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Member Reviews

A sweet and immersive story from a beloved bookstagrammer who has demonstrated here that she can write fiction in addition to discussing it online.

I loved the premise of this. In a way it feels like a long after the initial action sequel to From The Mixed-Up Files of Mrs Basil E Frankweiler, sort of like if Claudia lost her way for a while and then found her way back at a different museum.

The bones of this are a lot like Leanna Renee Hieber’s Natalie Stewart books, though this is contemporary and slots more as Women’s Fiction than YA Gothic. I loved that Pager used the Barnes Foundation rather than a more popular museum, and the way she imagines entering and traveling between paintings is both creative and fantastical but also concrete enough that it feels just plausible enough to be possible. I could have done with a novel that existed entirely within the confines of the paintings, though the protagonist’s life outside the museum is important to the story.

To that end, I didn’t love said backstory, though it does feed the narrative well. I think Clare could have used more character depth, or maybe just a bit more nuance. The people in the paintings were more interesting than the living people in this, though that’s an observation rather than a criticism.

If there is a criticism to be made of this story it’s that the pacing is pretty uneven, making the transition from the slow burn romance in the first half to the quickly actioned and quickly solved heist in the second half feel disjointed, capped off by a rather abrupt ending. I also thought this would be a more literary read, but I don’t know that it necessarily needed to be.

Two things really stand out: One is the wildly creative and dreamy world of the paintings, which is gorgeously imagined and written. The other is that this is the only truly good use of the pandemic that I’ve seen in fiction to date.

In all, a light, enjoyable read for dreamers. We need more books that are well-written but have a light touch like this one, and I look forward to whatever world Pager decides to imagine us into next.

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Thank you Random House Publishing Group for this arc.

I was utterly charmed by the description of this book. The reality was a let down. I struggled to stay interested as it had so much telling rather than showing. But as one character was literally stuck in a painting when the other was present, I shouldn’t be surprised. The dialog was flat and boring and when Claire first appears and Jean instantly knows that she’s “special” I think I actually groaned. Listening to Claire talk to herself in an empty museum room was painful. The pair of them come across as mid-teens, sneaking glances at each other and wondering if s/he likes me. I also don’t want to read anything about Covid. Sorry but this one is not working for me. DNF.

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dnf around 30%

the premise of “woman works at museum, falls in love with man in a painting” sounded so interesting and had so much potential, but this was such a let down. the writing is so choppy and a lot of telling, not showing. there’s 0 chemistry between the MCs but somehow they think they’re in love when we don’t really know anything about either of them. also the FMC just said “hella boring” and that gave me the ick.

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First thank you to random house and NetGalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review

⭐️⭐️⭐️✨3.75 stars

Synopsis: Claire is a custodian at a museum when she discovers the secret that she can escape into a painting. She starts a relationship with a man in the painting. A global pandemic separates them for a while but a new discovery welcomes them when they are back

What I liked: I really like the premise and it was such a nice romance with them since he was from several centuries ago. There was a great amount of art history and information included. The magical realism was perfect for this story

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The Art of Vanishing is a wonderful charming novel.As a fan of magic realism this was a wonderful read full of interesting characters a new author to follow. #netgalley #randomhouse

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The Art of Vanishing by Morgan Pager was one of my most anticipated reads of 2025 and it did not miss for.

Henri Matisse painted his son Jean into a painting and over 100 years later, Jean is trapped inside this painting, watching the days go by as his likeness hangs in a museum. When an employee at the museum realizes that she can cross into the painting, and into Jean's world, we get to explore the early 20th century through her eyes.

I loved the originality of the premise and will look forward to what Pager writes next.

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Jean is the subject of a painting. Claire is a janitor at the gallery his painting is hung in. He watches her clear from within his world of paint. She's fascinated by him. This was a beautiful, interesting, unique premise for a love story.
I had questions that I felt like needed to be answered sooner, and the pacing didn't quite work for me. The book felt almost slice-of-life but with enough hanging over them (largely the questions about Claire's background and the risk of getting caught) that I felt a bit off kilter—I think I needed either more stakes/urgency or slightly less. Overall though, I think the issues that made me DNF were on my end, not necessarily an issue with the book. I have friends I think would enjoy it, and to whom I'll be recommending it.

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When I read the synopsis for this book, I knew I had to read it ASAP. So many of my favorite things are included in this book- magical realism, museum exploration, and whimsical storytelling. I found the writers prose, absolutely delightful and really enjoyed the cozy, artful vibes of this book. This is Morgan Pagers’s debut novel, and I’ll be sure to pick up whatever else she writes!

Thank you #Netgalley for the ARC in exchange an honest review.

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This was such a cozy read, I love magical realism as a genre, and Pager writes it so well! I love this author's writing style so much. The pacing in this book was perfect, up until the end. I feel like the end was rushed, so that is why I knocked a star off. I also wish Luna had more of a buildup in her character development, it felt like she was just thrown in there. Overall, I enjoyed this book, and I will be recommending it to friends, family, and followers.

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There’s a lot to be charmed by in this debut from Pager - the concept of traveling into and between paintings while falling in love with one of the subjects. Overall though this one fell a bit flat for me - the writing style kept me from really getting attached to or understanding the characters which left me feeling disconnected from the story overall.

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I was really excited about the premise of this story! Almost a night a museum vibe but at an art museum(a dream truly.) The first 60% had me hooked but to be honest the story really took a turn and everything felt a little all over the place after that. I still enjoyed it on the whole but was disappointed in the ending.

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3/5⭐️ 0/5🌶️ 0/5😢

I absolutely adored the premise of The Art of Vanishing— a magical realism contemporary fiction wherein the FMC is able to slip into paintings at the art museum she works at and ends up falling in love?? Are you kidding me?!

I really enjoyed how the author weaved together real places, people, and artworks into the plot—I’m not a big art buff so I enjoyed looking up the individuals and paintings she referenced. Unfortunately, I found the novel’s pacing to be slow and tedious, and ultimately the plot was a bit of a bore. The romance came on too fast and strong, and the ending felt lackluster. I feel like this could be a really interesting movie as it does have some nice atmospheric vibes.

Thank you to Ballantine and NetGalley for an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

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The Art of Vanishing
By Morgan Pager

This is an amazing book. It is a story that is at once fanciful, and yet makes the reader wish it were true. Claire is a young woman working as a janitor in an art museum. Jean is a figure in a painting of his family by artist Henri Matisse. Claire feels very attracted to this particular painting – and more specifically – to Jean Matisse. And the attraction is mutual!

For unbeknownst to her, the people in these paintings do, in fact, have a life within their world. They come alive every day after the museum closes. One day Jean reaches out to Claire – and, by taking his hand, she is able to enter the painting! Their love story is fraught with setbacks, but they cannot imagine life without each other.

We often read in love stories that the lovers are from two different worlds – and in this case, that is literally true. While the resolution here may not be what we would wish, it is nevertheless satisfying. I give Morgan Pager credit for an unusual imagination.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC.

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The Art of Vanishing by Morgan Pager is a solid debut novel! I have followed Morgan on Instagram for many years and tend to like her book recommendations, so I knew that I would enjoy her book! I love visiting art museums, so I knew that this book would be right up my alley as well. The characters were well fleshed out, but I wish there was more time spent traveling through the paintings to develop Jean and Claire's relationship even further. I flew through the book, couldn't put it down! I will absolutely be recommending this book to my friends and eagerly awaiting Morgan's second novel.

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Thank you Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Morgan Pager and NetGalley for the ARC!

I was really looking forward to reading this book, but unfortunately it fell flat. When I read this was a romance between a woman who can jump into the art at the art gallery she works at and a man in a painting, I was hoping to see all the cool adventures they would go on in the different paintings. While they did visit other paintings, the romance felt rush and we didn't get enough about their relationship. It was too instalove and she immediately accepted that she could jump into the paintings which didn't feel authentic. I thought the add in of the pandemic was interesting but I wanted more from this book.

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A romance in a museum between the subject of a painting, Jean Matisse and a night janitor Claire. It’s A Night At The Museum meets a romance novel. Fun debut with a few unfinished edges. Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for an advanced copy for an honest review.

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The Art of Vanishing is a debut novel by Morgan Pager and I found it to be just delightful! When Claire, a night cleaner in a museum, discovers she can cross the boundary of reality she jumps into a painting where Jean has been living for decades. They begin a romance that is halted by the pandemic. While the writing was simplistic, I could not put this story down. I thought it was very clever, sweet and ORIGINAL! The character development was a little limited and I was confused by the introduction of so many new characters near the ending, but I loved it. And I am obsessed with finding the Matisse painting that inspired this sweet story.

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Thank you to Netgalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Claire is a new custodial employee at an unnamed museum that has the ability to jump into paintings. Her and Jean, the son of Henri Matisse who is one of the subjects of a painting, develop an unconventional relationship while she works the night shift. She is shy at first and holding back revealing her true "outside life" to him.

What a cool concept for a book, loved the magical realism. I wasn't expecting the "reveal" about halfway or two thirds into the book. There were a few minor plot holes I can ignore but overall an enjoyable read. Who wouldn't want the ability to jump into a painting?

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🌟🌟🌟🌟
This book totally gave me “Night at the Museum” vibes. Jean lives in the museum, in his father, Henri Matisse’s painting. A lady named Claire starts to work at the museum and they form a connection. This is a different kind of book, with sweet charm.
If you are looking to escape from reality, this book is for you. Many thanks to the author, Ballantine Books and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

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This book gave me Night in the Museum vibes and I was all for it, I loved Claire and how openminded she in accepting and going with the flow when it comes to the magic going on at night while she is cleaning the museum. I adore Jean, at the beginning I was trying to place him, he read in the beginning like he WORKED there for a second, and the POW he was in one of the most famous paintings in the museum, lol. This book was so much fun, until I started to see that Claire has more to her than we know, Claire has a lot going on, and even though I was rooting for her because Jean was PERFECT in every way, the reality of it is, will their love survive when they are from different worlds???? I will say I got a little emotional at the end....

Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

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