Pub date: 5/17/22
Genre: coming of age
In one sentence: Sally Holt's world is turned upside down when her older sister Kathy dies, and the only one who really understands is her sister's boyfriend Billy.

The title of this book made me think it would be another "missing girl" story - it's not - Kathy's disappearance is sudden but not mysterious. I liked getting into Sally's head both before and after the event, and Espach's narrative spans enough time to watch Sally grow up. Billy's character was interesting as well - he came in and out of the narrative as he and Sally remained bonded by Kathy's death. This book is more character- than plot-driven.

If you're interested in coming of age stories or stories about grief, you may enjoy this one. 3.5 stars.

Thank you to Henry Holt and Co. for providing a NetGalley ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A heart wrenching account of grief and how a family tries to move on. Sally’s voice is so clear and I enjoyed the details of the early 90’s. A beautiful novel about sisterhood.

This book is about how the narrator, Sally, processes through and lives after her sister’s death.
I liked this book, but I thought it was a little slow. It seemed like there was a lot of extra details that weren’t really needed.

Kathy was Sally's older sister. Two years older, two times as cool, and everything Sally wanted to be. Then she died. The story is told by Sally and is tainted by her continual grief at the loss of her sister. This lends a somewhat monotone feel to the entire book as Sally is less than whole in her own life. I didn't like this feeling but recognize that was the point and my problem not the book's. I thought much of the writing was beautiful and Sally does a great job of making the reader feeling her grief. I do think the book could have had the same impact and be a bit shorter as it seemed to get a bit dragged down at times.

I found this to be a unique book. It is told from the viewpoint of Sally. She's the youngest of two sisters and appears to made to feel like the less attractive one the majority of the time. It seemed as if a good deal of the attention went to her older sister, but that could have just been her perception.

This story takes you from their childhood up to a point where Sally's older sister dies in high school. From that point on, you see how much Sally struggles to deal with the loss. Being an adolescent is difficult enough but to lose her sister is overwhelming. Couple that with the fact that her parents are too busy grieving to watch out for her and it's easy to see how she was lost for a while. The book follows Sally into adulthood, with some times skips along the way.

The narration of the story is told in a way that it seems Sally is talking and explaining herself to her older sister, Kathy. Once Kathy passes away, Sally has guilt that she doesn't know what to do with. To make it worse, her parents want nothing to do with Kathy's boyfriend, Billy. Sally finds this extremely difficult because she's forbidden from talking to him as well. It feels like another loss to her.

This book may not be for everyone because of the way the narration is done., However, I thought it was creative and really enjoyed it.

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: I thought the narration was done well and kept me engrossed with the story. I toggled back and forth between the audio and ebook and it was easy to do. I never felt like I missed out on anything. 4 stars

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

Many thanks to Netgalley and publishers for providing a review copy!

I was a fan of Espach’s The Adults so I was excited to read their newest release. Notes… was wildly addicting and heartbreaking. I found myself never wanting to stop reading about Sally and all she had gone through after the death of her sister. The details were perfectly executed and made for a wonderful read.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an advanced copy for an honest review.

This book features alot of great topics: grief, loss, love, life. I would give 3.5 stars.

Sally has been in love with her sisters boyfriend, Billy, for years. The book is told in Sally's point of view throughout, and we see her grow up from a child to an adult. We also see how Billy grows up throughout the book as well.

This book shows how you never truly get over the grief and loss of a loved one. If you have ever experienced either of these, it's like reliving your own experience first hand. I appreciated how it describes the process a family goes through when something like that happens, and how they all deal with it in their own ways.

In my opinion, this book was really well written, and as someone who has had alot of loss in my life, I appreciated how real the story was executed and how I could identify with alot of the thoughts and opinions of this family throughout the book.

Coming-of-age novel set in 1990's small town Connecticut about 13-year-old Sally who survives the car accident that claims her sister's life. The majority of the story is spent in the years immediately following the tragedy but we do get to know Sally and her family before the accident as well as far into the future afterwards.

Notes on Your Sudden Disappearance has grief, sibling and family dynamics, both typical and impacted by tragedy, and young love.

I'm not entirely clear on how I feel about this book. First, for some reason, I was under the impression the story would lean mystery/thriller-y? I guess that's my mistake. I really dug the 90s setting. I think perhaps the pacing of the book was a little off for me, it lead me to be interested in some parts while feeling like others dragged or were rushed. And I'm not sure how to feel about the Sally/Billy dynamic. I kind of wish the story either leaned into more of a romance or dropped it completely. I wouldn't consider this a must read though it is easily readable.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of Notes on Your Sudden Disappearance. This is my honest review.

This was so beautifully done and it captures what in my own experience is true with the death of a sister. That relationship is often so close and so difficult to describe to others and then it's over. Your memories of a childhood spent together remain, but they start to fade after the years go by. You never stop thinking about them and you often wonder what they would think or say about things. This book made me think of my own sister and many of the funny and of course sad things before and after her death and of course I wondered what she would think of it.

One of the highest compliments I can give an author is a mastery of making the mundane and everyday life interesting. Fans of Stewart O'Nan will love this!

This touching, and emotional story. A coming of age story, told through the POV of Sally, the younger sister of Kathy who dies in a tragic accident during the summer. Sally and Kathy have a fascination with Billy, the boy who works at the beach concessions. Kathy ends up dating Billy. Then, when this accident happens and Kathy dies, Billy and Sally are drawn to each other in their grieving of Kathy. We get to hear about before Kathy's death, during, and then after.

This was a slow burn, but so well done. This was an unforgettable story. You read about how Kathy's parents cope with the loss of their daughter, and how Sally heals through her quilt and grief throughout the years. The relationship between Sally and Billy helps the both of them as they learn to live their life without Kathy. A sad story, for sure, but there were also parts that showed the happiest of times between sisters, and shows the great bond that they had. A bit on the long side, but still enjoyed reading it.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own.

This was just an ok read for me. Maybe it's the way the ARC is formatted but this definitely felt like "notes" and not a book with chapters and a smooth flow. I think the story was interesting in how it showed the parents dealing - or not dealing = with the loss of their daughter. I'm sure that's the most difficult life event any parent could face. I did like Sally and Billy's relationship. I like an ending a little more definitive. I'd like to think love conquered all.

Hmm I have mixed feelings on this one! The book is broken up into three sections, and I really enjoyed the first part! However, the story seemed to drag on for the other two thirds of the book. I feel like the biggest issue was that I went into it thinking it was a mystery/thriller. The title and cover just gave me that vibe for some reason! Had I know it was just general fiction ahead of time, I may have enjoyed it more. It was a very real and raw depiction of grief, and the author is a talented writer. I give it 3 stars! Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review!

I wasn't sure what I was actually expecting with this book. I think based off the cover, I was expecting a thriller. What I actually got was so much more. This is a heartbreaking coming of age story and is very VERY deep. In a good way though. The characters are real and jump off the page to you.

From the variety of reviews on Notes on Your Sudden Disappearance, this is a book you either really like/love, or really don't. Unfortunately, I found myself in the second group.

The story is about the sudden death of teenager Kathy Holt as told by her younger sister, Sally, as she talks to Kathy before, during, and after Kathy's death. It deals with grief, family relations, coming of age, and love.

I was excited to grab an ARC of this book due to the book description. I was ready to love this book! The first part held my interest, but then everything seemed to stall. More and more, I found myself thinking "when is something going to happen?" and then "when is this book going to be over?" I hate to feel that way about a book! This read left me disappointed. Too many books, too little time; I regret the time I spent on this one.

My thanks to Henry Holt & Company for permitting me access to an e-ARC via NetGalley. All opinions stated here are my own and are freely given.

𝐎𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐧𝐨 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠. 𝐌𝐨𝐦 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐃𝐚𝐝 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐞𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐰𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐰𝐚𝐲. 𝐈𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧- 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐝, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐜𝐚𝐫 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧. 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐞? 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐲 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜 𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬.

Life goes on, our bodies have demands that remind us of that reality, as much as the rest of the world crashes in on our grief. It’s an indescribable abyss of loss for adults and even more confusing for children. Alison Espach’s characters fall apart, questioning their role in tragedy, however accidental, and the effects of pain don’t really ease with the passage of time. People learn to live with loss, there isn’t another option, but the missing never fades.

Kathy Holt has a desperate crush on Billy Barnes, spending nights filling her little sister Sally’s head with information she treasures, like his wild antics and imagining the sort of man he will grow up to be. When Kathy joins him in high school, their bedtime routine is now filled with her reminiscing about their chance encounters. Sally delights in her sister’s glow of affection, she herself stuck in middle school, a smart girl that doesn’t quite turn the heads of any boys, it is Kathy who is beautiful. Sally lives vicariously through Kathy’s heart, passions for the boy. Then summer break arrives, an incident occurs that pulls him into their circle. It isn’t long before Billy and Kathy are sharing kisses and falling in love. By Kathy’s junior year of high school, the sisters spend less time together, with Kathy’s social life kicked into high gear. It makes Sally feel excluded, lonely even, still she would do anything for her sister, to remain in her orbit. Tragedy hits, and she blames herself in the wake of her sister’s death.

Billy isn’t dead, but a part of him dies with Kathy, he wishes it were him. Sally is ashamed that she isn’t physically damaged, that would be more righteous. Through the trauma of the event, everything Billy was before no longer fits what remains. Sally, in longing for Kathy, turns to Billy to keep a tight hold on the past, even though their friendship is strictly forbidden. Her mother is cracking, her father closing off, buried in anger, both of them too overwhelmed to pay attention to their remaining child and Billy is the only one who can lift the heaviness Sally is cloaked in. At least briefly, when they talk, it seems healing is possible. With Kathy in the ground (her beautiful, vibrant sister, unfairly in the ground) no one seems to concern themselves with structure, punishment, keeping track of Sally. The most terrible, nightmarish reality has already hit them head on and there is nothing left to fear. The sunshine has left their family, now there is only pain, separate worlds.

Billy and Sally crawl into the future with aches shared and experiences denied. Their bond is the ruins of life after Kathy. Without her big sister, Sally gets to know more about Billy than Kathy herself had the time to learn. Both are changed. Billy’s promising future as a star athlete vanishes, and Sally is searching for her own identity, without Kathy to guide her. Nothing in life ever feels as joyful as it should as the years collect, tinged by sorrow. She refuses to remain frozen in time, to be eaten by anguish. She has to build a future, go away to school but how will she do that without Billy? He has his own struggles, an incredible amount of shame to contend with, that sometimes forces Sally out of his life, for years. Still, they cross paths now and then.

This is a sad and hopeful story, about what happens in the aftermath of unspeakable tragedy. It is a tale of guilt, how it can bury us and the possibility of new beginnings. Where do you lay blame when fate touches you with a cruel hand? We all need a place to direct our misfortune, our resentment too, but it costs so much, the anger, whether we place it upon another’s head or internalize it. It is about pushing people away and drawing them closer. This is beautiful and heavy, I wanted more from the ending but I could relate to every character. Billy’s self-punishing decisions, Sally’s loneliness and ache for Kathy, her parents emotional disasters and resentment, anger. Most of all, the love Sally never loses for her big sister drives the story, and her life, on.

Publication Date: May 17, 2022

Henry Holt & Company

This is a story about sisters(Sally and Kathy)-- torn apart by death in their teens. It is a story about how the family(the Holts) deals with their grief -- not great. And it is a love story. What I especially enjoyed about this book was the growth we see in Sally, the sister left behind, and in Billy Barnes -- the driver and Kathy's boyfriend. Life is messy and crippling grief makes it very difficult to move forward. The characters in this book make progress at times and at others stall or fall back. Sally and Kathy's parents struggle the most and my heart hurts for them. This would make an excellent book group pick. There would be so much to discuss about family, grief, healing, and even the changes brought about by the internet and smartphones as the book begins in the early 90's and ends 20 years later. Rounded up from 3.5.

Thank you to Henry Holt & Co. and Edelweiss+ for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.

“It was death, I knew, waiting in the most unexpected places—inside Mom’s laughter, at the end of Dad’s toes, in the bright green leaves outside our bedroom window that couldn’t have looked more alive.”

Alison Espach is a master at articulating the terrifying benignness —and the unique excitements — of the everyday. Just like in her terrific debut The Adults, Espach’s prose is incredibly specific yet highly devourable and approachable (“She looked like the women at school who lectured us on how there were nine teaspoons of sugar in a can of Coke.”), incisively heartbreaking yet at times absurdly funny, with terrific characters that feel like people you’ve known (for better or worse) your whole life.

Thank you Henry Holt and Co and NetGalley for the advanced copy!

There’s not much to say about this book.
It’s a moving tale set over the course of 15 years, where we grow to become very close to every character.
We watch as they battle grief, death, family troubles and so much more.
You truly feel connected to this family, and the way their grow and try and overcome the loss of Kathy.
It was so heartbreakingly real in a way I didn’t imagine it would be.
It resonated with me so well, and I really enjoyed the story telling aspect on this book, and how it was broken up.
Overall, it was a great book & i really enjoyed it.

Sally, a soon to be eighth grader, idolizes her older sister Kathy. The summer before eighth grade is filled with family vacations and trips to the local pool to spy on Billy Barnes, the boy that Kathy has a crush on. Before the summer ends, Kathy and Billy are an item and Sally is beginning to feel left behind. Soon after that, Kathy dies in a car accident, leaving Billy and Sally devastated. No one understands their grief like each other, and they will forever be tied to each other because of it.

This book explores love, grief, and life after tragedy. It was heartbreaking, poignant, and even funny at times. It was relatable for anyone who has experienced grief, and while it was sad, it was also hopeful. I really enjoyed Espach’s writing style and thought that the ending was beautiful.

Thank you to Henry Holt and Company & NetGalley for allowing me to read an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I could. see how some people would adore this book. I have heard really good things about it. I just couldn't get into it. This story is a coming of age story about Sally before and after her sister dies in a car accident. The coming of age story just didn't click with me. There are people who will love this so don't let me so, so review dissuade you from reading this.