I really enjoyed this book, though the flashback chapters got a bit confusing at times since they weren't in chronological order. However, I see why they were organized the way they were, and all in all, it was somewhat easy to keep it all together. I will definitely be reading more by this author in the future.

4 stars

**I received a review copy from Netgalley and am leaving this review voluntarily. All thoughts and comments contained within are my own.**

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martins Press/Minotaur Books for the digital copy of this book. I enjoyed the wholesomeness of this book. This read as a tasteful mix of suspense & mystery. I found myself rooting for the main character, although I did not love all the supporting characters. I wished there was an epilogue for follow up on the characters. 3.5 rounded up.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for an ARC copy of The Nature of Disappearing by Kimi Cunninham Grant. This book takes you through the deep wilderness of Idaho with three estranged friends, Emlyn, Janessa, and Tyler. When Janessa goes missing, Tyer seeks out his ex-girlfriend, Emlyn, to help him find her. The story goes back and forth between timelines, showing the three friends' history and their current situation. The author gave detailed descriptions of the wilderness and wilderness survival which was interesting and captivating, and I loved. I thought overall this book was well-written and I enjoyed it. It was a quick, engaging read.

3.75 stars, rounded up

This was a slow burn for me. It took me a little bit to get into it as it was a slow start, but once it started going, I was in.

I enjoyed the dual timeline of showing the main character present day being recruited by her ex to find her ex best friend who they think is in trouble with flashbacks to the past to show how everything unraveled. With this said, I wish we would have seen a bit more flashbacks as I didn't feel like it fully explained the fall out between the best friends. I also found the ending a bit rushed and it was a bit longer so that could have been flushed out a bit more.

Overall though, I really enjoyed the book. I loved the nature aspect of it! If you enjoy mysteries/thrillers and the outdoors, then this is for you!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Whew, this started slow but picked up speed until the ending. This is a great story! I cried a few times at the end. It was very touching.

I liked the ‘original’ title that Kimi Cunningham Grant thought of as she wrote it - Wilderness.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the original copy. I’m sorry I didn’t read this sooner, but I’m so glad that I did.

I have loved everything I've read by Kimi Cunningham Grant, and her latest is no exception. Emlyn is a strong protagonist, and the setting was so well developed there were many times I was in the book walking through the woods with the characters. This strong writing definitely enhanced the mystery and suspense in this insightful and memorable thrill.er

I wanted to love this so much more than I did. With the dual timeline, you flip back and forth between present day when our main character is recruited by her ex to find her (ex but slowly reconnecting) best friend, and the initial timeline of their friendship and how our main character’s life imploded. I got how the two timelines were both necessary, but it kept bringing me out of the tense situation in the present timeline. It felt disjointed and caused me to not be hooked into the search. And then the ending was kind of there and over quick. Overall, it was kind of a letdown.

Emlyn has been living out in nature and making a living as a wildlife guide for years. She was found barely alive in the wilderness years ago and has been trying to piece her life together ever since. And now a piece of her past has walked into her store asking for her help. Her ex, Tyler, is begging for her help to find her old best friend. She did get a call last week from her. All that she heard before the call was dropped was her saying “I need to tell you something important” and then never got an answer when she called back. What if she was telling her she was in trouble? But how can she go with Tyler, when he was the one who abandoned her in the wild when she almost died?

Emlyn searches for her friend after a mysterious disappearance, soliciting the help of her old flame, Tyler. The premise and plot itself drew me in, but the atmospheric prose and the dark secrets revealed along their journey kept me captivated. It was chilling and stunning, taking me along into the wilderness like was there. As this genre isn’t my most read genre, I enjoyed just being along for the ride—I liked that the mystery was told in a dual timeline and that the suspense was slow-burn with the twist creeping up on me.

I've been recommended These Silent Woods by many people, and I own it, but I haven't read yet.

This book is a slow burn. Tidbits of backstory are sprinkled throughout. We have flashbacks to the past. It did feel like the entire story was building toward something but when we got there, it fell a bit flat. The slowness of the build, plus the rushed conclusion made it feel off balanced. I'd have liked more backstory on Rev and Varner. I truly didn't understand the breakdown between Janessa and Emlyn. The fallout felt like it could have been prevented by communicating.
I liked the nature and survivalism part of the story. It was interesting. The end mostly surprised me, but I also would have liked a bit more after the reveal with what was next for Emlyn and the new life she built.
3.75 rounded up to 4.

After reading These Silent Woods a couple years ago by Kimi Cunningham Grant, I knew I was IN and would enjoy reading more by her. This book lived up to my expectation. I would consider this read to be a slow build, but I believe the pay-off was worth sticking with it til the end. I love this author's writing style and will continue to pick up her books.

After reading the authors prior book, These Silent Woods, I was very excited to receive this book. I wanted to love it just as much as I loved her prior book. Unfortunately, this one just didn't work for me in quite the same way and I'm not too sure why. I still greatly enjoyed it. It was a 4 star read for me. Some of the elements that I loved from the other book were also present in this book. There were similar themes and pacing, with the suspense slowly building.

But while I greatly enjoyed, I didn't love it like These Silent Woods. The best I can come down to is that the characters in this didn't pull me in the same way in this book. I also think that while the pacing in this felt similar to what I remember from her other book, the ending had a lot going on that could have been spread out a bit more from the book.

At the end of the day, while I enjoyed this, it wasn't quite to the level of the hype I had in my head. Regardless, I would still recommend it to those who enjoy slow burn thrillers.

These Silent Woods was one of my favorite reads of 2022 and I was extremely excited when I was approved for the ARC of The Nature of Disappearing. Unfortunately, I was a bit disappointed in this one.

Pros:
Kimi Cunningham Grant has a way of describing scenery that makes you feel like you are there. I loved the backwoods Idaho setting.

The wilderness survival aspects of the book were interesting.

I liked the past and present timelines to learn the backstories of the MC.

Cons:

The book was boring at times because it felted liked it dragged on. It was terribly slow paced and not overly exciting.

I did not hate this book, but I did not love it either. It was just ok.

I love the author and look forward to reading more by her in the future.

Excited for this follow up novel from These Silent Woods. This one didn’t quite hit the same notes, with a bit of a strange story and relationships and it not quite generating the same notes of tense/stress for the reader.

A journey through the wilderness, with beautiful prose. I loved the descriptions of nature but the story kind of fell flat.

I really enjoyed The Nature of Disappearing. I connected with the main character and could understand her reasons for being the way she is. I think the portrayal of addiction was pretty accurate, as well. It added another emotional layer to the story and kept me invested in the characters.

This was a good read. The timeline jumps back and forth replaying Emlyn's childhood, college years, post college and current time. It's a bit of a slow burn. The setting was fantastic. I loved the scene and feeling like I was there in the woods.

It did kind of drive me nuts not knowing what the catalyst was that caused the deterioration of the relationship between Tyler, Emlyn and Janessa. I wanted to know more about Rev and Varden, but maybe there will be subsequent books about that.

I really enjoyed the mind twist that the author had going with wanting us to like Tyler and forgive him, yet wanting to see her move on from him. I also had mixed feelings about Janessa and how involved she was in Emlyn's life.

I liked the twists and turns and I think the book wrapped up nicely. Overall, I enjoyed the book and I will absolutely read more by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

I really enjoyed the author's first book and was hoping this one would be just as good! Unfortunately it wasn't. The actual story was good, but there were some pacing problems. 3 stars

The Nature of Disappearing has an incredibly vivid and immersive atmosphere, with its wilderness setting beautifully described, making you feel like you're truly there in the wild. The alternating timelines work well to gradually unravel the mystery, and the character development for Emlyn, Tyler, and Janessa is strong, giving readers enough emotional investment in their journeys.

However, the book suffers from pacing issues, feeling like an incredibly slow burn—sometimes too slow. The lack of suspense throughout most of the novel, coupled with a rushed ending, left me feeling underwhelmed. The payoff, while it did come, wasn’t as intense or satisfying as I’d hoped, especially after such a drawn-out buildup.

Another wonderful book combining nature with intrigue, mystery, deception, and love. A timely book for our time with the impact of addiction on not just current choices, but our future. Grant is a powerful author and this authors books will always have a spot on my TBR.

"The Nature of Disappearing" by Kimi Cunningham Grant is a captivating psychological thriller that masterfully blends elements of suspense, mystery, and emotional depth. Set to be published on June 18, 2024, this novel follows Emlyn, a wilderness guide in Idaho who has carefully constructed a solitary life after a traumatic betrayal three years ago.

Grant's writing is evocative and atmospheric, bringing the stark beauty of the Idaho wilderness to life while delving deep into the emotional landscapes of her characters. The author's background as a poet shines through in her lyrical descriptions, making the setting feel like a character in itself.

The story's premise is intriguing: Emlyn's carefully built world is disrupted when her ex-boyfriend Tyler reappears with news that their former friend Janessa, a social media star documenting her #vanlife adventures, has gone missing. Reluctantly, Emlyn agrees to help search for Janessa, forcing her to confront her past and the unresolved feelings between her and Tyler.

Character development is a strong point in this novel. Emlyn is a complex and relatable protagonist, her struggles with trust and vulnerability adding depth to her character. The supporting cast, particularly Tyler and Janessa, are well-crafted and contribute to the richness of the narrative.

The plot is a slow-burn thriller, with mounting tension as Emlyn unravels the secrets of her past and the mystery surrounding Janessa's disappearance. Grant skillfully weaves together past and present timelines, creating a layered mystery that keeps readers engaged throughout.

While some readers found certain plot elements familiar within the genre, Grant's fresh take and skillful storytelling elevate "The Nature of Disappearing" above typical thriller fare. The novel explores themes of trauma, healing, and the complexities of friendship and love, adding emotional weight to the suspenseful narrative.

In conclusion, "The Nature of Disappearing" is a compelling and atmospheric thriller that showcases Kimi Cunningham Grant's talent for crafting intricate mysteries with well-developed characters. Fans of psychological suspense and beautifully written prose will find much to enjoy in this novel.