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Synopsis:
She’s been six different people in six different places: Madeline in Ohio, Isabelle in Missouri, Olivia in Kentucky... But now that she’s been transplanted to rural Louisiana, she has decided that this fake identity will be her last.
Witness Protection has taken nearly everything from her. But for now, they’ve given her a new name, Megan Rose Jones, and a horrible hair color. For the past eight months, Meg has begged her father to answer one question: What on earth did he do – or see—that landed them in this god-awful mess? Meg has just about had it with all the Suits’ rules—and her dad’s silence. If he won’t help, it’s time she got some answers for herself.
But Meg isn’t counting on Ethan Landry, an adorable Louisiana farm boy who’s too smart for his own good. He knows Meg is hiding something big. And it just might get both of them killed. As they embark on a perilous journey to free her family once and for all, Meg discovers that there’s only one rule that really matters—survival.
I’m not sure what it is with me and endings. I noticed that every now and then I get really engrossed in a book, thinking I’ve found one I really enjoy, only to be disappointed by the ending. Maybe it has something to do with cliffhangers? When I first picked up The Rules for Disappearing, I had no idea it was going to have a sequel. I picked off a library shelf, decided I liked the sound of the blurb and so went ahead to borrow it. Only when I logged it as currently reading on Goodreads did I notice that there is a sequel. The ending of a book also screams for one. There are too many open ended questions at the end, so in a way it’s a given. On the other hand, I almost feel like these things were purposely put in place to warrant a sequel. Whatever it is, I’m not going to dwell too much on it because aside from the last 30 to 40 pages or so, I did enjoy reading The Rules for Disappearing.
The narrative flowed well, and I think it was believable, considering that it was supposed to be from the perspective of a 16-year-old girl. The fears and worries of Rose were very well-encapsulated in the voice. Rose was thrust in a position that required a fair bit of responsibility for a teenager, what with taking care of her 11-year-old sister and having to be fairly self-sufficient thanks to a mother who resorted to alcoholism to deal with their family problems. Her father tried to keep the family together though, so Rose did not come off as an adult in a teenager’s body in any sense of the word.
Now, Witness Protection. I think that is the main draw of this book. The thrill of being on the run and also of the unknown. I do have to say that despite all the mystery that surrounds Rose, the thrill factor isn’t exactly high. It should be on the part of Rose but it doesn’t translate all that urgently onto the page, I think. Nonetheless, Rose’s past and Rose’s present come well together and make her story pretty intriguing. For those who are taken in by dreams and what they mean, you’ll likely also getting into Rose’s dreams as you try to figure out what they mean and how memories, thoughts and consciousness as a whole might factor in.
All along as I was reading, I felt like I was waiting for something big to happen. It never did. At least not big enough for me. Perhaps that big event I felt myself set up for is yet to come in The Rules for Breaking but because it didn’t really happen here in this book, I felt underwhelmed. Don’t get me wrong, like I said, I enjoyed reading it but because of all that potential I saw, I felt like that ultimate hook didn’t show. In other words, that major climax in the plot didn’t show.
I’m glad to have read your review on The Rules of Disappearing. Having read the synopsis this book sounded like my kind of YA read – that thought has since changed. First of all, like you, I didn’t realise there was a sequel. I don’t know if the sequel is needed or what because obviously I haven’t read the book however it does seem to me like it’s being dragged out. Also, your thoughts on the book lead me to believe that it is a pleasant read and nothing more – I was expecting big things from The Rules of Disappearing. I think I’ll steer clear for now.
:-)
I guess I’ll find out if it was really necessary to write a sequel when it comes out in a few months. Somehow I’m convinced one book would’ve been enough. Instead of writing two 300-page books, maybe just publish a 450-page book. But lengthy books like that are uncommon in YA, so that might not have been a solution either.