This is a powerful novel that is incredibly hard to put down! While it seems at first as if the story is based around a murder, the reader soon realizes that we don't know if there's a murder or not as the town basketball star, Jake Foster, has disappeared and we don't know what has happened to him.

The story is told in multiple points of view and these are mostly friends and his brother. It seems as people are keeping some secrets and not completely filling in the police on some things. But are they? The most surprising point of view comes from Jake himself though it's not a clear picture of exactly what's happened to him or where he is and that makes it all the more riveting!

I don't want to give too much of the story away, so I'm going to leave a large element of the story out of my review, but this element is very much in play in more than one way! This could really be a great story to create discussion and awareness amongst readers of a bigger issue while entertaining as well!

This is an emotional, suspenseful, gripping read that will take you on quite a journey and may make you question some things and maybe even see the world a little differently.

There's just so much about this book that I loved. Where do I even begin?

I'll start with the narrative structure. Fadeaway is told from several revolving points of view. Though the story is about a missing high school basketball champion, Jake Foster, the story is barely told from his point of view. Most of it is told from the people who surround him, such as his best friend, his ex-girlfriend, his mother, his little brother, and more. There are police interviews alongside poetry at times, and the differences between narrative styles was an incredible way of showing the different ways the characters think. They each had such distinct voices, and there wasn't a single POV I disliked. Getting to know one single character through the eyes of several was such a fascinating experience.

The suspense hinges on the reader riding along with these multiple characters as they figure out what happened to Jake Foster. I'm going to be purposefully vague about the plot, since I refuse to go into spoiler territory here. It's worth it piecing it together. I admit I saw the twist coming, but that's simply because I've had people close to me experience what the small town in this book has experienced. But knowing the twist didn't make this any less of an exciting, dreadful, emotional read for me. But in the end, Fadeaway is hopeful and empathetic, and it made me love the book even more.

Overall Feelings

I wish more people knew about this book--it is as powerful as it is suspenseful. I read it in less than 24 hours easily, and it has stuck with me since then.

With choppy writing and crass characters, this one will not make the cut for my middle school library. The only thing that kept me going was finding out what was going on with Jake. I did not post a review online.

Wow, a masterpiece. I loved the message of this book, the writing, the plot, the characters, and the truly unexpected twists and turns. It touches on some of societies biggest issues, especially amongst young adults, but the story itself is entertaining. E. B. Vickers did something really great with this one.

I had a feeling when requesting this book it would leave me guessing more often than not. The air of mystery throughout was done excellently. I did not see the way this book was going to go in the least. I was surprised the whole time.

Learning about Jake’s character was a main part of the story, and I thought it was done wonderfully. You learn what you need to continue to understand what is going on, but nothing more. I loved how the story of him unfolded.

I found myself really enjoying this book. I feel like it could have gone all wrong, but the author did a great job with this one. The character development was just the icing on the cake.

"If you want somebody to do what's right, let them see you believing that they can."

I'm shocked that this book isn't getting the buzz it so richly deserves. Fadeaway is rich, deeply emotional, and at times devastating story about a missing boy and the town that is coping after his disappearance. This review has to be written carefully and vaguely, because a big part of the draw to reading it is trying to solve the disappearance of Jake and what exactly happened to him. We see a few glimpses from Jake's point of view, and we have to utilize those snippets in the grand scheme of the broad story to guide us to the truth. You might think you know what happened, or where the story is going, but I was flabbergasted by the ending at not seeing it coming. Incredibly moving, impeccably timed, this book contains a flurry of emotion that will have the reader thinking about the town, characters, and message even after the final page is turned.

Fadeaway is told from multiple points of view and will appeal to many different readers. It has some poetry, suspense, sports-- all centered around relationships that Jake has in his life.
The story deals with some difficult subjects like addiction and the opioid crisis many athletes deal with after a sports injury.
The resolutions that come about are realistic; I appreciate that spiritual wellness is not an avoided topic.

I really enjoyed this sports-centric YA mystery thriller that makes you question your previous assumptions you may make on people and really goes deep into the problems revolving around the stigma of addiction.

Based on the description I went into the book thinking it would be more of a true mystery. When in reality it’s contemporary, realism, with a mystery twist. I liked the characters of Luke, the little brother, and Coach B. However, I’m not sure who this books target audience is.

Jake is the star player on his high school basketball team. The night he helps win the championship game he also disappears. No one, not his mom, his ex-girlfriend, or his best friend knows where he is. Told from multiple character's perspectives, the events leading to that night and what comes next are revealed.

This story is about Jake, but it's also about a community of people and the ways their stories intersect and impact one another. It's about how we are not alone, no matter how much it can feel that way, and about how much it matters to have someone who believes in you.

Contemporary realism, with just a dash of thriller, Fadeaway reads quickly but packs an emotional punch. Like the best mysteries, just when you think you've figured it out, Vickers sends you another curveball. You'll find a compelling premise and an endearing cast of characters, and readers who appreciate poignant stories will be satisfied by how this one turns out.

Honestly, although I have read this author’s middle grade books...this first attempt at YA really missed the mark for me. There was this general sense of mystery throughout the book: where is Jake and why is his captor so familiar? It could have been great, but fell short due to supporting characters we didn’t really care about, a somewhat confusing plot line, and a dissatisfying ending that I still don’t fully understand.

Told from the points of view of those closest to Jake, this gripping, suspenseful novel reminds us that the people we think we know best are sometimes hiding the most painful secrets.

This was a awesome page turner thriller! That will have turning the pages so fast your fingers won't be able to keep up!

This book was such a pleasant surprise!

Before going into this one, I didn’t know much about it besides what was described in the blurb. It didn’t take long for me to get sucked into it and not want to put it down. If it wasn’t for sleep and starting it late, I would have finished it in one day.

One thing I enjoy, especially when it comes to mystery/suspense books, is when they use different formats. This one has police interrogations of those close to the missing person, Jake, as well as journal entries from him and his brother. I also liked the use of multiple point-of-views and past/present timelines. It helps to build the relationships of these people with Jake as well as paint the bigger picture of who he is as a person. If that isn’t enough, there is also a point-of-view from Jake from after he goes missing! That one brought on a lot of plot twists and had me so intrigued!

Even though the above may seem like a lot for one novel, this author does a great job of it not bogging down the plot. It’s written well and it’s easy to understand the emotions of all of those involved.

This may have a lot of mystery/suspense to it but I wasn’t expecting it to talk about a tough subject like addiction. It talks about how addiction can impact the person, the family, and those around them in their community. The author spins it into a great story with a lot of meaning and I thought it was well done. It’s definitely a topic that needs to be talked more about.

Overall, this was really enjoyable! My review isn’t too long since with these kinds of books its better to go in surprised.

I had a hard time with the overall structure of this book in places - there are multiple POVs and timelines throughout the book, but the writing and overall premise kept me engaged. Overall this was a solid read.

Suspense, twists, and redemption. This YA contemporary story is part mystery, sports, poetry, friendship, and entirely impossible to put down.

When Jake goes missing after winning the state championship game, his friends and family try to find out where he’s gone before he fades away like his famous jump shot.

Told from multiply POVs, this powerful story highlights the opioid epidemic in a truthful but ultimately hopeful way. Coach B in particular, is a beautiful character who sees a persons value more than their athletic ability and never gives up on them.

I like the name kolt. I liked kolts interest in basketball. I liked learning about him and why Jake was gone. I also like the name Kade. I liked the descriptions and characters. The dialogue was okay.

From the surface, Jake Foster seems like the last person that would ever runaway. He's popular and a star basketball student after all. However, the night after an important game, he disappears, leaving his friends and family confused. Fadeaway is told in a handful of point of views, mainly: Jake, his best friend Kolt, his younger brother Luke, his ex-girlfriend Daphne, his mother and Seth, Daphne's new boyfriend. I enjoyed the multiple POVs and the after/before timeline. Sometimes I find it hard to remember who's point of view I'm reading when there's more than two, but I didn't have a problem with that here.

It's been a minute since I last read a YA Thriller and I quite enjoyed this one. I went through many different theories on what happened to Jake and who was lying as I read. Someone had to be lying after all and it turns out, several people were lying. The ending was not what I was expecting when I first picked up this book.

**Review to be posted on Goodreads and blog two weeks before publication date.

This book is quite sharp smack against your cheek and a freezing cold shower make your entire body tremble! It’s intense, heart wrenching, poignant, earth shattering, making you question everything in your life!

Let’s dig into story line and characters to give you more clue why I loved this too much!

Rising star of high school’s basketball team Jake Foster is famous with his signature move called fadeaway. At his last match he makes his famous move and makes more scores for his team to win the game. Then he vanished into thin air. Nobody knows anything where he’s gone!

Did somebody kidnap him? Did he run away? Did he die? Is he killed and left in a ditch? Or did he just hide away because he crossed the lines and broke the law?

We move back and forth to understand small town dynamics and it’s people. We see the pressure on the young people to achieve their best at sports to get rid of this place and catch better opportunities for brighter future. Better performance requires something additional to eliminate their opponents. Drugs slowly become more than addiction, it turn into their one way ticket to run away from this place.

We witness different perspectives who are involved in Jack’s disappearance including his ex girlfriend Daphne, his rival Seth who is their coach’s son and new boyfriend of Daphne, his best buddy Kolt, his brother Luke, his coach C, his mother and of course the person who kidnaps him.

We also see Jack is locked in a basement, drugged, shivering, seeing hallucinations and we realize he already knows the guy who abducted him! But who the hell he is and what his motive is !

But the conclusion of the story is so much different than you may imagine. It rips your heart and shakes you to the core. Your emotions are everywhere. It’s harsh, it’s realistic, it’s stunning!

I enjoyed the author’s multi POVed story telling style by going back and forth: it was original and it was not confusing as it seems. You just pick up the pieces of puzzle and at the end you see the big and soul shaking picture!

My favorite POV belongs to little brother Luke. Especially he and Jake’s common book, the jokes, the stories and metaphors they shared with each was amazing!

It started like four starred read but especially last third of the book blew my mind! I loved the genuineness, naturalness and realistic perspective of the story even it hurts too much.
I’m giving my five blazing, sad, tear jerker, heartbreaker, strong, powerful stars!

I’m looking forward to read more works of this brilliant author ASAP!
Special thanks to Netgalley and Random House Children’s / Knopf Books for young readers for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.

This book was absolutely brilliant. Elaine has done a fabulous job of weaving true to life stories through the perspectives of eleven people, all on a quest to find and save Jake. The story holds no bars on showing the reality of opioid addictions, and readers will see parts of themselves in all of the characters. The story continuously unfolds, all the way to the end. This book could absolutely save lives, and it belongs in classrooms and libraries everywhere.

I was provided this book through NetGalley in exchange for my review.
This book sat in my NetGalley shelf for a long time because I wasn’t sure I would like it. In the end, I liked it very much, and read it entirely in one day. The plot does drag a bit at times and the use of different points of view can be confusing. It was fairly easy to figure out what was really going on in the first 1/4 of the book and so the plot becomes all about what led up to it and who is ultimately responsible. The author does a good job of helping the reader make inferences that may or may not be accurate and therefore keeping the suspense alive. Overall a good read for young adults and some middle schoolers; the heft of the book (500+ pages) more than the content makes it a better fit for more mature readers.