Scan barcode
cimorene1558's review against another edition
4.0
Really quite good, although I did guess the ending really early on. However, I stayed up late to confirm whether I was right or not!
daffz's review against another edition
4.0
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
Even though I figured some things out, I did feel like Kalah jumped to the conclusion that Britney killed Beth very quickly. Because she thinks of this relatively early on in the story, I was sort of expecting it to be disproven. But in the end, it seemed to be true. I suppose I won't know for sure until there's a sequel.
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.
Spoiler
I also appreciate how her relationship with her boyfriend was sweet, despite the fact that she was in love with her female best friend. It would have been so easy to just make him a jerk so the reader wouldn't be as annoyed at Kalah cheating on him, but this felt very real and made it more interesting.The set up for the story was already promising, but the plot really started going after Beth disappears
Spoiler
and Brit seemingly kills herself. My favorite part was the chat conversations thatSpoiler
just felt wrong somehow from the start. I actually figured out it wasn't Beth before Kalah did, and I think that's a mark of the excellent writing. The reader only sees Beth for a little while at the start of the book, but for me it was enough to make me realize the person in the chat room had a different sort of voice.Even though I figured some things out, I did feel like Kalah jumped to the conclusion that Britney killed Beth very quickly. Because she thinks of this relatively early on in the story, I was sort of expecting it to be disproven. But in the end, it seemed to be true. I suppose I won't know for sure until there's a sequel.
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.
cnstamper's review against another edition
3.0
Gone Girl meets typical YA drama. I liked it, and will eventually read the sequel, but if you want a really good YA thriller/mystery, read Lockhart's We Were Liars.
jpog_blue's review against another edition
1.0
book from first reads.
not a bad idea, but the writing is beyond pedestrian
not a bad idea, but the writing is beyond pedestrian
joyagoffney's review against another edition
1.0
I read about 36%, got to a flashback of homegirl (her name escapes me) and Beth. They were camping? I don't know, I started to skim. But then I started flipping and that scene went on for so long, and I just had no interest in reading it all, or anything else of this book, for that matter.
plumeriade's review against another edition
2.0
2.5 stars
i received this in a goodreads giveaway. my first one, yay!
calling this anything like "gone girl" is a reach lol. gone girl was a complex work of psychological art, tbh, and the only thing this has in common with it is basically one scene towards the end. i think the comments that say this is like an episode of a show (i've never seen pll, but i can imagine the parallels) are spot on, though. things are straightforward and move quickly. kalah is also an indian-american protag, and though i'm no expert, i didn't see anything glaringly offensive in her portrayal. (and in fact imo there's a great scene at the beginning involving one of her friends treating a sari she had for a wedding like a costume.)
this was a fun read, i just think it was very basic and had some flaws. there were a few typos, but this is an advanced copy so i assume those will be fixed. i also think there were some major plot holes though, like like i get that brit's family is ~influential~ or whatever but that's a pretty gaping hole in the story.
also let's talk about the lesbian romance thing. how i end up feeling about this depends on how the series continues, and i wasn't able to find any info on the future books. so there's definitely potential that kalah might never show interest in a girl again and/or go back to her boyfriend, and if so i feel like the summary for this book is a HUGE bait. i hope that doesn't happen, though! i'll check out the next one when it comes out.
i received this in a goodreads giveaway. my first one, yay!
calling this anything like "gone girl" is a reach lol. gone girl was a complex work of psychological art, tbh, and the only thing this has in common with it is basically one scene towards the end. i think the comments that say this is like an episode of a show (i've never seen pll, but i can imagine the parallels) are spot on, though. things are straightforward and move quickly. kalah is also an indian-american protag, and though i'm no expert, i didn't see anything glaringly offensive in her portrayal. (and in fact imo there's a great scene at the beginning involving one of her friends treating a sari she had for a wedding like a costume.)
this was a fun read, i just think it was very basic and had some flaws. there were a few typos, but this is an advanced copy so i assume those will be fixed. i also think there were some major plot holes though, like
Spoiler
why did none of the cops even QUESTION why beth was found in brit's attire (down to the jewelry) if she only died trying to save brit?also let's talk about the lesbian romance thing. how i end up feeling about this depends on how the series continues, and i wasn't able to find any info on the future books.
Spoiler
this book has 2 lesbian/bi characters and one of them ends up dead.mcoppadge07's review against another edition
2.0
I got this book from the Goodreads Giveaway. I'm so frustrated with this book and the fact that it's not stand alone like I originally thought frustrates me even more.
I can't figure out a way to describe or critique this book without spoilers. For me it was too much like Pretty Little Liars. I don't know if I want to read the next one. I didn't make it through the PPL series I don't think I'll make it through the next one. Yes I'm curious as to what happens next but I'm not sure I'm curious enough to read the book.
I will say this I feel really bad for Kahlah. She really got the short end of the stick. And for people to not listen to her or believe her because of something in the past or because she has a panic disorder really pissed me off. I have a anxiety/panic disorder, not as severe as hers, but I know if my parents were like Kahlahs I would hesitate to tell them anything too. The way she's taken advantage of and at the same time not believed because of this disorder really turned me off the book.
I can't figure out a way to describe or critique this book without spoilers. For me it was too much like Pretty Little Liars. I don't know if I want to read the next one. I didn't make it through the PPL series I don't think I'll make it through the next one. Yes I'm curious as to what happens next but I'm not sure I'm curious enough to read the book.
I will say this I feel really bad for Kahlah. She really got the short end of the stick. And for people to not listen to her or believe her because of something in the past or because she has a panic disorder really pissed me off. I have a anxiety/panic disorder, not as severe as hers, but I know if my parents were like Kahlahs I would hesitate to tell them anything too. The way she's taken advantage of and at the same time not believed because of this disorder really turned me off the book.
heykellyjensen's review against another edition
A fun twisty turny thriller about three best friends, secrets, disappearance, and death. Definitely more on the Pretty Little Liars side than the Gone Girl side. Loved the voice of this one, as it's almost clear from the start Kalah isn't reliable, and we know her friends aren't either, so the unreliable upon the unreliable is a neat mind twist. Kalah herself is Indian, bisexual, and suffers from OCD/anxiety -- all of those add layers and depth to her character in a way that make this more than a cotton candy like read.
And I'll totally read the sequel.
This cover is doing this book no favors though. But not surprising, given the main character is a girl of color. You'd never know that until you read the story.
And I'll totally read the sequel.
This cover is doing this book no favors though. But not surprising, given the main character is a girl of color. You'd never know that until you read the story.
satanwannabe's review
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
3.75
3.75 (might change later)
im thankful the author didn't go for 'the wives' approach and make the mc (kalah) imagine everything. also this book has a desi queer mc who would kill her 'bff', a girl who murdered her life-long best friend over a boy and a queer girl who is literally me... yet my favourite character was zach, he deserved so much better. zach if you want another desi gf who actually likes you back, hit me up 😩 idk im not good at reviews but this book was so good, even if i hated all the dumbass decisions kalah made, also THE TWIST, idk why i thought that beth and brit would just be besties who ran away from their shitty families but BRIT KILLING BETH, SCANDALOUS.