✨Arc Review!✨

The Nature of Disappearing
By Kimi Cunningham Grant
Publishes: 6/18/24
Genre: mystery/thriller

This book is one to put in your backpack for your camping adventures this summer. If you’re an outdoors enthusiast, you’ll most likely love it. I liked this story, but it wasn’t exactly what I expected. Actually, I don’t think I even read the synopsis beforehand. Probably I went in cold because I LOVED These Silent Woods!So, I was going to read it no matter what. Although The Nature of Disappearing wasn’t as engrossing for me, I still felt a connection to the main character and had an appreciation for the setting and symbolism. It just didn’t deliver the high suspense that I typically crave in a thriller novel, but it still had a lot of great qualities and a few suspenseful moments. I really enjoyed Emlyn’s search for herself more than the search for her missing friend. Descriptions of the outdoors and landscape are abundant and well done. It’s a novel about both human nature and nature outdoors. It’s about wilderness outside and in within oneself. It’s about accepting oneself and the past and choosing to move forward. And, I always love mentions of my home state of Pennsylvania. 😉 This earns a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating from me.

All this and more….
⛰️mountains
🌲 forest
🎣 fishing
🏕️camping
👥 human nature
💊addiction
💔love triangles
🧭 searching…literally & figuratively
😶‍🌫️ mystery
⏰ past and present timeline
👩 strong female MC

I rated this one a 4.5/5 stars. This one hooked me from the beginning. Emlyn was a deeply compelling character who was easy to root for. She was so resilient but also so broken. My heart ached for her. I was also in awe of how knowledgeable she was about the wilderness and tracking. I loved all the scenery descriptions! It made me feel like I was right there with Emlyn. This one was dual timeline, and it was well written. You knew at the start of the chapter which timeline it was. Also, both timelines were written in chronological order so it was easy to follow and guess at how it all connected. I liked the way the author explored Emlyn’s complicated relationships with Janessa, Tyler, and Varden while the plot unfolded. The plot was well paced and the reveals were perfectly timed. There were some details I guessed out, but I was surprised by the bigger reveals. The ending was a bit abrupt, but it fit the story and the characters. I appreciated the open-endedness of it and how it left room for hope. But I also kinda wished I knew how things worked out for Emlyn after the fallout of the climax.

“Wilderness is not the destination. It’s not the final chapter. Your story goes on.”
In the beginning we meet fishing guide & wilderness expert Emlyn. She’s resilient, lovable and a character to root for as you get to know her through flashback chapters that alternate with present day (I love when an author does this!)
The writing is descriptive and atmospheric. The reader is drawn into the rich Idaho setting and you feel like you are drawn along on the camping, fishing, and wilderness’s experiences.

Though this is not a Christian fiction, I appreciated the clear biblical themes throughout: wilderness/wandering, redemption, hope, freedom. It deals with tough subjects like parental abandonment and loving someone caught addiction. There also some interesting portrayals of strong friendships and sacrificial love, but also the dangers of toxic attachment and codependent relationships.

I personally didn’t enjoy one character (Rev) that was depicted as a Believer, but was a little new-age for my preferences. There were also multiple references to the “universe speaking” or sending signs.

😇: faith portrayed in positive light, new-age beliefs, redemptive themes, a couple Scriptures quoted
😍: talk of attraction, one kiss
🤐: one use of h*ll
⛔️: parental abandonment, drug use and addiction, drugged at a party

Thank you to St Martin’s Press & Minotaur Books for the complimentary ebook in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

I am a very indoorsy person who enjoys reading outdoorsy stories. Emlyn is a fishing guide who is happiest in nature. But when Emlyn is at the diner for lunch she sees news that her former best friend Janessa has gone missing. When her ex Tyler shows up and says he’s worried about Janessa and the police aren’t taking him seriously - they decide they need to try to find her themselves. (Why was it already on tv then? Unclear.)

This was a compelling read and ended up being a one sitting read for me because I wanted to keep going and see what would happen next. However as you can see above there are some parts that didn’t quite connect or feel entirely believable.

Thank you to the publisher, Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the free ebook and audiobook to review.

I really loved her first book and was excited for this one. I think she does a great job with descriptions. I can feel the forest and smell the camp fire. I liked the characters and complexity and I thought the friendship being the true love story was good.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martins Publisher for providing me a a copy of The Nature of Disappearing by Kimi Cunningham Grant.
I have read several books by this author and have found them memorable. I seek out books written by an author which I like and this is one.

This book is a thriller, suspense, and mystery, set in the wllderness. Emilyn a pack ranger has to be the one to find an old friend who is a internet superstar that is lost in the woods. I found this book to be sort of predictable, this book was ok it wasnt't my favorite but, I will read more from this author.

Having seen rave reviews of These Silent Woods, I was so excited to dive into this one! I still haven't read TSW, so I can't compare, but I was somewhat disappointed in this one. Maybe my expectations were too high, but I felt pretty meh about this one.

This book follows two timelines - the present-day mystery and the past that leads up to said mystery. At the start of this book, our main character Emlyn learns her former best friend Janessa has gone missing. We learn about Emlyn's past, her friendship with Janessa, and what led them to become estranged. Teaming up with her ex, Tyler, she attempts to track her down.

I really liked the present-day narrative, the mystery behind Janessa's disappearances and Emlyn's hunt for her friend. What I didn't like were the chapters covering the backstory - they started allllll the way at Emlyn's childhood, leading up until after college, and honestly, a lot of it could've been cut out. I know we needed the backstory about how Emlyn and Janessa became friends, and what eventually led to their falling out (along with Emlyn's falling out with Tyler), but honestly it starts reading more like a piece of emotional women's fiction, and less like a mystery/thriller. There were pieces that aided to the overall storyline, sure, but so much of it could've been cut out. I felt like we were still talking about Emlyn's childhood at the 80% mark, and then the whole present-day mystery wraps up pretty quickly.

Also, I'll try to say this without being spoiler-y, but the reason behind the falling out with Janessa and Emlyn felt SO... wrong? Like 1) it wouldn't have caused that big of a falling out; and 2) Janessa KNEW something VERY IMPORTANT and did not tell Emlyn??? I get Emlyn being mad but Janessa being mad made no sense to me.

Anyways - I can tell this author is a really talented writer, and the descriptions of the Idaho wilderness were beautiful. I still want to give These Silent Woods a try, even if this wasn't my favorite book!

Set in the beautiful Idaho wilderness, The Nature of Disappearing is a captivating story of estranged friendship, and finding the momentum to move on when it’s needed. It was thrilling, suspenseful, moving, and overall a really great book.

Being a PNW girl myself, I loved the wilderness descriptions, and just how well its beauty was captured. I loved how Emryn was independent from everything, and embracing the skills that her father taught her long ago: fishing, hunting, tracking, etc.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martins Press for this arc in return for my honest review.

Pub date: 18 June 2024

When Emlyn, Janessa, and Tyler, three estranged friends, find one of them missing in the wilderness, they must set aside their differences to locate their friend before it's too late.

Although I hoped for a five-star experience, I struggled to connect with this book despite my sincere efforts. Immersion into a story is crucial for me, and unfortunately, I felt detached, like an outsider merely observing the events unfold. The lack of connection to the characters and storyline left me wanting more, as I failed to feel the intended tension and suspense.

While I adored the author's previous work, "These Silent Woods," this particular book fell short for me. However, I remain open to exploring more of the author's future releases. It's worth noting that there are numerous glowing five-star reviews for this book, so my perspective may differ. I'll certainly be giving this author another chance down the line!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

I think I set myself up for failure with this one ☹️ I was so in love with These Silent Woods that I was sure this would be just as phenomenal of a read... but alas, I didn't connect with this read at all.

I genuinely loved the wilderness description throughtout and all the parts with Rev and Varden.. however, the main character, her story, and her interactions were not keeping my interest. at all. I didn't enjoy Emlyn as the main character honestly.. ugh, letdown 😭

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this Advanced Reading Copy. This is set to publish June 18th, 2024.

I couldn't get into this at all unfortunately.

Thanks to NetGalley, St Martin's Press & MacMillan Audio for an advance copy

4.5 stars.

✨I knew after I finished THESE SILENT WOODS by this author that I would read anything she wrote, so I was very excited to read this, her latest novel.  It did not disappoint. 
 
✨As with her previous novel, the author seamlessly intertwines elements of her Christian faith without being heavy handed in any way.  One does not have to be a Christian to appreciate the deeper meanings in these pages.  If you are a fan of starting over, learning to trust again, becoming your best self, I think this book will resonate with you no matter what your faith may be. 
 
✨At its heart, this is a story of starting over from a place of brokenness and finding not only yourself but others to love who will love you back.  I am still feeling all the feelings. 
 
🌿Read if you like:
✨Van life
✨Wilderness settings
✨Found family
✨Long-term friendships
✨Being inspired
✨Nature themes
✨Survival stories

This one is more YAish than her previous book, These Silent Woods, but I still enjoyed her writing, the mysterious tone and the faith elements. It is told in back and forth timelines that I enjoy and allows the story to unravel layer by layer..Sometimes books like this can drag on but I listened to it over two days and just when I was ready for it to be over, it was!
If you are looking for an edge of your seat thriller this is not the book but if you are looking for a mystery surrounding a group of old friends while seeing character growth without gore or harsh language,pick this one up.
Thanks to Netgalley for the chance to read this!

I LOVED this book. Grant has a way of writing raw, relatable characters that suck you in and don’t let go. When Emlyn’s best friend Janessa goes missing, no one suspects anything is wrong due to her being a big time social media influencer promoting “Van Life” in the wilderness. It’s not unusual for her to go off grid for a day or two where there’s no service. However, her childhood bff Tyler, who also happens to be Emlyn’s toxic ex-boyfriend, thinks something is majorly wrong. The only person fit to help him figure out where Janessa is Emlyn, against her best interests. As they settle into the mystery of what happened to Janessa and her travel partner, loyalty is tested and nerves are on edge. This was a wild ride full of heart and emotion. I’ll read anything Grant writes.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Emlyn is living a simple life. She barely talks to her best friend Janessa, or Tyler, the previous love of her life.

Now she has an airstream trailer, and her closest friends are the makeshift reverend and a handsome forest service ranger.

But when Tyler resurfaces and says Janessa is missing. Emlyn is pulled back in and sets off with Tyler to find her. But the deeper into the wilderness to find Janessa, the more she begins to suspect that a darker secret lie in the woods, and Janessa isn’t the only one in danger.


This book was great! I loved the outdoorsy setting. It was absolutely picturesque. I felt like I was transported right there next to the characters in the great outdoors. I found the plot of this one to be on the slower, more suspenseful side, but I knew it was more of a suspense versus a fast-paced thriller going in so I expected that. I really enjoyed the character development as well. I thought that the main character, Emlyn was really well done. Getting to know her was like peeling the layers on an onion, information on her was doled out in small amounts, and I ate it up. I especially loved the past and present timelines, and I couldn’t wait to figure out what exactly had happened in the past to lead everyone where they were today.

Overall, this was a really fun suspense read and I enjoyed the atmospheric setting.

This book gripped me immediately. I loved the vast descriptions of the nature settings and the characters. It also kept me guessing throughout the entire story. Great read. Big thanks to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press and Kimi Cunningham Grant for allowing me to get an advanced copy of this book.

This slow-burn thriller went right on my GoodReads list because of the description: "In this captivating novel of suspense, a wilderness guide must team up with the man who ruined her life years ago when the friend who introduced them goes missing."
After completing the novel, I loved the theme and setting of this book, but I was a bit disappointed with the execution of the plot. The book carries themes about drug abuse, which I do not typically enjoy, especially when they become a large part of the larger plot.
I also wasn't a huge fan of any of the characters.
Emlyn, the main character, was hard to root for and drove me a bit crazy because she kept thinking about her ex-boyfriend Tyler, who left her out in the wilderness due to his drug addiction. Vanessa was kind to Emlyn and looked out for her, but she was also very controlling and seemed almost narcissistic. The drama and characters seemed two-dimensional to me and it was just difficult to connect with them overall.

I am not even sure how I’m going to write this review because I was so hyped up to read it…. And These Silent Woods was an easy 5 stars (best of the year) type book for me. But this didn’t work

It was slow, which isn’t the issue. I love a deep, slow, atmospheric read (which this is). But then everything happens in the last 10%. And it just felt like “that’s it?”.

Maybe it’s me. But I think this is my second disappointing read this year. Hope other readers love it. But it just felt like

…….. eerie….. flashbacks….. what’s the secret…. Oh it’s what I expected. Oh yes. Ok… fine. But what? That’s it? 😔😢 boo. I had huge hopes to fall for this one but it didn’t work for me

I wanted to read this because I have heard great things about this author’s last book. Fans of These Silent Woods may love this one, but this was just an okay read for me. This fell short for me in character development (especially with the protagonist and in the plot). At times, the protagonist was not believable to me as a wilderness guide; in addition, the plot was slow for me and did not peak my interest until the book was more than half-way over. I expect a lot more plot development and readability in thrillers, but found this to be rather slow in that regard. That being said, this author can write descriptions that are powerful and realistic. The setting of this book played the starring role for me. 3 stars.

.

The blurb for this book reads a lot like inspiration was drawn from recent events. It intrigued me, so I was glad to pick it up.

Kimi writes beautifully! I loved the descriptions of the surroundings. They really lent to the overall atmosphere. However, this was not the same for the characters and the plot. I didn't feel the same connection to the characters that I did with the environmental descriptions. Emmy, in particular, was presented as a smart and clever wilderness guide that made very obvious mistakes for such a seasoned professional. The plot moves along very slowly making the ending fall flat without more build towards a climax.

I do think this will intrigue readers, as it did me, but it just did not resonate with me like I had hoped it would.