Non-stop Action: The Vanished by Sarah Dalton

Overall Rating: 3 stars

Addiction Level:  I read it when I had spare time.

Believe-ability:  The setting was believable.

Dystopia Factor:  The world is starting to disintegrate.

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I was very excited that I only had to wait six months to read the sequel!  The Vanished picks us right where The Blemished leaves off.  The heart-pounding action of book one greets you as you begin book two.  Mina, Daniel, and Angela have been saved from Murder-Troll, but will they reach the compound?  Dalton teases the reader for a couple of chapters.  Once they reach the compound one might think all is good.

Most people might relax once they reach safety but not Mina Hart.  Though she finds a new home with the Clans, she still craves excitement.  She finds it with the Clans and on a scavenging trip.

Dalton creates a realistic character whom I loved and hated.  Mina struggles with her feelings for Daniel, becoming her own person, and knowing when to use her powers.  She is selfish and selfless.  She leaves on a scavenging trip without notice to her family, but she protects her family and friends fiercely.  She is a contradiction, but she struggles like many teens people do.

The Compound reminds me of the Rising in Matched.  Everyone thinks the Compound will be perfect, but it too has its own quirky things like the Children of the People and the bad guys!  No place on earth will ever be perfect…sigh.

Dalton leaves a trail of bread crumbs and foreshadows the villains’ evil actions.  If you are good at solving mysteries, you will enjoyed The Vanished.  If you are clueless like me, enjoy the surprise.

The Vanished felt a little rushed, but Dalton likes to pack in the action.  (The Blemished is full of action.)  The scavenging trip and the resolution seemed a bit rushed to me.

I found the ending satisfying until the last paragraph.  The cliff hanger leaves you wanting more!  Where will Mina Hart go next?

Many thanks to Sarah Dalton for providing me with an ARC to review.  If you cannot wait for book number three, do not worry.  She is publishing two new stories in a spin-off series.