Monday, May 12, 2014

Early Review: The Vanishing Season by Jodi Lynn Anderson



Title: The Vanishing Season
Author:
Jodi Lynn Anderson
Publisher: HarperTeen (HarperCollins)
Acquired Via: Around the World ARC Tours
Release Date: July 1, 2014

Girls started vanishing in the fall, and now winter's come to lay a white sheet over the horror. Door County, it seems, is swallowing the young, right into its very dirt. From beneath the house on Water Street, I've watched the danger swell.

The residents know me as the noises in the house at night, the creaking on the stairs. I'm the reflection behind them in the glass, the feeling of fear in the cellar. I'm tied—it seems—to this house, this street, this town.

I'm tied to Maggie and Pauline, though I don't know why. I think it's because death is coming for one of them, or both.

All I know is that the present and the past are piling up, and I am here to dig. I am looking for the things that are buried.

From bestselling author Jodi Lynn Anderson comes a friendship story bound in snow and starlight, a haunting mystery of love, betrayal, redemption, and the moments that we leave behind.


My Review

The Vanishing Season is a lovely quasi-paranormal novel by Jodi Lynn Anderson that was one of the most surprising young adult novels that I've read. No, it was not surprising because there were epic twists and turns but because of the lovely writing.

Why, do you ask, would lovely writing be surprising? Well, there's not a lot going on in The Vanishing Season and it's not what I expected it to be, yet it was impossible to put down. When I say there's not a going on, I mean that it seemed as if it had a pace equivalent of paint drying. Sometimes, it's nice to look around and take it slow. And enjoy the fumes from the paint.

I suppose I should talk about the characters, but I really don't want to talk about them. I had to actually wait a few days before I could even write this portion of the review because it's so difficult to think about what goes on between Maggie, Pauline, and Liam. Maggie has just moved to whatever the town was called (I forgot to write it down), and Liam and Pauline were her new neighbors. They've been best buds forever, but they happily accept Maggie into the mix. As it always seems to go with teenagers, hormones get involved and make things complicated.

Rest assured that there's not the kind of drama that you're probably expecting. Yes, there is a little heartbreak, but there's no screaming and hair-pulling. I think it would have been a lot less heartbreaking if there had been more hair-pulling. *sniffs* Let's move along.

Don't go into The Vanishing Season thinking that it's a murder mystery. I mean, there is murders and mysteries, but it's not like a crime procedural. If you're wanting something cut and dry, this isn't the book for you.
You should still read it anyways because it's such a good book. Slow, but very good.

I guess one more thing I need to tell you about The Vanishing Season is that I had a pretty emotional response to it. After about halfway through, my heart was just hurting for the kids in the book. I like them all just fine, but damn, teenagers can be so awful and mean. It's even worse when they're trying not to be. I guess that has to do with children's inability to see the bigger picture or how their actions will affect other people.

Oh yes, the ghost thing. It didn't really make sense to me, but it wasn't confusing or anything. I got why it was there, in a way, but there were some inconsistencies between what the ghost was saying versus the role the ghost played in the story. The ghost wasn't annoying or anything, but I don't know if The Vanishing Season would've been a worse book if it wouldn't have had it in there.

If you like young adult contemporary novels, give The Vanishing Season by Jodi Lynn Anderson a try. That lady can write a book, but you've been warned - she'll kick you right in the feels.

- 3.5/5 Stars -

Buy Links
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Fishpond



To satisfy FTC guidelines, I am disclosing that I received an advance copy of the book briefly for reviewing purposes through Around the World ARC Tours in exchange for an honest review. The book was likely provided to the tour by the publisher or author, which has in no way affected the outcome of my review. All opinions expressed are rambling, honest, and completely my own.

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You are going to put words in my box?! *squeezes you* Now I shall stalk YOUR blog!