Thank you netgalley.com and librarything.com for sending me an advanced copy of Watch Me Disappear by Janelle Brown.

Watch Me Disappear is simply a great story. The novel centers around the mysterious disappearance of Billie Flanagan and how it affects those that love her. Billie is a wife to Jonathan. She is a mother to Olive, and she is a friend to Harmony. But, Billie is much more complicated than she first appears. She has secrets that are starting to unravel and now even her disappearance is in question. How did this athletic, competitive, nature-loving woman vanish from a wilderness trail on a solo hike? Is there something more sinister going on or was there an accident and the body has not been found yet? As Billie's family searches for the truth, their discoveries make them reevaluate all that is precious to them.

I liked the slow revelations and unwinding of the mystery. My attention was held throughout. The interactions of the characters felt real. The novel, however, was a little too long and there was one storyline concerning Olive that I felt was unnecessary.

It is definitely worth the read and I look forward to reading more by this author.

This book's pace just moved so slowly! It was really difficult to get into it and really to care about what actually happened with the "disappearance".

A worthy addition to the missing woman genre, this novel is more an analysis of a marriage than anything else. Do we ever really know our spouse? Is it possible to become a wife and mother and stay true to ourselves? Well written, nicely paced, with plenty of twists and turns.

Synopsis:
Billie Flanagan has been missing for one year. All that was found by investigators were her broken telephone and one hiking boot in the wilderness. It is one year later and her husband, Jonathan, and her daughter, Olive, are attempting to move forward with their lives. Where is Billie? Is she dead or alive? Did she disappear on purpose or did something nefarious happen? You will have to read to find out!

My review:
I have been on a suspense/mystery/thriller kick lately, so this novel called out to me. It was an interesting concept - what goes through people's minds when someone is missing, presumed dead? How do loved ones cope and deal with the lack of closed doors? Overall, I liked this book. It was well-written - I found myself looking up words and highlighting multiple phrases because they just sounded SO GOOD! For me, the writing made this book worth it. This book has you guessing who did it until the Epilogue. This was my first read of Janelle Brown's and you can bet I will be checking out her other work.

I thought this book was well-written. The character development was done very well. The chapters of the novel interspersed throughout were well-placed. The book was suspenseful and had my changing my mind on what actually happened several times. The only reason I didn't give this book 5 stars is because I just don't know how believable I find the whole premise of a mom giving up her life for her own selfish reasons.

Solid book, I guess. I feel it was more of a character study than a mystery/thriller. The ending did not satisfy me and I feel like I wasted my time by finishing this but I'm in the minority

Silly book with grandiose pretentions. It starts off ok, with an author who has a way with words and descriptions. And then, the book degenerates into boredom with Jonathan whining continually (and with such repetition) about his marriage and his pseudo book and with Olive who has these psychosomatic visions which we are suppoed to believe are psychic. Further the book is overly long with long descriptions, for example of minor characters who aren’t even a part of the ultimate story. Finally at 50% complete, the book picks up pace, but frankly I would not have kept reading except that I “owed” a review to Net Galley.

When the letter is found from Ryan (SPOILER ALERT) I knew immediately that Ryan was a child, but oh, how cute they were to give a girl a boy’s name to throw the reader off. Phooey. How pathetic is that plot line. So unimaginative.

And then Ryan turns out to be a nasty self indulgent duplicate of Billie, a crass no nothing, do nothing “kid” of 20 something years.

So then, the author more or less throws her out of the plot as someone who really does not belong in the family of two and we resume the story with a reinsertion of the now loving family of Jonathan and Olive. Olive is now miraculously fine with finding out she is a Lesbian (with a capital L) and her former best friend reappears in her life with apologies and all is forgiven. And her psychic powers are gone, along with her epilepsy.

Meanwhile the mean bitch Harmony reappears and is shoved out of the family because, for one thing, she is the one that planted Ryan’s letter in Jonathan’s desk for him to find and find out about the daughter. If you aren’t laughing out loud now and are still following this ridiculous plot, the author then ties up all the little dangling strings of the plot, like Sean so that everything is folded in nicely.

And, we even get a never ending epilogue where we can see what a selfish bitch Billie was and that she lives somewhere, uncaring about Olive and with a million rationalizations about that and of course those million rationalizations take up pages and pages and really are just fluff and nonsense. Not even close to reality and what a real person would think and do.

I give this 2 stars (instead of 1) only because this author, with her writing ability could be so much better with a plausible plot and a good editor.

So this is one of those that's billed as suspense but there's really a lot more domestic drama to it than suspense. Watching the change in teenage Olive as she copes with her mother's disappearance and presumed death makes for an engrossing read. Is she mentally ill? Delusionally hopeful? In denial? Plot-wise, this was a well-constructed novel and an entertaining read. And I liked Olive. However, I was kept from loving it because I just couldn't stand Jonathan (Olive's dad) and Billie (the disappeared mom) at all. When you can't summon up any sympathy for a dead woman and a widowed man, they have to be pretty unlikable. Maybe that was on purpose so the focus would be on Olive, but it still made it less enjoyable for me. That ending though...

Maybe I just wasn't in the mood for this, but I just couldn't get into it. I had just finished reading a psychological thriller that was very "edge-of-your-seat" and this one seemed slower. I also didn't like the visions Olive was having because it seemed supernatural, and that just isn't my taste. Perhaps I will revisit this one at a later date and give it more of a chance!

I hadn't read a book like this before, it was interesting and I'm glad I had the chance. I liked the characters and my interest was kept throughout the novel.

Thank you to NetGalley for my copy of this novel.

I loved every bit of this book. It was emotional, suspenseful, and kept me guessing at every turn. The plot was very different from anything I've read before and was a wonderful change from the usual suspense novels I enjoy reading. I highly recommend this book.

"God, this must have been a difficult year for you."

It is hard to believe that it has been a year. One year of learning how to be a single parent to his daughter Olive. One year of quitting his job and writing a memoir. One year since he last saw his wife and his world changed forever. Even after a year to cope, Jonathan Flanagan still has more questions than answers. His wife Billie Flanagan went missing after embarking on a solo hike through the Desolation Wilderness. She vanished, never to be seen or heard from again. Now Jonathan is left to pick up the pieces.

"How many times can he write and rewrite the story of his life with Billie before he'll know what was really true?"

With no body and only minimal clues to definitively prove what happened to his wife, Jonathan is left in an emotional and financial limbo. Someone covertly recorded his eulogy at Billie's memorial service. His speech was uploaded to the Internet and quickly went viral. Jonathan was able to spin this moment of fame into a book deal that allowed him to quit his demanding job and spend more time with his daughter. As the money from his publishing deal dwindles away, Jonathan begins to question how well he knew his wife. How can he write a book about their life together if the life he knew was a lie?

"All memoirs are lies, even those that tell the truth."

Olive is facing a crisis of her own. Her close relationship with her mom was cut short by Billie's disappearance, and Jonathan's best efforts to fill that void are not working. A year later, Olive finds it hard to continue going to school and fit in with her friends. As she is walking to class, the world around her disappears and is replaced with the image of her mother, alive and well, beckoning her to look closer and trust in herself. At first, Olive attributes this vision to being a side effect of the anniversary of her mother missing. But Billie continues to visit Olive in these strange visions, and Olive gets the idea that Billie is trying to tell her something. For whatever reason, Billie wants Olive to look for her. Could her mom still be alive?

"You believe what you think you believe, until suddenly, you realize that you don't anymore."

Watch Me Disappear is a brilliant novel of family and suspense. Author Janelle Brown has written a poignant character study veiled by an engrossing mystery. At its heart, the novel is about a father and daughter dealing with the repercussions of losing a piece of their family. I was reminded of Maria Semple's Where'd You Go, Bernadette, in that the book focuses on a father and daughter searching for the truth behind a mother's disappearance. That being said, Brown's novel goes much deeper in creating a mature and nuanced depiction of the delicate intricacies of the character's relationship. While the mystery of Billie's vanishing is the impetus for the character development, it is the way Johnathan and Olive evolve throughout the story that drives the narrative. Watch Me Disappear is a thoughtful and emotionally moving novel that works as a solid mystery and even better family drama.

I received this ARC from the publisher---thank you. Book release is 7.11.17. (Place your holds now!)

I was entralled by this mystery...where did Billie Flanigan disappear to? As her daughter, Olive, starts having visions of her missing and presumed dead mom, doubts about Billie's living status arise. Billie's husband, Jonathan, uncovers even more secrets kept by Billie...causing him to ask more questions. Is Billie alive? Brown weaves a mystery that keeps the reader wondering how someone could know someone but really never truly know them! You will remain in limbo until the end. Great summer read!

(Personally---Billie is an unlikeable character but probably purposely so and Olive and Jonathan make up for it).

When Billie, wife and mother, disappears while hiking alone, it leaves her husband and daughter in heartbreaking turmoil. One year later, they are struggling to move on, Jonathan writing a memoir about his life with Billie, Olive attempting to find her place in school and the world.

But when Olive starts having visions of her mother, she believes Billie is telling her to come find her, that she is still alive somewhere. As she brings Johnathan into her plan to locate her mother, father and daughter learn things about Billie they might not ever have wanted to know.

This is a book that kept me constantly engaged and interested--it absolutely flew by. The characters are compelling and complex, as are the central mysteries. Brown carefully doles out revelations that keep readers guessing, and excerpts from Johnathan's memoir influence and also mirror back the way readers are feeling at that moment. And the revelation in the last chapter is amazing! It's one of those that completely got me, and made me gasp out loud.

I did call the other big revelation a couple chapters before it happened. I also felt that the side character of Billie's best friend didn't necessarily serve a key purpose, and was a bit irritating as a character.

I really enjoyed this book, and would definitely recommend it. It's gripping, clever, and surprising, with complex characters and an in-depth exploration of just how well we can ever really know those we love.

This book will have you turning the pages seeking for answers and, do not worry, the answers will come.

It's being a year since Billie - the mother of Olive and wife of Jonathan Flanagan- disappeared without leaving a trace while hiking by herself in the Desolation Wilderness. All that was found of her was a hiking boot and this event left daughter and father reeling from her loss. After almost a year, they need to have her death certificate issued by the Court to get on with their lives but at this point Olive starts questioning the fate of her mother, investigating what happened and this is where the mystery begins.

The story is mostly told from the alternating points of view of Jonathan and Olive. As they start digging into Billie's past, disturbing secrets come up to the surface that paint a picture of who Billie really was, and of her independent and fierce spirit. Her actions can be considered both courageous or extremely selfish. That is for the reader to decide.

This is the first book I've read from Janelle Brown. Overall, I liked it and could not stop turning those pages, the characters intrigued me. This is not a thriller, it is more of a character-driven mystery, the answers unfold slowly as we learn more about Billie's past. I recommend it to all mystery lovers looking for a haunting read, oh, and the last chapter left me spinning but completely satisfied.

Thank you to NetGalley, Janelle Brown, Random House Publishing Group and Spiegel & Grau for providing me with a copy of this publication in exchange for an honest review.

Review posted on Netgalley, goodreads, and blog.

A captivating family drama! Olive and her father Jonathan are trying to come to terms with the death of Billie, their mother and wife. The 1-year anniversary is coming up and Jonathan is trying to get the courts to declare her legally dead so he and Olive can move on. The problem is no body was every found. Then, out of the blue, Olive starts seeing visions of her mother and becomes convinced that not only is she still alive but that she is in trouble and they must find her. Jonathan is writing a memoir of Billie and finds himself very conflicted when he discovers things about his wife that seem to indicate she may have just run off. At the same time, he needs the money from the sale of the book in order to keep going. When Olive starts skipping classes, and Billie’s best friend starts hitting on him, everything seems to be spinning out of control.

I wasn’t sure at the beginning if I was going to like this book but I ended up not being able to put it down. I confess I was the one at the 4th of July concert who was glued to the e-reader the whole time. The first couple of chapters seemed a bit slow to get going but when the story took off, it took off in a big way. I was totally sucked into Olive and Jonathan’s world and the emotional tug-of-war that each was going through as they learned more and more of Billie’s secrets. Olive is a very likable teenager, going through the usual teenage things when she starts having visions. She believes in her visions but at the same time tries to understand them in an adult way. Jonathan has lost the love of his life but is trying his best to carry on for the sake of his daughter. As he discovers the truth about Billie’s past he runs the gamut of emotions from betrayal to devotion. At the same time, he’s facing the possibility of financial ruin and must change his view of what it means to be a family. I found both of these characters to be very well written. Their internal and external dialogues are totally believable as are the circumstances they find themselves in. I also really enjoyed that the story is set in Berkeley, CA since I am familiar with the area. Overall, this is a great piece of fiction and a beautiful story.

Go ahead and preorder Watch Me Disappear because people are going to be talking about this one. I read this one in one day putting aside all my house chores and freelance writing stuff because I could not put it down. You will too.

I am not one who loves thrillers or mysteries, but every now and then, a plot will catch my attention and I will give it a try. I am usually disappointed. This was not the case with Janelle Brown’s Watch Me Disappear.

The novel begins with a husband (widow?) and his daughter in present day reflecting on how their lives have changed in a year. It’s been a year since the wife/mother, Billie, disappeared on a hiking trip. Her body was never found. Jonathan is now writing a memoir of the events and Olive is struggling with the loss of her mother and teenage self-identity issues.

But, then Olive begins to have visions of her mother asking her to find her. She introduces the idea that her mother may still be alive to her dad. At first, he does not believe, but then on his own searches, he stumbles upon one lie after another that his wife has hidden. Is it possible she disappeared on purpose?

It is at this point when Jonathan’s love memoir begins to unravel as he realizes he might not have really known his wife. The author does a fantastic job of showing how memories get reconstructed after someone dies – and how we all create our own truths.

The novel left me guessing until the last page – did she disappear? Was she kidnapped? Was she killed? If so, who did it? What was she lying about and why?

In the end, I was firmly on Team Jonathan and Olive, and I was happy with the conclusion for their sakes. But, I do have one nagging question that I am dying to ask someone who has read it. Once you do, let me know and we can discuss it!

This story will capture you from the moment you pick up the book. It will keep you wanting more as you try to discover what happened. I thought this was a great read and have already recommended it to two of my staff members. Looking forward to this arriving in store next week!

Watch Me Disappear was, sadly, not the book for me. While the plot line was promising - I felt the book suffered from the dreaded sagging middle. It was just not a compelling novel that kept me interested.

I had trouble identifying and liking any of the characters. I thought Johnathan was a whiny "poor me" type and I just could not muster any sympathy for him.

Olive never really sprang to life for me - I felt her character was flat and her struggle to find what happened to her mother was uneventful. The aspect that Olive was having "visions" of her mother was a complete turn off for me. It wasn't believable and, I think, was completely unnecessary confusing the lines between mystery novel and sci-fi. It just didn't work for me.

I did find Sybilla's character interesting but we only know her through other people's view of her until the epilogue. I felt the story dragged on and just wanted to get to the point of what happened to her!

Ultimately I think this is one to skip. Flat Characters, lack of development and a writing style that just wasn't for me had me wanting this book to disappear.

Billie, wife and mother, disappears while on a solo hike in the Desolation Wilderness. The book follows her husband and daughter as they try to come to terms with her death. Just when they are approaching the one year anniversary, the daughter, Olive, starts to have visions of her mom. Are they real? Is her mom still alive? Or is there something wrong with Olive? The book was okay. I couldn't really like any of the characters and that made reading the book difficult. But perhaps the worst part was the epilogue that laid everything out. I think it would be a better book if it had left somethings unknown.