4.5 stars

The Nature of Disappearing by Kimi Cunningham Grant was a slow burn that really surprised me with how it hooked me in.

I really didn’t know how this book was going to turn out for me initially. It has a slower build up without inundating the reader with unnecessary set up, but the slow, yet steady pace really works for the story. It manages not to spend too long on the pre-story before the point of the plot begins, and yet manages to give the reader the necessary backstory to really connect with characters and understand the relationships. It does this by alternating between the main events; namely where Emlyn, the main character, is at in the present, while navigating the potential disappearance of an old friend; and in contrast, the initial forming of her relationships with both the missing friend, and her ex-boyfriend who has reappeared in Emlyn’s life to ask for her help in searching for Janessa.

Interweaving the past with the present was very expertly done in my opinion. It really served to make me care for a character and a relationship that wasn’t present in the current timeline which is an impressive feat. It also left me wanting to know so much more about Janessa, particularly the sketchy circumstances leading up to her mysterious disappearance which were so subtle yet incredibly intriguing. It also left me desperately wishing Emlyn and Janessa would have a chance to rebuild their lost friendship after so many years, because it gave such a pure and wholesome glimpse into their past friendship left me sad they had drifted apart. I truly cared about the characters and very much wanted them all to be ok and have everything work out in the end.

Another notable aspect to the character side of this book that I enjoyed was that you could really see Emlyn’s growth, not only from past to present timelines, but also from the start of the book to the finish. It’s very evident and makes Emlyn both of extremely real and relatable which only adds to the entire story.

The Nature of Disappearing was definitely a book that snuck up on me and I came away from it pleasantly surprised by just how much I enjoyed it. I did not expect it to be the standout novel it was and I can only highly recommend it to thriller fans.

In the world of thrillers, so many tropes are the same: traumatized one-dimensional main character, twisty plot, unexpected (but, really totally expected) villain. Yet, sometimes, in the world of thrillers, stories emerge that are actually good representations of deeply nuanced and relatable characters. Characters who are extraordinary in the most ordinary of ways.

"The Nature of Disappearing" by Kimi Cunningham Grant is one of those stories. One that found me rooting on the main character with way more than a series of eye rolls (lol — I know you know those protagonist types). While I'm ambivalent towards its ending, I really enjoyed this story, its setting, and the slightly action-hero-like-quality of its dynamic female characters.

Would recommend to a friend looking for a quick-paced adventure thriller/mystery (emphasis on the "mystery" over "thriller"). I'm glad I read it and would absolutely read more from Kimi!

After really enjoying These Silent Woods, I was so excited to be given the eARC of The Nature of Disappearing to read on Netgalley.

This author has a knack for describing vivid landscapes like a painter with a brush on canvas. I felt transported to the northern California wilderness, from the rushing rivers to the dangerously rocky bluffs of the mountains. As far as outdoor adventure writers go, Grant can keep up with the best of them.

I loved the alternating timelines that flipped back and forth between now, 5 years ago and 1 year ago. I found that this writing style helped to move the story forward in the now, and fill in the mysteries of the past as we went. Slowly, we find out what our FMC Emlyn and her two best friends, Tyler and Janessa went through together and understand why Emlyn has been living estranged from them both for the last year.

My critique for this book is that it moved along slowly and was more of a drama than a thriller. There was some mystery involved, but I didn’t find myself on the edge of my seat or unable to put this one down. There was also a fair amount of religion and God throughout the book, which I don’t mind personally, but I know may either draw or repel certain groups of readers.

Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press and Minotaur Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed it. It was a bit slow in the beginning, but once I found my rhythm, I enjoyed the journey. This is a very character focused novel, so if that's not your thing, just be aware of that going in. I did want a little bit more from the ending. Quite frankly, I wanted the mystery to be something a little more harrowing and not to wrap up so quickly and one of the twists was very obvious. But I still thought the book was well written and interesting.

The premise of this book immediately drew me in. As the main character Emlyn searches for her missing "van life" friend Janessa with the help of Tyler, a guy she had once been involved with but now struggles to trust, the narrative cleverly weaves between past and present. This dual timeline beautifully depicts Emlyn's relationship with Janessa and her tumultuous history with Tyler.

The author's vivid descriptions of the wilderness setting were enchanting, making me long for summer weekends spent camping in the woods. Although the pacing felt a bit slow at times, especially given the urgency of a missing person plot, the flashback chapters were a highlight. They allowed the mystery to unfold gradually, maintaining a high level of intrigue throughout the book.

The friendship between Janessa and Emlyn was particularly captivating. I found myself deeply invested in their journey and rooting for them to have a chance to heal their differences. The ending was unexpected, but it felt just right.

Overall, this book masterfully combines elements of suspense and personal growth, set against a backdrop that is both beautiful and treacherous. The slow reveal of backstory through flashbacks adds depth and keeps the reader engaged, making it a compelling read despite the slower pacing.

I was really excited to read this book, since I loved Grant's THESE SILENT WOODS. Unfortunately, I just didn't connect with this book at all.

Although I didn't love the story, the one part that I loved was the sweeping backdrop of the Idaho wilderness. I felt transported there and I think Grant's writing of the landscape was captivating.

What fell flat was the story - Emlyn was a very frustrating main character. I wanted to shake her half the time. The "mystery" was just okay for me, too. This book is dubbed as a thriller and it certainly is NOT at all. It's more contemporary mystery and much slower than you think..

Despite all of this, I will definitely try Grant's next book.

This is a new to me author. I was intrigued by the premise of the story and excited to read it. The description of the placed in the story were detailed and made you feel like you were there. However, I found the pacing to be very slow and for some reason I just could not connect with the characters.

I am a big fan of thrillers that portray the natural world and its beauty and danger.

What I did love about The Nature of Disappearing: Grant's beautiful depictions of the beauty and danger of life in the backcountry and her lovely writing.

What I loved less: considering there were only 7-8 characters, there was a LOT going on.

As main character Emlyn searches for her missing "van life" friend Janessa with the help of Tyler, a guy Emlyn had been involved with but can no longer trust, there is a past-present narrative depicting Emlyn's relationship with Janessa and another one chronicling Emlyn's rocky past with Tyler.

I am not always a fan of a past-present storyline and in this case it offered information I didn't want to know. I wish there had been more backcountry and less drama in the past. Emlyn is supposed to be a skilled tracker and backcountry guide and I wanted to see some of that and less of how she's such a "mess" in her personal life. Compartmentalize and get it together, girl!

I absolutely loved this book! The mystery of what happened to Janessa, along with the slow bit-by-bit reveal of how Tyler came to abandon Emlyn in the woods years ago, made for a tension-packed 'I don't know who to trust' mystery that kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end.

I love Kimi Cunningham Grant's writing. The beautiful description of the wilderness and the dual timeline building the background of Tyler, Emlyn, and Janessa's relationship swept me into the story completely. I especially loved the friendship between Janessa and Emlyn, and was rooting for them to have a chance to heal their differences. The ending was unexpected, but perfect.

I listened to the audio version of the novel, and Emily Pike Stewart's narration was the perfect voice for Emlyn. The book lends itself to audio, and this one kept me going on longer, more frequent walks because I enjoyed it so much.

Thank you to Netgalley, Macmillan Audio, and St. Martin's Press for the digital ARC and audio ARC of The Nature of Disappearing by Kimi Cunningham Grant. The opinions in this review are my own.

Absolutely loved this one--I could not put it down. Kimi Cunningham Grant is a new favorite; I've read two of her books and they are both now favorites. The Nature of Disappearing follows Emlyn through a dangerous expedition to find a missing friend, while flashing back to the past that led her there. It's so good. So satisfying, well-written, immersive. The plot and characters could have easily been overdramatized, but the author keeps everything grounded and realistic. I love the craft.

Thanks to @minotaur_books @kimicgrant @macmillan.audio and @netgalley for the advance copies of the book, as well as the fun swag that came with! I alternated between listening to the book and reading the ebook. The narrator was excellent.

Many thanks to Netgalley and publishers for providing my review copy!

KCG writes exactly the type of book I wanna read. These Silent Woods was one of my favorite reads at the time it was released so I was excited to read The Nature of Disappearing. While this story didn’t quite touch me the same way, I enjoyed getting to know Emlyn and hear her story. I felt that she had a relationship with Janessa that many could relate to. My only real issue with this story was the Bush storyline. I guess I should have seen it coming, but his reveal felt a bit jarring. I’m excited to read Fallen Mountains and everything else KCG comes up with.

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books, and Kimi Cunningham Grant for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this one! I'm not much of an outdoorsy/camping gal but this one had me hooked from the very beginning and I couldn't put it down! 4 star read for me!

Kimi Cunningham Grant takes up deep into the wilderness of Idaho in The Nature of Disappearing.

"Emilyn is happy to be an outdoor guide and leave her old life behind. When the former love-of-her-life shows up and asks for her help tracking down her former best friend who's disappeared, she agrees. They set out to track her down. Emilyn begins to wonder though - who's really tracking who?"

I really liked this new book from Grant - even more than her previous buzzy book. I'm not really an outdoorsy, camping, fishing person so the idea of sleeping in the wilderness on the ground and trying to avoid the bears and mountain lions is pretty terrifying.
Emilyn is one of those characters that struggles to make the best choices, even ignoring the advice of her best friend. The consequences of that almost kill her. I did guess one twist (it was just a guess but I was right) There are two timelines. The past timeline is just the backstory of the main characters. The ending is wild and I liked the end of Emilyn's story.

Great story from Grant.

Unfortunately, I am unable to give this 5 stars like I did the author's previous book, These Silent Woods. This title almost felt like it was written by a completely different person. It was missing the intensity, suspense and tension, which made TSW truly wonderful. I desperately wanted to love this book and kept listening hoping that the next chapter would be the spark that ignited deep interest in where the story was going, but unfortunately that never happened.

I really loved the setting of this book and Emlyn's occupation and the found family she had in the community where she lived (the strongest parts of the book), but it kind of dissolved as soon as the book got going. It starts slow (not a deal breaker), but what quickly became apparent for me was I just didn't care about these characters. The expression "show me don't tell me" kept coming to mind. So must was repeated over and over, but I never was able to emotionally connect to the characters and what they were going through. I also didn't care for the part of the story told in the past. It broke me out of any suspense or mystery the book was working towards and kind of weakened the case for Emlyn being this in charge, focused, excellent tracker. It's hard to explain, but I felt that part of the book worked against present timeline.

The last thing I'll say is that the ending was kind of a letdown. I don't want to say more because I don't want to write any spoilers, but I'd be interested to see if other reviewers agree.

I'm trying to disconnect my feelings about the previous book and go with what this book provided and I'd say it was good, but not something I will remember for very long.

The audiobook was good - no complaints there. I think the narrator (this is the first time I've listened to her) did a great job with the text. I was able to listen a little faster than normal (2.4x) because she had a slower reading speed.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the gifted audiobook and Minotaur Books for the gifted egalley in exchange for an honest review.

Publication Date: 06/18/2024
Review Date: 06/12/2024

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, St. Martins for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.
My Rating:
3.25 Stars (Rounded down)
My Opinion:
I was excited to read it because I have heard good things about the author and her other books. The pace of the book was very slow for me. I am very much a mood reader and the book didn't want me to pick it up. The twist was good but I could see it coming. After the twist, I felt the ending was rushed. I was felt wondering what happened. Give me one more chapter please. I am interested to check out her other book "These Silent Woods".

The first book I read by this author was amazing, "These Silent Woods." So, I could not wait to read this one! Emlyn is in search of her friend, Janessa. She teams up with Tyler, her past boyfriend.

If there's one thing her twenty-eight years have taught her, it's that there are people in this world who inspire loyalty and devotion, and there are people who are forgettable and leavable.

The past memories with her and Tyler are very emotional. They were so happy once and in love! Does she still have feelings for him? "I know there are so many things I should say to you. So many things I've wanted to say. Trust me, I've played through them a thousand times."

In the woods, Emlyn becomes someone else. She is brave, self-assured, intrepid. It's seeing someone you love splinter away from you, shard by shard. Knowing there are parts of him left, but never being sure just how much, and at what point a person is so far gone that you won't ever really get him back.


Emotional, Suspenseful, and Engaging! 3 stars

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy! This book will be released 6/18/24.

This book kind of fell flat for me, I started reading and was intrigued but then picked it back up and just did not feel full invested in the story.
It was just a middle of the road thriller.
3/5

Emlyn now lives a very simple life in an Airstream trailer and is a fishing and hunting guide with the people who found her since her boyfriend Tyler left her for dead in the woods (he was a drug addict). Now Tyler is clean and has come back because Emlyn’s estranged best friend Janessa has gone missing and he needs her woodsy skills to find her. Janessa has become half of a social media couple living the vanlife out in the woods and has fallen off the grid and Tyler and Emlyn are concerned that something serious has happened to her. However the further into the woods they get the more they worry about their own lives as well.

I jumped into this one totally blind and really enjoyed it. I mainly listened to it and while sometimes it takes a bit to get into an audio, this one engaged me immediately. The backstory was told through flashbacks and it was not confusing at all. I hadn’t read anything else by the author and I have heard her other book is great and will definitely try to read it this summer. The twists were there, the story was compelling and it just held me the whole time, while not quite a thriller, it’s a great read!

Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Press for the ARC to review

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the advanced copy. After loving These Silent Woods, I knew I needed to get my hands on The Nature of Disappearing. Emlyn is a wilderness guide who teams up with her ex to find her ex best friend. The Nature of Disappearing reminded me of the Gabby Petito case in the beginning. It parallel the case due to the fact that Emlyn was searching for her friend, Janessa, a social media star who travels around in her van with her boyfriend. Although there are similarities, it quickly takes a different direction. I could not put the book down. I wanted to know what would happen next.

This was a very middle of the road book for me. I didn't love it or hate it. I didn't find the plot particularly compelling and the twist was pretty obvious.

I liked the characters well enough and thought the writing was decent. The pace was just slow and I didn't really feel like the flashbacks added anything.

I read an ARC of this book from NetGalley. All comments are my own.