Published: 2025
Author: Zoe Rankin
Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense
Audience: Grades 9–12, Adult
Number of Stars: ★★★★★ (5/5)
Goodreads Link: The Vanishing Place
Content Warnings: Death, violence, and depictions of captivity.
Publisher’s Summary
A shocking murder in the New Zealand bush—and the witness who looks all too familiar—draws a woman back to the very place she swore she’d never return to in this breakneck debut thriller.
A child who ran from the forest.
A woman who must return to it
Growing up with her younger siblings in the unforgiving New Zealand bush, Effie believed their parents had cut them off from civilization because they loved Nature. She never suspected that their reasons might be more menacing. After witnessing a terrifying episode of violence, she escaped the wilderness to forge a life for herself halfway across the globe. Now, when she learns the only witness to a murder is a little girl who looks just like her, Effie is compelled to return to the scene of her troubled childhood, where the secrets of her upbringing and the terrors of her past come rushing back to the surface. In order to find out once and for all what became of her family—and possibly help this mysterious girl who could be her younger self—Effie must face her greatest fears once more.
Full Review
I was super-excited to get this book and read it. It is set in New Zealand, which is a beautiful place that I would love to visit one day. What intrigued me the most was the mystery of these two people who look so similar to each other, yet are years apart in age, weirdly walking out of the New Zealand bush into civilization. I wanted to know who they were and how they could look so similar without a connection—or do they?
It was interesting to read a book set in a place I have never been to. I liked learning about the landscape of this beautiful country, described and woven throughout the story. I also enjoyed learning about what life is like living off the grid in the bush. While I would never want to do such a thing, it was cool to “watch” as the younger characters are born and raised in the wilderness. I think students who enjoy the outdoors—maybe camping, hunting, or scouts—would really enjoy reading this book.
🎒 Classroom & Curricular Connections
- Geography (New Zealand): Use the book’s descriptions to study the unique flora and fauna of the New Zealand wilderness (such as the Silver Fern or the Kauri tree).
- ELA (Mystery & Foreshadowing): Analyze the “Doppelgänger” trope. How does the author use the physical similarity between the two characters to build suspense and drive Effie back to her past?
- Psychology (Childhood Trauma): Discuss the concept of “repressed memories.” Effie’s return to the forest triggers a “rushing back” of the terrors of her youth.
- Survival Skills/Outdoor Ed: For students interested in scouts or hunting, use the book to discuss the “Rule of Threes” in survival and how the characters successfully lived off the grid for decades.
