Scan barcode
emldavis001's review
4.0
This book was very good. I liked the story line, the plot, and the characters. The ending was hard to understand and I had to have someone explain it to me, but once they did I understood everything a lot better. I would defiantly recommend this book.
jannak's review
3.0
Read the whole thing during an airport wait and a flight. Interesting book, and it kept me intrigued, but I didn't love it, and I kind of hated the ending.
blurrypetals's review
2.0
This was...well, it was a book. The narrative made me feel like I was trying to read a road sign while driving in the middle of a foggy night, like I couldn't quite parse the information before I was quickly ushered past whatever that information was.
I'm rather disappointed, since this broke my thirteen book streak of 5-star ratings and I had heard such great things about Lauren Oliver (however, this book will definitely not be deterring me from trying other books of hers, I promise).
Everything was just so...unclear. I realize the main conceit of the twist in the story required a certain amount of time dedicated to making things from Dara's point of view, but I felt like there were just a few too many chapters dedicated to her, not enough time dedicated to Nick (which, this is a total nitpick, but I'm sorry, nobody named Nicole would go by Nick; Nic, maybe, but even then probably not; that's a weird character name there, Ms. Oliver) and too much time dedicated to the blog/news site, which I felt was completely superfluous and unnecessary.
The twist was kind of cool, but I didn't care enough about the characters, especially not Nick and Dara, to really feel the impact and gravity of what was going on. It was a really interesting concept but it fell really, really short for me.
Hopefully Before I Fall and the Delirium books can redeem Lauren Oliver for me. Fingers crossed.
I'm rather disappointed, since this broke my thirteen book streak of 5-star ratings and I had heard such great things about Lauren Oliver (however, this book will definitely not be deterring me from trying other books of hers, I promise).
Everything was just so...unclear. I realize the main conceit of the twist in the story required a certain amount of time dedicated to making things from Dara's point of view, but I felt like there were just a few too many chapters dedicated to her, not enough time dedicated to Nick (which, this is a total nitpick, but I'm sorry, nobody named Nicole would go by Nick; Nic, maybe, but even then probably not; that's a weird character name there, Ms. Oliver) and too much time dedicated to the blog/news site, which I felt was completely superfluous and unnecessary.
The twist was kind of cool, but I didn't care enough about the characters, especially not Nick and Dara, to really feel the impact and gravity of what was going on. It was a really interesting concept but it fell really, really short for me.
Hopefully Before I Fall and the Delirium books can redeem Lauren Oliver for me. Fingers crossed.
smateer73's review against another edition
3.0
The book was so dull up until the last bit, but then it got interesting. Probably gonna be the last YA I read for a while.
carlisajc's review
4.0
3.5 STARS
Originally posted at: http://confessionsofcarlisa.com/2015/04/04/vanishing-girls-a-book-review/
Okay. The book. My feelings. Bah. I don’t know how to process everything that happened because I did not expect it. Like at all. The end made me question literally everything I had just read, all 357 pages. If I had time, I would go back and reread it just to see how it works. [Sidenote: I really wish I didn’t have to worry about spoilers right now].
But the writing I thought was beautiful. Lauren Oliver has a really wonderful writing style that I fall in love with every time I read one of her books. Just listen to this small snippet of the preface:
The funny thing about almost-dying is that afterward everyone expects you to jump on the happy train and take time to chase butterflies through grassy fields or see rainbows in puddles of oil on the highway. It’s a miracle, they’ll say with an expectant look, as if you’ve been given a big old gift and you better not disappoint Grandma by pulling a face when you unwrap the box and find a lumpy, misshapen sweater.
That’s what life is, pretty much: full of holes and tangles and ways to get stuck. Uncomfortable and itchy. A present you never asked for, never wanted, never chose. A present you’re supposed to be excited to wear, day after day, even when you’d rather stay in bed and do nothing.
The truth is this: it doesn’t take any skill to almost-die, or to almost-live, either.
She has such a beautiful grasp of the English language that it enchants me. Her writing brings me in and that’s the real reason why I love her so much.
Besides the writing, though, this story was very different from Oliver’s other books. It was more of a mystery, kind of a thriller that explores the complicated relationship between sisters. I gave it 3.5 stars, though, because I felt like the “thriller” sense of the writing built up, and up, and up…and then it didn’t end with the exciting climax that I expected. Some of the things that could have been great, just…weren’t all the way there. The ending was just so, so, SO different than anyone would have expected. And not in a boring way…just not in a completely satisfying way. If that makes sense (I told you that I was having a hard time processing how I feel). And the ending happened so fast that I felt like I needed more. Some things were just summed up very quickly and then skimmed over. Like Boom-Unexpected-Thing then quick summary and then The End all within like twenty minutes of reading-time. My brain just can’t process things like that. Bah.
If you’ve read any of my other reviews, the ending is usually my favorite part of a book. It can make or break it. And that’s why I’m focusing so much on this ending. In my opinion, while the ending didn’t break the book, it in no way made it better. Sure, it was surprising. It was unpredictable. But it made me question the entire book, the entire sister-relationship between Nick and Dara. And maybe that was Oliver’s intention? Who knows?
Honestly, I still don’t really know exactly how I feel. I definitely recommend this book to you, though…Mostly because I want to talk to you about it without fear of spoilers. Especially if you’re a Lauren Oliver fan.
Originally posted at: http://confessionsofcarlisa.com/2015/04/04/vanishing-girls-a-book-review/
Okay. The book. My feelings. Bah. I don’t know how to process everything that happened because I did not expect it. Like at all. The end made me question literally everything I had just read, all 357 pages. If I had time, I would go back and reread it just to see how it works. [Sidenote: I really wish I didn’t have to worry about spoilers right now].
But the writing I thought was beautiful. Lauren Oliver has a really wonderful writing style that I fall in love with every time I read one of her books. Just listen to this small snippet of the preface:
The funny thing about almost-dying is that afterward everyone expects you to jump on the happy train and take time to chase butterflies through grassy fields or see rainbows in puddles of oil on the highway. It’s a miracle, they’ll say with an expectant look, as if you’ve been given a big old gift and you better not disappoint Grandma by pulling a face when you unwrap the box and find a lumpy, misshapen sweater.
That’s what life is, pretty much: full of holes and tangles and ways to get stuck. Uncomfortable and itchy. A present you never asked for, never wanted, never chose. A present you’re supposed to be excited to wear, day after day, even when you’d rather stay in bed and do nothing.
The truth is this: it doesn’t take any skill to almost-die, or to almost-live, either.
She has such a beautiful grasp of the English language that it enchants me. Her writing brings me in and that’s the real reason why I love her so much.
Besides the writing, though, this story was very different from Oliver’s other books. It was more of a mystery, kind of a thriller that explores the complicated relationship between sisters. I gave it 3.5 stars, though, because I felt like the “thriller” sense of the writing built up, and up, and up…and then it didn’t end with the exciting climax that I expected. Some of the things that could have been great, just…weren’t all the way there. The ending was just so, so, SO different than anyone would have expected. And not in a boring way…just not in a completely satisfying way. If that makes sense (I told you that I was having a hard time processing how I feel). And the ending happened so fast that I felt like I needed more. Some things were just summed up very quickly and then skimmed over. Like Boom-Unexpected-Thing then quick summary and then The End all within like twenty minutes of reading-time. My brain just can’t process things like that. Bah.
If you’ve read any of my other reviews, the ending is usually my favorite part of a book. It can make or break it. And that’s why I’m focusing so much on this ending. In my opinion, while the ending didn’t break the book, it in no way made it better. Sure, it was surprising. It was unpredictable. But it made me question the entire book, the entire sister-relationship between Nick and Dara. And maybe that was Oliver’s intention? Who knows?
Honestly, I still don’t really know exactly how I feel. I definitely recommend this book to you, though…Mostly because I want to talk to you about it without fear of spoilers. Especially if you’re a Lauren Oliver fan.
pchittenden's review
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
mallikadesai's review
3.0
This book had 3 really good aspects, for which I read it: Lauren Oliver’s writing, the cover, and the fact that it was a YA psychological thriller.
The best part of Vanishing Girls was definitely the sarcastic realness of Oliver’s writing and I really wanted to steal some of her punch lines. The characters were complex and told a story of a world that many teenagers live in by using concepts like divorce, teenage drinking, mental illness, sexual harassment, child kidnapping and good old fashioned jealousy. I would recommend this book to anyone looking to delve and transition into the world of psychological thrillers while hanging onto YA fiction.
However, I felt like the execution of the idea of a pair of twins’ feud and accident could have been much better. The climax was predictable and the format was confusing to a tired person reading late. The chapters flip from "Before” the accident to “After” the accident abruptly.
To sum it up, I guess I enjoyed Vanishing Girls somewhat, but I was hoping for this book to be a book I would love.
The best part of Vanishing Girls was definitely the sarcastic realness of Oliver’s writing and I really wanted to steal some of her punch lines. The characters were complex and told a story of a world that many teenagers live in by using concepts like divorce, teenage drinking, mental illness, sexual harassment, child kidnapping and good old fashioned jealousy. I would recommend this book to anyone looking to delve and transition into the world of psychological thrillers while hanging onto YA fiction.
However, I felt like the execution of the idea of a pair of twins’ feud and accident could have been much better. The climax was predictable and the format was confusing to a tired person reading late. The chapters flip from "Before” the accident to “After” the accident abruptly.
To sum it up, I guess I enjoyed Vanishing Girls somewhat, but I was hoping for this book to be a book I would love.
kkoerth613's review
5.0
Well. That was one story I did not expect. Once again Lauren Oliver never fails to surprise me and give me an unexpected plot. The characters were great and developed throughout the book even through Nick's perspective. Nick's character shocked me throughout, allowing us readers to see that even the most well kept together person can have it all falling apart. God, I don't even know if I fully understand what just happened there. Wow. Praise the lord, Lauren Oliver.