Vanishing Girls: An Intense Psychological Thriller of Vanishing Girls

I first fell in love with Lauren Oliver’s writing when I read Delirium years back. There was something special about the way she wrote the world and the characters. She pulled me right in and I have never looked back. So when I went to one of her signings in early 2014 and she told us about Vanishing Girls it was a no brainer. I mean as soon as it was available I preordered it. One of the best decisions I have ever made. Vanishing Girls was absolutely fantastic. And right up there with my Delirium love if not a tiny bit above it. Oliver outdid herself with this one. Vanishing Girls is about sisters Nicole and Dara. Although nothing alike, Dara is super popular with a ton of friends while Nick likes to keep to herself with her best friend Parker, the two girls have always been pretty much joined at the hip. Then there is an accident and their relationship is shattered. Nick wants things to go back to the way they were before but she can’t get Dara to talk to her. And when Dara goes missing along with a 9 year old little girl Nick is determined to figure out what happened and get her sister back no matter the cost. It’s hard to say what I loved about Vanishing Girls so much. I honestly found the book to be pure genius. It took me by surprise but at the same time it was filled with everything I expect from a Lauren Oliver book. It was fantastic. Oliver 100% nailed it. The plot was there, the characters were there, and the writing was there. Everything just worked for me and gave me a story that stuck and hit me in just the right places. My heart ached for these sisters, this family, all of the people involved. Everything just hurt for them and much like Nick I wasn’t sure how to fix the hurt. The other thing I really enjoyed was the way the story was told. Chapters were told from either Nick or Dara’s POV from the past or from the now. Some were told in diary format from Dara’s point of view and I think that really added to the story. It gave us some light into Dara’s head space before the accident and what kind of things she was keeping from people and what she was feeling. I think that added a lot to the story in the end. It gave an excellent point of reference for when everything is said and done and adds a small mystery to the story which I love in a good book. I can’t say enough how much I loved Vanishing Girls and think everyone should read it. It kept me interested from the beginning to the end and I loved how everything unfolded and connected. Oliver outdid herself with this one. The plot was pretty epic and the whole story just worked for me. Pick this one up. I’m so happy I have.

Plot: It took a little while to get into, but once it got going, it was intriguing. I never knew what was going to happen next. The two POVs worked well, even with the unexpected twist. The twist was so good and unexpected that I still think I'm in shock. Setting: I can't remember where the setting was exactly, but the overall town felt realistic. I especially liked the theme park. Characters: I thought Nick (Nicole) was a guy at first. Although she seemed a little off, it soon started to make sense. I began to connect with her throughout the book. Having a somewhat troubled little sister of my own (though not really much anything like Dara), I could emphasize with her as well. The twist actually made a lot of since when I thought about it. Seemed very believable. Dara felt just as realistic as Nick, though I didn't connect to her as well. Still, I felt bad for her. I also enjoyed Parker's character, as well as Alice. Relationships: The best relationship, is of course, the one between the two sisters. It's a bit of a love/hate relationship, one that is deeply connected. I know what it's like to have a little sister so it was very easy to relate to it. It also made the entire situation even sadder. I also enjoyed Nick's relationship with Parker. It was complicated but realistically so. And honestly the two seemed to work well together. Nick's relationship with her parents was interesting. They both seemed very distant and worried more about her than her troubled sister. It makes more sense later on, but it was realistic, especially given that they had just divorced. Writing/Voice: I've loved Lauren Oliver's writing since I first picked up Delirum. While I don't always enjoy her books (cough cough Panic cough), her writing is beautiful. It worked well in this one. It's told from two POVS--Nick and her sister, Dara. It also contains diary entries, articles, and e-mails, which also served their purpose. Oliver did a great job with the two POVs. Ending: It was difficult to stop reading the last few chapters, especially the ones working up to the climax. Very exciting. I liked the way this ended, though it also kind of made me sad. Overall: I pre-ordered this because Lauren was offering a signed book plate to anyone who did so. It's actually the first time I've ever pre-ordered anything. It was a very sweet deal--the book plate AND the price--so I'm pretty happy about doing it. I'm especially happy now that I've read the book. I was thinking it would be pretty good (3.5 stars) halfway through, but once the twist was revealed, I just had to bump it up. Delirium is still my favorite, but this was a very good suspense drama. Hoping to see more like this in the future!

Seit „Before I fall“ bin ich ein großer Fan von Lauren Olivers Büchern, weshalb ich jedes mit Freude gelesen habe. Zu Beginn war ich mir nicht sicher, ob sie mich mit Vanishing Girls genauso würde begeistern können wie mit ihren anderen Werken. Es gab einige Handlungsweisen, die ich nicht nachvollziehen konnte, doch am Ende ergibt alles einen Sinn. Alles, was mir zuvor seltsam oder unrealistisch erschien, passt plötzlich ins Bild. Dieses Ende! Es hat mich schockiert, weil ich niemals damit gerechnet hätte. Einen größeren Showdown hätte Lauren Oliver sich kaum einfallen lassen können. Absolut genial! Ihr Schreibstil ist wie gewohnt gut, leicht zu lesen (selbst in Englisch) und sehr gefühlvoll. Fazit: Ein sehr faszinierendes Buch, das mir sobald nicht mehr aus dem Kopf gehen wird.

Foi horrível e este livro acabou comigo. Lauren, te odeio, mulher. Simplesmente não acredito. Vou passar a vida inteiro lembrando deste livro e torcendo para não me acabar em lágrimas. Leiam. 10/10

Me gusto. El final no me lo esperaba. De mis autoras favoritas!

Exactly what I wanted , arrived quickly

Communication Breakdown, It's always the same… I will not tell you to much about the story because that would be spoiling it, but I will tell you that this two sisters became real and I cared for them enough that I felt sad when the book ended. The mystery in the story is about a lost little girl, and two sisters that can not communicate any more. The breakdown of a family that cares for each other but can not get it together enough to heal . Well executed, and touching, with well developed characters and no morbose violence; much more than just a thriller.