Name: Vanished: When Lightning Strikes / Code Name Cassandra (1-800-Where-R-You #1 & 2)
ISBN: 9781442406292

Vanished: When Lightning Strikes / Code Name Cassandra (1-800-Where-R-You #1 & 2)

Allison Urban

Meg Cabot's "Vanished" series are some of my favorites! I've read the first four, and refuse to read the fifth, because I don't want Jess' story to end. Jess Mastriani is an amazing character. I love her sarcastic personality. I am all for Rob & Jessica's relationship. I wish we could skip ahead 10 years and see a wedding and lots of little Jess/Rob babies running around (; 

This book is so good. I've laughed and cried. Jessica has come by so many life or death situations, and she's come through them all. I recommend this book to all teens. There are a few choice words in the series, so have that in mind before you pick up this amazing book at your book store.

Southern Today Gone Tomorrow

** spoiler alert **
           I was going to review books 2-5 individually. I promise I was.

But, I could not get through them. I started skimming. Skimming real bad.

Why?

Well, I didn’t just quit because the premise was interesting – struck by lightning and now she can find missing people. Plus, I have read almost everything else by Meg Cabot.

But, I just hate Jess, the main character. She is just TOO sassy. Sincerely. And how the FBI is obsessed by her. And it is very much something written for young adults, but with way too much sexualization.

But, the redeeming factor in this novel? Rob, the love interest. He is a real person. He is believable. He is loveable.

Okay, so, the first book was reviewed here.

The second book, Code Name Cassandra, was interesting and better than the first because Jess became a more realistic character as a camp counselor where a father who lost his daughter finds her. We get Rob again, and this short book is well paced and actually interesting. I enjoyed this book.

The third book, Safe House, is where is started to go down hill. People, well, one person, was killed. No, please, don’t go this route (15 years after it was released). This just goes off the deep end for a story. Again, Rob saves it. Honestly, I wish this story was actually told from his perspective.

The fourth book, Sanctuary, is again a murder mystery. This time with a deranged group killing teens. Just, why? Why?

And the final book, 1-800-WHERE-ARE-YOU, goes back to what I really didn’t like in the later Princess Diaries books, even when I was into them. We pick up 3 years later, Jess is now 19, and guess what, she had been working for the FBI in the war, now has PTSS, lost her powers, oh and broke up with Rob. I LITERALLY SKIPPED TO THE END THEN WORKED BACKWARDS TO JUST READ SCENES WITH ROB. That was it. And when I did that, I realized that I would like this novel if it wasn’t connected to the rest. Because it was ALL Rob and Jess. And Jess finally grew up.

So, yeah, maybe only read the last one. The first to explain the last. And just, ignore everything in between.

One of the biggest issues I have is that the 4th book ends with Jess telling her parents that she and Rob are dating, and then WE NEVER SEE THEM TOGETHER AFTER THAT. The next book picks up, and Jess broke them off. And inconsistencies throughout the series from one book to another. Little things that you only pick up by reading them one after the other.

Kourtney

I don't know why I own so many Meg Cabot books I have never read when I love her stories! This one was 2-books-in-1 that I couldn't put down. Jess gains the power of finding missing people whenever she falls asleep after being hit by lightening. Drama ensues and I can't get enough. On to volume 2!

Vanished: When Lightning Strikes / Code Name Cassandra (1-800-Where-R-You #1 & 2)

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