This is an emotional coming of age story. After reading well over half the novel I have abandoned it. Many people will get lost in this story as indicated by all the 5 star reviews but just not for me. #NotesOnYourSuddenDisappearnce #NetGalley

A beautifully written novel of great loss and love as a young woman grows up in the shadow of her sisters death and how much it impacts her life.

Beautifully written and utterly engaging. A recommended first purchase for all general fiction collections.

thank you Henry Holt Publishers and NetGalley for the chance to read the amazingly thoughtful and elegant novel Notes on Your Disappearance from Alison Espach. I was so impressed by the way in which this sad but loving and at times uplifting story unfolded, moving over time as the narrator, Sally, truly does come of age under the veil of her sister's unexpected death. The story moves from before the death of Kathy, detailing a truly loving older/younger sister dynamic with Kathy showing great care for her younger, and at times naive, sister and then the expected shifts in the relationship as Kathy moves into high school and her first love (Billy) into how Sally must navigate her life, her time in high school and early adulthood, without her sister's guidance and their talks. Sally grows up trying to find a space for herself in a family filled with grief while also trying to understand and connect with Billy, the one person who might best understand how she feels about Kathy's death and yet the one person who often seems elusively hard to understand and connect with because of the grief and trauma around Kathy's death.

I loved that Sally's voice changed as she grew up; though never childish or immature, more at times wise and insightful, Sally is young in the early parts of the book and this gives an important innocence and openness to the narrative, an honesty that is often only present early in development. Sally's yearning for connection is well developed, true, and relatable as are the themes on loss and how the parents cope, or fail to cope, with their loss and their marriage as well.

Three things that stood out
1. The writing style is elegant and engaging. The plot is sad yes but I did not feel overly sad reading the book as much as I was invested in going on this journey to grow and move on with Sally. Sally for me was a gentle voice, insightful and very real as I read the book. I was a bit reminded of Dear Edward at times in terms of a plot that has a sad background but is more about the lead character growing up and into a life that acknowledges loss but also moves into a post grief identity.
2. The development of the story. I think some readers will find the book slow but for me the book was elegantly crafted to give the reader a true appreciation for Sally before her loss, what her relationship with Kathy was, and simply how Sally saw the world and understood her family around her. I liked how much time was put into the different points in Sally's life before she lost Kathy as well as the immediate/present experience of the time following the loss and then the follow up time when Sally was in young adulthood and several years past her sister's death. The blending of her connection with Billy, which was complicated but honest and real, was well executed.
3. I appreciated how the story was mostly written in a style of being from Sally to Kathy. This gave the book a nice intimacy that for me strengthened the book.

Late to posting my final read for December and I continue to have conflicting feelings about this novel. This is a coming of age story that is at times unbearably sad. It is a slow burn and there are so...many...feelings to process throughout this reading experience. No spoilers here as the book description lets the reader know that there are two sisters; Kathy and Sally and then inconceivably, older sister, Kathy is taken away in a most tragic way at a very tender age. I believe this subject matter would be difficult for anyone but as the oldest of three girls, I found this one painful to read and surprised myself by pushing through it. The writing is intimate and searingly honest We see the aftermath of Kathy’s death in her family members and in the boy who loved her-Billy. Sally and Billy are inextricably drawn to each other and understand each other’s grief and guilt in ways that no one else can. Of course, this is complicated as Kathy and Sally’s parents do not feel quite the same about Billy and his connection to their older daughter’s death. Although this book broke my heart repeatedly, the author is adept at capturing family dynamics, the way people process grief in their own way and how a family can be forever changed by one significant moment in time. Thank you to @netgalley and @henryholtbooks for the ARC of this book. My opinions are solely my own. #netgalley #bookreviewer #notesonyoursuddendisappearance #henryholtbooks #alisonespach #bookstagrammer

I don’t know if I can say enough good things about this title, I couldn’t put it down. Fantastic literary coming of age story.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the Kindle ARC. This was one of the best books I've read all year - and I've read over 100 books this year. Alison Espach has the writing ability to make "Notes" seem like a true story or one that she actually lived. Sally and Kathy are sisters and best friends. Kathy is three years older than Sally and guides her through the ins and outs of what lies ahead for her in boyfriends and high school. When Kathy gets her first boyfriend, Billy, Sally is enthralled and loves Billy as much as her sister does. A car wreck changes everyone's lives when Kathy is killed. The girls' mother never recovers psychologically. Sally and Billy do their best to move on - their lives intertwining at times intentionally and unintentionally. Ms. Espach has written an emotionally raw story - when one realizes the person she loves the most is never coming back.

I was given an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

What a warm, gentle story. I really enjoyed spending time with these characters. Despite their challenges and the realistic feel of these families, it was definitely a satisfying ending . Definitely recommend as a thought provoking emotional novel

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle by Henry Holt & Company and #NetGalley for my honest opinion. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Notes on your sudden disappearance is set over 15 years. It’s a lovely story you’ll enjoy, especially if you like the the genre.

“Notes on Your Sudden Disappearance” is a heartbreaking coming of age story set over 15 years. It moves slowly, but that’s a good thing. It allows you to really savor the author’s masterful description of broken people moving on, or not, after tragedy.

You, as a reader are immediately required to participate, assuming the role of the narrator’s dead sister, Kathy. Usually, this kind of plot device annoys me, but here it really works. I felt a part of the narrative and the character’s lives without being able to do anything about the terrible choices they were making - kind of like a ghost.

The author deftly wove seemingly unrelated concepts and images together throughout the book until I arrived at an ending that, in most cases, would make me roll my eyes. Here, it gave me chills and made me sob.

I will now read everything that Alison Espach has ever written so that I can underline every other page.

Thank you to NetGalley and Alison Espach for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed NOTES ON YOUR SUDDEN DISAPPEARANCE. The writing is lovely and poignant and I felt very connected to the narrator. The chapters surrounding the car accident are particularly stunning.

Readers looking for a fast-paced narrative should look elsewhere as this novel is more contemplative and literary.

The ending is very satisfying and seems true to the characters' journeys.

I love this really poignant story about a neighborhood disappearance. It’s a perfectly crafted narrative that really makes you feel like you’re involved. I would highly recommend this read.

I found myself enjoying this book more with each page. It is the story of a family, their lives centered around the daughter they lost. It is the story of the other daughter, the living child, who is grieving for her sister as well as the disruption of her family. She is especially engaging and as a reader, I really wanted her to be happy.

The sisters are connected by Billy, now Bill, the forbidden survivor. Kathy’s death is the center of the novel and the closure comes during the ironically named Hurricane Kathy.

This is a lovely novel. Thank you Netgalley.