Book Review: The Vanishing Moment by Margaret Wild

The Vanishing Moment

Title: The Vanishing Moment
Author: Margaret Wild
Genre: Contemporary, Young Adult, Mystery
Publisher: Allen and Unwin
Publication Date: September 2013
Pages: 182
Rating: 4 stars

Synopsis (from goodreads):
A moment. That’s all it takes.
A moment when everything changes…

Arrow is still haunted by a childhood tragedy that shattered her safe, happy world.

Marika is caught up in a nightmare from which there is no escape.

Two girls, dislocated, looking for answers. When they encounter a mysterious ‘magician’, they are tempted by the possibility of a way out…

My Review:

Arrow, Bob and Marika – three very different people whose paths crossed in the small town of Shelly Beach. Each of them have their own personal misfortune which has shaped who they are.

Arrow has finished high school but now has no idea what she wants from life. Her mind keeps taking her back to her childhood and the aftermath of a heartbreaking tragedy. Marika is grieving and can’t find a way to fix something she lost and Bob… well he’s a bit of a mystery. I don’t want to go into too many details and ruin the story.

It’s a short read but a highly enjoyable one. The writing is beautiful and I loved the way Wild managed to capture Arrow and Marika’s emotions as well as the gorgeous way she described Marika’s sculptures. The ending is not one that I was expecting but it was perfectly fitting and beautifully bitter-sweet.

The Vanishing Moment is a lovely novel about the choices we make in life and whether, given the opportunity, we would choose a different path. Interesting character and great writing, I thought this book was thought-provoking and interesting.

 

Thanks to Allen & Unwin for the review copy.

Purchase the novel from:

Amazon | Booktopia Book Depository | BookWorld

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