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The Vanishing Game

by Kate Kae Myers (Goodreads Author)

3.77 of 5 stars 3.77 · rating details · 829 ratings · 210 reviews

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 h...more

Hardcover, 353 pages

Published February 14th 2012 by Bloomsbury USA Childrens

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Mar 10, 2012 karen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: why-yes-i-ya

this book was going to get a full-throated five star howl from me...but that ending... it was as if the winner of the miss universe pageant, still smiling her vaseline-assisted smile, took a sudden, proud dump on the runway.

i just... i can't....

wow.

here's the thing - i realized once i got to work the other day that i had planned poorly, and the book i had brought with me would be finished on my lunch break, so i needed to borrow something from work that would tide me over, because i do not like...more

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Feb 20, 2012 Giselle rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, ebook, mind-fuck, mystery-thriller

Mystery, suspense, romance, heartbreak, all rolled into one little novel. This was quite the mind-boggling read. If you enjoyed Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code, I was often reminded of it when reading The Vanishing Game. We're taken on an intense, fast paced scavenger hunt where Jocey has to solve clues her brother left for her after his supposed death. These riddles are really clever and I had lots of fun figuring out what they lead to.

What stands out the most in this novel, is how baffling it all is...more Mystery, suspense, romance, heartbreak, all rolled into one little novel. This was quite the mind-boggling read. If you enjoyed Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code, I was often reminded of it when reading The Vanishing Game. We're taken on an intense, fast paced scavenger hunt where Jocey has to solve clues her brother left for her after his supposed death. These riddles are really clever and I had lots of fun figuring out what they lead to.

What stands out the most in this novel, is how baffling it all is. After the first 25% of it, I was severely creeped out with my eyes bulging out of my head, my mind screaming WHAT IS HAPPENING? until I finally needed a break and set it aside. From the beginning, we're thrown right into this mystery full of puzzle after puzzle that keeps blowing a tiny bit of your mind each chapter you read. You think you have it figured out, but then you turn the page. It's fast moving and highly suspenseful.

The writing is pretty simple and to the point. Nothing to write home about, but the story is so engrossing that you don't really notice it very much. I found the romance a bit out of place, though. It feels forced at times, and obvious for the most part. It's almost necessary to have it included, in a sense, because we're made to expect it, but it doesn't really give any extra charm to the story; there are no real sparks between the two. Although, I think this may be due to the fact that the book is so dark and disturbing, their apparent crush on each other is never in the forefront of our thoughts. I still really enjoyed both characters. They make a great team and you never know what's going to happen next to either of them. A third character, and the one that is constantly kept at the heart of the story, is the Seale house. This exceedingly eerie house seems to have a mind of its own with freaky happenings no one's been able to explain. It gives out this unnatural vibe that I would never want to step foot into. I definitely got the creeps every time the scene involved this abandoned foster home. My heart would pound until they finally left, but it was always exciting.

The ending is certainly heartbreaking, and positively mind blowing. I would have never figured this out no matter how hard I tried. However I'm still not sure I'm 100% satisfied with it. I loved that it took me by surprise which rarely happens. I relished in how well thought out it was; It's one of those endings that will make you want to reread the whole thing again in a new light. But there are still some things that were quickly explained of which I craved for a better understanding.

Overall this is probably one of the best YA mystery/thriller I've happened upon. It easily kept me absorbed in the story, not knowing what would happen from one sentence to the next. If you're looking for a good YA mystery/thriller, this has become the first one that I would recommend.

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For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads (less)

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Jun 07, 2012 Ashleigh Paige rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: just-not-good-enough-to-stick-with, not-worth-a-proper-review, recieved-through-netgalley, the-shameful-shelf-of-get-rid-of-it, arc, right-reaction-wrong-reason

I received a copy of this novel for review through NetGalley. I thank them for that, but I wish I could have liked this novel more.

The Vanishing Game is unfortunately another DNF novel for me. I considered giving it just one star, but it does have a few redeeming qualities that persuaded me to give it two. The descriptions of Seale House were chilling and thanks to tight writing and chapters that almost always ended in cliffhangers, what I could read of The Vanishing Game was compulsively readab...more I received a copy of this novel for review through NetGalley. I thank them for that, but I wish I could have liked this novel more.

The Vanishing Game is unfortunately another DNF novel for me. I considered giving it just one star, but it does have a few redeeming qualities that persuaded me to give it two. The descriptions of Seale House were chilling and thanks to tight writing and chapters that almost always ended in cliffhangers, what I could read of The Vanishing Game was compulsively readable. Unfortunately, so many pieces of the novel are the wrong kind of creepy that I had to give up. I can only take so much creeping from love interests in a given amount of time and I reached that limit yesterday.

Reasons I gave up seventy pages in:

*We are introduced to Jocelyn's love interest Noah in the first chapter, wherein she hides in the back of his car and he tries to strangle her to death.

* Once the above is sorted out, Noah talks about the two moles on Jocelyn's neck, how they look like a vampire bite, and how he fantasized about biting her there.

*Jocelyn says this: "Now, at almost eighteen, I admitted there'd been a plus to my unattractive looks back then. Considering all the men that drifted in and out of Melody's life, if I'd been pretty like my mother I'd likely have gone through much worse stuff than I had. But because all they saw was a tall, scrawny kid that could've passed for a boy, they left me alone (The Vanishing Game, ARC p. 29)." Um, what? Thank God she wasn't pretty or she would have been assaulted?

* The only other females introduced up to page seventy were Jocelyn, her mother Melody (single mother who neglected her children and brought home many mean or skeevy boyfriends), Sasha (girl flirting with Noah who immediately starts glaring at Jocelyn when they haven't said a word to one another and all she knows of Jocelyn is that she knows Noah), and Sasha's then-nameless friend (glares at Jocelyn out of loyalty to her friend, hanging off her boyfriend's arm). I'm at my limit on girl hate too.

For the sake of having some resolution, I skipped to the end of the book and read the last thirty pages. (view spoiler) Let's just say the blurb's claim that it "will send readers straight back to page 1 to read the book in a whole new light" has some merit to it.(less)

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Feb 21, 2012 Caitlin Peterson rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Vanishing Game is a little different than what we normally read and review here on the blog. The book has a bit of romance, but it's secondary (or thirdly, even) to the mystery and suspense of following the clues and finding out whether or not Jocelyn's twin brother is alive, or has faked his death and gone into hiding.

The book centers around Seale House, a foster home that Jocelyn and Jack lived in when they were children. Living in that house is the stuff of nightmares, and once they got...more The Vanishing Game is a little different than what we normally read and review here on the blog. The book has a bit of romance, but it's secondary (or thirdly, even) to the mystery and suspense of following the clues and finding out whether or not Jocelyn's twin brother is alive, or has faked his death and gone into hiding.

The book centers around Seale House, a foster home that Jocelyn and Jack lived in when they were children. Living in that house is the stuff of nightmares, and once they got out of the house, Jocelyn tried everything she could to block those memories. Jocelyn and Jack were placed in a new foster home, and lived happily there for awhile until Jack died in a tragic car accident. It's been three weeks, and Jocelyn is barely managing to go on without him. She arrives home from school one day to a letter written from a place she never wanted to see again, and from someone she thought was dead.

While living in Seale House Jocey and Jack became best friends with another boy, Noah, and the three were inseparable. Jack would design these elaborate games, where Noah and Jocey had to follow clues to receive the prize at the end. His code name, Jack December. The letter that Jocey receives is from Jason December, and it's post dated after Jack died. Desperately hoping her brother is really alive, she travels back to Watertown and the awful memories in search of Noah, her childhood friend and the only other person that can help her decipher the clues. Not only must they contend with an unknown enemy following their trail, Jocelyn and Noah must confront their haunting memories and finally lay the ghosts in Seale House to rest. The big question remains, is Jack really alive?

I was actually supposed to read this about a week ago, but I kept hemming and hawing and putting it off. I mistakenly read a few reviews on Goodreads before I started reading, and the excitement I felt sort of waned when I figured out that the romance wasn't the primary storyline. Or even a secondary storyline, really. I finally couldn't put it off any longer and I grudgingly started reading. I was immediately sucked in by the mystery of Jason December. I became so enthralled in fact, that I decided I didn't give a crap about the romance and I was an idiot for looking at other reviews before making up my own mind.

I really, really enjoyed The Vanishing Game. It was sad and heartbreaking, and I can't believe all that Jocelyn had to endure in her short life. Her memories of everything that happened in Seale House were horrifying. My heart broke for these kids, and I think it's tragic that any child should have to live in such an environment. I loved the relationship between the two siblings, and how they stuck together through every hardship life through their way. The depression and utter bleakness that Jocey felt after Jack died was written so well that I felt like I had lost my twin or something. I also liked how Noah and Jocey didn't just jump right back into their old friendship like they hadn't been separated for years. They had some issues to work out first, and the initial awkwardness was a bit more realistic and believable.

The ending. Oh, the ending y'all. I never really could tell whether or not Jack was alive, and I did NOT expect the shocking twist at the end. I never, ever, ever would have guessed the book would turn out the way it did. I'm not one to guess the ending anyway, since I'm just not smart like that, but I don't think anyone could have figured out what turn the book was going to take. The first 3/4 of the book was captivating, but that twist is what pushed The Vanishing Game into a truly great read.

My Summary: This is one of those rare books for me where my focus was more on the story - the mystery, suspense, who is sending the Jack December letters, whether or not Jack is alive - than the individual characters. All the elements of the story blended together and the author has given us a book that you absolutely have to finish or you can't move on with your life. It was nice to have a little break from reading mostly romance novels, and it was a break that I didn't even know I needed. If anything, you have to read this book just so you can read the twist at the end. Be prepared to be amazed!

My Rating: A
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Feb 14, 2012 Caroline rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: dac-2012, ebooks, reviewed, mystery

You never see a good mystery now these days, especially in YA. I thought this book might be quite easy to solve. Was I more wrong.

First off, let me say that the writing was okay, nothing special, but the story was. It was so layered with puzzles which of reminded me of Nancy Drew. There were several time when I thought I had the whole thing figured out, and then the next chapter would completely baffle me once again. I also enjoyed the fact that it continuously flipped back and forth between the...more

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Apr 23, 2013 Pinkie Pie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: tour

In the middle of a reading slump, I received a copy of The Vanishing Game for review. This is one of those books that reignites exactly what I love about reading. It reminded me why I love books so much, why I love getting to know new characters, unravel new mysteries. Within the first 50 pages I was creeped out so bad I had to sleep with the light on. The writing was spot on, tightly wound, and really intelligent. I loved that the author didn't feel the need to dumb things down for her intended...more In the middle of a reading slump, I received a copy of The Vanishing Game for review. This is one of those books that reignites exactly what I love about reading. It reminded me why I love books so much, why I love getting to know new characters, unravel new mysteries. Within the first 50 pages I was creeped out so bad I had to sleep with the light on. The writing was spot on, tightly wound, and really intelligent. I loved that the author didn't feel the need to dumb things down for her intended teen audience: the readers were left with the clues and the mysteries to figure out for themselves.

One of the best parts of this novel is its interactivity. You can go to the author's website, KateKaeMyers.com and download all of Jack's clues and try to figure them out with Noah and Jocelyn.
I loved Jocelyn, speaking of. She wasn't your typical petite, flat as a board, plain Jane female protagonist. She was pretty and she knew it. She was also wicked smart, fiercely loyal, and came from a dark past that she wouldn't let get the better of her. Jocelyn was one of those main characters that you'd relate to and want to root for.

Noah, the love interest, and the third of a trio (Jocelyn, her brother Jack, and Noah) who formed a close bond in the Seale foster home. I loved that he was totally weird, weirder than most people can handle, but he was still portrayed in a positive light. He spent his adolescence trying to convince his peers that he was either a vampire or a ninja or something else outrageous. He would dress in capes and costumes. Like I said, totally weird. Growing up, he didn't lose his sense of self, but instead retained his dorky computer geek skills and gained a pretty hot body from years of martial arts. Noah was essential in figuring out all the clues that Jack left behind, and what's better than an unreasonably smart love interest?

The twist at the end of the book was mind-blowing. If I didn't have to pass on the book, I would have turned it right back around and reread it. I just couldn't believe it! I did not see the ending coming, and it really made me second guess everything I had just read.

The only thing that didn't really work for me in the book was the paranormal element. It was never fully explained, and was only there when it was convenient. I wish there were more answers about the strange powers Seale House seemed to have. That's my only qualm.

If you love mysteries, I definitely recommend The Vanishing Game by Kate Kae Myers. When you read it, don't forget to check out the authors website, KateKaeMyers.com to download your own version of the clues to unravel with Jocelyn and Noah!(less)

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Mar 20, 2013 Jenn rated it 4 of 5 stars

Surprisingly good book. The main plot deals with Jocelyn and her twin brother Jack, who grew up in a bad home and when they were twelve they find themselves in the foster care system in a place called the Seale House. Now Jocelyn and her brother live with a nice foster family, are doing well in school and both participating in interesting internships. Then Jack dies, leaving Jocelyn's world empty, however; a few days later, Jocelyn receives a cryptic letter with clues that could only have been l...more

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Jan 14, 2013 Jackson B rated it 3 of 5 stars

I read The Vanishing Game by Kate Kae Myers. It was a good book as when I first started and it got better as I was reading until the end when it took more of a science fictional turn even though the rest of the book more realistic fiction. Overall it’s not bad, besides the twist in the end of the book which is very unrealistic compared to everything else that happened in the book.

This book is relatable to Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson in the sense that in both books there is an inner conflict i...more

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Sep 06, 2012 Majanka rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery, read-2012, supernatural, thriller, young-adult

he Vanishing Game left me with mixed feelings. I enjoyed the premise of the story, and for most parts the writing and characterization were all right as well, but the book lost me halfway through. The pace was too slow, the writing a bit too erratic and the characters lacked depth and mystery. The mystery, which is the main part of this book, wasn’t that mysterious to me at all. The author does an admirable job waving in mystery with the other elements of the book, but the clues left were a bit...more

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Jul 12, 2012 MaryBookSwarm rated it 4 of 5 stars

Nancy Drew and Veronica Mars fans--attention! If you haven't read this book, you're so missing out. Jocelyn is determined to figure out what really happened to her twin, Jack, and she recruits her friend, Nick, to help her out. Jack left several clues to start Jocelyn out on the right path and she dives right in, following said clues like a bloodhound.

While the writing wasn't enough to completely sweep me up and away (it's good but not overwhelmingly so), the story was certainly entertaining and...more

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Jun 30, 2012 Paradoxical rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-reading-list, books-otherwise

The Vanishing Game was riveting. Granted the beginning was a bit uncomfortable--Jocelyn is still devastated by the loss of her twin brother, Jack, and runs off to the town where her old foster home is. There she climbs into an old friend's car (without him even knowing) because she's afraid that she's being followed and said friend ends up choking her before realizing that it's Jocelyn (whoops). Jocelyn and Noah, the friend, both start following the clues that her brother has left behind for her...more The Vanishing Game was riveting. Granted the beginning was a bit uncomfortable--Jocelyn is still devastated by the loss of her twin brother, Jack, and runs off to the town where her old foster home is. There she climbs into an old friend's car (without him even knowing) because she's afraid that she's being followed and said friend ends up choking her before realizing that it's Jocelyn (whoops). Jocelyn and Noah, the friend, both start following the clues that her brother has left behind for her, desperate to see where it all leads.

Once the clues start piling up, once the puzzles get started, then the book really gets rolling. It's fascinating. It was so interesting that I couldn't put down the book until I finished it. The moments of creepiness were done well, and I've always loved puzzles and mysteries in my books. If you like the above, then you might like this book.

Some elements, however, weren't so great. The romance between Noah and Jocelyn seemed misplaced in parts, and I didn't really care about it. I liked the characters, but that aspect of their relationship was a bit flat for me. There were a few things that never seemed to quite add up in the end, but for the most part all of the big questions were answered. I guessed what was going to happen. It wasn't a hugely serious guess (it became more serious as time [and pages] went on, but at the same time I kept going, "Noooooo, I'm sure it can't be. Well. Maybe."), but at least the answer isn't completely out there. Well, okay, parts of it was, but it was a fun journey getting there at least?

And that's the crux of it all. The journey to get to the answers was great. There were puzzles and action and creepiness and people trying to kill the characters and yeahhh, I loved it. The actual answer was a bit of a disappointment, but you had to admire how well the author pulled everything off. Some things are really not all that believable, so you need to suspend your disbelief to get through the story, but I didn't think any of it was too distracting.

The thing is, the story, the plot, is wonderful. A good portion of everything else (such as the writing, the dialogue, the relationship) wasn't nearly as. It's readable, but nothing superb. Average, I suppose, or maybe even a little less than in parts. But considering how I was reading so quickly and wanting to know now why everything was happening and what was happening next, such detractors mattered little in the scheme of things. All in all, 3-4 stars, rounding up to 4.(less)

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Mar 24, 2012 OpenBookSociety.com rated it 5 of 5 stars

Review brought to you by OBS staff member Autumn

I didn’t know what to expect when starting this book. I knew that this would take me on an unexpected journey and The Vanishing Game does not disappoint.

Jocelyn and her twin, Jack, grew up going from foster home to foster home. Seale House looms large in their memory as the place where they were the most frightened, but also the place where they met Noah, another orphan who becomes their one true friend. They create their own games and puzzles as a...more

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Mar 19, 2012 Kris rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, books-reviewed, paranormal, ya-books

What stands out the most is the plot of the story. It is mind-engrossing, suspenseful, and so confounding that you will either stay up all night to finish it or you will put it aside only to pick it up again at a later time. Just when you think you have a grasp on the mystery, Myers throws something else at you. I had a fun time trying to solve the riddles along with Jocelyn.

The writing is simple and concise. This works well for a story that rides on the plot as much as this book. You hardly not...more

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Mar 06, 2012 Cassie added it

Shelves: ya, arc, did-not-finish, suspense

I only got about thirty pages in before abandoning it, so I'm not going to give The Vanishing Game a star rating.

The prose is clunky and artless, and the first few chapters are completely bewildering. One moment, Jocelyn plans to go camping with her new friends after school, the next she comes upon a letter from her "dead" brother and all of a sudden the story cuts to her running away (God only knows where she is) in the dark, rainy night from an unknown assailant and choosing to break into the...more

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Mar 01, 2012 707nick rated it 5 of 5 stars

I thought the book The Vanishing Game by Kate Kae Myers was an alright book. I didn't really like it because it was very confusing. In the book the main character Jocelyn, who has a brother named Jack "dies". I put quotes around dies because it doesn't appear that he is actually dead. He sends Jocelyn a surprise letter from him a couple days after he dies filled with clues that are very confusing. The letter sends her and her brother's best friend Noah, on a wild goose chase all over there home...more

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Feb 24, 2012 Micaela rated it 3 of 5 stars

The Vanishing Game is everything you would expect in a long chase to discover if someone’s alive. The plot is well thought out and extremely interesting, and the intricate puzzles printed on the page for you to figure out yourself make the experience interactive. I can’t even imagine how long Myers spent working out these puzzles.

Enough twists are thrown in to keep the momentum going throughout places that otherwise would have been dry or tedious, yet in a way the twists let me down. Original t...more

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Feb 17, 2012 Jessica rated it 5 of 5 stars

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...more 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!(less)

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Dec 21, 2011 Kyleigh rated it 4 of 5 stars

I have to say, when I first started reading this, I was severely creeped out. Fifty pages in and I couldn't stay up too late reading this at night. The author definitely plunges you right into the story. When Jocelyn first receives the letter you can only infer from the synopsis as to what it really means. The beginning kind of jumps abruptly from the letter to Jocelyn trying to find Noah. Everything is explained when Jocelyn tells Noah about what has been happening. Not a day back in her childh...more I have to say, when I first started reading this, I was severely creeped out. Fifty pages in and I couldn't stay up too late reading this at night. The author definitely plunges you right into the story. When Jocelyn first receives the letter you can only infer from the synopsis as to what it really means. The beginning kind of jumps abruptly from the letter to Jocelyn trying to find Noah. Everything is explained when Jocelyn tells Noah about what has been happening. Not a day back in her childhood town and her car has already been stolen along with most of her possessions. Noah is her only hope of getting back on her feet and finding out whether or not her brother is still alive.

Facing the horror of Seale House is more difficult than Jocelyn ever expected though. Not only is she starting to hallucinate and black out while in the house, but some of Seale House's nightmares might be real. When some troublesome kids run her out of the house she comes face to face with one of her childhood friends from Seale House. Except it isn't a happy reunion, he wants to kill her. But he is the least of her problems. Someone else is out there stalking her, waiting for the right time to get to her.

As Noah joins her on her search for Jack, they discover the first set of clues. Their childhood games of hiding clues has now turned into a race to find Jack before whoever is chasing them catches up and finishes the job. As the identity of their pursuer is discovered, the company Jack worked for is implicated in the whole mess. Did Jack fake his own death to hide? Or does he have something the company wants?

I have to say I was completely sucked in from beginning to end. I couldn't say for sure what was going on the entire book. I did end up guessing the plot twist, but I honestly didn't think I was right. I was just throwing out completely ludicrous plot twists in my mind and ended up guessing it. Though I have to admit I was NEVER for sure. There seemed to be so much contrary evidence. For one minute I was sure Jack was dead, the next that he was alive, and the most of the time I just plain didn't know. Definitely kept me on my toes the entire story.

I really liked Noah too. Despite all the shit going on around them, Noah and Jocelyn connect. He wasn't your typical heart throb. He was a very complex character and I loved his tough guy attitude and yet he was incredibly smart. Usually computer programmer and taekwondo don't mix, but I liked it XD

I really liked the ending as well. It wasn't picture perfect, if you get my meaning. It still had a good conclusion and Jocelyn was trying to move on and live her dream. I definitely would say the author left a possible opening for a second book, but I don't really know where she'd go with it. I just think that Jocelyn's story isn't over yet. This was definitely a refreshing read. Haven't read something that got me this spooked in a while. The clues were fantastic and clever and just really added to the mystery of the story. (less)

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Dec 19, 2011 Kwinks rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this read. It is a mystery, a paranormal suspense, and a book about secret codes all whipped into one. Jocey is one of the strongest and smartest heroines I have read in a good, long while. She can take care of herself pretty well, but there is an undertone of a slightly unreliable nature to her (she did just lose her twin brother to a horrible car accident).
The Seale House is very strange, but not as strange as the things that happened to the foster children that lived there. S...more

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Nov 04, 2012 kingshearte rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, fiction, teen

This book sounded intriguing, and I liked the idea of puzzles to solve. However, the execution didn't quite work for me. For one thing, there were the puzzles. I kind of think that if you're going to put clues in a book, the reader should have some hope of solving them. Don't get me wrong; the puzzles themselves were certainly solvable (Some of them, anyway. The ones that required the text to be written on specific-shaped paper and folded or wrapped a certain way, I didn't attempt, but apparentl...more This book sounded intriguing, and I liked the idea of puzzles to solve. However, the execution didn't quite work for me. For one thing, there were the puzzles. I kind of think that if you're going to put clues in a book, the reader should have some hope of solving them. Don't get me wrong; the puzzles themselves were certainly solvable (Some of them, anyway. The ones that required the text to be written on specific-shaped paper and folded or wrapped a certain way, I didn't attempt, but apparently you can download and print those too, if you really wanted to see if you could figure them out.). But once solved, the solutions were still just clues, and I'm not sure that Myers provided us with enough of the characters' history to be able to apply those clue to their experience and solve them. So while the puzzles were a fun addition, I didn't really feel like I was in the story, solving the clues.

Aside from that, there were aspects that I liked. The story itself was interesting enough and only took me a day of sporadic reading to chew through it.

But the ending. I'm going to try really hard not to spoil the ending, but really, the ending. Two parts to this. One, the paranormal aspect. To me, at least, the book kind of felt like one where although there seems to be some kind of paranormal weirdness going on, in the end, it should all have a logical explanation. Except it didn't. The paranormal stuff really was just paranormal. At the big reveal, it's all "Surprise! This stuff exists and here it is," which just didn't sit right for me.

And then there was the other aspect of the ending. This part of it was very M. Night Shyamalan to me. A twist that makes you go, "Wait, what?!" and not necessarily in a good way. It works, I guess, but only if you accept the other stuff, the paranormal aspects.

And I think it's the juxtaposition of the two elements that didn't really work for me. I prefer, generally, a more pseudo-realistic thriller, but if I know I'm picking up a paranormal one, then fine, I'll go with that. But this ending was kind of a scientific-ish explanation all entwined with a paranormal one (but not in a paranormal-explained-by-science kind of way), and it just felt like a cop-out.

So there you go. Intriguing premise, fun puzzles to solve, reasonably compelling storyline, sucktastic ending. Make of that what you will.(less)

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Apr 21, 2012 Nah rated it 4 of 5 stars

Bite Me, Book

Oh. My God.

This book sucked me in from the very beginning. It was exciting. Thrilling. Awe-inspiring. It was the adventure of Jocelyn, a nearly 18 year old girl with a troubled past, who follows clues that her twin brother, Jack, sent her. Previously, she thought he had died, but in receiving the letter, she gets desperate in finding him, one of two people in her life that meant everything to her. In her search for her brother, she meets up with the other one person in her life that...more

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Feb 12, 2012 Aeicha rated it 3 of 5 stars

READ THE COMPLETE AND ORIGINAL REVIEW AT WORD SPELUNKING

Kate Kae Myers’ The Vanishing Game is a riveting read with a wicked dose of creepy and a mystery that is both compelling and a bit of a letdown.

MY BRIEF SUMMARY
Seventeen year old Jocelyn has just lost her twin brother and best friend Jack. Growing up, the two siblings relied on one another when dealing with a neglectful mother and abusive foster homes. Three weeks after Jack’s death, Jocelyn receives a letter from her brother and must retur...more

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May 08, 2012 Krista (CubicleBlindness Reviews) rated it 4 of 5 stars

I thought this book had interesting appeal because of the way that Jocelyn has to follow clues left behind by her brother. The clues each leading her to a different place from her past, a past that she'd rather not remember.
Each clue is different, some are riddles, some are paper folding to show certain words and others are purely clues based off her memories of the games they played as they were children.
What I honestly did not expect from the book was how dark it got. The twins ended up havi...more

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Feb 15, 2012 Rebecca rated it 4 of 5 stars

As soon as I read the description for The Vanishing Game I just knew it would be a book I would have to read. Needless to say I did enjoy the book.

The Vanishing Game surprised me a little. I'm not sure why but I didn't think this book would be a dark mystery, I thought it would be lighter. I was definitely wrong in that sense.

As I read deeper into the mystery I found myself wondering what was going on and being drawn into the story so much so that I felt like I couldn't put the book down. I als...more

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Feb 25, 2012 Tanja Seppä rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: worst-books-of-all-time, young-adult, kindle

What a waste of ink! This book is so bad I'm not even sure it's worth five minutes writing a review. I kept reading hoping for the TWIST at the end that held so much surpise. Sadly, I guessed the "twist" somewhere around page 20, so if I was disappointed reading this uninteresting mess, that's nothing with how I felt when I got to the end.

Jocelyn has lost her twin brother. He has left her clues and so she goes back to the horrible Seale house where they were foster kids together to unravel them...more

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Feb 17, 2012 TheBookSmugglers rated it 1 of 5 stars

Original review posted on The Book Smugglers

**THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS. We feel that the book is so ridiculously bad, we need to despoil it in order to save our readers. Just a friendly Public Service Announcement.**

Ana’s Take:

I am not going to sugar coat it: this is the worst book I’ve read in a long, long time. If I sound angry, it is because I am: I spent my well-earned money on this, I spent my precious hours reading it and all of it just feels really wasteful to me. I am not naive enou...more

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Feb 15, 2012 Charlotte Black rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arcs

Synopsis:
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.

Review:
This is a book that will have you thinking and pondering different scenarios even while you're reading it. So much that I, while pondering, just could not put it down. I had to keep going. I had to...more Synopsis:
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.

Review:
This is a book that will have you thinking and pondering different scenarios even while you're reading it. So much that I, while pondering, just could not put it down. I had to keep going. I had to find out the truth.

Even from the first page I was pulled into Jocey's world. Firstly wondering what had happened to make her sneak into Noah's car and stay hidden rather than let him know she was there. Noah was her and brother Jack's best friend while they were foster kids at Seale House. A house that to present day still gives Jocey nightmares.

But things are quite right when Jocey gets into Noahs car. She's received a letter from Jason December, a code name for her dead brother, and its a name that only Jocey, Jack and Noah know about. Of course, Noah eventually finds Jocey and from here on in the plots thicken and thicken, the puzzles keep coming, and the back story fills in the details as this mystery, and very intriguing suspense story continues.

I did get it (you'll know what I mean) about 80% into the story. And I realised I'd read all the clues but hadn't put them together. The characters from Seale House and all the history suddenly made sense, and the whole story was absolutely believeable right until the final page.

This book is creepy, horrifying, heartbreaking, but equally brilliant at the same time. I can't even begin to think how the author came up with all the tiny details that made this book such an amazing read.

The only reason I'm marking this down a star and not giving it 5 out of 5 is the small paranormal aspect which felt like it was thrown into the story just to make it a little more quirky. It wasn't really necessary, there were certainly ways of explaining such things without it.

Overall, I'm so glad I read it. It will have your mind thinking about the story for days after, and if that happens you know you've read a good book.(less)

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Jan 08, 2012 The Reading Countess rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya, arc

I'm not sure what I'd do if I met Kate Kae Myers, the author of The Vanishing Game. Would I hug her for writing a hard-to-put-down book that reminded me at times of the Nancy Drew books of my youth or punch her in the gut for the surprise twist of an ending that I never suspected?

Jocelyn and her twin brother Jack have had to brave it alone for most of their teen lives. Bounced around from home to home and finally landing in a foster home, their only family has been the two of them. But Seale Ho...more

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Feb 18, 2012 Heidi rated it 4 of 5 stars

Four Stars: An exciting, thrilling page turning mystery that will keep you guessing until the final pages.

Jocelyn is still reeling from the death of her twin brother,Jack. Two weeks earlier, he perished in a car crash. Jocelyn is slowly trying to pick up the pieces, until an unexpected letter arrives in the mail. The letter is signed Jack December. An alias, her brother used as a kid when he left her clues for treasure hunts. Jocelyn drops everything and grabs onto the slim hope that somehow Jac...more

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Dec 28, 2011 Asheley rated it 4 of 5 stars

(a similar version of this review can be found here at Into the Hall of Books: http://www.intothehallofbooks.com/201...)

I recently read The Vanishing Game in one sitting and admittedly was a little creeped out. It was a suspenseful mystery story aimed at a younger audience, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. There was a twist at the end that totally threw me for a loop and it has taken me a few days to work through my my thoughts.

Here they are:

1. The Characters.

**Jocelyn. Twin to Jack, bounced in

...more

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About Kate Kae Myers

Kate Kae Myers lives with her family in Boise, Idaho where she works for a local school district as a sign language interpreter. She invites you to visit her website where you can find her full bio, read a sample chapter from The Vanishing Game, follow her blog, and download Jack's clues: www.katekaemyers.com

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Quotes from The Vanishing Game

“Jocelyn: 'I've dated a few nice boys. Though if things got serious, I ended it. I didn't want to involve some poor guy in all the stuff I was carrying around.'

Noah: 'Excess baggage, you mean?'

Jocelyn: 'More like three suitcases, a couple of steamer trunks, and a carry-on.” — 4 people liked it

“Nothing can unite two people like early morning insomnia. It was a bond Jack and I had that you never did. You always slept like you were dead. But at three or four in the morning, when no one else is awake, it’s a lot easier to open up.” — 2 people liked it

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