Jack Manx has always succeeded at school as he tries to steer his future to a better place and escape from the terrible legacy his last name carries. That all comes to a stop a few weeks before graduation when his brother pulls him back into the family business of crime and destruction. Jack is ordered to hunt down a murderer named Nicolette or else his mother will pay the price.

After Nicolette witnesses a girl being murdered in her own backyard, she is on the run. Before witnessing this horrible tragedy, she was the girl everyone liked, but now she barely recognizes herself. All she knows is that people are after her and she can not get caught. Told in dual point of views, Ann Redisch Stampler’s HOW TO DISAPPEAR is a tense thriller and love story --- all wrapped into one big mystery.

“HOW TO DISAPPEAR was a heart-stopping thriller that is rare to find in YA literature...the characters and plot twists...will enthrall any reader.”

One genre I always wish was more present in YA is mystery, as it always makes me think and makes my blood race. HOW TO DISAPPEAR fits in the genre perfectly, causing me to react in all of those ways. Though the plot drags at some points, I cannot deny that it was well crafted. There were plot twists up until the very last page that had me gasping and sitting on the edge of my seat. The author used dual point of views to her advantage, making the story even more suspenseful.

One of the best aspects of the novel was the two main characters, Jack and Nicolette. I believe some of the best characters are ones that are very flawed. Those characters are always much more interesting to read about and much more realistic. Jack and Nicolette can easily be identified as flawed characters and I would even go so far to say they are anti-heroes. They carefully play around with morals in almost every decision and situation in the book. The story became much more suspenseful because of this. Every second I would wonder if Jack will complete his mission or if Nicolette really did murder someone.

HOW TO DISAPPEAR was a heart stopping thriller that is rare to find in YA literature. Though it had its flaws, the characters and plot twists made it a captivating tale that will enthrall any reader.