The Vanishing Girl by Laura Thalassa

When eighteen-year-old teleporter Ember Pierce wakes up in a Los Angeles hospital, she remembers only the basics: she’s been trained by the government as a spy, she’s sent on dangerous missions, and her last assignment—the one that landed her in the hospital—was a setup.

Caden Hawthorne has spent the past ten months of his life grieving Ember’s death. So when she shows up in his room like an apparition, he can’t believe his eyes. But this Ember is different. Her hair is longer, her skin is paler, her gaze is haunted. She tells him what he’s already begun to suspect: someone he trusted betrayed her.

Now, uncertain who is friend and who is foe, Ember and Caden face the toughest mission of their lives—to stay together and survive, as they run from danger toward an unknown future.

*I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley from the publisher in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.*

I began reading this book with no expectations, yet I was instantly drawn into the world of Ember Pierce i.e. ‘the vanishing girl’, and I’ll admit it, I finished the book in one sitting!

 I was hooked from the beginning scene of Ember sitting in a tattoo studio receiving a tattoo to cover up strange markings that were on her back when she awoke, after teleporting to an unknown location in her sleep, with no recollection of how they got there.

This book includes it all; a smart, gifted, genetically altered girl who can teleport, a shady government organisation who may or may not be using these gifted teens for the good of the country, sexy men and steamy love interests, and an exciting paced plot which keeps you wanting more.

There are certain things I didn’t enjoy so much with the book, such as few plot holes, for instance; when Ember first teleports she wakes up with clothes she has not chosen that are appropriate for the setting, and then she teleports back into her bed naked. She says in later scenes clothes do not survive teleporting back, and other times she has teleported to new places naked… So.... yeah, just doesn’t make any sense to me, and is probably my biggest pet peeve with the book (if you follow this train of thought then she would always be naked!!). In other sections, much like Hollywood action blockbuster movies, certain happenings are loosely glossed over, and then dismissed by characters like they are not a big deal and it’s on to the next scene. It’s slightly annoying, however completely forgivable as it does keep the storyline moving along and keeps a fast moving pace.

I’m not completely enthralled by the love interest either, no matter how attractive a guy is, if he rips your blanket off whilst you are sleeping naked, ogles you, and only a day after meeting you… then he deserves an instant punch in the face or a kick in the groin, not a ‘hundreds of other people have seen me naked when I have teleported so it’s okay’ reaction. Having said that, although they fall in love super quickly (and yes it’s because they have been genetically altered to be a pair) and her tame reactions to some of the things he does that in other circumstances would warrant a beat down annoy me… I quite enjoyed the sexual tension and build up to them getting jiggy with it, the sexy time scenes are pretty sexy! Now, as a librarian this is something I would warn concerned parents about when recommending this book, but as an adult I appreciated reading.

In all, plot holes and love interest forgiven, it was an enjoyable read that kept me gripped throughout the book and makes me want to pick up the next one! So bring on book two!

(NetGalley Copy): The Vanishing Girl by Laura Thalassa,  Amazon Childrens Publishing, ISBN:

★★★