Vanished

Vanished

by E.E. Cooper

Kalah knows better than to fall for Beth Taylor . . . but that doesn't stop her from falling hard and falling fast, heart first into a sea of complications.

Then Beth vanishes. She skips town on her eighteenth birthday, leaving behind a flurry of rumors and a string of broken hearts. Not even Beth's best friend, Britney, knows where she went. Beth didn't even tell Kalah good-bye.

 One of the rumors links Beth to Britney's boyfriend, and Kalah doesn't want to believe the betrayal. But Brit clearly believes it—and before Kalah can sort out the truth, Britney is dead.

 When Beth finally reaches out to Kalah in the wake of Brit's suicide, Kalah wants to trust what Beth tells her. But she's swiftly realizing that nothing here is as it seems. Kalah's caught in the middle of a deadly psychological game, and only she can untangle the deceptions and lies to reveal the unthinkable truth. 

I really enjoyed this book! I thought that all of the characters were well developed. I especially liked that Cooper included a diverse group of characters but did not focus on that as a central part of the story. I especially liked the fact that two central characters were bisexual but again, that was not the focus of the story – just like life. It deals with a lot of issues that are relevant to young adults - relationships, family, friends, self-confidence (or lack thereof). The story moved along in a steady pace and the incorporation of Alice in Wonderland was brilliant. 

My only concern is that it might not appeal to males the same way as females. For example, Kalah knew something was suspicious when she noticed that Britney’s favourite lip gloss was missing. But the mystery and the strong characters might be enough to hold their interest. 

I cannot wait for the next book to come out!