Review of The Vanishing Act

[Smrithi Arun]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Vanishing Act" by Steven Crossman.]

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4 out of 5 stars

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When an enchanting carnival enters a tranquil town named Ravenwood, a curious Lily is desperate to get close to it against her parents’ wishes. She sneaks out in the middle of the night, determined to understand why people wish to avoid it. What she finds amidst the said carnival brings goosebumps—to Lily as well as the readers.

The Vanishing Act by Steven Crossman is an adventure short story with thrilling elements of fantasy. It is part of a 14-book series called Short Thrills. The author has written them keeping in mind the busy schedule of the youth, ensuring they can still enjoy a short standalone story during a break or before going to bed. Each book typically has around 10–15 Kindle pages and can be read within 15 minutes.

Lily is a headstrong character full of curiosity. As it is a short book, the story delves into the adventurous mystery right away. The readers may find themselves in a situation trying to warn Lily not to do certain things, as we often do while watching horror movies (even though this book does not have horror elements). The author’s language is impeccable. I loved the similes used in the book. My favourite one was, "Drawn like a moth to the flickering flame, Lily steeled her nerves and approached the tent." The comparison of Lily's inquisitiveness to a moth is excellent! Crossman has the talent to make the reader effortlessly feel what his character is feeling.

Even though I loved the language used, I would have appreciated it more in a long-format novel. Since this is a short story, the heavy words may slow down the reading process. It could also occasionally hinder comprehension due to the frequency of the complex words, lengthening the time taken to read the book. Thus, the purpose is defeated. Further, I could easily predict the ending, which momentarily took the thrill away from the book. Nonetheless, I thoroughly enjoyed the rising action and climax plot points.

The implied metaphor inspired me to be as courageous as Lily; therefore, I happily award the book 4 out of 5 stars. I reluctantly took away a star due to the reasons mentioned above. The book has been exceptionally well edited, as I found no grammatical faults. However, the PDF copy I received didn’t have the cover page or the author’s name. I would recommend The Vanishing Act to anyone above 15 who wishes to squeeze a mystical story into their busy and hectic schedule.

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The Vanishing Act
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[Fawmi FJumana]

This short read sounds thrilling and fantastic. And you have done a great job highlighting everything about the book. Lovely and excellent review.

[Smrithi Arun]

This short read sounds thrilling and fantastic. And you have done a great job highlighting everything about the book. Lovely and excellent review.

Thank you for the compliments, Fawmi!

[Jeff Kanda]

Books that have adventures are very interesting. I love the cover of this book. Thanks for the detailed review.

[Catalina Isabel]

This seems like a great and thrilling story. Your review is very intriguing. I do wonder what Lily will find in the tent. Although I do not usually read short stories, this sounds like an interesting one. Thanks for a great review, Smrithi

[Hazel Mae Bagarinao]

Though I like the book's length, I have two minds to read this book when I get the chance since it was narrated with complex words. I'm gonna back out on Lily's story. I always enjoyed your perfect writing, Smrithi!

[Tshepsyt]

This sounds like an awesome read, especially since it's a short story, I think I might pick it up. I enjoy their shorter-length stories. Great review!

[Smrithi Arun]

Books that have adventures are very interesting. I love the cover of this book. Thanks for the detailed review.

Thank you for commenting and stopping by, Jeff!

[Smrithi Arun]

This seems like a great and thrilling story. Your review is very intriguing. I do wonder what Lily will find in the tent. Although I do not usually read short stories, this sounds like an interesting one. Thanks for a great review, Smrithi

Yes, it is a good story even though it is short! Thank you for the appreciation, Catalina!

[Smrithi Arun]

Though I like the book's length, I have two minds to read this book when I get the chance since it was narrated with complex words. I'm gonna back out on Lily's story. I always enjoyed your perfect writing, Smrithi!

Even with the rich vocabulary, the story is pretty intriguing. It's always delightful to read your sweet and thoughtful comments, Hazel! Thank you!

[Smrithi Arun]

This sounds like an awesome read, especially since it's a short story, I think I might pick it up. I enjoy their shorter-length stories. Great review!

That's great, Tshepsyt! I hope you enjoy the book. Thank you for commenting!

[Hazel Mae Bagarinao]

Though I like the book's length, I have two minds to read this book when I get the chance since it was narrated with complex words. I'm gonna back out on Lily's story. I always enjoyed your perfect writing, Smrithi!

Even with the rich vocabulary, the story is pretty intriguing. It's always delightful to read your sweet and thoughtful comments, Hazel! Thank you!

I love to spread lovely words every day! You deserved that sweet comment. Thank you for your satisfying reviews as always, Smrithi!

[Omneya Shakeep]

I'm curious about the book and a bit creeped out at the same time. Your review is amazing, Smrithi; it made me eager to find out what happened to Lily, but the book title and cover, along with your description, are scaring me. I guess it shows how your words have an effect on me. Excellent job!

[Boye Emmanuel]

Lily's acts here is what a typical teenager would do, now that she has seen what she was so curious about what next would happen. I look forward to reading the book.