The Vanishing Season by Jodi Lynn Anderson

I really looked forward to reading The Vanishing Season because I absolutely loved Anderson's Tigerlily. If you're looking to read a novel in the same vein as Tigerlily or you've been interested in reading a ghost story, The Vanishing Season probably won't work for you. Despite the fact that the description mentions the novel's ghost narrator, this novel is technically not a paranormal one and this book is a contemporary, coming-of-age tale. Anderson has crafted a slow-burning novel with gorgeous writing and a lifelike setting in TVS; this isn't the type of book I'd normally read, but there was something so chilling and powerful about this stand-alone.

This book is about a teenager named Maggie who's learning about herself and what it means to be friends with someone. Sure, there's a ghost narrator, but the primary objective of this omniscient character is to show the story from a bunch of angles without being biased. There's also murders going on while Maggie is discovering herself, but the murders aren't really the focus of this novel by any means.

From the moment I met Maggie, I started to develop with a bond because I love characters who are introverted and more sheltered. Maggie doesn't want to go outside, she doesn't want to socialize with people, she just wants to be binge watch her favorite shows on Netflix and as an introvert, I totally understood her outlook. I loved how Pauline and Liam made Maggie blossoms and metamorphize into someone so radically different -- they helped Maggie out of the cocoon she'd been hiding in. I remember feeling those feelings of insecurity that Maggie dealt with and it was reassuring to see her tackle these feelings with courage and strength. Each character in an Anderson feels special and they're always three dimensional to the point where they feel as if they have a separate life outside the novel. Whether it's the quirky, wise Elsa who is obsessed with US Weekly or  Liam who is experiencing unrequited love. Anderson doesn't just create characters, she creates people that are so easy to fall in love with.

Anderson's writing style in TVS is gorgeous and haunting to the point where even something as simple as a flock of geese flying off seems magical and extraordinary. Anderson has a powerful gift to bewitch readers with her every word and her descriptions in this novel are lush and mesmerizing. Readers will feel the chilly atmosphere of the winter season as they turn the pages and they will feel like they know the quaint town that Maggie lives in because Anderson truly immerses readers with the setting.

The Vanishing Season is a wonderful, coming-of-age that will chill readers with it's incredible narration and writing. While the plot is a bit sparse and slow-paced, the beautiful setting and writing eclipse this novel's short-comings. Though I expected a novel with more paranormal elements, I'm so glad that Anderson surprised me with this terrific coming-of-age tale.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted by Tynga at 02:00

 coming-of-age, contemporary, ghost, Harper Collins, HarperTeen, Jodi Lynn Anderson, Paranormal, Review, young adult  2 People left their mark

Tynga is a 32 years old mom of two, from Montreal, working as a lab technician in an hospital specialized in heart disease. In her free time, she enjoys reading all things Paranormal and photography.

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