Jessica's books

The One and Only Ivan
Pollyanna
Revolutionary War on Wednesday
Leprechaun in Late Winter
Ella Enchanted
The Courage of Sarah Noble
Plain Murder
Gone-Away Lake
Circling the Sun
Maggie and Max
The Haunting of Sunshine Girl
The Night Sister
Tuck Everlasting
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Bedknob and Broomstick
Mister Monday
Alice Through the Looking Glass
The Birchbark House
The Hobbit
The Witch's Daughter


Jessica's favorite books »

Friday, February 17, 2012

Book Review: The Vanishing Game by Kate Kae Myers

The Vanishing Game 

**Received this book from Around the World ARC Tours for review**

Synopsis (from Goodreads):  Seventeen-year-old Jocelyn follows clues apparently from her dead twin, Jack, in and around Seale House, the terrifying foster home where they once lived. With help from childhood friend Noah she begins to uncover the truth about Jack's death and the company that employed him and Noah.

Jocelyn's twin brother Jack was the only family she had growing up in a world of foster homes-and now he's dead, and she has nothing. Then she gets a cryptic letter from "Jason December"-the code name her brother used to use when they were children at Seale House, a terrifying foster home that they believed had dark powers. Only one other person knows about Jason December: Noah, Jocelyn's childhood crush and their only real friend among the troubled children at Seale House.

But when Jocelyn returns to Seale House and the city where she last saw Noah, she gets more than she bargained for. Turns out the house's powers weren't just a figment of a childish imagination. And someone is following Jocelyn. Is Jack still alive? And if he is, what kind of trouble is he in? The answer is revealed in a shocking twist that turns this story on its head and will send readers straight back to page 1 to read the book in a whole new light.

My Thoughts:  I didn't really know what to expect from this book.  I wasn't sure if it was going to be cheesy or your typical paranormal novel.  What I didn't expect was for this book to blow me away!  It was so full of twists and turns that I never saw the end coming!

Jocelyn and her twin brother Jack are foster children.  They spent their life being moved around by their crazy and unreliable mother and then, after running away from their mom and her boyfriend, they end up at Seale House.  There are several other children there and their foster mother is mean and heartless. They meet Noah and the three of them become fast friends.

Strange things happen at Seale House though.  When the curtains catch on fire (courtesy of one of the foster children) they mysteriously extinguish themselves.  Things get moved around without anyone touching them and light bulbs explode for no reason.  All the children are afraid of the cellar and they are sure there is some "cellar beast" down there.  

Jack and Jocelyn run away from Seale House after a traumatic event and end up with their mother again for a little while before being put back into another foster home.  This one is a good one however.  Jack, a computer nerd, gets an internship with a security company and Jocelyn is working on getting her high school diploma when Jack is suddenly killed in a car accident.  At least, that is what Jocelyn thinks until she gets a letter with the name Jason December on it.  Jason December was Jack's code name and only three people knew it:  Jack, Jocelyn and Noah.  Jocelyn finds Noah and together they try to follow the clues Jack has left them and discover the secret behind Jack's disappearance.  Besides the tricky clues, Jocelyn and Noah have to watch out for the people who want them dead.

Throughout this book you are taken back to Seale House with Jack and Jocelyn through Jocelyn's memories.  I loved how we were able to meet the other children of Seale House and see how they affected Jocelyn's life.  Connor "Corner Boy" was evil and scary while Georgie was insane.  Dixon was a sweetheart and Beth was angry but all in all, not a bad kid.  While following clues, Jocelyn is forced to remember how each of these kids played a part in her life and even got to see how some of them turned out.  

I loved the twists and turns in this book!  It was completely unpredictable and had me on the edge of my seat throughout the entire story.  Noah's past came as a complete shock to me and the mystery behind Jack was perfect!  I happen to love a good mystery and this one fit the bill!


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