Review: The Rules for Disappearing by Ashley Elston

Title: The Rules for Disappearing
Author: Ashley Elston
Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5 Stars)
Hardcover, 320 Pages
Published May 2013
Book #1 in The Rules For Disappearing Series

"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."

To be completely honest, I was NOT expecting The Rules for Disappearing to be that good. It looked interesting, but the whole Witness Protection plot seemed a bit unrealistic. (Which is saying something, since the novel I wrote relates to Witness Protection in a way.) 

But man, was I wrong.

I've always been fascinated by the whole changing-names-and-running thing, so this book captured me right away. I can't imagine what it'd be like to be Meg (well, her real name is Anna!) and be woken up in the middle of the night and taken to some strange place, having to change her name and her personality, memorize facts about her new "previous life," and be ripped away from friends and boyfriends again and again and again.

I especially love Ethan, Meg's boyfriend. He's literally the sweetest, stereotypical southern boy and he's the best. (Quick note: Did anyone else notice that the name "Ethan Landry" is also used in The Lying Game series, or was I the only one who caught on to that?)

The ending seemed a bit unrealistic, though. Don't worry, I won't spoil it for you. But hey, it happens, I guess. It just seems so odd that in the last two or three chapters, the story went from having a major conflict to having no conflict at all. All of a sudden, BAM, *spoiler alert* the bad guy is dead, Meg can come out of hiding, they decide to stay in the South and she can be with Ethan and happily ever after stuff, blah blah blah.

*Shrugs* Didn't stop me from loving the book, though!

I'd love to stay, but I really have to go. Be on the lookout for more reviews coming soon!