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The Vanishing Game
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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
Jocelyn's twin brother Jack was the only family she had growing up in a world of foster h ...more
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Hardcover, 353 pages
Published
February 14th 2012
by Bloomsbury USA Childrens
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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
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
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
**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
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
What stands out the most in this novel, is how baffling it all is ...more
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 ...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 that somehow ...more
Review also posted at Ja čitam, a ti?
Even though, I'm always going on about how I want to read some mystery stories, I never to. Why? Well, first they usually aren't that mysterious and well I do watch plenty of TV crime shows, so I kinda of need a break sometimes. But it turned out that a real mystery has found me now. Go figure.
Speaking about OTP! So, it's not a strange thing that I love damaged characters in my stories, so when I got to meet Jocelyn here we clicked from the start. There is j ...more
Even though, I'm always going on about how I want to read some mystery stories, I never to. Why? Well, first they usually aren't that mysterious and well I do watch plenty of TV crime shows, so I kinda of need a break sometimes. But it turned out that a real mystery has found me now. Go figure.
Speaking about OTP! So, it's not a strange thing that I love damaged characters in my stories, so when I got to meet Jocelyn here we clicked from the start. There is j ...more
To be honest I really wasn't expecting this story to be creepy but yet as I was reading the first few chapters I couldn't help but be thankful that I had started reading it in the middle of the day when it was still light out and the shadows in the room couldn't reek havoc with my imagination.
I wasn't really sure what was going throughout this book. I will admit that the author had me stumped.
Was the house haunted? Were their demons? Ghosts? Was Jocelyn doing it? Cole? Someone else?
What in the ...more
I wasn't really sure what was going throughout this book. I will admit that the author had me stumped.
Was the house haunted? Were their demons? Ghosts? Was Jocelyn doing it? Cole? Someone else?
What in the ...more
Dec 20, 2014
Kelly (Diva Booknerd)
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
bloomsbury
http://www.divabooknerd.com/2015/01/t...
The Vanishing was completely unexpected. I found myself immersed from the first few pages, and unable to tear myself away. It follows the story of Jocelyn, grieving the loss of her twin brother Jack who was tragically killed. Growing up in the neglectful and abusive orphanage, both relied on Noah for guidance and to keep them safe. But an incident caused Jocelyn to flee, landing the twins in a loving foster home while they lost track of Noah's whereabouts ...more
The Vanishing was completely unexpected. I found myself immersed from the first few pages, and unable to tear myself away. It follows the story of Jocelyn, grieving the loss of her twin brother Jack who was tragically killed. Growing up in the neglectful and abusive orphanage, both relied on Noah for guidance and to keep them safe. But an incident caused Jocelyn to flee, landing the twins in a loving foster home while they lost track of Noah's whereabouts ...more
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
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
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!
From the ...more
From the ...more
(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.
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.
**Jocelyn. Twin to Jack, bounced in...more
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 was such a th ...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 was such a th ...more
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 solve the clu ...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 solve the clu ...more
After reading the comments/reviews on this one, I think I'm the minority here...
But Definitely in a good way! 😁😁😊😊
I've read another novel by Kate Kae Myers, the more popular one- INHERIT MIDNIGHT and yes, it was good and I've seen people comparing this one to that but I want to clarify that.... THEY ARE TOTALLY DIFFERENT! Inherit midnight was a adventure, ' finding secret treasure-like" read, THIS ONE was a proper thriller read.
1) THE STORY: It follows a trail of Jocelyn and Noah, the main lea ...more
But Definitely in a good way! 😁😁😊😊
I've read another novel by Kate Kae Myers, the more popular one- INHERIT MIDNIGHT and yes, it was good and I've seen people comparing this one to that but I want to clarify that.... THEY ARE TOTALLY DIFFERENT! Inherit midnight was a adventure, ' finding secret treasure-like" read, THIS ONE was a proper thriller read.
1) THE STORY: It follows a trail of Jocelyn and Noah, the main lea ...more
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
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
Huh. It could really have been better. I really loved Inherit Midnight so I was expecting something like that. It WAS a quick read, so that was nice, but overall it wasn't great, and the ending was awful.
...more
This was a very enjoyable, creepy, loaded with twists young adult read. What an awesome debut by this author. Furthermore, I think the book was clean enough even for a younger teen audience.
Enjoyed this book! Great unexpected twist at the end! I look forward to reading more books by this author.
I was kinda on the fence with this book but the ending really saved it for me. I kept wanting to put this one down but something about it stopped me and I just kept reading. I really liked the Jason December and all the clues Jack left for Jocelyn. I didn’t know who to trust by the end of it. About page 200 or so is where I really got into the story. I think I will hang onto this one for a little while longer and read it again in the future.
3.75 stars. I took a bit away because the ending was just okay. Also, too many stumbling blocks were figured out way too easy. The suspense was great, and seeing the background really helped, but sometimes it felt like something was missing. It was so easy for them to figure out the puzzles, but you didn't know why until after. But it happened all the time. Hard to put into words without spoiling things, but I just found things a bit too easy.
...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 ...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 nightmares, and once they got ...more
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 love with t ...more
So first off, I absolutely fell in love with t ...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 childh
...more
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" when saying "I was ten" since she is tal ...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" when saying "I was ten" since she is tal ...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 ...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 keep going. I had to ...more
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 creepy children ...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 creepy children ...more
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
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
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
The Seale House is very strange, but not as strange as the things that happened to the foster children that lived there. S ...more
As you could have seen in my rant/review, I went to find another copy somewhere else since the paperback was once again delayed.
Now that I have read this book, I am even more pissed off that people who wait for the paperback have to miss such an awesome story.
And awesome it was, believe me. Of course not the entire book is awesome, at times I was bored, at other times I was rolling my eyes at the whole impossibility of things. This is also the one reason why this book didn't get the whole full s ...more
Now that I have read this book, I am even more pissed off that people who wait for the paperback have to miss such an awesome story.
And awesome it was, believe me. Of course not the entire book is awesome, at times I was bored, at other times I was rolling my eyes at the whole impossibility of things. This is also the one reason why this book didn't get the whole full s ...more
I'm going to start my review by quoting another reviewer, named Karen. Her review is top on this book and it deserves to be.
"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."
There are three elements meant to quicken your heartbeat in this story. One is the Da Vinci style puzzle clue leading to puzzle clue, one is the firs ...more
"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."
There are three elements meant to quicken your heartbeat in this story. One is the Da Vinci style puzzle clue leading to puzzle clue, one is the firs ...more
Dat was one freaktastic journey,creepy to the core and i am afraid i would be lying if i said i didnt enjoy it.
Interesting premise,captivating characters,nerve chilling storyline,goose bump inducing suspence....all in all it was perfect...just cant stop myself from reliving through those vivid images it plastered into my overcreative brain!!
coming to the plot this story tells us about a teen orphaned gal named jocelyn who starts a journey in search of her killed twin brother through the help of ...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What's the Name o...: SOLVED. Mystery book (fiction, I believe) about a girl who is looking for her brother who is actually died in a car crash. She said she he sends her clues of where to find him. [s] | 5 | 46 | Mar 01, 2020 06:49AM | |
| Recommendations for books like The Vanishing Game. | 2 | 26 | Jun 06, 2012 11:29AM |
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“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.”
—
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“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.”
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More quotes…
Noah: 'Excess baggage, you mean?'
Jocelyn: 'More like three suitcases, a couple of steamer trunks, and a carry-on.”
