The Vanishing Season

Starred review from April 28, 2014
Anderson (Tiger Lily) once again works her magic to conjure evocative settings and soulful protagonists in this modern gothic romance featuring a displaced adolescent and the ghost who is mysteriously drawn to her. The story begins shortly after homeschooled Maggie reluctantly bids goodbye to Chicago city life to move with her parents to a remote Victorian house on Lake Michigan in Door County, Wis. The tranquility of the community is disturbed by news of a serial killer in the area. Despite widespread fear and distrust in the area, Maggie enjoys moments of contentment with new friends Pauline and Liam, neighbors with a deep childhood bond. But when Maggie’s presence threatens to put a wedge between Pauline and Liam, all three must rethink their relationships with each other. No one (except, perhaps, the invisible ghost who traces their every movement) knows where their decisions will lead. Interspersed with the confused memories and profound revelations expressed by the ghost, this tantalizing novel offers a singular perspective on a complicated love triangle and a tragedy. Ages 14–up. Agent: Rosemary Stimola, Stimola Literary Studio.

October 1, 2014

Gr 9 Up-When Maggie Larsen's family moves to Gill Creek in Door County, she expects her life there to be less exciting than her life in Chicago. However, she meets Pauline and Liam, and her life is never the same. Maggie falls for Liam, who loves Pauline, and the love triangle is destined for tragedy. A ghostly narrator is telling the story, and by the end, only one girl will survive. Along with the love story, there is a killer in Door County who targets young girls, but this story line only loosely ties in with the main narrative. With all this death, Maggie learns that there is also love that lasts beyond the end. Cassandra Campbell narrates the story with a haunting quality to her voice and depicts well all the heartbreak of the characters. Her voice at times has a sleepy, peaceful sound to it, which downplays the horror of the killer's attacks. Anderson manages again to perfectly capture unrequited love and the perspective of the injured party of love triangles as she did in Tiger Lily (HarperCollins, 2012). A ghostly tale of a short life, fans of Anderson's other works will enjoy this and fans of the out of body narration of If I Stay (Dutton, 2009) may find a good comparable read.-Sarah Flood, Breckinridge County Public Library, Hardinsburg, KY

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 15, 2014
In this moody thriller set on an isolated Wisconsin peninsula, the tourists are gone, a serial killer's at large, and incendiary passions ignite in winter's deepening bitter cold.Smart, responsible Maggie is every parent's dream. She hasn't complained about leaving her Chicago life and friends behind for the shabby house in Door County, where she knows no one; aware that her parents are doing their best in difficult times, she wants to spare them knowledge of her unhappiness. Her new friend-beautiful, impulsive Pauline from the mansion next door, who takes abundance for granted-draws Maggie into her world, which includes Liam, who's been in love with Pauline for years. Though Pauline insists she doesn't reciprocate, Maggie notices their interdependence. She observes Pauline's beauty, wealth and freedom with wry detachment, but she needs all her self-control to tamp down her growing attraction to Liam. A series of unsolved murders whose victims are local young women provides narrative counterpoint. Community benefits are held for the survivors, but parents guard their daughters fearfully. Trust's in short supply. After Pauline's sent to Milwaukee for her protection, Liam and Maggie draw closer, and Maggie's swept away. As she did in Tiger Lily (2012), Anderson provides an observer's voice, a sort of pared-down Greek chorus, that foreshadows and warns of what is coming while remaining helpless to prevent it.An intensely gripping tale with a surprise ending that's fully earned. (Fiction. 12 & up)

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July 1, 2014
Grades 8-12 Though bright, disciplined Maggie and flighty, enigmatic Pauline might be the focus of this atmospheric tragedy, the ghostly voice observing the teens and piecing together its own memories is its sorrowful heart. Maggie moves to sleepy Door County, Wisconsin, from the bustle of Chicago, and while helping her parents to fix up their ramshackle lakeside house, she works hard at fulfilling her college aspirations. But when her next-door neighbor Pauline pulls her into her orbit, and panic sets in over a series of murders in the area, Maggie finds herself veering off her perfectly planned path, particularly with regards to Pauline's friend Liam. All the while, a ghostly voice hovers over the lakefront community, noticing small details and recalling pinpricks of feeling, which ultimately point to a heartbreaking conclusion. For all the mythic overtones of Maggie and Pauline's friendship, Anderson still manages to give her characters authentic teen voices, striking an uneasy balance between navet' and worldliness. The pace might be slow for some, but readers who like their romances tragic and dreamy should dive in.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)