HOW WE DISAPPEAR is an intimate collection of character-driven stories expounding on themes of disappearance, loss, and absence. Tara Lynn Masih's chosen subjects are the missing, the taken, the runaways and the wanderers, and sometimes even just the ordinary people who manage to slip through daily life unnoticed or unremarked upon. These choices are deliberate; this is a collection which seems to seek to ascribe meaning and singularity to human experience... but doesn't quite get there in the end.

As with all short story collections, some pieces fared better or landed more strongly than others. Particular standouts, for me, included "What You Can't See in the Picture", "Delight", "Those Who Have Gone", and, of course, "Agatha: A Life in Unauthorized Fragments", Masih's own compelling take on mystery writer Agatha Christie's infamous eleven-day disappearance. The stories which I found most difficult tended to be the ones I simply wanted more out of, particularly the collection's concluding novella, "An Aura Surrounds That Night", which I actually read twice because I thought I'd missed a significant moment straight out of the middle of it, but actually the moment just wasn't there.

As much as I enjoyed the writing, and as much as I love a good bit of character work, my engagement with this collection was mostly surface level. I'm not sure any of these stories, even the ones I really liked, engaged with the theme of disappearance in a particularly unique way, or contributed further to my (or any reader's) understanding of human experience.

I like the writing style of the individual stories, but have had a hard time following the progression from story to story. I wasn’t sure if it was a group of stories that will come together eventually or if this is just a collection of short stories, but it started to feel disjointed. I’m sorry I couldn’t get into it due to the abrupt changes in story lines.

written. Collection of stories. My favorite was Agatha: A life in unauthoruzed fragments snd my second favorite was what you can't see in the picture. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

I couldn’t get into the stories. For a compendium of short stories it was hard to see where one story ended and another began.

Death is not the end. I found this book interesting, but I don't think I would recommend it. Ghost Wolf was interesting, lonely but not alone if that makes sense. It makes me think that mortality is more of a concept or construct when you really think about it.

I knew nothing about this book or the author before delving in. I saw the description and thought it might be something good to pass the time, and honestly, I wasn't expecting to like it too much. I actually really enjoyed it, it was a fun and short book filled with short novellas/short stories pertaining to people, and how people disappear, go missing, are both here yet also not. I really liked the authors writing style, although it did feel a bit repetitive at times. It wasn't too lyrical or descriptive where you get lost in the words and forget what you're reading, yet it's just enough for you to feel transported throughout the story. My favourite of the short stories is definitely the first one"When You Can't See in the Picture", I found myself wanting a whole story of just this. "Agatha" was also a really good read. Overall, this was a good entertainment and I can see myself reading more of this author's work.

Tara Lynn Masih is a masterful storyteller. I fell in love with her writing in her book, My Real Name is Hannah. This collection of short stories and a novella is to be savoured and read slowly. Masih creates memorable characters that won't soon be forgotten.

Tara Lynn Masih has proven that she can write just about anything. She blew me away with My Real Name Is Hanna and I have been a fan ever since. Her writing is wonderfully beautiful, and I easily find myself transported to the locations in her books/novellas/stories.

How We Disappear is a collection of stories about those who are lost, those who are taken, those who have run away, those that are in-between, and those who wander. She even has Agatha Christie in the mix!

I enjoy books that evoke emotion and are thought provoking. This completely fit the bill. Were there ones that I enjoyed more than others? Yes, but isn't that the way with story collection? Plus, I enjoyed them all just some more than others. Tara Lynn Masih is a master storyteller and gifted writer. Her skills are on full display in this collection.

Lyrical, thought provoking and evoking emotion, this collection is not to be missed.

Thank you to Press 53 and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is a compelling, if uneven short story collection. A lot of the stories are very well written, and thought provoking, and explore the feelings of those who leave and those who stay. A quick read that leaves an impact.