.

Kyle Valenti suspects that Liz and the group had something to do with the disappearance of his father the sheriff. He trails them to the caves without success because his tires get blown out before they all get to the caves.

The team discovers that Mr. Manes has a chemical weapon which can severely incapacitate and kill aliens, by files which Isabel was able to attain when she went spying in the Manes' house.

The group head to Carslbad Caverns where they face DuPris so that they can eliminate him and obtain the Stone of Midnight to bring Alex back. DuPris almost crushes them all inside the ship, but escapes when he forced out of the cavern's by Mr. Manes' chemical weapon gas. Mr. Manes shows them a copper ball/orb capable to storing and magnifying energy; with this they try to bring Alex back without success, all after they also without success attempted to get the Stone. With DuPris and the ship having disappeared, how will the group get Alex home now?

I reserve the right to edit, including add more to, this review in the future.

This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Felicia.
576 reviews38 followers
January 2, 2016
“Sadly, Michael had already gotten somewhat used to the lack of Alex Manes’s bright orange aura in their group.”

He’s been missing for like three days.

description


53 reviews
Read
December 17, 2012
Goodreads Synopsis:

Gone for good? Max is on a mission to save Alex, who is stranded on the home planet. Alex may be lost or wounded -- or worse. To get Alex back, Max knows he'll need one of the Stones of Midnight. If only he knew where to find one...

Liz understands that Max can't rest until he finds Alex. And she's been busy herself -- spending time with Roswell newcomer Adam. She's been having so much fun with Adam that Max is in danger...of being forgotten.
Profile Image for Ron.
66 reviews13 followers
April 1, 2025
I can't remember the last time I read my Roswell High books, but it has been a long time. It was an easy read. Only 167 pages long so it was fairly easy to get through in only a day. It was a descent story. Very basic and what you'd expect from YA books published in the 2000s. Still, it was fun to get back into because these were some of my favorite childhood YA novels. As a 36 year old adult though, completely different perspective and you realize just how simple these books are.
Profile Image for Evie.
194 reviews
July 31, 2012

Alright so I still love Liz, I'm worried about Max, I'm gonna smack Iz, I feel bad for Maria, I think Michael needs to straighten up, I like Adam, I still feel super sorry for Alex, and I'm addicted to these books! ;)

Max cleared his throat. "I hate to be the voice of reason here, but--"
"you do not," Isabel interrupted. "you live to be the voice of reason." pg. 54
Profile Image for Katie.
2,968 reviews155 followers
November 10, 2010
Nothing much to say. Blah, blah, continuing my re-read. I AM enjoying them, but I'm also looking forward to getting these done with. Each book is so short, I never exactly feel like I get a complete story.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews

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