The Vanishing Season, by Jodi Lynn Anderson

Maggie had to leave her home in Chicago because of her mother that lost her job. They moved to a very old house that was built in 1800s in Door County. Leaving her home, her friends and her city wasn't really easy for her, but she had no other choice. In Door County, she sees Pauline who is a very rich and pretty girl who lives in a large big white house across from Maggie's new house. Maggie thought that Pauline would be one of those mean rich girls, but she found out that she was wrong after they became friends. Through Pauline, Maggie meets a guy named Liam. Everyone in the Door County thinks he is a weird guy, but he isn't really what others said when Maggie got to know him more. From the moment Maggie saw him, she felt something inside her, but always tried to ignore it until Pauline had to move because of missing girls in Door County. Maggie's feelings for Liam got deeper and deeper while Pauline was gone, and Liam got the same feeling for Maggie. However, things changed between them when Pauline came back when the murderer of the missing girls was arrested.

The Vanishing Season, by Jodi Lynn Anderson, made me feel sad at the end and even while I was reading it, something inside me kept telling me that I should stop, but a stronger feeling made me continue and finish this book. What was said as a summary on the cover of this book was way different from the actual story. First, I thought this book would be a story about a mystery of some missing girls, but when I actually read the book, I found out this is only a story of a girl named Maggie and her friendships with other people in Door County. I believe that this book would be good for teens, but I should say that it isn't that much interesting or exciting. I don't recommend this book that much because I think the ending wasn't really strong. The reason is, everything happened so fast and suddenly at the end and it could've had a stronger ending, but it didn't.

Reviewed by Orkideh, Grade 12
Downtown Central Library