The Nature of Disappearing by Kimi Cunningham Grant is an extremely atmospheric story that takes you outdoors into the wilderness of Idaho. It has a mystery element to the plotline with stunning locales.

Emlyn is an excellent guide and tracker. She has a past that she doesn't want to visit, but at the same time, she can not forget. Emlyn is trying to reconnect with her best friend Janessa, and one day, she sees on the news that Janessa has gone missing. In the search of her best friend, Emlyn has to find her strength to revisit her past.

The chapters are told in alternating between the present and the past so the reader gets a good idea of what is going on without confusion. The setting is so beautiful, and the writing is so good that I was transported into that place with Emlyn. The book is fast-paced, and I enjoyed the story. The characters not so much, and when the mystery is revealed, it's a flat one. Honestly, though, I didn't mind it a bit due to the way the author took us to that mystery.

Thank you, Minotaur Books and Netgalley, for this book.

CW: Addiction, abandonment, drug use, animal cruelty (hunting)

Happy Publication Day!

<b>TW/CW: Language, anxiety, sexual assault (attempt), cancer (mention), cheating, divorce, depression, drinking, bullying, toxic relationships, drug addiction</b>

<b><big>*****SPOILERS*****</b></big>
<b>About the book:</b>
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.
<b>Release Date:</b> June 18th, 2024
<b>Genre:</b> Thriller
<b>Pages:</b> 304
<b>Rating:</b> ⭐

<b>What I Liked:</b>
1. Enjoyed the writing style
2. Liked the friendship between Emlyn and Janessa

<b>What I Didn't Like:</b>
1. Why are there so many weird names
2. Emlyn being "not like other girls"
3. Toxic relationships with toxic men
4. Book just being romance
5. Terrible ending
6. Not a thriller

<b>Overall Thoughts:</b>
<b><i><small>{{Disclaimer: I write my review as I read}}</small></i></b>

Okay so we have a toxic ex-boyfriend that left her in the woods who had a drinking and possible drug addiction. So she has to reconnect with him to find out what happened to Janessa. I am really hoping this doesn't turn in the same vein as silent in the woods, because I absolutely despise that book. Honestly I'm worried that this author promotes unhealthy relationships with toxic male characters. This whole time Emlyn is just pining over him and talking about how much she misses him despite what he put her through. Does every thriller <i>need</i> a romance?

Love that Emlyn is given pain medicine aka Oxys but Janessa takes them away from her because it takes the pain away too much. What kind of friend would do that? So what that her appendix is bad and she's supposed to have Tylenol? Nah dude they gave her pain medicine because it's painful.

Waiting for some mystery other than a missing person because that's every thriller. Luckily Tyler and Emlyn are a short distance from where Janessa says she was at.

Tyler holding onto Emlyn's hand despite her not wanting to hold his. Gag!

It's pretty exciting that the thing that bothered Emlyn is that Tyler left her in the woods and here we are so happy to go in the woods again. What are the chances? I keep thinking it's Tyler that did this. What if Janessa isn't even in danger and Tyler's just trying to get her alone? Unless unless Janessa was cheating on Bush and Bush found out and killed her.

Is it ever explained to us how Emlyn knows about cars? She doesn't even have a car. She's just able to help Tyler on the side of the road by knowing what's wrong with his car in like 5 seconds. It could have been anything that went wrong but she just knows it's the starter solenoid.

So Janessa would not give Tyler Emlyn's phone number and Emlyn does not think this is weird but not weird like something could be wrong with Tyler, but that Janessa is being too protective. So she gets in his car on the side of the road after meeting him one time. Again her best friend whom she trusts her opinion of would not give this man her number, but she gets in a vehicle with him in the middle of nowhere.

Thank God Tyler gets the chance to show Emlyn what a good guy he is by giving the homeless man a sandwich.

Speaking of Evelyn I don't really understand how she got into tracking. During the whole time she's in school she never mentions that she's interested in going to the mountains and doing anything with that. It's only when she follows Janessa out into the mountains and stays with her family that she seems to take on that role.

Why is it that Tyler has this whole business that deals with like climbing and camping and mounting stuff and he doesn't even know anything about anything? He's the most brainless character. His lack of knowledge is just so Emlyn could show how much more knowledgeable she is. I am finding this absolutely annoying.

You see this is what women are like Janessa actually gives her a warning and tells her he's no good but does Emlyn believe her? No, Emlyn just thinks that Janessa is being jealous. Janessa has known this person since she was a child so she would know if he was no good. But Emlyn seems to think that Janessa is saying that Emlyn is no good she isn't as good as Tyler. It's also ridiculous. Like listen to your friend. She's never reacted like this before when Emlyn has been interested in someone so why would she get this heated and emotional if something wasn't wrong. Emlyn even points out all the nice things that Janessa has done for her and how she's been a great friend to her, but then she thinks that all this stuff was just ways to trap her. God. Yeah I'd be real mad too if my rich friend bought me stuff and let me go on ski trips. All because she says I can't date this one person suddenly I want to throw away my whole entire friendship with this person.

Of course we hear about how great Emlyn is that when she was training for being a mountaineer they plopped her in the middle of the mountain and she was the first one to return. She's just that great. Honestly Janessa saying that Emlyn has self-esteem and I'm over here shaking my head thinking there's no way. She's always talking about how good she is at things.

There is zero way that Tyler is not behind this. He made sure that she came along and even knows that she didn't get a chance to tell anyone where she was going. And then she left it in his hands to radio it in that they were going out into the mountains but she doesn't know if he really did that. Then we come around this weird scene of animals suffering and dying off and she suddenly thinks that it's Bush but like what about that weird guy that walked by too telling them to not go that way.

What does 23 year old Emlyn do for a living? It just seems like she's just hanging out with zero worries of money or anything she has to do.

Cool so we're in conversation number 900 when Tyler talks to her about why he left and what happened. We get it we do not need to have this conversation over and over and over again. This feels like it's not even a mystery. Do they even care about finding this person? I feel like they spend more time just talking about their past relationship than actually being worried about where the hell this girl is. You would actually think that this mystery of Janessa missing doesn't matter. 200 pages in and all we know is that Tyler is still in love with her and they have kissed. We have only 100 pages to find out about Janessa and if she is okay.

We find out that Tyler actually had an oxycodone addiction so I'm assuming that's why Janessa freaked out on Emlyn for having them when her appendix ruptured. Oh and Emlyn blames herself for giving Tyler Oxy pills while they were hiking and hurt his leg. That caused him to spiral into his addiction and leave her at the end. Not sure that she should blame herself for any of that considering he never told her that he had an addiction problem.

So this storyline was completely pointless. With 80 pages left Janessa is perfectly fine and she just wanted to be left alone for a little bit and in typical rich person way just decided she didn't need to let anyone know this - but wait is Bush really holding her hostage she gives Emlyn the hair sign that she's not safe.

So the plot twist is Bush is a drug dealer who is running drugs and Janessa found out. She wanted to take Bush down (not sure why it had to happen in the woods where he has an advantage). Janessa has an agent that's out there right now but was willing to risk her putting her life in danger to get this man. Not only that but Bush has also blasted his face all over social media all while being a drug dealer and he doesn't care? Like he didn't want to stay in the shadows and remain a mystery? Bush even has his own YouTube. And and Tyler thought it would be a wonderful idea to drag Emlyn out into this even when he knew what has happening, because Janessa sent him a message about it. Proving again how much of a piece of crap Tyler is to Emlyn.

Even worse now we learned that Tyler actually left her in the middle of the Woods in a middle of a snowstorm with no water. Not sure why she couldn't just wait for the snow to accumulate and then melt the snow to drink but I digress. After learning this I'm even more mad that she kissed him in the woods and was willing to give him another chance. Wtf. Someone leaves me to die in the woods I would not be giving them another chance.

Tyler's working with Bush. Janessa mentions that Bush was working with a partner, but Tyler mentions he knew Bush from before.

Bush is the person who gave Tyler his first drugs in high school. Janessa sets out to date him years and years later randomly to catch him. Now I'm just convinced that Tyler and Janessa are actually in love with each other because the extent and levels they'll go for one another is like two lovers. She's willing to risk her life to bring down the man that started Tyler on his drug addiction and he's willing to drag Emlyn into this to save Janessa.

Skimmed the last 30 pages because I stopped caring and just needed it to end.

Emlyn biggest thing is that Janessa is always telling her what to do and how to live, but if you read the story then you'll notice that Emlyn has never taken care of herself. She always just does whatever someone wants. She after she lives Janessa she then does whatever Tyler wants. After Tyler she does what Rev wants for staying in town.

It's mentioned Amish romances - which in my profile is what I refuse to read.

Where is the danger? Bush poisons them but not enough to kill them. He leaves them alive in the woods and let's them live. He doesn't come back for them at all.

She brought hairspray while hiking?

Good coming off that traumatic experience with Tyler Emlyn then briskly enters into a relationship with Barden. And they live happily ever after. Gag. Thank good none of that messed with her. Love that this author just always has random convenient relationships lined up.

<b>Final Thoughts:</b>
Emlyn is like a Swiss army knife. She just has endless talents and knows everything
• Fixes cars
• Expert mountain tracker
• Expert fisher
• Amazing at vocabulary (she used to read a dictionary)

This book feels more like a romance than an actual mystery. All you do is get endless conversation on why Tyler left emlin and it all feels so repetitive

This is the second time this author has written a book that I have read where the female character falls in love with a very toxic and dangerous man and it's romanticized that a woman should just forgive the man for these indiscretions. I don't believe toxic relationships between a man or a woman or a woman and a man should be romanticized. It's disgusting. I don't think it's hot that Tyler left her out in the woods to die and their attraction was so hot that she had touch him and kiss him and even still had feelings for him.

It's weird I ended up not liking this book at all but when I was first reading this book I was really enjoying where we were going and learning about the character, I loved the friendship between Emlyn and Janessa. It was sweet how her friend was there to always support her help her. She treated her like a sister, but all that is ripped away when Emlyn meets a man and you would think she's never seen a penis the way she reacts to her friend.

In conclusion I don't believe this author is the one for me and this will be the last book I read by her.

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<b><small>Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for this advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This one had such a beautiful setting and description but ultimately I could not connect with the main characters. I felt like the plot was explained rather than revealed to us .

Thanks for the chance to read early. This was a different story than I expected and enjoyed it. Parts were a little slow but I loved the suspense and tension.

I included this one on my pub day feature with a recommendation to pick it up. I was engaged immediately. I am not AT ALL a outdoorsy kind of person but I was still so captivated by the atmosphere of this book. The details and descriptions were perfection. This is more of a slow burn suspense instead of an edge of your seat thriller but it works. Because I tend to prefer character driven novels, I loved the character development, relationships, and back story.
These Silent Woods is incredible but it’s important to note that this one has a different vibe and level of intensity and is a great book in a different way.

I’ve been meaning to read this author for ages. So many people have recommended These Silent Woods and while I own a copy its still sitting on my shelves. I sort of forgot about it because as a bookworm I have many books to read but then I saw this one on netgalley and decided to request it. I’m glad I did! This is one of those slow burn mysteries that has tension, but not enough to keep you gripping and flipping the pages. The author has written something atmospheric and those who have never hiked a day in their lives will suddenly feel as if they’ve been on one because of how detailed the author writes it. The characters are great- I enjoyed the dips from past to present and seeing how their lives veered from one another. My only complaint though is that there’s not too much that happens until the very end. For me, I love a mystery/thriller novel that packs a punch, and this one just doesn’t do it. There are many readers out there though who love a novel like this, so I do recommend giving it a try! I enjoyed it and I’m looking forward to finally reading These Silent Woods!

𝗠𝗬 𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I had the privelege to read an ARC copy of this book - many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this opportunity.

I really loved the premise of this story. Three estranged friends, one goes missing, the remaining two need to put their differences aside to get to the bottom of everything. It has the plot and setup to become a page turner.

Except it didn't for me, sadly. Maybe it was a disconnect with the characters or even the setting of the book, but it didn't feel like I was fully into the plot. I was waiting for that one line, that one moment to pull me in and have me obsessed with the characters, the stakes, everything. I'm not entirely sure where it fell flat for me, but it did.

Overall, a decent book, but for a bit disappointing. Despite that, Cunningham Grant remains a favorite author of mine!

3.5 stars rounded up to 4 for Goodreads. This is definitely a read I had trouble putting down because I wanted to know what was going to happen next. I didn’t love the story but I did enjoy it. The mystery element pulled me in to the story quickly, but for whatever reason I can’t quite pinpoint I didn’t connect 100% with the story. Still a good read!

Set in the mountains and forests of Idaho, Kimi Cunningham Grant sets the wilderness as a character in THE NATURE OF DISAPPEARING. Grant uses the challenges faced by the characters to test them for weaknesses. She did the same in THESE SILENT WOODS with the same excellent results. These characters become different people when taken from their safe everyday lives and thrown into a setting where your next step could be your last. Even the main character, a profession wilderness guide, will be challenged to keep herself and her charges safe.

The three main characters have a back history of causing each other pain. When one of them disappears, can the remaining two set aside their differences and find her before she finds danger face to face. This book/story is full of atmoshere, both from the Idaho setting and the words that are not said by the characters. Grant may not have many titles in her library, but she definitely has the quality that many readers search for.

A suspenseful read!
Set in the wilderness, the author's description of the character's surroundings had me feeling like I was there. Told in dual timelines with well-developed, complex characters.
Emlyn, a fishing and hunting guide, sets out to find her estranged friend Janessa who is a social media star documenting her time in the wilderness until she disappears.
A captivating mystery!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for an arc of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

So many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for my review copy!

Having enjoyed previous reads by Kimi Cunningham Grant, I was interested in this one, and it did not disappoint! The descriptive writing had me along for the ride, and although it was a slow burn with a dual timeline, the style kept it moving and intriguing. I thought I had a few of the mysteries figured out early on, to be surprised, which I always enjoy. The characters weren't my favorite, but that's life! Not every person is completely likable. :)

I really enjoyed this one! I also enjoyed These Silent Woods and continue to love her nature writing. This was a solid, page-turning story with excellent atmospheric writing, perfect for summer reading. It hit all the right notes for me and I look forward to recommending to others!

I LOVED her previous book, These Silent Woods, so I was expecting an atmospheric mountain adventure full of twists but I didn’t care for the characters or the storyline. Usually when I near the end of a book my eyes are glued to every last detail and I cannot put it down, but with this one the ending was predictable and I just couldn’t make myself finish it…but I pushed myself to read every last chapter.

I liked the past and present timeline that built up the character’s story, but again, I just couldn’t connect with any of the characters.

Without giving out any spoilers on characters, I wanted more of a conclusion but feel like the romance overtook the criminal conclusion that I desperately needed. Maybe I read too many crime thrillers, but I feel like I needed to know what happened with the “bad guys” since the last portion of the book blew up with their secret lives and the girls were going to expose them, but it bothered me that those loose ends were never tied up.

-I loved the suspense and constant questions of "who can we trust?" I enjoy a good guessing game because it keeps me reading
-Kimi's writing style and voice is wonderful, and she has such a way with words and painting an amazing scene.
-This is a book that gets better and better as you read it. People who are quick to DNF would miss out on some great moments in the end.

THOUGHTS:
-The time jumps happened too often for me and were all over the place. They range from Emlyn's childhood, teen years and adult years. Normally this isn't a problem for me, but for some reason it made the present timeline feel less impactful.
-The romance needed to be swapped. I wanted what we got in the end, to happen at the beginning. That last hour of the audio was wonderful, and I WISHED it'd been switched.
-The ending was great but was also resolved too easily and too quickly. wholly underwhelming.

OVERALL:
I liked this book and I'd recommend it to nature lovers who want a dash of mystery.

Reminiscent of recent headlines this is the story of a woman whose friend goes missing. Overcome with memories from the past she is left searching for her friend with the man that she thought she would love forever until he left her abandoned in the woods half frozen to death. They are forced to work together as they trudge through the wilderness uncovering clues and reliving the past as they narrow in on the location of her missing friend.

I had no idea where this story was headed. Just when I thought I knew, it would take a different turn. I enjoyed the tension and uneasiness the story created. The atmosphere was described perfectly as were the challenges that one faces in the wilderness. This was a slow building story with alternating chapters from the past that gave insight to the relationships between the three friends. This is very well written but I had a difficult time relating to the characters or becoming emotionally involved in the story.

3 ⭐️

Thank you to Kimi Cunningham Grant, NetGalley, and Minotaur books for this #gifted book!*

Synopsis: “But, truth is, I always found the most dangerous animal of all—…—that’s got to be the two-legged kind.” Emlyn Anthony packed her things in an airstream and decided to live in the wilderness after her failed relationship with Tyler. She was ready to escape him and move on—or so she thought. When Tyler reenters her life asking for help finding her former best friend Janessa, regret encircles Emlyn’s mind. Memories replay of her past as they trek through the wilderness searching for this missing social media star whose own post betrayed her. Something isn’t right. As the hike progresses and the story pieces together, Emlyn explores the truth about her friends, herself, and The Nature of Disappearing.

Analysis: One thing I love about Grant’s books is how her characters instantly draw me in and keep me turning every page. Emlyn is trekking through a wilderness both physically and metaphorically, and this deep theme continues throughout the book. She has to deal with how she views herself, how she’s let others affect her, and what she’ll do with the future. All of the characters in this book are deeply flawed, but they show the real life story of what happens when you’re involved with the wrong people and things. This book is filled with beautiful imagery of the forest, the complexities of adult friendships, and adventures in the wild. The last bit of the book dives into that page-turning finale that readers long for. If you’re looking for subtle mystery/suspense/thriller, you absolutely have to give this book a try!

Star Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

*I was given an ARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions ťexpressed in this review are my own.

the nature of disappearing by kimi cunningham grant 🥾 thank you minotaur books for the finished copy and box of essentials to explore the wilderness 🍂✨🪵

a wilderness guide must team up with the man who ruined her life years ago when the friend who introduced them goes missing 👀

this story switches between past and present timelines, explaining how this friend group ultimately fell apart. while I liked the adventure of hiking into the unknown mystery within the present storyline, the past felt too slowly revealed as there wasn’t as much going on.

emlyn was a good mc to follow but for as strong-willed of a character as she was, at times she was portrayed as a very *insecure girl* which didn’t make much sense. as characters started showing their true motives & nerves started picking up towards the end, I ultimately wanted more within the final chapters. everything ended SO abruptly, we never truly got answers about what happened in the moment or a few months from now… we were just left to assume.

moral of the story: don't let anyone back in your life who as ever wronged you, even when it’s the most tempting. 3.5 stars ⛰

The author of THESE SILENT WOODS has written another unforgettable story. In this one you will get lost in the wilderness. Go fly fishing in freezing cold rivers. Find a true forever friend. Fall in love. In real love...

When Emlyn wakes in a stranger's cabin she has no idea how her life is going to change. She's been through a lot and it's time for her to face it all. To accept that she is a good and decent person who is worthy of love and being heard. She has been through so much for another. It's time for her to live life for herself now. At least that is what I got out of this story.

A beautiful heartfelt story of a young woman who fell in love. She fell in love with the wrong boy. But no one, not even her best friend, could tell her that. And to be honest her best friend didn't really try that hard. What she experiences for the next five or more years is her story. She tells it all too. You get all the details and meet some pretty awful people. But you also meet the kindest, most caring people too.

This story is about a young woman who is really searching for something. And when she finally finds it it is so beautiful. So honest and loving. When she finally accepts that she is worthy of hope. Of a normal, caring, relationship.

I loved this story. It's filled with a lot of tension. A lot of thrills. A bit of love. It hits on drug addiction. Lies. Maybe a bit of abuse but in a way that is not what you think. It's a story of hope. Hope in it's truest form. Somewhere in Idaho there is a couple living a good life. I believe that now. I'm happy for them.

Thank you #NetGalley, #KimiCunninghamGrant, #StMartinsPress, for this ARC. This is my own true thoughts about this book.

Five big stars. It's that good.

This story takes place in the beautiful wilderness of Idaho. As a lover of nature, I enjoyed the sceneries the author so beautifully captured in this book.

Emlyn is a guide and when her ex-boyfriend contacts her about the disappearance of their mutual friend, Emlyn doesn’t hesitate. With her skills, she knows they have a better chance of finding Janessa. 

The two timelines intertwine nicely. The past takes us back to the time when Emlyn became friends with Janessa. Everything is fine between them until Emlyn meets Tyler, Janessa's childhood friend.

The writing was beautiful. The set up was spectacular. But, I just wish I was more engaged in the story. I was waiting for more suspense and thrilling moments in this book. The ending was what I was hoping for. This book will be loved by many readers this season.

Having read and loved These Silent Woods, I was excited to read The Nature of Disappearing. But I was a bit disappointed, expecting a thriller but getting a just a slow story with not much happening. Switching between the different timelines made it feel disjointed as well. The description of the setting was great and the plot wasn't bad, it just wasn't very cohesive and lacked any real suspense. I'd be willing to give the author another try but would recommend These Silent Woods over this one. My thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.