The Day We Disappeared

I knew from the moment I finished The Greatest Love Story of All Time, Lucy's debut, that Lucy Robinson was gonna be huge. But with every book, she keeps blowing me away even more and The Day We Disappeared is no exception. I think it's her best book yet and if The Unfinished Symphony of You and Me was my book of the year of 2014, I am quite sure The Day We Disappeared will be my book of the Year of 2015.

This story is about two friends who are undergoing major changes in their lives, new job, new love interest, new life style. I really liked both characters. Annie seemed fragile like a petal, hunted by her horrific past, but was actually strong and ready to fight for a better life. And I loved Kate from the first page. Lively, always smiling and with her own secrets. The book alternates their stories by chapters, and I just wanted to read it all at once, when I was reading Kate's story I missed Annie and viceversa. And then, boom! Lucy left me speechless. Really, you need to read the book to know what I am talking about but there was a twist (multiple, actually) that I didn't see coming at all and was just wow! Lucy, I take off my hat and salute you. You clever cookie.

The Day We Disappeared is a compelling and gripping tale that will capture you and won't let you go until you've devoured the story rather than read it. Lucy is one of those epic story tellers who gets in your head, her stories always remain with me and each and every one of her books has been an instant favourite.

Plus, Lucy has the ability to make you laugh and snort so easily. I loved how Kate always had the Bad Shit under control (more or less) or how Annie's group of friends was called Le Cloob (because it sounded French-ish). But this book has a dark side too. Beautifully written and handled.

I have no doubt that The Day We Disappeared will be one of the books of 2015. A true work or art that you can't miss.

I started reading this by thinking I had made a mistake in getting a book that seemed rather "romance" and "chick lit" which are not really my thing. Fairly quickly I realised that, even if that was the case the writing was very good indeed and that I was enjoying the read. The book follows the stories of Kate, mostly at a riding establishment on Exmoor, and Annie, mostly in London. Both of these characters are very well drawn and engaging even if, frankly, their lives are rather a mess. Not only are most of the characters very well written the settings and life events are well worked too which certainly meant that I was fully engaged with this book throughout.

This is not a easy book to review without giving too much away and I would far rather the reader went on the same journey of discovery that I did so let's say that the sugar coating of this story covers something considerably darker and that there really is a well worked twist in this story. Read it as a very well written tale of girls lives, enjoy it for the surprises it contains. I'll certainly read another by Lucy Robinson.

This was my first novel I have read by Lucy Robinson and OMG WOW what a Novel It one of those books where you finish it last week and its still on your mind 7 days later.

The Story is splendidly told and very well written. I really enjoyed that each chapter was set in alternative chapters between Kate and Annie with little cliff hangers at the end of each chapter which forced you to keep going to get more information and try to piece the jigsaw together.

The twist in the story totally blew me away I did not see it coming and still thinking about it now. So VERY clever.

This was a gripping and a very exciting read.

Having never read a Lucy Robinson book before (shocking, I know), I was very excited to be accepted on NetGalley to read The Day We Disappeared. Some of my favourite bloggers are huge Lucy Robinson fans, so I went into this book with very high expectations. I also went into the book expecting it to be the norm for this genre and thought I had an idea of where the book would go. How wrong I was, The Day We Disappeared was such a different read from what I was expecting. It was, simply put, an incredible read. It's a story that will remain in my memory for a long time and I believe is a new direction for Lucy which has more than worked, she is a born storyteller. Also: this book is impossible to review!

"Annie has a secret. But if she's not going to tell, we won't either. It's a heart-breaking secret she wishes she didn't have - yet Annie isn't broken, not quite yet. Especially now there's someone out there who seems determined to fix her.

Kate has run away. But she's not going to tell us why - that would defeat the point of running, wouldn't it? It's proving difficult to reinvent herself, however, with one person always on her mind."

In places the book touches on some hard-hitting and emotional storylines. I became totally invested in the lives of both characters really quickly, and so felt for them throughout the book as if I knew them. This is down to the talents of Lucy Robinson to create realistic and believable characters. The villains of the piece are also believable, scarily so at times. It's clear that for those parts of the story Lucy has carried out meticulous research, using it to tell a gripping and authentic story that will have you thinking about the book long after you've finished it. Lucy is a wonderful writer, and the book is full of humorous moments and characters which help to lighten the mood in what was at times a darker read than the cover and blurb suggests. It's not just Annie and Kate who are standout characters, but it's their friends too, all of whom have their role to play in the telling of this story.

It isn't often that a book leaves me speechless, or makes my jaw literally drop but The Day We Disappeared managed both of those things. The Day We Disappeared has a twist and I've struggled with writing this review because of that. Thinking back to my reaction at the big reveal is almost comical, I imagine my face was a picture. When you know that a book contains one you are constantly on the lookout for it, or spend the book second guessing everything to try and guess the twist before it comes, but that wasn't the case here as I was far too engrossed in the book, consumed by its story and was therefore well and truly slapped in the face when the twist comes. It is absolutely brilliant though, and so cleverly done. If you work it out, come back and let me know!

I can only apologise for the briefness and lack of detail in this review but with a book like this it's almost impossible to discuss in any detail without giving things away, it's very much about discovering the book for yourselves, which I hope you will. I think this is going to be one of 2015's best books, and Lucy's legion of fans are going to absolutely love it. I'm still thinking about it now, and can't believe I have three months to wait before I can share this review, this is a book you will want to recommend to strangers in the street it's that good. A truly inspirational, heartwarming and at times heartbreaking read with such a satisfying ending, Lucy has written an incredible novel that I can't recommend enough and I now need to read her other books ASAP.

This review will be live on the 9th of April on the link below Firstly a massive thank you to Penguin for approving me for a copy of this title via NetGalley. I read this very early on in 2015 even though publication date is TODAY! I just hope this review does this book the justice it deserves!
The story is all about two friends Annie Mulholland and Kate Brady. Both girls are on the brink of something new in their lives but both are haunted by their past.
I was totally intrigued by the blurb! I love a bit of mystery and there is definitely plenty of this in the story. Both Kate and Annie narrate throughout the story and going by the title I knew that something was brewing for both girls I just didn’t have a clue what or how it was going to happen!
Annie is feeling run down after her alternative therapy business becomes more demanding. She has a rather nervous disposition and the cause of that isn’t revealed until later in the story. She’s surrounded by a group of friends who all look out for her, her sister and their friends Tim and Claudine. I loved their group meetings and the contrasting personalities in the group. It felt so realistic and simply as if you are acting as a voyeur during their meals together rather than reading the story.
Annie’s knight in shining armour appears in the form of Stephen Flint who pulls her up out of her mildly depressed state and appears to transform her life in a whirlwind of opportunities. Throughout, something niggled in my mind about Stephen, like he wasn’t all he was cut out to be, but at every turn he continued to surprise and be there for Annie.
Kate’s new adventure seems to be at the other end of the extreme to Annie’s. She’s taken herself off for a new start at a new job, and like Annie she seems to suffer from anxiety. Her anxiety is palpable and she tries to reveal as little about herself as possible which has you as the reader questioning every possibility. I absolutely loved her new job and all of the friends she meets. Each of them seem to soothe her soul in exactly the way she needs and I loved seeing her relax a little and there is almost a complete transformation in her character.
After about 2/3s of the story Lucy basically takes everything you’ve ever been sure of and throws it all up in the air! Talk about a mind blowing plot twist. I have real respect for her writing skill after reading this. Both Kate and Annie’s stories appear to run parallel with each other throughout interwoven with flash back scenes to the life a seven year old girl. I was guessing at every turn the entire way through this story and so totally did not see the ending coming! When the story is revealed you will also have a newfound respect for Lucy for her research and approach to the issues she writes about in this story.
This is without a doubt one of the most gripping and enthralling reads of 2015. Lucy Robinson has hit the nail on the head with this novel, a big well done!

I'd like to begin this review by saying a huge thank you to the absolutely incredible Lucy Robinson, and her wonderful publishers Penguin UK, for providing me with a Kindle Edition of The Day We Disappeared via Net Galley in exchange for a fair and honest review. This is the first book by Lucy Robinson that will have been reviewed on Becca's Books, and I'm super excited to share it with you all because, quite simply, The Day We Disappeared blew my bloody mind, and then some. Since beginning my book blog, I haven't really had the chance to read my self-purchased copies, what with a mountain of a to-read pile to get through, and sadly, The Unfinished Symphony of Me and You is somewhere in that pile! So, I was very eager to get started on Lucy's newest release and I was so far away from being disappointed, I don't think there's even a word to describe it.

To be honest, I'm going to have to be very careful with this review because, you see, The Day We Disappeared is a bookish Rubik's cube, and if I was to give anything away about the story then I wouldn't be able to forgive myself. If I were to ruin the magnificence of this book for any potential readers out there, I would be the most terrible book blogger of all time, and frankly, I'm not okay with that happening! Not okay at all.

The first thing that struck me when I began reading The Day We Disappeared was how down to earth Lucy's style and dialogue is. There's nothing showy-off or pretentious about it, it's relaxed, easy and completely laid-back, and that in turn made me feel so much better about reading it. It flowed smoothly, sort of like I was sitting in one of those rubber dingies and floating down the lazy river at a water-park, bobbing along and enjoying the scenery. Lucy doesn't beat about the bush, but at the same time, when writing, you're given maximum detail without the author bombarding you with all manner of sensory aspects. The dialogue between Lucy's characters didn't go on and on, yet still managed to provide me with all of the things that I needed to know. I honestly haven't got a clue how Lucy does what she does, but she's one of those writers that make you sit back and think, "Wow", once you've finished reading their work. I'm sure it wasn't effortless on Lucy's part, but when reading, from my perspective, the story was just so seamlessly, pristinely put together, I found myself admiring every single page.

The Day We Disappeared had such a fantastic, twisting, turning plot and I have no choice but to applaud Lucy with what she has achieved within this book. It was insanely, incredibly, absolutely fascinating to experience the authors imagination in action. I flew through the pages without hesitation, taking everything in, trying to fit the pieces of the puzzle together, failing, and then trying again. It had my brain whirring with all sorts of possibilities and scenarios, my mind working overtime, and by the end of it, I felt like I'd run some sort of marathon! Breathless, hand to chest, eyes wide... It was phenomenal, the sort of book that should be forced upon people who have never read before, just to prove to them how absolutely amazing reading can be! Lucy had me hanging onto the edge of her every word, every paragraph, and every chapter. Pretty sure my knuckles grew white during a few scenes too, due to gripping my Kindle to death! The entire book was a guessing game. I couldn't bear to tear my eyes away for fear of missing some sort of clue or hint, and as I felt myself nearing the moment of revelation, I swear my breath caught in my throat. It was absolutely fantastic, and I swear, I've never be so eager to finish a book, but not want to finish at the same time.

There were plenty of characters within The Day We Disappeared, but Lucy's two main characters were the ones to really take into consideration. We're introduced first to Kate, who has just arrived in Exmoor to begin a new job as a live-in trainee yard assistant, surrounded by lush countryside, stables and horses. Annie is introduced to the reader not long after, and she's back home in London, also about to start a new job after a chance meeting with handsome Stephen. Two women, two completely different circumstances in completely different areas. What Lucy achieves with these two women is something that I am still completely in awe of. You know when you read something, and you sit there and think to yourself, "How has the author managed to do this because I'd never be able to?" Yeah. That. That exactly. As well as Kate and Annie, there was a whole cast of other characters who I found effortlessly engaging and were real people almost immediately in my mind. From Becca, who also works at the stables in Exmoor, to Claudine, a ruthless French woman who is not afraid to say it like it is, to Mark Waverley, the intriguing horse-rider with a face like a slapped arse most of the time. Each and every single one of these fictional people were quickly shaped up and brought to life in my imagination. Each character's own life became a thing of interest and I just couldn't wait to see where Lucy would take them next.

I think that The Day We Disappeared by Lucy Robinson is a real treasure of a book. A masterpiece, even. I was held captive to Lucy's storytelling abilities right from the very first page to the very last. This is one book that needs to be added to everybody's to-read list this year, without a shadow of a doubt! My experience of reading this book will stay with me for a very long time. I really, truly didn't want it to end, and even now, as I write my review, I'm sat here thinking about it. About everything that happened, about that crazy, exhilarating moment when realisation hit, and when I realised that I was at the hands of a one-of-a-kind author who took me on an amazing journey that I will never, ever forget.

Becca's Books is rating The Day We Disappeared by Lucy Robinson with FIVE GLORIOUS CUPCAKES! I honestly would not be able to give this story any less of a rating. This is right up there with some of my favourite books of all time. I just can't get my head around Lucy's talents and abilities when it comes to words. She manipulates and moulds them into something that can only ever be done once, and only ever by one person. Lucy Robinson, you are incredible, and I am already looking forward to your next release. I cannot wait to see what you do next!