Scan barcode
A review by maggiemaggio
The Rules for Disappearing by Ashley Elston
2.0
2.5 stars
I really liked this book. I thought it was a brilliant idea about a situation I had never once considered and I was really excited to see how it turned out. That is until we found out why Meg's family was in the Witness Protection Program and then I pretty much read this in total disbelief. Seriously, I was so angry that this was the turn the book took that it made me dislike the book even more.
Before we found out the reason, Meg is just a pissed off teenager who's trying to do the best she can under some terrible circumstances. Her father did something that's made them have to move around constantly, leaving in the middle of the night, and having to become different people. Her mother has gone from social mom of the year to a reclusive alcoholic. And her little sister is just shutting down because she can't handle it any more. Meg tries so hard to hold her family together while also going to school and trying to keep her distance since she assumes they're going to have to pick up and leave soon that she's at her breaking point.
I thought Meg as a great, sympathetic, and strong character for the first part of the book. I also loved first-part Ethan. I thought that the way their relationship developed was authentic, as was the way that high school was depicted. I wish that Ashley Elston would have stuck to the family and school relationships that are obviously her strong suit.
Since I don't want to ruin it I'm not going to talk much about the second half of the book. Let's just say that I had to suspend pretty much all disbelief. Maybe not all disbelief immediately, but as the action unfolds I was pretty much dumbfounded. And, be warned, there's a bit of a cliffhanger at the end. I would beg Ashley Elston not to write another book, but I see on Goodreads that one already seems to be planned for 2014. My (unsolicited) advice for her? Cut down on the action/adventure parts and stick to the family and high school relationships because I think she's actually pretty good at those.
I received a digital review copy of this from the publisher via Netgalley (thank you!). All opinions are (obviously) my own.
I really liked this book. I thought it was a brilliant idea about a situation I had never once considered and I was really excited to see how it turned out. That is until we found out why Meg's family was in the Witness Protection Program and then I pretty much read this in total disbelief. Seriously, I was so angry that this was the turn the book took that it made me dislike the book even more.
Before we found out the reason, Meg is just a pissed off teenager who's trying to do the best she can under some terrible circumstances. Her father did something that's made them have to move around constantly, leaving in the middle of the night, and having to become different people. Her mother has gone from social mom of the year to a reclusive alcoholic. And her little sister is just shutting down because she can't handle it any more. Meg tries so hard to hold her family together while also going to school and trying to keep her distance since she assumes they're going to have to pick up and leave soon that she's at her breaking point.
I thought Meg as a great, sympathetic, and strong character for the first part of the book. I also loved first-part Ethan. I thought that the way their relationship developed was authentic, as was the way that high school was depicted. I wish that Ashley Elston would have stuck to the family and school relationships that are obviously her strong suit.
Since I don't want to ruin it I'm not going to talk much about the second half of the book. Let's just say that I had to suspend pretty much all disbelief. Maybe not all disbelief immediately, but as the action unfolds I was pretty much dumbfounded. And, be warned, there's a bit of a cliffhanger at the end. I would beg Ashley Elston not to write another book, but I see on Goodreads that one already seems to be planned for 2014. My (unsolicited) advice for her? Cut down on the action/adventure parts and stick to the family and high school relationships because I think she's actually pretty good at those.
I received a digital review copy of this from the publisher via Netgalley (thank you!). All opinions are (obviously) my own.