3.75 🌟

Probably the loveliest story I’ve ever enjoyed without really liking the ending!

I really fell in love with the first 60% of this book, to the point where I was only 40% through and sighed thinking “Well, I better pre-order my physical copy now…” (and I stand by that)

However the last half felt a little too “insisting on itself” for me with the [redacted] side-plot reveal feeling kind of jarring (despite it being the best example of this topic being woven in that I’ve come across recently in contemporary fiction, it still kinda just bummed me out)

Regardless, Jean and Claire’s love story was indeed a shining light throughout the narrative, even when I had slight issues with the pacing (I just felt like I could see where things were headed re: Claire’s story and it might’ve been more impactful if we had gotten there a bit quicker)

Ultimately I felt this was an extremely solid debut and I will certainly be reading more works from the author!

thank you so much to netgalley and ballantine books for this arc to review!

Thank you to net galley for this ARC!

I rarely give 2 stars but this book was not my favorite. I was excited by the concept but I felt it was poorly paced, there were way too many characters, and the details were just thrown together. I don’t usually reach for magical realism but that isn’t the point. there was a random pandemic plot thrown in there for what reason exactly? BOOOOO. The dialogue and plot were lacking. The MC acted as if she was middle aged, not 21 (derogatory). The slow burn was….not? I enjoy the author’s social media content but unfortunately I did not enjoy this book.

🧁Review: The Art of Vanishing

🥞Rate: 5 Stars! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

🌃Praise: I have waited for a book like this for a long time! When I watched the movie Night at the Museum when I was younger I always want a romantic plotline! Or more of one! I totally love the idea of a young woman who takes care of the museum at night when no one is around and she falls in love with a man in a painting! It's its own lyrics in book form!

💖Characters: Claire and Jean are definitely adorable! They are both curious and have lines and scenes that make me want more! I've always felt drawn in by certain paintings and looking through Claire's eyes on how she gets to be in one of those paintings and get to know the subject behind them made me quite envious but in a good way! Each character has their own cosmic makeup! What do the stars have in store for them? What do the painting stars want their destiny to be like?

💌Extra: The romance was utterly perfect! Exactly what I want in a book! The author is truly gifted! She really paints with her words and gives us a picture of worth reading over and over again!

💗Bravo!

The perfect read for lovers of magical realism!

Jean has seen a lot from his spot in his families painting…but then he sees Claire. Claire has started a new job cleaning the museum overnight, and she’s drawn to the painting. They discover that Claire is able to jump between their worlds, where her and Jean are helpless to falling in love.

This book was intriguing and well worth the read. The story was very original, and it was a different sort of read for me so I had a lot of fun with it! I would definitely recommend it.

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted ARC

I was so excited to see that one of my favorite bookstagrammers had written a book. This was such a love letter to art, museums, and love. Pager perfectly paired the magical realism with everyday life. A very fun read!

Saving my full review for release day (7/1) but just wanted to share some initial thoughts on The Art of Vanishing 🖼️ I absolutely loved it! It had nuance, it was so descriptive which really made Claire’s experience come to life. I felt like I was right there with here, exploring two worlds. SO proud of you @nycbookgirl 💜 Go preorder this book, I know I’ll definitely be buying a physical copy for my shelf!
Thx to @randomhouse for the eARC!

I absolutely loved this! Magic realism is my favorite subgenre and I felt like this did it perfectly. I really wondered throughout the book how they could possibly make it work. Great debut book.

Maybe I need to read more magical realism because this book is a totally unique concept and I had fun reading it. Made me want to head down to the Barnes right now!

I loved this premise and concept and can see the author's love and appreciation for museums and art and I ate up every aspect like that in the book. It was so unique and exciting.

However, the plot was not for me; I could have done without the COVID plot and been happy with the third plot arc instead and focused more on that. I think it was interesting to read about and see the perspective of the museum and Jean's POV during COVID but this did nothing for the overall story and felt shoehorned in.

I also struggled with the dialogue often; it read a bit juvenile or forced, was had to differentiate between characters, and the many dumps of it were hard to get through and find "believable." This could have read better in third person, to help separate the character voices and POVs; I personally struggle with multiple POV that are both in first person (that might be a me problem, to be fair).

I was hoping for this to be more like Addie Larue, with a better handling of the two vastly different time periods and types of character, and maybe this was a bit of an ambitious undertaking for a debut.

Three stars for the amazing concept and research and appreciation for art and museums. Two stars without that, based on plot and dialogue and characterization.

But I will definitely read Morgan's next book!

Thank you so much to Random House and Ballantine for this ARC e-galley.

I was so excited when I found out about this book, but I’m sad to say it didn’t quite land for me.

This magical realism novel focuses on Claire, a night janitor at an art museum, who discovers she can literally jump into paintings. She forms a connection with Jean, a subject of one of the painting, but things get complicated when covid hits…

The premise was cute and interesting but ultimately I felt like the book synopsis was the extent of the excitement. I wish there more character development, both for the main and supporting characters. Ultimately, I kept waiting for more to happen but little did.

The romance between Claire and Jean - which seemed like one of the most curious parts of the book- was lukewarm. I wish there was more depth to their connection.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was a really interesting book. I loved the start and was hooked pretty immediately, but then I was a little surprised by how slow things were… the premise is incredibly unique and well-done. And I liked the characters and settings. Maybe the pace was a little slow for my taste? I kept thinking there was more that would come out in terms on the characters backstory, but it never did. And the mini mystery at the end seemed very easy to predict (and I’m usually terrible at guessing things).

The covid-related part and perspective on it was intriguing. And I thought it was well written overall. This is outside of my usual favorite genre, I liked the way it gently educated about art throughout without being preachy, but just won’t stick with me very long I don’t think. Maybe if you like this genre or art you would like it more?

Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine for the advanced reader copy.

The premise of this novel--a museum worker who learns that she she can step through a painting, into another world, paving the way for a romance with the subject of the painting--was so enticing, but the execution couldn't live up to the coolness of the idea. This book had a lot of debut novel issues in character development. I'd be curious to see what Pager does next, but this one fell flat.

The Art of Vanishing has a magical premise that immediately caught my attention—a woman who discovers she can step into paintings while working the night shift at a museum. It’s whimsical and imaginative, especially for art lovers or fans of magical realism.

That said, the execution didn’t fully live up to the concept for me. The romance between Claire and Jean felt rushed, and I didn’t always feel the emotional connection I was hoping for. Some parts of the story—especially the COVID subplot—felt like they pulled me out of the magic instead of adding depth. Still, I appreciated the creativity and the cozy, museum-at-midnight vibe.

A sweet, original debut that just didn’t completely stick the landing for me—but I’d still be curious to see what Morgan Pager writes next.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC!

This book was such a cool idea that really didn’t gel on the actual page. I think it’s because it didn’t really address all the cool things I wondered about this book. I was hoping the characters would be more curious about how they could move between worlds but they weren’t. I wondered if people in the paintings would join this world. I wondered if the romance would be a slow burn that became so obvious. (It was more along the insta love side of things.) I wondered if and how they would change one another and I can’t say that was apparent. So it was basically a normal love story with a person who could move through paintings but doesn’t really do anything unique with it.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc

As a lover of museums and magical realism, I loved the premise of this book. If you're a fan of Night at the Museum, you'll appreciate this book.

I was drawn into the first half, but then things fell flat for me. It seemed as if there were storylines introduced just to keep moving the story along. I also preferred learning more about the paintings than Claire's story.

Thank you so much for the advanced copy of The Art of Vanishing! I was excited about this one and intrigued by the premise. Unfortunately, this book fell flat for me. I think the main reasons were due to the pacing which had the characters enamored with each other without much build up or truthfully, any reason, so it ended up feeling a bit corny and very service level, and I wasn't bought in. I also found Claire a bit inconsistent as a character. I imagine the idea was to show that she is more shy/reserved and focused on her daughter in her 'outside' life and contrast that with how Jean makes her more bubbly and outgoing, but it just didn't feel genuine or written in a nuanced way that showed more vs. told. The COVID plotline was also a bit of an unwelcome turn, though we definitely needed some sort of conflict in this story, just wish it could have been something different. The book picked up a bit at the end plot-wise but I just had trouble really connecting much with this one.

I set The Art of Vanishing aside at about 60% through. I was super intrigued by the premise of a love story between an art museum employee and the subject of a painting, but I expected more plot around the mystery of how the magic was possible. I also wasn’t expecting COVID to be part of the story.

I’d give Morgan Pager’s next novel a go!

As a Philadelphian, imagining the story unfold at the Barnes was my favorite part!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this novel early.

The Art of Vanishing by Morgan Pager is exactly the kind of book I find myself craving. Dreamy, immersive, and wrapped in the kind of magical realism that makes me believe anything is possible (especially if it involves slipping into a painting after hours).

Claire, our very human, very relatable protagonist, finds herself cleaning a museum by night, but what she really finds is something far more surreal: a doorway into a world of living art. Jean, the subject of a painting, is equal parts tender and mysterious, and watching their relationship unfold across literal dimensions? Chef’s kiss. There’s something so captivating about the idea of connecting across space and time, and this book leans all the way in.

Pager’s writing is lyrical without being fussy, emotionally intelligent, and full of heart. I highlighted so many lines that made me pause and sigh (or screenshot). As someone who’s always a sucker for books that blend romance with a touch of the uncanny, this one completely hooked me. The art! The love! The bittersweet ache of wanting more time in a fleeting world!

If you’ve ever wandered a museum and wished the paintings could whisper their stories to you, this book is for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the e-ARC! I feel so lucky I got to live in this glimmering, gorgeous book before release day.

I loved The Art of Vanishing! It was unique and magical; reading it was exactly what I was hoping it would be from reading the blurb (and that rarely happens!). I loved Claire and Jean - I didn't want this book to end!

I feel a little bit spoiled as I've followed Morgan on social media for years, so I was SO LUCKY to get an advanced reader copy of her debut novel!

This is so far outside my usual genres of mysteries and thrillers, but it was a pure delight. A little bit of magic combined with a sweet love story? It's gentle and lighthearted and just the perfect novel to take us out of the world we're in now.