The Rules for Disappearing
Don't miss this unputdownable mystery from Ashley Elston, the New York Times bestselling author of First Lie Wins, a Reese's Book Club pick!
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 of 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.
BUY THE BOOK
Community Reviews
See this review and more on my blog Lilybloombooks
A copy was provided by the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review
3.5stars
The Rules for disappearing was one of my top must haves this year. I can’t honestly specify why, since mystery/thrillers hadn’t been my cup of tea until recently. Although it wasn’t as great as I anticipated or hoped for, it did not disappoint.
“Meg” is on yet another move with her stint in the witness protection program. It’s pretty clear right off that this move is different– with drastic changes to her appearance. Defeated and worn down, she swears off making friends and instead, chooses to isolate herself. But after meeting Ethan, things start to change. As their relationship builds and the two grow closer together, Meg is determined to stay and find out exactly what happened to land their family in the program. As secrets start to unfold, and the full details of what happened comes to light, she sets off with Ethan to set things right.
I will admit upfront– I figured a few things out pretty early on. Not all of it, because there are so many things presenting itself. However, although I figured one twist, I was still shocked and thrown by the other small revelations. I often find myself trying to piece together some seriously far-fetched shit, so I tend to lose focus on what is really happening.
In any case- Ashley Elston does an amazing job with the suspense factor. I was on my toes the entire book with thoughts of “What the hell is going on!?” constantly on my mind. The plot was different something I haven’t seen much in YA. Honestly though, it was slightly less than realistic that this person would continue after such a long time to track them down. *shrug* The pacing of the book was perfect for me. Creating a more suspenseful vibe with room to constantly question what the heck was going on.
Meg’s character is what I like to see in these types of books. Strong, brave, bold and paranoid. Yes, paranoid. It kind of makes sense since they are in the Witness Protection Program. There is obviously a reason. She has reason to be and I like that she stayed on her toes and never let her guard down. She was pretty dense, yes, but still paranoid. Her protectiveness and love for her sister, Tiny, was admirable.
Ethan, with his cute accent and charm, is drawn to Meg and her mysterious behavior. I thought it was quite pushy at first and even one incident in particular sent up stalker flags. Set that aside though– he’s pretty smart and resourceful and I liked their slow building relationship. He was great with Meg’s sister too.
While I did really enjoy this- I wasn’t a fan of how things were “wrapped up”. This is one of those times where I want to know WHY and HOW. I walked away from this book with too many questions. Set up for the next book? YES, I think so.
Overall- This was an interesting, suspenseful read; albeit a little far-fetched. I am looking forward to the sequel. I recommend it to anyone who loves books in this genre.
A copy was provided by the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review
3.5stars
The Rules for disappearing was one of my top must haves this year. I can’t honestly specify why, since mystery/thrillers hadn’t been my cup of tea until recently. Although it wasn’t as great as I anticipated or hoped for, it did not disappoint.
“Meg” is on yet another move with her stint in the witness protection program. It’s pretty clear right off that this move is different– with drastic changes to her appearance. Defeated and worn down, she swears off making friends and instead, chooses to isolate herself. But after meeting Ethan, things start to change. As their relationship builds and the two grow closer together, Meg is determined to stay and find out exactly what happened to land their family in the program. As secrets start to unfold, and the full details of what happened comes to light, she sets off with Ethan to set things right.
I will admit upfront– I figured a few things out pretty early on. Not all of it, because there are so many things presenting itself. However, although I figured one twist, I was still shocked and thrown by the other small revelations. I often find myself trying to piece together some seriously far-fetched shit, so I tend to lose focus on what is really happening.
In any case- Ashley Elston does an amazing job with the suspense factor. I was on my toes the entire book with thoughts of “What the hell is going on!?” constantly on my mind. The plot was different something I haven’t seen much in YA. Honestly though, it was slightly less than realistic that this person would continue after such a long time to track them down. *shrug* The pacing of the book was perfect for me. Creating a more suspenseful vibe with room to constantly question what the heck was going on.
Meg’s character is what I like to see in these types of books. Strong, brave, bold and paranoid. Yes, paranoid. It kind of makes sense since they are in the Witness Protection Program. There is obviously a reason. She has reason to be and I like that she stayed on her toes and never let her guard down. She was pretty dense, yes, but still paranoid. Her protectiveness and love for her sister, Tiny, was admirable.
Ethan, with his cute accent and charm, is drawn to Meg and her mysterious behavior. I thought it was quite pushy at first and even one incident in particular sent up stalker flags. Set that aside though– he’s pretty smart and resourceful and I liked their slow building relationship. He was great with Meg’s sister too.
While I did really enjoy this- I wasn’t a fan of how things were “wrapped up”. This is one of those times where I want to know WHY and HOW. I walked away from this book with too many questions. Set up for the next book? YES, I think so.
Overall- This was an interesting, suspenseful read; albeit a little far-fetched. I am looking forward to the sequel. I recommend it to anyone who loves books in this genre.
I absolutely LOVED this book. I am super glad I got a chance to read this book as it was like nothing I have ever read before. This book was about this girl named Megan, who has had several identities in several different places before this one. She tried not to get too attached to someone because deep down she knew she would have to move again, leaving her with a broken heart. This time it was hard for her to resist falling in love with Ethan. As they both began to get closer and closer Ethan could sense that Megan was hiding something from him. She was hiding the fact she was under Witness Protection and that soon they would have to move again for better protection for their family. Once Megan came clean about her secret she and Ethan fought together to get out of Witness Protection so that they could live normal lives as two lovers. In the beginning of the book, Megan was a girl who had several identities, cared for her sister and cleaned after their alcoholic mother. Towards the middle she was a girl who was insanely in love. Finally towards the ending, Megan was a girl who is startled as she reads a note stating that she and her "enemy" will meet again. Although the characters emotions and situations were constantly changing there was only one thing that remained the same (a good thing), and that was her bond with her sister. I would recommend this book to people who are willing to read about mysteries and about storylines that are diverse from the rest! All in all, this book was definitely worth reading.
See why thousands of readers are using Bookclubs to stay connected.