The Vanishing Game by Kate Kae Myers

The Vanishing Game
by Kate Kae Myers
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Publication date: February 14, 2012
Genre: YA Suspense/Mystery

Buy:Barnes and Noble /Amazon /Book Depository

Seventeen-year-old Jocelyn follows clues apparently from her dead twin, Jack, in and around Seale House, the terrifying foster home where they once lived. With help from childhood friend Noah she begins to uncover the truth about Jack's death and the company that employed him and Noah.

Jocelyn's twin brother Jack was the only family she had growing up in a world of foster homes-and now he's dead, and she has nothing. Then she gets a cryptic letter from "Jason December"-the code name her brother used to use when they were children at Seale House, a terrifying foster home that they believed had dark powers. Only one other person knows about Jason December: Noah, Jocelyn's childhood crush and their only real friend among the troubled children at Seale House.

But when Jocelyn returns to Seale House and the city where she last saw Noah, she gets more than she bargained for. Turns out the house's powers weren't just a figment of a childish imagination. And someone is following Jocelyn. Is Jack still alive? And if he is, what kind of trouble is he in? The answer is revealed in a shocking twist that turns this story on its head and will send readers straight back to page 1 to read the book in a whole new light(synopsis from Goodreads)

The Vanishing Game is the debut novel of Kate Kae Myers. It is a young-adult paranormal fiction that was thoroughly entertaining.  Complete with an evil house, creepy characters and a slew of clues that kept me guessing. The synopsis promises an ending that will shock you and shock me it did. This was an intense, action packed, spooky thriller that kept me enthralled.

We are introduced to protagonist seventeen year old Jocelyn. We learn that her twin brother, Jack, died in an auto accident and she has been having trouble dealing with it. She lives with her foster parents and is planning a camping trip with friends, when she receives a letter in the mail that changes everything. It is a letter written from her dead brother. The letter has her heading back to Seale House, a horrible foster home that she and Jack lived in. When her car and clothes are stolen, she reaches out to their childhood friend Noah. Together the two of them begin a scavenger hunt to collect clues and unravel the messages that Jack is sending them. It has them visiting historical sites, solving riddles and hiding from danger. It turns out that Jack’s former employer and a very dangerous man are both searching for something Jack had. This places Jocelyn and Noah in danger as they become the prime targets. The tale that unfolds is fast paced. Fans of suspense and intrigue will love the chase to uncover clues. The ending was a complete shock and totally brilliant.

The characters Myers created are all unique and well fleshed out. I liked Jocelyn and despite the flaws created by her history, she is smart and at times fearless. Noah was a little mysterious and I wasn’t sure of him, but thankfully Myers sets me straight. The foster kids from Seale House were terrifying, especially Corner Boy. The men pursuing them definitely added to the tales creepiness. The romance while a side story was cute and seeing these two flawed characters interact was fun.

Myers does a fantastic job with world-building and flashbacks. She brings Seale House to life and the horror that occurred and occurs when Jocelyn returns kept me on the edge of my seat. Myers feed us clues as she delivered suspenseful moment after suspenseful moment. All of which kept me turning the pages waiting to catch my breath.  The tale was believable and had my mind racing with questions. Is Jack alive, if not who is sending clues? What did he uncover? Who are the good guys and what dark entity is in Seale House? It’s been a week since I finished this and I still get chills thinking about the house.

I highly recommend The Vanishing Game to fans of mystery, suspense and mild horror. This was an entertaining and suspenseful read. I will be adding Myers to my list of authors to watch.  The Vanishing Game is currently available in eBook and paper formats.

I gave this novel 4 coffee cups out of 5.  

Kate Kae Myers

Website

Have you read this and do you like suspenseful creepy novels?