Vanishing Girls by Lauren Oliver

Vanishing Girls by Lauren Oliver
(Website, Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads)Published by Harper Collins on March 10th 2015
Genres: Family, Girls & Women, Love & Romance, Siblings, Young Adult
Pages: 368
Format: ARC

New York Times bestselling author Lauren Oliver delivers a gripping story about two sisters inexorably altered by a terrible accident.Dara and Nick used to be inseparable, but that was before the accident that left Dara's beautiful face scarred and the two sisters totally estranged. When Dara vanishes on her birthday, Nick thinks Dara is just playing around. But another girl, nine-year-old Madeline Snow, has vanished, too, and Nick becomes increasingly convinced that the two disappearances are linked. Now Nick has to find her sister, before it's too late. In this edgy and compelling novel, Lauren Oliver creates a world of intrigue, loss, and suspicion as two sisters search to find themselves, and each other.

I was very excited to get my hands on another Lauren Oliver story because … well Lauren Oliver means you’re guaranteed a compelling and beautiful story with some twists and turns, and that’s exactly what I got.

Dara and Nick were sisters and inseparable … but then the accident happened and it left Dara scarred and the sisters completely estranged and a family broken.

When Dara disappears on her birthday, she’s convinced that it’s linked to the disappearance of another little girl in town who vanished. Now Nick has to find Dara before it’s too late…. What she finds is a world of secrets and suspicion that will leave you guessing until the very end.

Upon finishing this book, I thrust it at my sister and said “READ THIS” so that I can talk to you about it and we can discuss all of the things. It just so happened that she was traveling for work and had time to read… I ignored her questioning text messages where she needled me to give up clues and make comments because I honestly didn’t want to spoil any twists that are in this story… which leaves me with quite the conundrum in also writing this review.

I’m not going to tell you anything about it, but when you finish, come find me and we’ll chat. What I will say is this. Oliver can tell a dark and twisted story. I found myself entranced with this story of dysfunction and sadness and while I knew that something was going on, I couldn’t quite put my finger on it… until I did and that was the genius of the story itself. Everything just sort of slid into place once I got to a certain point.

I’ll be honest, when I finished, it made me think a bit about another story I read last year and really enjoyed, but there are only slight resemblances. Oliver’s take on this is unique and suspenseful and a book that once I started, I just couldn’t seem to put down.

If you’re a suspense fan and love stories that will keep you guessing to the very end, definitely grab this one upon it’s release!

Thank you to HarperCollins for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest thoughts!

About Lauren Oliver

I was born in Queens and raised in Westchester, New York, in a small town very similar to the one depicted in Before I Fall. My parents are both literature professors, and from a very early age, my sister and I were encouraged to make up stories, draw, paint, dance around in costumes, and essentially spend much of our time living imaginatively. Our house was old and full of art and towers and towers of books, and that’s still the kind of house I like best.

I started writing as a way of extending my love of reading; when I read a book I loved, I would continue to write sequels for it (I was inadvertently a fan fic writer, before “fan fiction” was even a term!). Later on, I began working on my own stories, and keeping company with a lot of imaginary friends.

I pursued literature and philosophy at the University of Chicago, and then moved back to New York to attend NYU’s MFA program in creative writing. I simultaneously began working at Penguin Books, in a young adult division called Razorbill, and while there, I started work on Before I Fall. I left in 2009 to pursue writing full-time, and now I happily work in my pajamas every day.

I have a variety of interests apart from writing, including reading, cooking, traveling, dancing, running, and making up weird songs. Some of my favorite things are: being cozy; fires; autumn; fuzzy slippers; very high heels; great wine; dark chocolate; ketchup; pasta. Things I hate: practical shoes, liars, and bananas. I divide my time between Brooklyn, upstate New York, and various hotel rooms.

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