What a fun book! It's not often that a crime family runs a YA novel, but this one is driven by one. When Ruby discovers her drunk father's double life as a runner for a crime family through the underground tunnels of San Francisco, her world is turned upside down. Her father isn't able to get the job done, so Ruby's now under contract, or she'll lose the only parent she has left. This novel is an action-adventure magical thrill ride, with fascinating world building, great characters, and an unputdownable plot. Teens will love it!

An 18 year old Ruby discovers that there are magical networks on the subway systems as she fights to save her family.

This one sounded so interesting but it was so slow to build. Like the writing wasn't necessarily slow, but the plot was very much so. Halfway through the book I felt like very little had happened.

Ellickson brings the magic to the everyday and introduces an underworld of couriers and favors. I could not help but be sucked into this world of magical train jumping and of being transported across the world(s). It feels like a shade of our world, like ours on a wrong turn. Or maybe we're the wrong turn. In The Vanishing Station, Ruby is also struggling with the grief of her own mother and the family she left behind. Her dad is trying his best, but he doesn't show up for her, his drinking and bargaining forcing her hand.

In "The Vanishing Station" by Ana Ellickson, I found myself whisked away on a thrilling journey through time and space. Ellickson's imaginative storytelling and vivid world-building kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. As the protagonist delves into the mysteries of the enigmatic Vanishing Station, I was captivated by the sense of wonder and adventure that permeated every page. With its clever twists and turns, this novella delivers a satisfying blend of suspense and intrigue. Ellickson's skillful prose and dynamic characters make "The Vanishing Station" a must-read for fans of science fiction and fantasy. I eagerly anticipate future works from this talented author.

What an incredible story. Ana Ellickson's debut YA novel is a story of family, love, and fighting for what you want. Ruby Santos takes it upon herself to complete her father's debt to a powerful family that rules the BART system of San Francisco. In doing so, she enters the dangerous, underground world of jumping train lines and smuggling.
While Ruby Santos and her love interest proved to be more central to the plot than I initially anticipated, I am in no way complaining. Ruby's romance had me kicking my feet and blushing.
The Vanishing Station is beautifully crafted. As a San Francisco native, I was curious how the city would be represented. Ellickson did a wonderful job portraying San Francisco as it truly is, the city I know and love.
Over all, this was a thrilling story that had me on the edge of my seat, tensing in fear, and blushing with joy.

This was such a fun and interesting read! I was really drawn to this premise and was curious to see what Ana Ellickson chose to do with it. I loved how magical and inventive this was, especially with how the magical realism elements were incorporated. I really had a lot of fun with this book and am so glad I had the opportunity to read it. The protagonist is very relatable and made for a fascinating person to follow. Definitely recommend this one for any fantasy fans looking for a unique premise!

This book was a slow-paced, lovely piece of introspection about a young woman dealing with not only grief, but navigating the balancing act of taking care of her sick father while giving herself permission to believe that she could have a different life and go after her dreams. She is an incredibly responsible person who still very much is figuring out what she wants in her life and is shouldering so much responsibility. So when this new fantastical world opens up to her, it is both thrilling, but also becomes a new weight she gets tied to herself.

While I did hope for a little more fantasy element and a little more explanation into how this mob type family and train system worked, it in no way took away from my enjoyment of this read. I would highly recommend this book for readers who enjoy a character driven story with slow burn romances, and a dash of magic on reality.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC in return for my honest review.

Ruby’s mother has passed and her dad is an alcoholic. Together, they are barely scraping by as they try to satisfy their debts. After finding out about her dad’s secret life in a magical underworld, she takes on the debt he owes to protect her dad and save what remains of her mother.

Ruby had no idea she’d be thrust into a world of trafficking illicit goods and fighting for her life against rival train jumpers. She soon comes to find out that the magical underworld she has discovered isn’t fun and games; it’s cutthroat and brimming with criminal activities. The magic system was simple, but I like the concept. Being able to jump train lines as if they’re portals is cool.

I like the portrayal of young people taking on heavy burdens of their family at the expense of their dreams and happiness. In spite of everything, Ruby was dedicated to her family. I appreciated her level of fight and commitment. There’s a romance subplot that I didn’t love, but it was ok. Overall, an imaginative story with high stakes.

Thank you to NetGalley and Amulet Books for the advanced eARC.

4.5 stars. So there's going to be a sequel right? Because I need more.

Things I liked:
- Magical trains!
- Messy families that feel realistic
- The story wraps up very nicely without any big dangling threads and has a satisfying ending, but leaves a lot more room for the world to grow.
- Cute romance that didn't feel overly forced.

Things I didn't like:
- The love interest was too perfect and has no flaws. Like obviously I love him but maybe being a little less perfect would've made things more interesting. There are hints of him being ~morally grey~ but like, everything is hard choices and it all makes sense.
- Ruby is of course Special and Talented with a sad backstory

I enjoyed the neck out of this book. In addition to a clever plot and compelling characters (needs more Diego!), the author really knows San Francisco. The end was a bit too easy, leading me to think there will be a sequel. But it wraps up well enough to satisfy. I will happily recommend this book to teens/college saved readers. Thanks for letting me have an early look.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I enjoyed The Vanishing Station. I Liked the magic system. I feel it was unique and different. I like how the magic overlaps into the "real" world. It is a fantasy book but also deals with a parent that is an alcoholic and the death of a parent. There is a little bit of romance. This book had me hooked and made me want to keep reading. I highly recommend it.

Ambitious, lyrical, badass, and romantic in equal measure! I *adored* every second of Ana Ellickson's fantastical thrill-ride of a YA debut.

Train portals? Hell yeah. Heartfelt, tough-cookie heroine? Hell yeah. Magical crime families (complete with magical crime family drama)? Hell yeah. It's hit after hit for me, and I cannot wait for this story to reach readers in 2024.

I lived this - it had everything I looked for. Perfectly paced, interesting, and a cute love story to go with it!

The Vanishing Station is a book that will keep you reading to find out how the story is going to end! I love when a magical world overlaps the real world. Hold on tight because this one is going to take you in a wild ride!

This was a really fun book. I loved the trains-to-other-worlds idea--it reminded me a lot of A Darker Shade of Magic, where people could move around worlds. When Ruby gets caught up in an underground crime ring, she quickly realizes she is in over her head. The more she gets drawn into this world, the more Montgomery seems to lure her into trouble. I liked that the magic system and world in this story was fun and compelling, but still very accessible. I loved how much action and adventure we got in this story, and I think because the magic and world weren't overly convoluted, we got more time with the characters and more time for action to happen! Overall, I really enjoyed this and I wouldn't mind another book or two in this series (*cough cough wink wink* please give me more in this world/series).

80/100 or 4.00 stars

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun world to get lost in! I'm not sure if this is going to be a series, but I would definitely like to have another book to get back into this world.