Rules for Vanishing

4.5 STARSEveryone has stopped looking for Becca. Everyone but her sister, Sara.It’s been one year since Becca vanished into the woods, and since then, no one has seen any sign of her. Everyone but Sara, her sister, has given up on finding her, given up on even looking for her.On the anniversary of Becca’s disappearance, though, a strange text invites Sara’s entire high school to play “the game,” the one that nods to local legend Lucy Gallows, and her disappearing road in the woods. Before long, Sara and her estranged friends walk that road, a years’ distance between them all, and a single night’s many dangers ahead.Their search for Becca has begun once more, but there’s no promise that everyone will live to see it through. On the road, there are dangers none of them could imagine in their wildest dreams.But the road is waiting. Becca is waiting. And above it all hangs the specter of Lucy Gallows, who has been waiting the longest of all.“You kill a person by stopping their heart. You kill a road by stopping its purpose.”Rules for Vanishing is not a book I would want to read after dark. Partly because I’m a certified big chicken who wouldn’t touch this with a ten foot pole if it were a movie, and partly because it’s just that creepy. Told in the form of interview transcripts, found footage transcriptions, and written recollections, it unspools at a gradually building pace, all while stripping the reader of their defenses and creeping up behind them.For every page of relative quiet, of uncertainty, there is another page with steadily mounting horror, and still another with the vicious, terrifying consequences of failing to follow the rules of the road. There’s never a point the characters feel truly safe, but even when they seem less vulnerable than usual, a sense of being watched, of being led along like puppets on a string, pervades the story.And the moments of brutality that arrive? The gory details, the vicious destruction? It all comes with an air of uncertainty that almost makes you feel helpless. You do not know where these terrible things come from. You do not know if they can be stopped. All you know is that they are here and they are cruel and you are so so so small in the face of their monstrosity.Why did I, a known weenie when it comes to horror, read a book like this? Mostly because of Kal @ Reader Voracious and her high praise, but also because it’s irresistible. You know nothing good will happen in this book, and still. You read it anyway.Rules for Vanishing can get away with its sheer brutality because its cast is so strong.Isn’t that what makes good horror shine? Not just an atmosphere that makes itself at home in your bones, whispering all the little things that could go wrong, but the characters who charm you, the ones you wish would survive, just this once. In this aspect, Rules for Vanishing goes above and beyond, crafting each character with a sense of rich fullness that makes every loss along the way that much more terrifying.Every single member of the cast feels like a real teen, from the ways they miscommunicate and isolate themselves, to the ways they close ranks to protect their own against bullying. (More than once, characters bully another, and if they don’t stop, they’re not tolerated. It was incredibly refreshing to read, especially given that the group isn’t on perfect terms with one another all the time, but they still wouldn’t tolerate any true cruelty toward one another).Of them all, Sara was naturally my favorite. She is the lead, and most of the story is told from her perspective (found footage and interview transcripts aside). However, she is a deeply unreliable narrator, a technique Kate Alice Marshall pulls off to absolutely devastating effect, and not everything she sees is in its truest form. Her struggle to do the right thing, to see her journey through to the end of the road, couples so well with her prickly exterior and her gradual efforts to mend some of the distance between herself and her friends. Her complexity is incredible, and it adds layers to the story that only accentuate the horror elements.The rest of the cast, though, also boasts strong characterization. If they didn’t, their setbacks wouldn’t matter as much. Their sacrifices wouldn’t matter. But their relationships with one another varying in terms of warmth, of closeness, of depth, and every single character benefits from it.While reading Rules for Vanishing, you don’t want anyone to die.You also don’t get what you wish for.This is a book for fans of found footage, and readers who like a little bit of the unexplained in their horror.Rules for Vanishing won’t answer every question you have. It will tease you and tempt you, and then it will crush you without a hint of mercy. But it does so in a way that makes you want more. What mysteries reach the point of resolution tangle with matters yet unsolved, and it certainly left me on the edge of my seat. I even forgot my laundry, and had little interest in eating dinner until I’d reached the last page. A horror book has to work hard to keep me invested without scaring me away.But Kate Alice Marshall made it happen. Rules for Vanishing is a siren song of horror books, crafted like a dream.Just remember: once you’re on the road, there’s no turning back.CW: loss of a loved one, suicide, self-harm, underage drinking, gore, child abuse, body horror, violence, ableism

I personally loved the book, the characters, the plot, the end(kind of) the thriller and suspense was amazing just that the small problem was that it couldn’t keep me hooked. Unlike other books which I love and could read in less than two days this one took me a whole two weeks! Of course doesn’t mean I didn’t like it, it just lost me at some points in the book.(Well that could’ve just been my fault). Still the twists and turns were good just that✨Spoiler✨WHY THE HECK DID IT HAVE TO BE ANTHONY WHO STAYED BEHIND!!!!!! IT LITERALLY COULD’VE BEEN BECCA SHE WAS THE ONE WHO WAS SO INTERESTED IN THAT STUPID ROAD SO SHE SHOULD’VE BEEN THE ONE TO STAY!!!!! AHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I read Kate Alice Marshall books in reverse, starting with I Am Still Alive, then Our Last Echoes, and then Rules for Vanishing. She is absolutely wonderful! These books are amazing! Rules for Vanishing is an “Ashford File” book, like Our Last Echoes, so it is dark, mysterious, creepy, and full of scary and supernatural stuff. I loved it and devoured it in a few days. The ending was an unexpected twist, especially because of the connection to Our Last Echoes, which I’d read first.In the story, Sara’s adopted sister Becca vanished a year ago, and although everyone has given up the search, Sara is determined to find her. Sara believes she has gone into the woods and is lost on The Road. Sara convinces (tricks?) a group of her friends to join her on this terrifying journey.Not everyone comes home. Because at some point they break the rules:Don’t leave the road.Don’t let go.Don’t follow other roads.

Holy mother of all that is good.Okay. Okay- I’m calm. I’m freaked out AF, but I’m calm.WHAT JUST HAPPENED!? Seriously!? I need to know more!This book is told through interviews, cell phone footage and of course first person POVs.It definitely brought on The Blair Witch Project vibes. I mean SOMEONE PLEASE MAKE THIS A MOVIE!Okay, I knew it was creepy and I read some reviews about how good it is, but I thought ‘it’s YA, it’s won’t be that scary’ WRONG.It’s not bloody or gory, but holy crap is it freaky. Like I didn’t want to read more (I was that scared), but I HAD I mean HAD to find out what happens.Quick synopsis: 9 teenagers go on a supernatural road to find their friend. Mayhem ensues, people die and disappear, rules are broken and only a few come out alive.Want a spooky, scary and down right freaky read?! Rules for Vanishing is it!Short review: mystery, adventure, love, thrills, loyalty and the supernatural all rolled into one AWESOME book.

Really interesting story structure, and I love Marshall's prose. The descriptions are as beautiful as they are horrifying. Perfect for spooky season.

This book is worth a read if you like found footage horror movies. The plot is compelling, and there are several twist/turns throughout the book to keep you interested! The horror elements are well done, but I can't give it a 5 as the ending was not as great as the rest of the book. It wasn't bad, but as I was more interested in the middle then the end. Overall, definitely worth the price and convinced me to read more from the author!

I loved the premise of this book – a spooky path to nowhere and a local ghost legend! The style is reminiscent of The Blair Witch Project and although it is spooky, it’s more of a psychological thriller than a horror. I loved the mixed media aspects (interview snippets, video transcripts etc.). The atmosphere throughout the book is wonderfully chilling and eerie - I felt as though I was stuck in the sinister woods alongside the characters. A quick and spooky read!

This book was so menacing and there were as many twists in the story as there were twists in the road. There was so much imagination and reminded me a lot of ‘The Blair Witch Project’ but with more action.I think this book was amazing!Definitely creepy!

It's been a while since I've found a book that I can't put down and this book was brilliant! I don't usually read horror and I bought it thinking it was a sort of mystery book but I was sooo pleasantly surprised. The author's writing style is very easy to follow yet also beautifully descriptive. I loved all the characters and there were so many plot twists which you don't see coming. I never write book reviews but after seeing a couple bad ones for this book I had to share how much I enjoyed it. I hope she writes more like this

Really interesting storyline/story to read, a little unsure of the ending but the characters worked well together and was written nicely. Obviously catered to young adults/teens but don’t let that stop you. I enjoyed it

Brilliant imaginative story - very scary! Definitely for over 15 year olds.