Janelle Brown has written a very readable, fast paced novel entitled "Watch Me Disappear". Filled with twists and turns that keep the reader intrigued from the first page to the final sentence. Don't read this book if you're crunched for time. You won't want to put it down. Would be a great summer beach read.
Ms. Brown has given us a host of flawed, but interesting, characters. You will find yourself changing your opinion on each of them many times during the course of this novel.

A nice family, Jonathan, Sybilla and Olive. Jonathan is a writer, Sybilla loves to hike and Olive is still in high school. Then one day when Sybilla, or Billie, as she is called, goes out for a hike she doesn't return. A search party only finds a hiking boot in the remote area. She is presumed dead and the husband and daughter try to cope best they can. Olive is still trying to find herself and Jonathan seems to have writer's block. Olive starts to have hallucinations and thinks she sees her mother. She is convinced that she is not dead. Jonathan tries to convince Olive that she is wrong, but during his attempts to prove her wrong, he starts to uncover some things he did not know about his wife. It seems one thing leads to another and the more he finds out, the more questions he has. This mystery novel does keep you guessing and flows quite smoothly. I would have given it 5 stars, but the writing seemed to be more suited for a Young Adult. I do thank the publisher and author for giving me an advance copy for my honest review.

A very unusual story that keeps you guessing. The characters seem real and the relationships are very complex as is life.

I loved this book! It kept me guessing, then made me think I had it all figured out, then totally surprised me! I got sucked in to the character study of both Billie and Jonathan and the inner workings of their marraige. This was really well written and while some of it was a little far fetched, it was fully entertaining which is just what I was looking for on vacation. An enthralling escape!

Very suspenseful novel. The characters were very well developed, and my opinion of the outcome kept changing every few chapters.

A mother with a troubled past vanishes while hiking, leaving her family to piece together her secrets, in this keenly observed novel from the bestselling author of All We Ever Wanted Was Everything.

Billie Flannigan has been missing for almost a year after she left to go hiking. No body has ever been found and as the one year anniversary is coming up, Jonathan and Olive are doing the best they can do get through their pain.

Olive begins having visions of her mother begging her to come and find her. Jonathan is stuck trying to begin a book about their life together, but the bottle and memories get in the way.

I liked the premise of the book. A woman disappears, assumed dead and normally that would be that. But Olive isn't going to let it go. As she and her father dig into Billie's past they find more questions than answers.

Did anyone really know who Billie was/is? The pace was a little slow for me in spots. I didn't feel like I had a handle on any of the characters. Everyone was just giving their version of who this woman was in their eyes. The idea of this woman who kept reinventing herself is very intriguing.

Unfortunately I thought the characters needed a lot more authenticity. I would give her writing another read however because she is a good writer.

Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Random House!

A mother with a complex past and complicated secrets disappears on a solo hike...one year later, her husband and daughter are coming to terms with her almost certain death...but is she really dead?
This premise sounds like yet another venture into a family drama slash psychological thriller, but it pleasantly surprises by weaving in richer themes of loss, adolescence, love that is true but but flawless, of parents and children and spouses. As Billie's death is questioned by husband Jonathan and daughter Olive, their relationships with Billie, along with their own personal journey with grief, are laid bare.

I enjoyed the characterization, plot, and general momentum of this story. The "is she alive" bit drew me in, but the relationships in the story is what holds interest and elevates this book.

Watch Me Disappear is one of the most thought provoking and entertaining books I have read in a while.

Well developed, complex characters that you grow emotionally attached to through the story

The story is magnetic ... drawing you in ...
We often wonder how we will be perceived when we pass away. What little secrets will come to life when we aren't there to tell the story from our perspective. Do we have the courage to live a life we choose instead of the box we keep climbing into every day? This story shines a light on the dark corners we hide from the world. We are able to explore the fantasy of truly living our own life and being free to explore and independantly choose our path.

Janelle was masterful in creating deep believable characters ... it is easy to relate and fantasize about being them ... breaking through our own walls of boredom and routine that we created.

This one is worth reading at least once. Great epilogue, Masterful story telling, Deep characters, and a story that will be hard to forget.

What an amazing thought provoking mystery about the disappearance of a mother and wife!! This book takes you through the life span of a young free spirited ecoterrorist with huge dreams to change the world. Due to a very strict religious life with a Pastor as a father, she eventually runs away, only to become involved with a drug dealer in LA. Her name is Sybilla or later known as "Sparrow" and finally "Billie." Knowing that this person could be very dangerous, she eventually separates herself from Sydney and later becomes involved with Johnathan. She thinks she has finally found her safe harbor to begin her new life. The family unit is made of up Johnathan Flanagan, Billie's journalistic husband, and her young daughter Olive. Everyone thinks that Billie is such a super spirited super Berkeley Mom, and that she's very happy with her life, but things start to unravel for her. She begins to go on hiking trips with a female friend and is gone many weekends. Johnathan can feel her pulling away and her own daughter is having issues with her. On one if these hiking trips, Billie never returns. There is a smashed cellphone and one hiking boot that is recovered, but no body has ever been found. There is a memorial service conducted, but the family flounders for a year before Billie can be declared legally dead. In the process Johnathan begins writing a memoir about his dead wife. Bills are piling up, and he's trying to be a father and mother to his teenage daughter. Olive is having such a difficult time in the private school she attends, and her life seems to be unraveling as well. He starts finding all kinds of clues in his wife's laptop that are very baffling. He thought he knew everything about his wife, but there seems to be so much more he didn't know. So many questions and no answers. Is she really dead or did she just walk out on the family? What will Johnathan find from the clues? Will he ever be able to finish his book? Will Olive be able to wade through life without her mother? What a great and enthralling book about life and the twists it throws you! The characters were so real and raw with their feelings that the reader could definitely relate to their turmoil. The plot was very well throughout and really kept the reader on its toes. The book kept me reading and guessing until the very end and what an ending! Definitely not what I expected. I enjoyed this book very much and look forward to reading more from this author.

Just when you think you have it figured out the story takes another twist. Would a mother really just up and walk away from her family and how would they handle that truth. Unsettling.

I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an impartial review.

Billie Flanagan - wife, mother, and solo long-distance hiker - is gone. Nearly a year after her disappearance on the Pacific Crest Trail, readers see the devastation of her family. A lengthy search of the trail turns up few clues. Without a body, Billie's family is in a kind of a limbo, financially and legally caught between two worlds.

Husband Jonathan, once a busy tech writer, quits his job to write a memoir of the love of his life. The memoir should be a chance to process his grief but it turns into a diary of questions and second guesses. Daughter Olive, a young teen and only child, finds she no longer really fits in anywhere. School and friends become secondary as Olive begins to have visions of her mother wondering why Olive isn't looking for her. Olive's visions propel the story forward, but they were a rather distracting device.

Billie's past is secretive and enigmatic. Her few stories about her history include religiously fanatic parents and a former drug dealer boyfriend. She had run away from her past and all that appeared to matter was her present with Jonathan and Olive. Now that she has disappeared, Jonathan realizes how little he actually knew his wife.

Brown effectively establishes the character of Billie without the use of Billie as narrator. Everything is seen through others' eyes which adds to the mystery of Billie. Presumed dead, many authors would present someone like Billie as a sweet and gentle victim, gone too soon; Brown allows her to appear selfish, forcing readers (and her family) to question the veracity of memory and family.

This was a very complicated story of a teen whose mother disappears after going hiking. After a thorough search, no trace of her is found, and she and her father are on the verge of giving up when Olive begins to have visions of her mother inviting her to come and find her. It was a well-told story of how little we know our loved ones, those we are closest to, and how much one may find out when searching for them. Is she dead, are these unbelievable stories they are hearing about her true, and did she just leave them for someone else? It's a heart-rending mystery that presses you to find out what will be revealed next and all along the way. I was totally enthralled from the first vision until the end, and still, questions linger and beg to be answered. I loved it. I wonder if another novel will follow this one.

The story of a father and daughter learning to accept and live with the disappearance of their mom/wife. Seemed a bit slow at times, but I felt that fit the story and gave me time to digest, question and think how I would feel, what I would think and how I might respond in the same situation. Enjoyed it.

A great suspense/mystery. A real page turner. We follow Olive and her dad Jonathon. It has been a year since mom Billie disappeared in a hike and assumed dead. Now, Olive begins having visions of her mom while Jonathon uncovers information that suggests Billie isn't who she seemed. What was she doing in the year or two before her disappearance and is she really gone? These questions will keep you hooked until the very end.

Amazing story. Just when you think you have a handle on things, the book shows you how wrong you can be. The characters feel very real, especially Olive. Janelle Brown managed to capture the spirit of a 16 year old girl and put it on paper. I will be putting this book in the hands of everyone I know.

I received an advance copy of this book via Netgalley. And once again, I really should know by now not to pick up a new book so close to bedtime.......

A middle-aged Berkeley (California) wife and mother is missing after a solo hike in the mountains. No body was ever found, only her smashed cell phone and a single hiking boot, and she is thus presumed dead. As her husband and teenage daughter try to rebuild their lives and cope with their devastating loss, the daughter starts to have waking dreams/visions/hallucinations of her mother, leading her to hope that somehow, somewhere, her mother is still alive and wants to be found.

This is a complex story with many twists and turns, surprises and unexpected directions. To say much more than this would involve spoilers, and I don't want to do that. Suffice it to say I can highly recommend this book for those who like twisty plots. You won't be disappointed.

Had me fooled, as a good mystery should. All evidence pointed to a nefarious act by Billie, (as the wife is known) leaving a husband and daughter devastated. As her background is peeled away layer by layer the hubby discovers he did not know his wife of many years as well as he thought he did. Add in some psychic visions by the daughter, which are misdiagnosed by a doctor, misunderstood by many, and mistaken in their meaning but suspicion arousing enough to lead to further sleuthing. Like pulling a loose thread that slowly unravels the entire garment further investigations lead to the likely location of the errant spouse and her alleged lover. A knock on the door of the suspected love nest reveals Billie’s family really did not know of her past, what an act. I have no hesitation recommending this book or giving it a five-star rating.

Billie Flanagan has been missing for almost one year and presumed dead. She disappeared while hiking on her own through Desolation Wilderness. The only clue left behind was one of her hiking boots. Billie leaves her husband Jonathan and teenage daughter Olive behind. Jonathan and Olive cope with Billie's disappearance in different ways. Olive starts to become withdrawn and distant, while Jonathan drinks more and decides to write a memoir about his love for Billie. Olive begins to see visions of Billie and is convinced she is alive somewhere needing help. At the same time Jonathan starts to doubt Billie's death after discovering mysterious details on her laptop computer. Jonathan starts to realize that he never really knew the "love of his life" and begins to wonder if she ran off with a mystery lover to start a new life. As the one year anniversary of Billie's disappearance draws near, and the court date to declare Billie dead, Jonathan and Olive have to come to a decision about whether to move on without Billie or continue searching for her.

This book kept my interest just enough to keep reading. It seemed to move really slow at some parts. Just when I was getting bored something would happen to get me to keep reading. It took me awhile to feel like I knew the characters, I would have liked more description in the beginning of the story. I liked and appreciated the ending and felt it worked well with the story. The only bothersome fact I couldn't get over was the fact that Billie had apparently taken out (over a period of time) close to $20,000 without Jonathan noticing. Yet, after Billie's death he had a hard time paying for Olive's tuition. I feel like he would have noticed that money missing if he was that close to not being able to pay tuition. Just a small detail that bugged me.

A mystery set within a narrative framework of drama and unfortunately, the two cancel each other out in terms of pace, suspense and impact. A woman's disappearance is eventually investigated when her daughter is unable to let the tragedy go and spurs her father into an unexpected journey leading to lackluster events - where "not all is at it seems". Although this fictional trend is hot nowadays, the formula has been well used in other stories and is starting to show its age.
Janelle Brown's prose is polished and fluid and when she's not absorbed in description, can draw you in close to a character's internal world. They reach a level of complexity that make them interesting to a point, but the author spends too much time in a character's space than I care to know, when I would much rather know what happens next. After all, we're investigating a disappearance, where the story's momentum is key in keeping the reading glued to the page.
Oddly, I recommend the author, just not this story.

WATCH ME DISAPPEAR BY JANELLE BROWN
Billie, her daughter Olive and Jonathan are a happy family. That is until Billie takes off for a solo hike and doesn't return. Billie is a free spirit and she has done this kind of thing before. For only a few days and she would always come home. There have been search and rescue personal searching everywhere on Desolation Mountain and the only item to be retrieved is one of Billie's hiking boots filled with water and sand. Jonathan picks up Olive everyday from school but he has a hard time talking to Olive.

A year has just passed since Billy disappeared. Jonathan is anxious to get the death certificate filled out. Then one day Olive has a striking visitation from her mother. Is this a hallucination? Is Olive psychic? It happened while Olive was in school--she sees her mother standing on a beach in a white gauzy dress. Something her mother would never wear? Olive thinks she is really seeing and talking to her mother. Billie asks Olive why she isn't looking for her? Why don't you try to find me?

Olive tells her father Jonathan that she saw her mother and she spoke to her in a vision. Jonathan thinks Olive had a hallucination since it is the one year anniversary since her mother went missing. He worries for Olive's mental health.

"Dad. Remember when you once told me about the importance of journalists keeping an open
mind? Of --objectivity?"
"No, I don't, but yes that's true."
"OK. Lay it on me."
"I don't think Mom's dead,"
"Just listen to me. I know this is going to sound crazy, but I saw her."
"Olive. I see her all the time, too. Any time I pass someone on the street with hair like hers,
I do a double take. Women who walk like her, or are wearing hiking gear, or have her profile.
Every single time, there's a second when I'm convinced that it's really her. But it never is."
"No, Dad, that's not what I meant. Listen. I saw her, but I didn't see her in person, exactly.
More like a vision? Dad, don't look at me like that. Seriously. OK? I had this whole convers-
ation with Mom this morning. She just appeared on this beach, wearing a dress..."
"I'm confused. You were at the beach today?"
"No, Dad."
"I was at school, and I started feeling strange, and then ...it's hard to put into words. But
essentially I looked up and I was on a beach, and Mom was there with me and she told me
to come find her."
"Come find her,"
"Yes! See? She was alive. She is alive."

I don't want to ruin your reading experience by saying anything more. There is a lot more that happens. This really begs the question who are our family, really?

Thank you to Net Galley, Janelle Brown and Spiegel & Grau for providing me with my digital copy in exchange for a fair and honest review..