Unlikely friendship between the "bad boy" and one with selective muteism.

This book has a paranormal aspect, and all of not what it seems

The boys in this story didn't always read like children, more of an approximation of what someone thinks children are like. But I did enjoy unraveling the mystery of the story and finding out the horrid truth of it all.

The Disappearance
Gillian Chan
Stars: 4
Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from Netgalley and Annick Press in exchange for a free and honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I started The Disappearance thinking it was just a contemporary about a male teen who found it difficult to communicate with anyone finds a home and friends in a group home. And then I read it, and suddenly there was this aspect of the paranormal and I was hooked more than what I was before (I also didn’t read the synopsis so that’s why the paranormal aspect was a surprise to me).

Mike, the main character, was my favourite and I loved him for having a hard exterior but being soft inside. I also liked how Mike didn’t see himself as much of a hero, but rather saw himself as a neutral party, someone who’s just trying to get by. And it’s not just Mike who becomes a better character, it’s also the others – Jacob, Adam, and even Paddy, to an extent.

The book opened at the end, which is something I definitely liked – being able to read what happens at the end, then reading the entire story in order to see how and why the end matches up/links back to the beginning.

The book begins with Mike being questioned by police about Jacob's disappearance. It then jumps back in time to show the events leading up to Jacob going "missing." Mike is a tough kid with facial scarring to match his "bad boy" attitude, which he uses to intimidate other kids in his new group home. When Mike discovers that another boy, selectively mute Jacob, appears to know something about Mike's brother's death, Mike goes out of his way to look out for him. Both gritty and mystical, The Disappearance will appeal to some reluctant readers.

This story begins at the end. The rest of the book is explaining how and why Mike is in a police station being interrogated by detectives. It was an interesting story that held my attention. I wish the book had been longer. Some of the characters could have used more depth. I did appreciate that Mike was multi-faceted. Paddy was more one-dimensional.

As an educator, this book has lots of potential for discussion. I just wish there was less foul language. For that reason, I would say high school rather than middle school.

This is a story opens from the end with Mike being interrogated by police about something that has happened to Jacob, but Mike is not talking. Automatically the author set you up with this air of mystery, I was sucked in.

As you continue onward your set back into the past with the storyline of Mike and Jacob's history, who are both in this group home together. You find out the dark past of Mike and how he ended up there as well as the mystery of Jacob, who is known to be the weird "mute" kid. As Mike gets settled in he find out his roommate will be Jacob and that's when things get interesting.

Starting at the ending was such a perfect way for the author to begin because it let you know how everything would work out but you weren't so sure how it will all get there. If you enjoy alitte mystery with some paranormal activity going on then you will definitely enjoy this book.


Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

RELEASE DATE: September 12, 2017

RATING: 5 stars, this was a FABULOUS book!!!

GENRE: Young Adult/Paranormal

AUDIENCE: Fans of Lyndsay Faye (similar writing style) or readers of paranormal/science fiction YA will enjoy this book.

SERIES: Standalone, but I'm hoping for a follow up novel

REVIEW: This book immediately caught my interest within the first several pages, and the intrigue of learning about the characters within didn’t stop until the last page. Frankly, when it ended I was so disappointed that giving it a 4 star rating was a real possibility. Pondering the hope of a follow up novel as well as the enjoyment this book brought changed my mind.

Michael “Mutt” McCollum is in a bad way and in a bad place. His mom lost custody of him after her boyfriend Danny killed Mutt’s younger brother Jon and permanently disfigured Mutt in a fit of blind, unjust rage. Mutt kicked around several foster homes and another group home, but he’s now found himself as a resident of Medlar House.

As he adjusts to his new surroundings, he gets a bead on all of the other boys at the home. Adam is a shadow of a boy always hanging around caregiver Chaz. He's quite a smart one, but has a hard time staying out of Paddy’s way. Paddy is the group home bully and resident little shit. He hangs out with Matt, who would rather go along to get along than do the right thing. Finally, we have Mutt’s mysterious roommate, Jacob. Jacob came to the home as a mystery. Police found him badly beaten and wearing strange clothing in a nearby nature conservancy. Jacob was only willing to share his name and age, and with few clues as to relatives or where he came from, he ended up as a ward at Medlar.

Mutt tries to be the quiet, silent type. He’s willing to do a little pushing and shoving if establishes him high enough on the food chain so he can just be left alone. One night, quiet Jacob talks to Mutt after lights out about people and circumstances he shouldn’t know about. Mutt’s astonishment and desire to learn more about what Jacob knows spins the story into fascinating paranormal territory. As hard as Mutt tries to remain uninvolved with the other kids at the home, he discovers that to put his past to rest means taking risks.
Gillian Chan wrote this with a great deal of thought and attention to detail. Her character development was awesome. Readers should enjoy getting to know the regulars at Medlar House, from the kids to the caregivers – some of whom care more than others. I sincerely hope that she’ll write a follow up story to share with readers what comes next for Mutt and the group home crew.

*Tremendous thanks to Netgalley and Annick Press for an ARC.
FYI: Here is Gillian Chan’s author website for a list of her other books.
http://www.gillianchan.com/

I had perhaps a few ideas of what was going on in this book: time traveling quasi mystic didn't really play into those expectations. I really struggled with suspension of disbelief. And not just the mysterious boy. The protagonist's own family history felt unrealistic . Add in stiff narration and a one dimensional cast of characters.

Excellent novel. An ending that I did not see coming...

I love this book! Ever since reading as many of Torey L. Hayden's books as I could get my hands on just after finishing my psychology degree, I've had a great interest in elective mutism so I had to read The Disappearance. While elective mutism was one aspect, as it unfolded there was a twist that turned this story into so much more. I guess it doesn't hurt that I have a soft spot for kids who have been through foster care and are stuck in a system that doesn't always work the way it's intended to.

Mike McCallum, otherwise known as Mutt, arrives at a group home called Medlar House after a series of unsuccessful foster care placements. Mutt is physically and emotionally scarred from the murder of his little brother, Jon. He uses his physical size and his disfigured face to play the role of thug, pushing away anyone who tries to get too close to him. He's a smart kid who adored and looked out for his little brother, and blames himself for not being able to prevent Jon's murder.

Mutt has a heart of gold buried underneath his bravado but don't tell him that or he may beat you up. The fact that Mutt is manipulative when he wants or feels he needs to be and that he takes pleasure in messing with people scored him points with me as these characteristics gave depth to him that would've been lacking if he'd been all good or all bad.

Among the kids who live at Medlar House are Adam the shadow, Paddy the bully, Matt who acts like Paddy's minion and silent Jacob Mueller. While there are many social workers at Medlar House the house parents, if you will, are Chaz and Lucy (Luce). Luce spends more time with the younger kids and Chaz cares for the older ones. I adored Chaz. He was gullible and eternally optimistic, doing whatever he could to reach out to the seemingly unreachable.

As Mutt settles in to the group home, he throws his weight around enough to ensure the other kids know he's not a pushover. Silent Jacob, who ends up being his roommate, intrigues Mutt. There's more to him than meets the eye. In the middle of the night Mutt hears Jacob say something about Mutt's life before Medlar that he couldn't possibly have known. Mutt is determined to find out what's really behind Jacob's strange behaviour and hopefully find some answers for himself at the same time.

This book grabbed me during the prologue, which tells us the end of the story before we go back to the beginning to find out how we got there. I enjoyed the paranormal aspects and felt they added an interesting layer to the story. While I did find the way it all panned out predictable and I worked things out before Mutt did, he was at a disadvantage because he was trying not to look too smart and fly as much as possible under the radar whereas I didn't have those setbacks as the reader. The lack of surprises didn't take anything away from my enjoyment of the book.

The underlying mystery throughout the book and the gradual revelation of the histories of Mutt, Jacob and Adam were rewarding and I found the writing style to flow well. It was a quick and easy read with a few words scattered here and there that had me consulting my dictionary. I would have liked to have been given more information from Jacob about the lost ones.

Main issue with this book: The blurb. I feel that it gives too much away that would be better off being uncovered by the reader as they make their way through the book.

Tissues used: 1, but they weren't sad tears.

What I craved while reading: Chocolate donuts and hot chocolate. Yummy!

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley (thank you so much to NetGalley and Annick Press Ltd. for the opportunity) in exchange for honest feedback. While this book is marketed to young adults, I'd recommend it to adults as well.

This is an excellent read. I loved it. It was a place I could escape to and become engrossed in for a few hours.

This is a story that begins at the ending. We are introduced to Mike being interrogated by police about something that has happened, but Mike is not telling us, nor the police what it was that happened, just that it did happen, to us, and that he is glad.

The rest of the book is taken up trying to find out what it was that happened, and why.

It seems like an ordinary story of a foster-care kid, in a group home, in Hamilton, Ontario, with a bunch of other foster-care kids, and one autistic type kid named Jacob, who become Mike's roommate.

Starting at the ending helped, because you knew how it was going to all work out, but you had no idea of how, or what it was that did work out. As I said, it appears to be a typical YA foster care kid story, except there is something very weird about Jacob, which you sort of start to figure out, as Mike delves more and more into what he thinks is the mystery that is Jacob.

I enjoyed this, stayed up late to read it. It did not make me cry, it was not that sort of story. It is probably a three and half stars, but it was well written, and I would rather err on the side of going up, than going down.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

This was an original and interesting read. I swing between thinking the characters were a little too neatly grouped into categories to feeling like they were well rounded. I think it was the main antagonist that felt a little limited. The opening to the novel was interesting and the rest did not disappoint, we were introduced to a character who was defending his own actions but it was made clear that there would not be a simple explanation and then we went back to find out how he got there. The descriptions of how Mike used his physical appearance as a defense was interesting but it was the mystery of Jacob that really engaged. A little too much fairly strong swearing than I'd have liked as I feel this limits the audience. I understand the need for the realism of the characters but it did not necessarily add anything to the novel.

I am a huge Gillian Chan fan and this novel did not disappoint. There is a poignantly Dickensian quality to Mutt, Jacob and Adam, the three unlikely allies who bond in a group home. I like that each and every character has something hidden. The touch of fantasy enriched the narrative and was seamlessly incorporated. I love that this is set in Hamilton and Dundas Ontario -- my neck of the woods! Makes it that much more enjoyable. I also love the library research scenes. Well done.

I was very lucky to get an arc from netgalley because otherwise, like a lot of the books I've fallen in love with, I would have never seen this.

It has such a great story and the author wrote it so well, I fell into this story and got lost in the words Gillian created with such ease. This story has abuse, bullying, mental health, foster care, and heart gripping feelings of learning you don't have to be alone in this world. Add in the supernatural of Jacob being from another time, you got one heck of a story!

This book was so creepy and chilling and I cant say enough good things about it. This book was a book that made me loose sleep and trust me I like my sleep. Highly recommend.

**Thanks to NetGalley for providing me a complimentary copy of THE DISAPPEARANCE in exchange for my honest review**

In a group home, big, burly Mike, disfigured by his stepfather befriends scrawny Jacob, a selective mute. Mike doesn't want to play protector against the house bully, but when Jacob shares knowledge of Mike's past, the older boy feels he has little choice.

THE DISAPPEARANCE started off strong. Gillian Chan hooked me with the preface, Mike being questioned about Jacob's disappearance. I wanted to know if Mike was hero, villain or somewhere in between. Chan's engaging words flowed easily across the pages and I became quickly invested in Mike and Jacob.

This story of abuse, bullying, mental health and foster care lost its oomph when the plot veered into the paranormal/supernatural realm. I didn't enjoy the last 30% of THE DISAPPEARANCE nearly as much as the first parts. Readers who enjoy paranormal stories will not have this criticism.

THE DISAPPEARANCE is an engaging paranormal mystery.