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The Vanishing of Leah Lockwood
Not yet published
Expected 10 Mar 26When Leah Lockwood dies during a viral challenge on TRENDVERSE—the most addictive social media platform on the planet—her girlfriend Maya is left with nothing but questions. The video was brutal. The dare was dangerous. But Leah wasn’t reckless. Not really.
Now Maya’s determined to find out who’s behind the stunt that went too far. Everyone’s grieving. Everyone’s posting tributes. But someone in their circle is lying. Because Leah wasn’t the first. And she won’t be the last.
Now Maya’s determined to find out who’s behind the stunt that went too far. Everyone’s grieving. Everyone’s posting tributes. But someone in their circle is lying. Because Leah wasn’t the first. And she won’t be the last.
292 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication March 10, 2026
3 people are currently reading
14 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Thank you, Hamley Books and Stefanie Sybans, for letting me review an e-arc of The Vanishing of Leah Lockwood
A thrilling and confronting story about the hidden dangers of addictive viral content. From the very first page, you feel the sensation of Leah Lockwood's drive to feel seen, to be real. Written from her perspective, you understand to a certain extent her motivation to do these crazy daredevillish challenges. This makes you instantly connect with Leah, who turns out to be a victim of the story. We progress further with her best (girl)friend Maya. A totally different character; while portrayed as shy, she's actually very brave in pursuing the secret organization behind TRENDVERSE. Their friendgroup are all very distinct and immediately feels like a family. Each of them experiences grief differently, but they're all loyal to the core, even when Sophia comes onto the scene. I wish there were more little scenes within the friendgroup, so that we can get a better feel about their inner frienddynamic, but it was sufficient enough to give the characters some depth.
The writing is easy to follow, and the pacing is perfect for the scenes. Sometimes, there are chapters of this anonymous user, talking about Leah's last challenge, giving you the creeps as if you're being stalked. I loved that we didn't stay in some random town, but followed the group along their travels. This really complements the feeling of being in motion. Alltogether the story is as addictive and suspenseful as the TRENDVERSE app that set all of this in motion.
The underlying themes of grief, self-exploration, social media addiction, and social pressure felt confrontingly real. These are some heavy topics, but fortunately, there were some light-hearted moments to uplift the mood. Did Maya find justice for Leah and all the other victims of TRENDVERSE? Maybe. The ending was a form of closure and openness.
A thrilling and confronting story about the hidden dangers of addictive viral content. From the very first page, you feel the sensation of Leah Lockwood's drive to feel seen, to be real. Written from her perspective, you understand to a certain extent her motivation to do these crazy daredevillish challenges. This makes you instantly connect with Leah, who turns out to be a victim of the story. We progress further with her best (girl)friend Maya. A totally different character; while portrayed as shy, she's actually very brave in pursuing the secret organization behind TRENDVERSE. Their friendgroup are all very distinct and immediately feels like a family. Each of them experiences grief differently, but they're all loyal to the core, even when Sophia comes onto the scene. I wish there were more little scenes within the friendgroup, so that we can get a better feel about their inner frienddynamic, but it was sufficient enough to give the characters some depth.
The writing is easy to follow, and the pacing is perfect for the scenes. Sometimes, there are chapters of this anonymous user, talking about Leah's last challenge, giving you the creeps as if you're being stalked. I loved that we didn't stay in some random town, but followed the group along their travels. This really complements the feeling of being in motion. Alltogether the story is as addictive and suspenseful as the TRENDVERSE app that set all of this in motion.
The underlying themes of grief, self-exploration, social media addiction, and social pressure felt confrontingly real. These are some heavy topics, but fortunately, there were some light-hearted moments to uplift the mood. Did Maya find justice for Leah and all the other victims of TRENDVERSE? Maybe. The ending was a form of closure and openness.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Author
From the very first chapter, I was completely drawn into the story. What immediately stood out to me and made me excited was the way social media is physically visible in the book. The emojis, hashtags and the presence of the phone are not just added details, but feel like an essential part of the story. It reads as if you are scrolling through a feed yourself, which makes the book feel very realistic.
You can feel the tension and curiosity from the very first pages, making you want to keep reading and find out what happens next. The way suspense is built around the messages and their meaning worked incredibly well for me.
What I found especially strong is that the story never feels distant. Because the phone is literally present in the book, everything feels close and intense. The first chapter immediately grabbed my attention and made it clear that this is a story that won’t easily let you go.
You can feel the tension and curiosity from the very first pages, making you want to keep reading and find out what happens next. The way suspense is built around the messages and their meaning worked incredibly well for me.
What I found especially strong is that the story never feels distant. Because the phone is literally present in the book, everything feels close and intense. The first chapter immediately grabbed my attention and made it clear that this is a story that won’t easily let you go.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I received an ARC of The Vanishing of Leah Lockwood in exchange for an honest review. The characters felt well-developed, and I especially enjoyed how their relationships and pasts played into the larger mystery. The writing is smooth and immersive, making it easy to get lost in the story. Fans of mystery and suspense will definitely want to check this one out.
Review of advance copy received from Author
The Vanishing of Leah Lockwood heeft me echt verrast. Vanaf de eerste pagina zat ik helemaal in het verhaal. De spanning bouwt langzaam maar intens op, en ik bleef maar doorlezen omdat ik móést weten wat er met Leah gebeurd was. Absoluut een aanrader voor wie houdt van sterke mysteries met emotionele diepgang.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews