Vanish: Sophie Jordan knows how to write one steamy kiss

To save the life of the boy she loves, Jacinda did the unthinkable: She betrayed the most closely-guarded secret of her kind. Now she must return to the protection of her pride knowing she might never see Will again—and worse, that because his mind has been shaded, Will’s memories of that fateful night and why she had to flee are gone.

Back home, Jacinda is greeted with hostility and must work to prove her loyalty for both her sake and her family’s. Among the few who will even talk to her are Cassian, the pride’s heir apparent who has always wanted her, and her sister, Tamra, who has been forever changed by a twist of fate. Jacinda knows that she should forget Will and move on—that if he managed to remember and keep his promise to find her, it would only endanger them both. Yet she clings to the hope that someday they will be together again. When the chance arrives to follow her heart, will she risk everything for love?

In bestselling author Sophie Jordan’s dramatic follow-up to Firelight, forbidden love burns brighter than ever.

Book Review

Title: Vanish
Author: Sophie Jordan
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: September 6, 2011

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

I admit: as soon as I opened Vanish, I skipped ahead to read a highly anticipated reunion scene. (I mean, I have been looking forward to this moment for almost 365 days...at least, that's how I justified it.) Once I was satiated, I decided to behave myself and read the book in order from page 1...and I kept burning through the pages until I'd read Vanish in one sitting. Sophie Jordan's writing flows like a seasoned pro's. It's easy to lose yourself in these pages, to glance up and realize 100 pages have melted away because you're so immersed. A lot of the clunkiness, the overwrought descriptions and awkward dialogue, that plague other YA novels are refreshingly absent from Sophie Jordan's writing. And WOW does she know her romance.

And let's just say it again: Sophie Jordan knows how to write one steamy kiss. (I admit--the romance is my favorite part of Firelight. A bit shallow, I know.) I've read other YA novels written by adult romance novelists, and Sophie Jordan hands down does the most skillful job of taking those romance talents and creating a fresh, compelling, steamy-yet-appropriate novel for teens.

And let's talk love triangles. Some are abhorrent. And some give you all kinds of butterflies. For me, this love triangle is the latter. Sophie has developed Cassian into this layered, tender, protective, caring character with hidden depths, and though I doubted it would be possible after Firelight, he is definitely some formidable competition for Will. (But we all know I'm cheering for Tamra and Cassian! And speaking of Tamra and her character arc, I just have to say, I so called it back in Firelight.) Jacinda's grown as a character, too. She's still a wee bit selfish at times, but many of the mistakes she makes in Vanish are when she's trying to do the right thing and help other people and fix her wrongs. She just never has been given a choice. She feels trapped between loyalty, love, and duty, and that desperation created by never having had a choice in her own outcome drives her to make some mistakes that she will try to repair at any cost.

Sophie Jordan throws some game-changing twists in there, too, keeping the story riveting. I cannot wait to see the next chapter for Jacinda, Will, Cassian, and Tamra. (I have some predictions, like always, and I can't wait for the final story to unfold.)