dr_dumpling 's review for:

Vanishing Girls by Lauren Oliver
2.0
I thought this was supposed to be a mystery novel, but it was really more of a contemporary. Not that I have an issue with contemporary, but when a book is advertised as mystery, well, I want a mystery. Now, that's not enough of a reason to give a book two stars, is it? Nope, definitely not. It's only the tip of the iceberg. To put it succinctly, after finishing Vanishing Girls, I felt ripped off. Cheated. The entire book was a slow build to a confusing, disappointing conclusion that was obviously supposed to be a twist, and it could've been intriguing, but it just didn't work for me. I mean, please.
SpoilerWas this supposed to be unreliable narrator to the extreme? Are you telling me I read nearly the entire book, wondering why she disappeared, only to learn that she died in the car accident and thus all of Dara's POVs were basically pointless? Yes, Nick's fugue state had potential, but only if it'd been pulled off properly. Because there were details that didn't make sense/didn't add up: 1) Parker knew Dara was dead. So how did Nick magically construct that moment where Parker confesses to Dara that he's in love with someone else, and as he's kissing Dara, whispe's Nick's name? 2)I highly doubt their parents would agree to a dinner, including Dara, and kee referring to it as a family dinner. They know she's dead. They know she's not coming. 3)How did Dara's phone still have battery?