Review for Rules For Vanishing by Kate Alice Marshall

Rules For Vanishing by Kate Alice Marshall

Rating: 3 out of 5 Stars

Publication: Walker Books

Publication Date: Oct 3rd, 2019
Format: Paperback
Price: $10.41
Pages: 400
Amazon Link: Click Here

Rating on:

• Trigger Warnings & Disturbances: 5/10
• Erotic / Sexual content: Nil
• Gore & Dismemberment: 2/10

“The gate is not a gate of iron. The liar's gate is darkness and deceit. The sinner's gate is guilt, and it is judgement. The tool is blood, Sara Donoghue. The tool is blood, and the wicked among you must pay.” (pg. 132)

Once a year, a road appears in the woods at midnight and the ghost of Lucy Gallows beckons, inviting those who are brave enough to play her game. If you win, you escape with your life. But if you lose… (synopsis from the book cover)

Sara Donoghue silently observed her deteriorating family; her sister, Becca’s recent disappearance (similar to that of Lucy Gallows) ripped her parent’s marriage into a state of endless turbulence. Sara withdrew from her peers and disjoined herself from reality until…

A public text message seized everyone’s attention: “Do you want to know where Lucy went? She went to play the game. You can play, too. Find a partner. Find a key. Find the road. You have two days.” (pg. 14)

Everyone thought Sara was playing a sick trick, a joke. Only she knew that she was not caught in an illusion. This text message was as real as the sun rising at dawn. Sara was determined to find Becca at any cost, but what would await her in the cold unknown?

File No. 74, The Massachusetts Ghost Road is a classified case under the auspices of Dr. Andrew Ashford. It is the official repository for all evidence regarding the disappearance of Lucy Gallows: interviews, exhibits, written testimony, video evidence, and other related materials are attached in this 400-pager. As a work of fiction, Rules For Vanishing is introduced in the faux-documentary style of The Blair Witch Project. It is a supernatural thriller with a tinge of horror, young-adult, mystery, and LGBTQ.

Kate A. Marshall's work is a plot-driven novel with a smooth pace while addressing her readers from a first-person point of view. The storyline is divided into five parts: Game, Road, Beast, Girl, and Truth. You may become immersed in this complicated setup as the plotline progresses. If you can work through a certain level of complexity, then you may truly enjoy this investigative mystery that is reminiscent of X-Files. There is a noticeable usage of profanity to punctuate climactic and foul situations. The midnight blue-black background and trees erect in their skeletal forms illustrated in the book cover foreshadows the tone for the narrative. In the middle of the cover page, a stranded oddity heading straight on a strange road symbolizes the protagonist's due course. These clues from the cover offer the impression of a promising read.
 
As you read, you will experience the sensation of actually being in the scenes due to the clever alternation of verb tenses in her writing. This plot has the capacity and power to enrapture and isolate you with eerie otherworldly sensations. Marshall is a preferable author for a young-adult audience since the depth of excitement and thriller may not be as provocative to a more mature reader. The storyline is considerably descriptive which complements the nature of this novel, for example, “her back is hallow. No spine, no flesh, no organs. Only a smooth cavity from her shoulder blades to her hips, and five tiny, silver bells hanging from silvery thread, chiming softly as she moves.” (pg. 206) You will encounter unforeseen revelations at the end when Marshall answers your questions and speculations. Rules For Vanishing is like the classic 1995 Jumanji in which you can not just turn back from the Game, it is easy to get lost and can be life threating; you can only move forward, but at a cost.

At the beginning, Marshall uses a number of characters to support her storyline, but they become easy to follow as the plot unfolds. Sara's friends often chide her with affection. The subtle emotional content that develops and intensifies among the teenagers is an attractive trait of Marshall’s work. The realistic nature of their actions and feelings can emit a powerful impact; especially when a sensitive subject, such as the loss of a sibling emotionally affects these characters. Loyalty, love, fellowship, and courage are constantly admirable qualities that Marshall tries to impart. She reflects upon the typical nature of teenagers who usually do not take things seriously. Also, she reminds us about the existence of the supernatural.

The disappointing anticlimactic cliffhanger will keep you on the edge itching for further clarification. Her denouement is the perfect personification of cow dung dropped in fresh milk. There are no traceable spelling or punctuation hindrances while reading. At the beginning, an observable mélange of mixed tenses may turn out to be a bothersome reading experience. Fare warning: keep to The Road.