Review: The Rules for Disappearing by Ashley Elston

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 Review:

This story is really awesome and unique.  There aren't that many YA books out there about Witness Protection, and I thought that was a really fascinating aspect of this story, seeing how the family had to move around and be relocated for sometimes unknown reasons.  The characters were well-developed people that I loved.  This was a completely wonderful story.

POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD

In many ways, being in Witness Protection for almost a complete year has really shaped Meg. In some of her new locations, especially one that she stayed in for a while, she made new friends, joined clubs, and she even had a boyfriend.  And then, one day she was forced to leave all of them.  Now, her newest location is in Louisiana, and she is determined to make no friends and join no clubs.  She lays down these rules for herself to make it easier when she might someday have to leave.  She soon discovers that it is pretty hard to push everyone away, especially when a cute guy keeps trying to be her friend, and maybe more than her friend.  She's a good person, even though she tries to keep people away.  She has her reasons because of Witness Protection, and she's been through a lot.

All of Meg's family members are going through a tough time because of Witness Protection.  Her mother has turned to drinking.  Many days she is passed out drunk in her room.  Meg's father goes to work, and he takes the girls places, but he worries more than he used to.  Meg catches him making secret phone calls.  Meg's eleven-year-old sister, Teeny, is tired of moving to new places.  She doesn't act the way she did before, and she has new fears.  She fears the family might move one day and leave her behind.  Meg wants the old Teeny back.

Despite her attempts not to, Meg does make friends in Louisiana.  One of these friends who stands out the most is Ethan, the guy who becomes her boyfriend.  He is a really sweet guy.  He goes to school with Meg, and his aunt owns the pizza shop that Meg gets a job at.  She still keeps pushing him away at first, but when he makes Teeny become more like herself again, she knows she can't just get rid of him.  Plus, she does like him, which makes it rather difficult for her to push him away continuously.  She eventually ends up completely trusting Ethan and telling him many things about her life.

If you like YA contemporary, read this book.

Katie