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phantomignis's review against another edition
2.0
I wasn’t expecting for this book to be as dark and graphic as it was. It also took way more of a dip into the supernatural/surreal when I was more or less looking for a crime thriller. Personally would not recommend unless you have the stomach for it. I also found the story hard to follow at times given the amount of characters and the flipping back and forth between the past events and the present day investigation, but I was also listening to the audiobook version and that negatively impacted my experience.
sawyernarro's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
This was a really intriguing book. I loved the premise and the story was interesting. The ending left a little to be desired but I’m not sure there would be any ending that I would’ve been really happy with.
ecolvig's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
rebeccabadger's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
dembury's review against another edition
4.0
Let me just say that I really love a good horror novel, and deeply appreciate one that can bring something new to the scene all while leaning on familiar tropes/set-ups, in this case, the found-footage style of the Blair Witch project. "Rules for Vanishing" has all the familiar tones of a woodsy, local folklore-based horror story but Kate Alice Marshall is in complete rule of her world and has created something altogether new. It reminded be a bit of Vandermeer's Southern Reach trilogy, but it a much more accessible way. This book is downright chilling at times, to the point where I wasn't letting myself read it before bed because of some of the images Marshall conjures up. Seriously, it's not your average creepy girl wandering the woods book - "Rules for Vanishing" has a much higher-stakes game its characters must play, with very strict rules, and it creates a terribly and darkly readable book.
I really thought this was gonna be a full 5-star read for me, but there were a couple things holding it back. The main thing is that this book has a pretty huge big cast of characters, who we get introduced to VERY fast, in rapid succession, and there isn't much done to delineate them (aside from a couple "main" players"). It's actually pretty important readers know who EXACTLY is who; it ties right into plot points, but I struggled to keep names straight. I think it would have helped to have more attention given at the beginning to making distinct characters instead of sort of introducing them in a big blur.
Secondly, there is a mythical aspect of this book (no spoilers) that would have been much stronger if readers had been introduced to it a little earlier on. It comes up at a couple moments, but at the end it becomes WAY more important and there wasn't much foreshadowing to it, which would have been nice.
Finally, although the ending was pretty good, it honestly paled in comparison to the rest of the novel and I think it was a little predictable. I would have loved to see a more unexpected ending!
All in all, "Rules for Vanishing" is one of the most well-written, unique, and CREEPY YA horror stories I've read, and I definitely want to read more by Marshall.
I really thought this was gonna be a full 5-star read for me, but there were a couple things holding it back. The main thing is that this book has a pretty huge big cast of characters, who we get introduced to VERY fast, in rapid succession, and there isn't much done to delineate them (aside from a couple "main" players"). It's actually pretty important readers know who EXACTLY is who; it ties right into plot points, but I struggled to keep names straight. I think it would have helped to have more attention given at the beginning to making distinct characters instead of sort of introducing them in a big blur.
Secondly, there is a mythical aspect of this book (no spoilers) that would have been much stronger if readers had been introduced to it a little earlier on. It comes up at a couple moments, but at the end it becomes WAY more important and there wasn't much foreshadowing to it, which would have been nice.
Finally, although the ending was pretty good, it honestly paled in comparison to the rest of the novel and I think it was a little predictable. I would have loved to see a more unexpected ending!
All in all, "Rules for Vanishing" is one of the most well-written, unique, and CREEPY YA horror stories I've read, and I definitely want to read more by Marshall.
bitchwitch's review against another edition
5.0
Took me a day to read. I couldn't put it down. Kate's writing is quick to read and leaves you wanting more.
tatyanavogt's review against another edition
4.0
Wasn't sure what to expect, but after finishing these fleeting shadows I was excited to read another book from this author. I really like the set up and the confusing weird situation that we found ourself in and the interview style framework for learning what happened.