"The Vanishing Game" by Kate Kae Myers~ 5 Stars! A Stunner!

A stunner of a suspense/mystery!  This is one of the very best YA fiction 2012 Winter-to-Spring releases!

Published by:  Bloomsbury

Pages:  368

Genre:  YA Fiction/Thriller

VOYA Review:

Abandoned by their unbalanced, abusive mother, twins Jocelyn and Jack relied on each other through a series of foster homes. Jack's sudden death in a car accident leaves Jocelyn reeling and rudderless. Then, a letter bearing a cryptic clue arrives from "Jason December," Jack's alter ego from childhood riddles and treasure hunts. The letter sends Jocelyn back in time to age twelve at a foster home called Seale House, a sinister place that holds dark memories. Believing Jack to be alive, Jocelyn reunites with Noah, an old friend and former resident of Seale House. Together, they face their troubled pasts and follow the trail of obscure clues in hopes that they will lead to Jack. But someone is trying to stop them. Jocelyn's voice rings true as a resilient yet damaged survivor of abuse and neglect. The memories of Seale House are painful for Jocelyn and she frequently turns away before all the details are revealed, which raises the suspicion that she may be an unreliable narrator. The narrative cuts back and forth between a dangerous present and nightmarish flashbacks to the past, the puzzle pieces never quite fitting into place. A gripping mystery with strong but flawed characters, the book is impossible to put down. The reader races to keep up with the plot only to get walloped by a mind-blowing twist ending that turns the entire story upside down. Recommend this to teens who like intrigue, mystery, and suspense. Reviewer: Amy Fiske



This beautiful trailer gives you some of the scenes visited in The Vanishing Game .  Settings in Canada as well as Boston...



The Dame's View :

This is the mind-altering story of foster children surviving under the harshest of circumstances.  Children damaged by abusive and neglectful parents and a foster mother so detestable it's nightmarish even to consider.  Frightening, psychotic, maimed and terrified children who not only slink quietly into corners, but who lurk in pitch black silt-covered basements.

I was riveted to the pages of this book.  I couldn't move!  Sometimes I lost track of time and place.  I dare you to put this book down without reluctance once you start reading it.

Kate Kae Myers is a visceral, visual writer.  She had me driven along a cryptic path, scaring the life out of me at times.  There are shocks, tell-tale signs of the paranormal, creepy and mentally deranged characters. And, such Gothic settings you feel as if you've met the first writer in the steps of an early Anne Rice that you've seen in a great while. Yet, she is a contemporary author who places it all firmly in a current time frame.  I love Kate K. Myers!!

Jocelyn Harte is a brilliant creation.  She's bold and brave searching for her brother by following clues that lead her through a labyrinth of seemingly impossible questions and exotic places.  Myers has drawn her with a complex psychology and an intelligence that makes her unforgettable and vivid.  Noah, the other primary character, is a constant foil to Jocelyn's driven and unrelenting personality.  He's devoted to her, but reluctant and cautious in the pursuit to locate her brother and the secrets Jack's cryptic letter may have meant to lead her.  What powerful and believable characters these are.  The children from the foster home are equally as alive and dire!

"The Vanishing Game" will drive you along a shocking path fraught with hints of the paranormal and the sadistic. There are tell-tale signs I missed.  There are things I never saw coming that rose up to startle me like birds flying in my face from a hidden copse.  I was floored at the ending!  I held my breath many times throughout this book.  My fingers turned blue...

This is the perfect example of a YA fiction that makes the cross over into adult fiction.  It's a book that anyone will love to read, and will recommend to everyone they know.  And, it's a book that will leave an indelible image for a long time on your mind.

5 stars ... stay out of New England cellars!

Deborah/TheBookishDame

PS:  Bostonians will love the settings.