I saw the first book by this author everywhere when it came out but didn’t pick it up, now I’ll have to cause her writing is excellent. I loved all the backcountry details in this search/rescue/adventure novel set in the beautiful outdoors of Idaho. I love flashbacks- they always keep me on my toes and wanting more. I felt like the main character was wayyyy too self-deprecating for most of the novel, but her growth was impressive and admirable. I loved the love stories and the examination of friendship. TW for addiction and wild animal death, but overall this book is fast-paced and engaging.

I recently completed THE NATURE OF DISAPPEARING by Kimi Cunningham Grant. While it didn't capture me quite as much as her previous book, THESE SILENT WOODS, I still found it enjoyable. Grant's atmospheric writing and storytelling are captivating, and reading it while visiting national parks made the experience even better.

The main character's journey to overcome her past and heal was compelling, and the natural settings fit perfectly with my surroundings. Overall, it's a solid read that I'd recommend, especially if you appreciate well-crafted, atmospheric stories.

I switched back and forth between the book and audiobook and really enjoyed Emily Pike Stewart’s excellent narration.

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

For the past three years Emlyn has been a wilderness guide in the forests of Idaho, hired by wealthy clients and adventure seekers looking for a weekend of off-grid camping and fishing with instagram-worthy views. One day Tyler, the man she once thought to be the love of her life until he abandoned her to fend for herself on the side of the road, returns begging for Emlyn’s help. Her former best friend-turned-social media influencer has gone missing. Her popular #vanlife account has had zero activity in a week, she’s not answering her phone, no one knows where Janessa is.

Tyler’s return reluctantly sends Emlyn back to a world she thought she escaped. As the pair head deeper into the forest long-forgotten memories make their way to the surface and it soon becomes apparent Janessa isn’t the only one who could be in danger.

After years of hearing phenomenal things about THESE SILENT WOODS, I leapt at the chance to read Kimi’s latest. Almost instantly the book earned points from me with its use of yinz — someone has spent some time in Pittsburgh!!

Though I was intrigued by the mystery — what happened to Janessa and her boyfriend, two people very experienced in wilderness survival — the secondary story, Emlyn’s past with Janessa and Tyler left a bad taste in my mouth. Janessa didn’t see Emlyn as a person, she took her on as a poor charity case for playing dress-up. And Tyler? He hid his addiction for years, before abandoning Emlyn on a hike where she nearly died. Yet the moment he returns the reader is force-fed all this amazing chemistry they’re meant to have, ~feelings~ have resurfaced, and Emlyn is eager to run back to him, fully ready to destroy her new life and the potential relationship she’s forming with a great guy. Tyler rubbed me the wrong way from the start.

While the big reveal felt a bit over the top and unbelievable, I can’t ignore the fact that I tore through this one. During a sweltering heatwave, THE NATURE OF DISAPPEARING made for a welcome escape and was a quick one-sitting read.

I listened to this partially in audio book, and read the rest of it on my Kindle. The narration gets 5 starts. The story line is more like 3 stars. I didn't strongly dislike anything about the story, it just wasn't super satisfying or page turning. Some plot lines felt undeveloped and/or were left unresolved, and the "twist" at the end didn't feel very twisty. It all seemed kind of rushed and not super well thought through. I also thought the sub-plot about a religious character was a bit weird and didn't add anything (other than confusion). But I really enjoyed the narrator!

This is very well written and a fantastic read. The chapters aren’t super short but also not super long so that was also appreciated.

Emlyn is a wilderness guide that had a rocky past few years which led her to her current job. She became separated from her best friend Janessa over some silly issues, was left in the woods by an addict ex boyfriend Tyler, and now her friend Janessa is missing. Tyler gets in touch with her for help to find Janessa as Tyler and Janessa are still close friends. From there. Things get interesting!

I am going to preface my review with saying that I LOVED Grant's previous book, These Silent Woods! It is one of my most favorite books and I bought several copies for friends and family members. I was so PUMPED when I saw this new one coming out and I couldn't help but have super high hopes for The Nature of Disappearing. I tried to not set the bar too high because I knew These Silent Woods would be hard to beat. Unfortunately, The Nature of Disappearing did not blow me away like These Silents Woods did. I'm a bit disappointed but it was still a good book. I loved the atmosphere and wilderness setting of this book. The author did an amazing job describing and detailing the scenery and making you feel like you were there! I enjoyed the alternating timelines in the book; they worked well for the unraveling of this storyline. The characters of Emlyn, Tyler, and Janessa were developed well. I would have loved to have been given more backstory and gotten to know Rev and Varden a bit more. The Nature of Disappearing was definitely a slow burn, almost too slow sometimes, which I think is what keeps it from being as great as These Silent Woods. It lacked suspense in most parts of the books and then the ending came fast, and it wasn't as intense as I had hoped for. I also would have loved to have had an epilogue on this one. I think I'm most bummed about no epilogue and not knowing what happened in the future. Overall, it was still a pretty good read, and I can't wait to see what Kimi Cunningham Grant comes out with next!
I wanted this to be a 5-star read for me so bad but it's 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars for me!

Thank you, Net Galley, and St. Martin's Press for a copy in return for my honest review.

The nature of disappearing is Grants 4th novel, after these silent woods. I really enjoyed these silent woods and was looking forward to reading this follow-up.

This is the story of a complicated friendship between Emlyn and Janessa, which fell apart. After losing her best friend and her boyfriend, Tyler, emlyn chooses a simpler life and works in the Idaho wilderness as a river guide with her two new friends, verdan and rev.

Tyler tracks down Emlyn concerned bc Janessa has gone off the grid after seemingly taking a road trip with her new boyfriend. Tyler and Emlyn pair up to try to find Janessa, all while Emlyn is haunted by memories of their failed friendship.

The dual timeline works well here and emlyn is a sympathetic protagonist to drive the story. Yes, this is a slow-burn but it worked here and grant has a talent with slow-burn pacing. The mystery didn’t click as well for me and I was let down with the resolution. However, I still found this to be a worthwhile read that kept me engaged in an easy to follow plot across multiple timelines.

Thanks to the publisher for providing the arc via NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.

The Nature of Disappearing
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Author: Kimi Cunningham Grant

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

Synopsis: Emlyn doesn’t let herself think about the past.

How she and her best friend, Janessa, barely speak anymore. How Tyler, the man she thought was the love of her life, left her freezing and half-dead on the side of the road three years ago.

Her new life is simple and safe. She works as a fishing and hunting guide, spending her days in Idaho’s endless woods and scenic rivers. She lives alone in her Airstream trailer, her closest friends a handsome and kind Forest Service ranger and the community’s makeshift reverend, who took her in at her lowest.

But when Tyler shows up with the news that Janessa is missing, Emlyn is propelled back into the world she worked so hard to forget. Janessa, it turns out, has become a social media star, documenting her #vanlife adventures with her rugged survivalist boyfriend. But she hasn’t posted lately, and when she does, it’s from a completely different location than where her caption claims to be. In spite of their fractured history, Emlyn knows she might be the only one with the knowledge and tracking skills to save her friend, so she reluctantly teams up with Tyler. As the two trace Janessa’s path through miles of wild country, Emlyn can’t deny there’s still chemistry crackling between them. But the deeper they press into the wilderness, the more she begins to suspect that a darker truth lies in the woods―and that Janessa isn’t the only one in danger.

My Thoughts: This was a really slow burn novel, still captivating. Emlyn and Janessa was thick as thieves growing up, even through college and into adult life. However, a falling out a few years ago and they have only had surface level talk. Her new life is simple. She works as a fishing and hunting guide is Idaho. She lives alone and her closed friends are Varden, Forest Service ranger and Rev, the community’s makeshift reverend, who really made a different in her life when she was at her darkest moments. Then out of the blue appears Tyler, with news that Janessa is missing. She and Tyler did not part on amicable terms. Emlyn knows she might be the only one who can track Janessa. So they team up to locate Janessa. As they press on in the search, Emlyn soon learns that maybe Janessa is not the only one in danger.

This is narrated by Emlyn, in her POV, in alternating past and present timelines. Emlyn is reserved, cautious, and keeps her heart guarded. Janessa is a carefree spirit, who is full of life, and loyal to those so loves. Then we have Tyler, and his backstory is just perfection for this atmospheric claustrophobic suspenseful setting. The characters are flawed, but authentic, and unreliable narrators. Emlyn makes a fantastic female heroine for this classic ride. The characters were created with depth, were mysterious, dark, laced with betrayal, and intriguing. The author’s writing style was similar to the prior novel, it was complex, suspenseful, twisty, compelling, and engaging. The broken love story weaves into the mystery surrounding Janessa’s disappearance and adds a level of authenticity. The characters were built up through their backstories, the plot was developed into twisty layers, almost like an onion, peeling back the layers and the ending was outstanding with its own plot twists. The author’s knowledge of wilderness survival skills really comes through this novel as a shiny star. The details provided to set the scene were surreal and really make you feel like you were making that hike with Emlyn.

I had the pleasure of having both the digital and audio ARCs of book, I leaned on the audio. It has all of the amazing markings of a great thriller. It was captivating, compelling, gripping, dark, and engaging from cover to cover. This was just released and I highly recommend it to other readers.

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!