Book: The Rules Of Disappearing by Ashley Elston

Published May 2013 by Disney-Hyperion|320 pages

Where I Got It: I borrowed the hardcover from the library

Series: The Rules For DIsappearing #1

Genre: YA Contemporary

She’s been six different people in six different places: Madeline in Ohio, Isabelle in Missouri, Olivia in Kentucky . . . But now that she’s been transplanted to rural Louisiana, she has decided that this fake identity will be her last.

Witness Protection has taken nearly everything from her. But for now, they’ve given her a new name, Megan Rose Jones, and a horrible hair color. For the past eight months, Meg has begged her father to answer one question: What on earth did he do – or see – that landed them in this god-awful mess? Meg has just about had it with all the Suits’ rules — and her dad’s silence. If he won’t help, it’s time she got some answers for herself.

But Meg isn’t counting on Ethan Landry, an adorable Louisiana farm boy who’s too smart for his own good. He knows Meg is hiding something big. And it just might get both of them killed. As they embark on a perilous journey to free her family once and for all, Meg discovers that there’s only one rule that really matters — survival. 

This book has been on my TBR for what feels like years and I figured now was a great time to read it.  I liked it but not as much as I thought I would.

There’s definitely a mystery/thriller vibe to the book, as Meg tries to figure out why her entire family is in Witness Protection.  Obviously, I don’t know how accurate the portrayal is, but I’m going to take a wild guess and say that it’s not completely accurate.  The book was definitely a fast, entertaining read and I don’t mind any inaccuracies that may be in the book.

I definitely felt for Meg and her sister.  It couldn’t have been easy, changing identities all the time, and dealing with a father who’s working all the time, or dealing with a mother who’s there physically but not mentally.  There’s a lot of danger since since Meg doesn’t know what’s going on.  I get why her parents, especially her dad, didn’t want to tell her what was going on.  Thankfully, we don’t see anything where things could have been avoided had the characters had all of the information.

Still, given the danger they were all in, I think Meg knowing would have been a good idea.  She still does some incredibly stupid things, and drags other people into it, and things seem to be mostly resolved, but I still think actually communicating would have been a good idea.

There wasn’t a lot of romance, but I think there is a lot more potential for it in the next book.  I get why Meg doesn’t want to get close to anyone, and I don’t blame her for wanting to protect herself.  I was expecting more romance, and to me, it seemed like it headed that way.  Maybe it’ll be more of a thing in the sequel.

I felt like I was right there with Meg as she learned more about the events that led to her being in Witness Protection.  I wasn’t actively trying to figure anything out and it’s not that I was necessarily surprised, but I was along for the ride.  She’s been through a lot, but considering she didn’t know why they were on the run, I don’t blame her for acting the way she did.  She was doing the best she could for herself and for her sister, and I might have done the same thing had I been in her shoes.  I loved the relationship she had with her sister.

3 stars.  I liked The Rules For Disappearing but I didn’t love it.  I felt for Meg and her family, and I’m hoping things are better for them in the next book.