The Nature of Disappearing by Kimi Cunningham Grant was a well-written book which takes place mostly in the wilderness of Idaho. The chapters alternate between the past and present, which helps you to understand the characters with their backgrounds. Grant’s way of writing allows the reader to “see” the location, and feel present. I very much enjoyed this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read this book before publication date of June 18, 2024. I hope to see more books by this author.

#St.Martin’sPress, #KimiCunninghamGrant

Like many of you, I was a big fan of These Silent Woods so I was thrilled to get my hands on this digital ARC. Like These Silent Woods, Grant once again transports us to the wilderness—a wilderness that will offer solace and peace, but will also test your survival skills. Her own connection with the natural world is abundantly apparent and definitely strikes a chord with me. I felt the most connected to the story when I was deep into pages describing the beauty and harshness of the landscape.

The actual meat of the storyline is a dual timeline examination of the dissolution of a friendship, a romance gone wrong, addiction, abandonment, and a mysterious disappearance of our MC Emlyn’s once closest friend, Jessa. I found the initial exploration of these relationships fascinating. It was a bit of a slow burn and I’ve seen many critiques about just how slow a burn it was, but for me, it worked. What didn’t work for me was the present day mystery, the very secondary (and dare I say unnecessary) romance, and the resolution of conflict.

So overall, this was a mixed bad for me. I loved the author’s note, and after reading so many beautiful words I’m dying to go disappear into the wilderness of Idaho, but there were definitely some aspects of the story that felt a bit rushed or unneeded.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 for The Nature of Disappearing. Thank you to @netgalley and the publisher for the digital ARC. The Nature of Disappearing is available now to read!

I liked the setting of the book as it was in a remote location in the wilderness. However, the book progressed at a slow pace that failed to keep me engaged throughout the book. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for approving my request to read and review this title.

Kimi Cunningham Grant, the author of These Silent Woods, is back with a thrilling new tale, THE NATURE OF DISAPPEARING. This captivating mystery suspense novel follows a wilderness guide who is forced to confront her complex past when someone close to her goes missing.

About...

Emlyn lives alone in an Airstream trailer. She is a fishing and hunting guide in Idaho's wilderness, with endless forests and scenic rivers. Her life is simple, and she likes to keep it that way after her traumatic past. Her closest friends are the Forest Service ranger, Varden, and Reverend, who took her in when she was at her lowest.

But does she dare get close to anyone again? Can she ever trust again?

Emlyn and her best friend, Janessa, barely communicate anymore due to their past. Tyler left her in the woods for dead three years earlier.

Her past returns to the surface when Tyler shows up with the news that Janessa is missing. Janessa has become a social media star documenting her #vanlife adventures with her survivalist boyfriend, Bush. But she hasn't posted lately, and when she does, it's from a completely different location than where her caption claims to be.

Emlyn, realizing her unique tracking skills may be the key to finding her friend, reluctantly joins forces with Tyler. As they delve deeper into the woods, a sense of unease grows, hinting at a more sinister presence lurking in the shadows.

My Thoughts...

THE NATURE OF DISAPPEARING is a masterfully crafted mystery that keeps you guessing. It features vivid descriptions of the wilderness, and the setting is atmospheric. From survival, adventure, and overcoming one's past. The slow burn builds tension, and the character-driven plot reveals the complex dynamics of past relationships. This book will stay with you long after you've turned the last page.

From past to present, there are secrets, lies, betrayal, and a web of deceit. From highly emotional topics of trauma, toxic relationships, abuse, drugs, social media, and addiction. Also, there is love, hope, self-discovery, identity, and second chances.

I enjoyed Emlyn's character and the lovely metaphors for the beauty, spirituality, challenges, and dangers of the wilderness, much like the characters who are in a wilderness and need to be uplifted and gain confidence. As usual, the author's writing is lyrical and evocative. Compelling, moving, and thought-provoking.

I loved the author's notes: "Wilderness is not the destination. It's not the final chapter. Your story goes on."

Audiobook...

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Emily Pike Stewart, delivering an outstanding performance and making the characters come alive.

Recs...

Fans of the author and those of Laura McHugh, Heather Gudenkauf, William Kent Krueger, Nicole Baart, Catherine Ryan Hyde, Allen Eskens, and Melissa Payne.

Thanks to Macmillan Audio, #MacAudio2024, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for a gifted ARC and ALC for an honest opinion.

Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: June 18, 2024
My Rating: 4 Stars
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A solid read. I really enjoyed the author's descriptions of nature and of the wilderness and the story was entertaining, although I didn't really connect with the characters.

I have previously read a book from Grant that was also set in a remote, wilderness location. She writes this setting so well that it becomes another character. In this story, Emlyn is our protagonist who has had a a difficult time with her ex-BF. She was on a camping trip with Tyler and while she is fishing, he goes to pick up food and doesn't return. She is outdoors in the cold and a winter storm rolls in. She awakens in the home of local people who rescued her from certain hypothermia and death. Several years pass and Tyler is back. Their mutual best friend, Janessa, has gone missing while on a #vanlife trek with her latest BF, Bush. They were on a schedule and due to post when she fails to turn up. Despite their history, Tyler and Emlyn decide to venture into the last place the van was seen and try to find her.
This is a story filled with thriller elements as well as a romantic plot. I enjoyed this book and would recommend as a fun summer read. It would be especially fun if you are going camping or to a lakeside cabin. This would give great vibes when reading this story.

#TheNatureofDisappearing #NetGalley #StMartinsPress #Minotaur

This book grew on me as I read it. Admittedly, I am not very interested in hiking/nature and I did not connect with the characters at all. However, the author did such a good job weaving in the mystery and story that I did become hooked!

I was immediately pulled in and gripped by this book. The story revolves around the search for a missing friend in the wilderness. The characters were wonderfully done and this setting is a character in and of itself. The atmosphere is intense! The past and present POVs really kept the momentum going throughout the book.

The story revolves around three characters - Emlyn, Janessa, and Tyler - who have a complicated history. When one goes missing in the wilderness, the other two must set aside their differences to find the missing person before time runs out.

If a setting ever felt like a character, Kimi Cunningham Grant nails it here. The wilderness looms large in The Nature of Disappearing. At times, it almost feels like a villain with its harsh unpredictability and unforgiving terrain. The writing emphasizes the vastness of the wildness that triggers a sense of loneliness and abandonment.

KCG's descriptions of the wilderness serve as a powerful metaphor for our main MC, Emlyn. At her core, Emlyn is lost in her own personal “wilderness.” She struggles with self-worth due to abandonment issues. I enjoyed watching her character grow as she applies her expert survivalist skills in nature to her personal journey. I added the audiobook while reading the physical. Emily Pike Stewart's narration really brings Emlyn and her journey to life.

The mystery of the missing person completely hooked me! The short, gripping chapters made it impossible for me to stop reading. I kept saying, 'Just one more.' I had so many theories, but then an unexpected twist completely threw me! I’m still undecided if I liked the twist or not. Regardless, I had a fun time discussing the book and the twist with my buddy readers

The Nature of Disappearing immediately evoked a summer atmosphere with its vivid scenes of camping and hiking, making the wilderness setting one of my favorite parts of the story. I also like the portrayal of the female characters, Emlyn and Janessa, and how their contrasting personalities complemented each other. Additionally, while flashbacks can be hit or miss for me, I found them effectively utilized in this novel, enhancing the suspense. Finally, the ending was ultimately satisfying and left me with a sense of hope.

However, my enjoyment was tempered by a few issues, primarily centered around the major twist. The action didn't unfold until well past the halfway point, and when the big reveal finally came, it felt disappointingly anticlimactic and left numerous unresolved plot holes. This left me feeling dissatisfied as a reader.

In conclusion, if you appreciate narratives featuring nature and strong female characters, this book is worth exploring.

This is an atmospheric, slow burn, character driven, mystery. When Emlyn’s best friend goes missing, she teams up with her estranged ex to track her through the wilderness. The story alternates between present day and the past to delve into the relationships of Emlyn, her best friend, and the ex-boyfriend.

I enjoyed the wilderness setting and was invested in the strength and resilience of Emlyn. I also loved the supporting characters of Janessa, Varden, and Rev. Some parts of the story did read YA to me. This is not a thriller and readers expecting a more plot driven novel will be disappointed. It was more of a quiet reflective character driven novel but also had enough of a plot and mystery to keep me engaged the entire novel.

Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur books for an advanced reader copy.

This new release was a perfect second read of this authors after reading These Silent Woods and loving it! Definitely becoming a favorite author. The picturesque setting, tension and storytelling writing was exactly what I needed and I couldn’t put this down!

Short synopsis: When Emlyn’s best friend (traveling influencer) Janessa disappears, she buddies up with her ex boyfriend Tyler to search for her in the Idaho wilderness.

My thoughts:

The beginning hooked my attention immediately, the setting in Idaho was fun, unique since not many books are set there.
I thought Emlyn’s obscure occupation was a fun addition to the story. Definitely made the book somewhat more exciting. I also loved the atmosphere and deep rooted friendships.

This was the slooooowest of slow burns. The middle drug on and the ending came a little too quickly. I was hoping for some big BAM moment at the end and it just didn’t happen.

I enjoyed this book and related to Emyln's through her experience being in a gut wrenching relationship with an addict. I think if I read this a few year's ago, that would have been triggering. So for anyone that's either an addict or has suffered through a relationship with one, know that subject matter might hit close to home. Thankfully I've healed through that heartache, but I appreciate the way the author went about this subject and felt it was done realistically and with care. It was almost a bit too real at times, but it was necessary to the story and didn't feel like it was added in to be dramatic.

I also enjoyed learning different wilderness terms, fishing, hiking and survival skills. For example, I didn't know what glassing meant and I like when I'm gaining real life knowledge along with a story. It didn't feel like too much, it was just right.

We also learn the struggles and impacts of a broken friendship and what you'll do for them when they might need you the most.

This book is in the POV of Emyln in present and past tense. The story picks up around 50-60% in, but felt slow to relate to in the beginning. I liked the ending and how far Emyln has come. The relationships felt like they ended off in a way I felt Emyln deserved.

Thank you Netgalley for an arc copy, all opinions are my own.

Kimi Cunningham Grant's The Nature of Disappearing is a captivating novel that intertwines suspense, emotion, and the beauty of Idaho's wilderness. The story follows Emlyn, a woman who has distanced herself from a painful past, living a solitary life as a fishing and hunting guide. Her fragile peace is shattered when Tyler, her former lover, returns with news that her estranged best friend, Janessa, has gone missing. As Emlyn and Tyler delve into the wild to uncover the truth behind Janessa's disappearance, they confront their unresolved feelings and the shadows of their past. Grant's vivid descriptions of the rugged landscape and her nuanced exploration of trauma and healing create a rich, immersive experience. This novel is a powerful meditation on starting over and the inescapable pull of the past, making it a must-read for fans of suspenseful and emotionally charged fiction.

I always love an isolated setting in my thrillers-and Grant delivers just that with this enthralling, gripping, suspenseful thriller set in the wilderness. Once again, Grant did not disappoint with her new thriller-I was hooked!

I didn’t love Grant’s last book but the plot for this one drew me in and I’m glad I read it! She did a great job of building the suspense with present day and past events intermixed to give the reader a better understanding of the dynamics of the relationships. The ending was a bit anticlimactic, but it was great overall!

This novel is for lovers of fantastic nature descriptions and a good slow burn novel. It was a bit more of a slow burn read than I expected, which made it fall flat for me. However, if you go into the read knowing the plot is on the slower side and that appeals to you, I think this could be a great hit! The story itself was intriguing and I grew to care about the characters and want to know how things would end up.

The Nature of Disappearing by Kimi Cunningham Grant was a bit of a disappointment to me after reading and enjoying These Silent Woods, this author's previous novel. I was expecting more twists and turns, but I did appreciate the Idaho setting and the wilderness aspect.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This story is my first from this author and I was excited to read this book.

The author evokes beautiful imagery of the wilderness of Idaho which was my favorite part of the book. Hearing about all the wildlife Emelyn was encountering and the tranquility she experienced in her AirStream made me envious of being out there with her. Emelyn's character endeared to me deeply. She is the first character in a long time that I wished I could reach through the pages and hug and comfort her.

This story is told with a dual timeline, where we see the present day and the past: how Emelyn and Janessa first met, and how their friendship unfolds from there. We also see Emelyn's life with Tyler and how their relationship progressed. I didn't mind the dual timeline, but it continues throughout the book, and I either wished it hadn't, or I wished that they were portrayed more as Emelyn's memories and her noticing things about the memory that now stand out to her years later.

This book is more of a slow burn, with the bulk of the action at the end. The twist of the story was somewhat anticlimactic for me. Because the book is building up gradually, I expected something more dramatic at the end.

If you enjoy "light" thrillers/mysteries, you will enjoy this book. There isn't much gore or blood, and nothing that I found to be scary or really "evil" like you see in some other thrillers. The book itself is beautifully written and if you have a love for the outdoors, this book will be right up your alley.