Seventeen-year-old Jocelyn follows clues apparently from her dead twin, Jack, in and around Seale House, the terrifying foster home where they once...
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reviews
Feb 20, 2012
Giselle
rated it: 
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 More...
What stands out the most in this novel, is how baffling More...
12 comments
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Jan 15, 2012
Paige
rated it: 
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 compuls 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 compuls More...
3 comments
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Feb 21, 2012
Caitlin
rated it:
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 nightm More...
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 nightm More...
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Feb 14, 2012
Juliet
rated it:
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 More...
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 More...
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Feb 17, 2012
Jessica
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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 a More...
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 a More...
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Dec 21, 2011
Kyleigh
rated it:
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 ch
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Dec 19, 2011
Kwinks
rated it:
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 th More...
The Seale House is very strange, but not as strange as the things that happened to the foster children that lived th More...
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Feb 12, 2012
Aeicha
rated it: 
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 More...
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 More...
Feb 15, 2012
Rebecca
rated it:
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 More...
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 More...
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Feb 17, 2012
TheBookSmugglers
rated it: 
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 More...
**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 More...
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Feb 15, 2012
Charlotte
rated it:
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 k More...
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 k More...
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Jan 08, 2012
The Reading Countess
rated it:
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. More...
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. More...
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Feb 18, 2012
Heidi
rated it:
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 th More...
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 th More...
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Jan 02, 2012
Asheley
rated it:
(a similar version of this review can be found here at Into the Hall of Books: http://www.intothehallofbooks.com/2012/0...)
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.
1. The Characters.
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.
**JMore...
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Feb 13, 2012
Rebecca
rated it:
Oh. My. Gosh. That’s what kept circulating in my head, both while reading, but also after having finished it. The Vanishing Game is amazingly good and while it wasn’t quite what I’d expected, it proved to be even better than that. Thrilling, mysterious and not a little creepy, it never once left my mind and even now it continues to haunt me. In a nutshell; it blew my mind! Since there’s no way I can sum up this book in a good way, you get the official blurb:
Jocelyn’s twin brother Jac More...
Jocelyn’s twin brother Jac More...
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Feb 20, 2012
Amber
rated it:
Rating: 4.5 stars
Jocelyn and her twin brother Jack were each other’s rocks. They could only count on each other with no father, an unfit mother, and growing up in the foster care system. Now, Jack is dead and Jocelyn is all alone. When she receives a letter from “Jason December”, the code name her brother used when they were children, she knows her brother must still be alive. Only one other person from their past knows about the code name: Noah, a boy they were fostered with at cree More...
Jocelyn and her twin brother Jack were each other’s rocks. They could only count on each other with no father, an unfit mother, and growing up in the foster care system. Now, Jack is dead and Jocelyn is all alone. When she receives a letter from “Jason December”, the code name her brother used when they were children, she knows her brother must still be alive. Only one other person from their past knows about the code name: Noah, a boy they were fostered with at cree More...
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Sep 10, 2011
Rachel
rated it:
Disclaimer: I personally know the author and have had the privilege to read this book in all its manuscript forms, from original conception to current manifestation.
I have been in love with books ever since the summer of my fifth grade year (which was many, many years ago) when our family's TV broke and I started biking to our local library. Ever since then I have been a regular (obsessive) reader of Young Adult fiction. I consider myself a picky reader and value my reading time. I rea More...
I have been in love with books ever since the summer of my fifth grade year (which was many, many years ago) when our family's TV broke and I started biking to our local library. Ever since then I have been a regular (obsessive) reader of Young Adult fiction. I consider myself a picky reader and value my reading time. I rea More...
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Feb 19, 2012
Dr.Mandi
rated it:
So, many of the reviews I read on this book stated that by page 50, those who read it were so terrified they were scared to continue reading at nigh. I am on pg 107, and so far haven't been that frightened. and I scare easily. I was hoping for a scary, super suspenseful read. It is suspenseful, I will give it that. 8 bet by the end I will be eating my words after being scared out of my wits. Who knows. I do know that thus far, I am disappointed with the character Noah. I expected him to be a lit
More...
Feb 07, 2012
~Kate~
rated it:
I wanted to read this book because it sounded really good and I loved the front cover so I knew I had to give it a try. What I never knew was how much I was going to love it.
The Vanishing Game is a completely different kind of book in which I normally read so I wasn't expecting to love it but that's what I did. I loved everything about this book I don't even think that there is anything that I don't like. It was full of twists and turns I never knew what was going to happen next it w More...
The Vanishing Game is a completely different kind of book in which I normally read so I wasn't expecting to love it but that's what I did. I loved everything about this book I don't even think that there is anything that I don't like. It was full of twists and turns I never knew what was going to happen next it w More...
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Jan 31, 2012
Deseret
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This book is unlike any other I have read. In a world of well-worn and weary plot-lines, this story comes off the presses as something other: a unique tale charged with scintillating action and unforgettable characters. Sit back as the narrative winds you immediately into its fabric, and leads you places you had not even considered. All of of this takes flight from the luxurious indulgence of some of the finest prose in all of modern fiction. The Vanishing Game is definitely not to be missed.The Vanishing Game
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Feb 18, 2012
Heather
rated it:
This is the only book I've ever read that actually terrified me and sent chills up my spine. It only had one part that did that to me, but it was sufficiently creepy to have me pull the covers up and wish my husband wasn't on a business trip while I was reading it! It happens in Seale House, the foster home that Jocelyn grew up in when she was younger. But it's been burnt down partially. It' not known by whom, but it's still accessible because Jocelyn is in the cellar of this creepy house when
More...
Feb 21, 2012
MaryAnn
rated it:
When I read what The Vanishing Game was about, I immediately felt drawn in (and I hadn’t even read the first page yet *shocked face*). To me, it sounded like some sort of psychological mind game mystery novel where the reader would be guessing and guessing until BOOM! You face the dark truth of what is really supposed to be happening in the novel. However I will tell you later on in the review if this novel was as mind tricky as I believed it to be.
So first off, I absolutely fell in More...
So first off, I absolutely fell in More...
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Feb 02, 2012
Rebekka
rated it:
3.5 Stars
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 thin 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 thin More...
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Feb 16, 2012
Heidi
rated it:
This was not the right week for this book. I was supposed to be packing, moving and cleaning, but instead the only thing I wanted to do was keep reading! I finally stayed up late last night to finish the book.
Teenager Jocelyn, living in a foster home in New York, is mourning the death of her twin brother, Jack, in a car accident a few weeks earlier. But suddenly she receives a letter which appears to be from him. The letter contains a clue which sends her back to Seale House, the More...
Teenager Jocelyn, living in a foster home in New York, is mourning the death of her twin brother, Jack, in a car accident a few weeks earlier. But suddenly she receives a letter which appears to be from him. The letter contains a clue which sends her back to Seale House, the More...
Feb 05, 2012
FABR Steph
rated it:
As posted to: http://fivealarmbookreviews.com/2012/02/...
5- Alarm Thoughts
Beginning – The Vanishing Game has a wonderful plot that hits the ground running. Things happen quickly and the reader in quickly drawn in by the many questions that are introduced and the journey begins.
Characters – MC Jocelyne is likable, interesting, and full of mystery. She is one tough cookie, facing things head on that most people would run from. Noah’s character is not as well developed, More...
5- Alarm Thoughts
Beginning – The Vanishing Game has a wonderful plot that hits the ground running. Things happen quickly and the reader in quickly drawn in by the many questions that are introduced and the journey begins.
Characters – MC Jocelyne is likable, interesting, and full of mystery. She is one tough cookie, facing things head on that most people would run from. Noah’s character is not as well developed, More...
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Feb 09, 2012
Allison (The Allure of Books)
rated it:
You guys, reading The Vanishing Game by Kate Kae Myers is like going on a thrill ride. You never know what is around the corner – and it always manages to surprise you! Still, that being said: I was a little disappointed in this one.
Basically, Jocelyn’s brother, Jack, is missing (after he supposedly dies in a car accident) and she enlists their childhood friend Noah to help her search for him. Jack leaves clues for them all over the place, similar to games they played when they were More...
Basically, Jocelyn’s brother, Jack, is missing (after he supposedly dies in a car accident) and she enlists their childhood friend Noah to help her search for him. Jack leaves clues for them all over the place, similar to games they played when they were More...
Feb 19, 2012
Veronica
rated it:
A new exciting thriller that will leave you thinking about it for a long time after you are finished reading it.
The Vanishing Game leads us on a crazy scavenger hunt after clues that Jack has left his sister Jocelyn. Jocelyn thinks her brother has been dead for three weeks but then she receives a letter from him containing a clue, just like he used to do when they were on foster care at Seale House. The first thing she does is reunite with an old friend, Noah, together they used to sol More...
The Vanishing Game leads us on a crazy scavenger hunt after clues that Jack has left his sister Jocelyn. Jocelyn thinks her brother has been dead for three weeks but then she receives a letter from him containing a clue, just like he used to do when they were on foster care at Seale House. The first thing she does is reunite with an old friend, Noah, together they used to sol More...
Jan 17, 2012
Nafiza
rated it:
You know, I went into The Vanishing Game expecting very different things than I found there. Is that a satisfactorily ambiguous comment or should I try again?
(Aside: I keep on thinking how much I want to see more of Miyazaki's works while I'm trying to write this.)
I found it difficult to get into the book initially. Major obstacles came in the form of awkward characterizations. One of the notes I took while reading is: "It's strange that Jocelyn uses "I" More...
(Aside: I keep on thinking how much I want to see more of Miyazaki's works while I'm trying to write this.)
I found it difficult to get into the book initially. Major obstacles came in the form of awkward characterizations. One of the notes I took while reading is: "It's strange that Jocelyn uses "I" More...
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Jan 12, 2012
Annmarie
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Story line:
Weeks ago Jocelyn’s twin brother Jack died in an accident. Finding it hard to cope with the loss of her brother but it’s not only that he was her best friend the only one she truly trusted. Then she gets a letter from her brother using his old code name dropping everything she sets out to follow her brother’s clues but they lead her into a dark and upsetting past. She joins up with an old friend and together they plain to learn the truth. Over the course of the next few days J More...
Weeks ago Jocelyn’s twin brother Jack died in an accident. Finding it hard to cope with the loss of her brother but it’s not only that he was her best friend the only one she truly trusted. Then she gets a letter from her brother using his old code name dropping everything she sets out to follow her brother’s clues but they lead her into a dark and upsetting past. She joins up with an old friend and together they plain to learn the truth. Over the course of the next few days J More...
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Dec 23, 2011
Lauren
rated it:
As soon as I first heard about this one, I KNEW that I HAD to read it. The summary made it sound like a delightfully creepy YA thriller. The cover was gorgeous as well as eye catching. In addition, this had been compared to The Lying Game by Sara Shepard, a book I had read and loved last year! Thankfully, The Vanishing Game ended up being just my kind of book! Full of thrill as well as plenty of twists and turns, it kept me guessing until the very last page, something that rarely occurs!
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