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How to Disappear Completely and Never Be Found
by Sara Nickerson (Illustrator: Sally Wern Comport)
Product Group: Book
Publisher: HarperCollins (2003-05-01)
ISBN: 0064410277
EAN: 9780064410274
Binding/Media: Paperback - 288 pages
Reading Level: Ages 9-12
Release Date: 2003-05-06
SKU: H1-IQUI-ODBU
Condition: As New
Comments: Unread - Remainder copy
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Editorial Reviews
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Product Description
Margaret's father died in a mysterious drowning accident when she was eight years old. Four years later, her mother still won't talk about it -- in fact, she doesn't talk about much of anything. But when Margaret's mother takes her and her little sister, Sophie, to a strange abandoned mansion and puts a FOR SALE BY OWNER sign in the front yard, Margaret is determined to solve the puzzle of her family, once and for all. Armed with three strange clues -- a swimming medal, a key, and a handwritten comic book -- Margaret returns to the mansion alone. With the help of Boyd, the lonely, comic-book-obsessed boy next door, she discovers that truth can be stranger than fiction -- depending on who's telling the story.
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Customer Reviews
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good, but chopping writing. for me at least
Rating  (3)
Date: 2009-10-09
the story is good, but the writing is a little choppy in it's flow. it jumps around
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Creepy,interesting,and engaging mystery
Rating  (4)
Date: 2009-02-15
The title of this book made me curious to read it,and I really got so caught up in it,that I finished it in one sitting.
I did not like the character of the uninvolved,detached mother of these two girls. She was a mental case,and the reason I only gave it four stars instead of five,is because at the end I was left unsatisfied that she would ever be mentally and emotionally capable of being a real parent to her twelve(Margaret) and eight year old(Sophie)daughters,and I felt sorry for these girls who had been raising themselves for the past four years with very little input from her at all.
It was chilling to read how these children had no adult to go to with their questions about their father's drowning death four years previously,or any adult to teach them coping skills,and instead had to deal with a mother who was in the pit of depression,and only slept,and when she was awake she chain smoked and watched nature programs,and refused to interact with her girls.
The mystery begins when one Sunday the mother tells the girls to put on their shoes as they are going for a ride. They end up taking a ferry to an island with a town and homes,where the mother wants to put a 'For Sale By Owner' sign in the front yard of a mansion that the girls never knew they owned! While exploring, the older girl Margaret goes into an enclosed back porch full of boxes of stuff and finds a large manila envelope addressed to her mother dated four years previously,that she had sent back unopened,and written 'Return To Sender' on. Margaret hides the envelope in her slacks and takes it home with them.What is inside is a shocker and draws the reader immediately into the quest to discover the answer to Margaret's question. It is a creepy fun read,from then on.
The creepy element almost makes the book seem to cross over into a fantasy novel,but the conclusion was very satisfying,except for that flake of a mother.I think most mystery lovers would enjoy this book.
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Mysteriously Cool
Rating (4)
Date: 2007-09-23
The book How to Disappear Completely and Never be Found is about a girl who is trying to figure out the mystery of her father's death. There is a swimming accident, a strange house, a comic book, a swimming medal, a key, a little sister, a different library, and Fate. The girl, Margaret, doesn't have a lot of friends at her new school but soon Fate comes along and helps her out. She has an over energetic little sister and a mom that is always sleeping. When her mom takes her and her little sister to an old abandoned mansion and puts a FOR SALE BY OWNER sign in the lawn Margaret starts to wonder and starts on her quest to figure out the mystery of her family.
A book that I read that this book relates to is The Westing Game. They are similar because they lead you to think one thing but then switch it on you. Also they both are about family mysteries.
I think Sara Nickerson's style of writing is very descriptive, but doesn't tell you too much at one time. Which is the way I think mysteries should be. She makes it so that you really know the characters. Also she made the narrator a character in the story but doesn't reveal it till the end. She makes it so that you think one thing is true when in fact it is the exact opposite.
I really liked this book because it was suspenseful but funny at the same time. Also it leaves you hanging and makes you want to read more. I think that it does a good job at describing the characters and makes you realize that all heroes don't have to be "super." I think this is a very good book and you should most definitely read it.
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Mysteriously Cool
Rating (4)
Date: 2007-09-23
1 out of 1 customers found this reveiw helpful
The book How to Disappear Completely and Never be Found is about a girl who is trying to figure out the mystery of her father's death. There is a swimming accident, a strange house, a comic book, a swimming medal, a key, a little sister, a different library, and Fate. The girl, Margaret, doesn't have a lot of friends at her new school but soon Fate comes along and helps her out. She has an over energetic little sister and a mom that is always sleeping. When her mom takes her and her little sister to an old abandoned mansion and puts a FOR SALE BY OWNER sign in the lawn Margaret starts to wonder and starts on her quest to figure out the mystery of her family.
A book that I read that this book relates to is The Westing Game. They are similar because they lead you to think one thing but then switch it on you. Also they both are about family mysteries.
I think Sara Nickerson's style of writing is very descriptive, but doesn't tell you too much at one time. Which is the way I think mysteries should be. She makes it so that you really know the characters. Also she made the narrator a character in the story but doesn't reveal it till the end. She makes it so that you think one thing is true when in fact it is the exact opposite.
I really liked this book because it was suspenseful but funny at the same time. Also it leaves you hanging and makes you want to read more. I think that it does a good job at describing the characters and makes you realize that all heroes don't have to be "super." I think this is a very good book and you should most definitely read it.
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A Fun Book
Rating  (5)
Date: 2007-02-06
1 out of 2 customers found this reveiw helpful
This was an enjoyable & entertaining story. I especially liked the insert of the comic portions of the tale, made the book quite varied.
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