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HOW TO DISAPPEAR

Ann Redisch Stampler

A thriller about a girl on the run after she witnesses – or commits? – a murder, told in alternating points of view by two unreliable narrators. Who is telling the truth? Whose story do we trust? We only know as much as each character reveals, and we as the readers take an active role in figuring out the real story.
A teenage girl was murdered in the woods—we know this for sure. But did Nicolette Holland kill the girl? Covered in blood, Nicolette fled the scene and is running from a group even more dangerous than the law. When Jack is ordered to put a hit on Nicolette, all he’s told is that if he doesn’t kill her, he risks losing the people he loves. These two teenagers are propelled into a life-or-death chase, and as the story shifts between Nicolette’s and Jack’s perspectives, we discover they are not telling everything they know. Nicolette knows someone is out to get her, and she thinks she may survive as long as she moves fast enough and makes herself totally unrecognizable. Of course, Jack easily traces her calls and emails, and once he finds out her location, he recognizes her instantly—no bad haircut can disguise Nicolette’s unmistakable pretty. Although Jack is fully aware of his dangerous ultimate mission and Nicolette is wary of strangers, there is a spark of flirtation and attraction between them. As the two protagonists test each other, they find that they may be fighting on the same side. Can they trust each other enough to handle the truth about who really murdered that girl in the woods? Despite being on the lam, Nicolette and Jack discover it’s tough to stay off the grid—and impossible to shed their past identities. They cannot escape the long reach of their families and the raw, hurtful memories that are difficult to leave behind. They will have to reckon with their families, and their road trip builds to a surprising, explosive final confrontation. Ann Redisch Stampler is the author of the young adult novels Afterparty and Where It Began as well as half a dozen picture books. Her work has garnered an Aesop accolade, the National Jewish Book Award, Sydney Taylor honors, the Middle East Book Award, and Bank Street Best Books of the Year mentions. She lives in Los Angeles, California, with her husband, Rick.
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Published 2016-06-14 by Simon Pulse

Comments

Rapid pacing and intricate plotting unfold with lots of ready wit, dry humor, and sensitivity, and Stampler’s people, places, and cultures are genuine, making relationships and motivations authentic and vivid. This attractive mashup of suspense, road trip, romance, and psychological drama maintains its energy and credibility right through its emotionally honest and un-fairy-tale-like ending.

Well written, steamy, and fun to read.

A deliciously gritty dive into the dark side of human nature! This book pretty much defines #MorallyComplicatedYA in a beautifully-written but fast-paced read that’s both twisted and thought-provoking.

A] funny, sexy thrill of a book, with two characters who crackle and sparkle on the page, as they struggle to outrun danger and resist their growing attraction. Nicolette and Jack are street-wise yet vulnerable, tough yet broken, old for their years yet entirely teenaged in their sensibilities. A delight to read!

That ENDING. Holy buckets of crows, everything comes all together in just the last few pages.

A girl on the run and the boy sent to kill her are on an inevitable collision course in an adrenaline-soaked thriller.

In this interview with The Big Thrill Stampler talks about her somewhat rocky transition from writing picture books to thrilling young adult suspense, how “dark” she’s willing to go, and the role of humor in the thriller genre. Read more...

A high-intensity, cross-country thrill ride that will have you breathlessly turning pages until the very end.

What a thrill ride! How to Disappear sucks you in from the very first page and never lets you come up for air. It’s a game of cat and mouse with an end that will leave you gasping.

Mother-daughter interview with Laura Stampler (author of Little Black Dresses, Little White Lies) Read more...