The Rules for Disappearing by Ashley Elston

The Rules for Disappearing by Ashley Elston
Release Date: May 14, 2013
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Pages: 320
Series: The Rules... #1
Review Source: Netgalley

Synopsis: (from Goodreads)
She’s been six different people in six different places: Madeline in Ohio, Isabelle in Missouri, Olivia in Kentucky . . . But now that she’s been transplanted to rural Louisiana, she has decided that this fake identity will be her last.

Witness Protection has taken nearly everything from her. But for now, they’ve given her a new name, Megan Rose Jones, and a horrible hair color. For the past eight months, Meg has begged her father to answer one question: What on earth did he do – or see – that landed them in this god-awful mess? Meg has just about had it with all the Suits’ rules — and her dad’s silence. If he won’t help, it’s time she got some answers for herself.

But Meg isn’t counting on Ethan Landry, an adorable Louisiana farm boy who’s too smart for his own good. He knows Meg is hiding something big. And it just might get both of them killed. As they embark on a perilous journey to free her family once and for all, Meg discovers that there’s only one rule that really matters — survival.

My Thoughts:
I wanted to like this book so much, but unfortunately it wasn’t the book for me. I really liked the concept of a family in witness protection. I think it would be so hard to be in that situation, especially for the younger sister to have to move all the time and remember all those new names. The “mystery” aspect of the book kept me reading to see what the end result would be, but I have to say that I continued on to the end with reluctance.

I didn't dislike Meg or Ethan, but I didn't connect with them either. I didn't care much for their relationship, because while it wasn't instalove, they did get close very quickly. I think Meg’s character irritated me because of the amount of stupid moves she made. Now, I don’t need perfect characters, in fact I prefer ones that make mistakes and learn from them, but it seemed like Meg cared more about having to move and leave her new boyfriend, than about the lives of herself and her family. She ignored so many sketchy things, refusing to report them, and then somehow decides to solve the case all by herself.

The book definitely isn’t all bad (the relationship between Meg and her little sister was a highlight for me), and I know some people will enjoy it a lot more than I did. For me things happened way too conveniently. The book also has an ambiguous ending that didn't really give answers to much of anything, which is a pet peeve of mine. Apparently there’s going to be a sequel, which I guess explains some of why the ending isn’t complete, but to be honest I just don’t care enough to find out more.

The Cover:
Like it! The design is cool, especially the way 'disappearing' is actually sort of disappearing off the page.

Rating:
[2/5]

Find The Rules for Disappearing by Ashley Elston on Goodreads, Book Depository, & Amazon.