Great nature writing, but I did not enjoy the plot or the main character. I could not feel any tension or pull for me to keep reading or care about what happened to the character. I loved “These Silent Woods”.

this just wasnt as good as her last book. The last one I couldn't put down, and this one I was tempted to set aside the plot just didn't grab me.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishing house and the author for the opportunity to read a complimentary copy of this book in return for a review based upon my honest opinion.

Emlyn and her best friend, Janessa have been estranged for quite some time. Emlyn is leading a quiet life as a tracker and is trying to put her life back together after a tramautic event. When Emlyn finds out from her exboyfriend that Janessa is missing, she at first doesn't want to look into it, thinking that Janessa is probably just off grid but then she thinks about all of the times Janessa has saved her and stood up for her and she knows that she must team up with Tyler, even though being near him only makes her think of what she lost and she starts to wonder if they could ever be together again. As they search for Janessa things take a dangerous turn and Emlyn finds herself wondering if she will make it out of the wilderness alive.

Thsi was a decent storyline but I found it hard to connect with the characters sometimes. Her last book was wy better but I would definitely check out more books by this author.

📖 BOOK REVIEW

📱 THE NATURE OF DISAPPEARING by Kimi Cunningham Grant
4 stars

Genre: thriller
Did I cry: no
Published in 2024
My Goodreads review: “extremely conflicting thoughts over this book. Will we ever stop villainizing addiction in literature jw”

💭: after being completely obsessed with THESE SILENT WOODS for multiple years, this book was so highly anticipated and in turn, i had pretty high expectations for it. It had that same eerie fall atmospheric vibe to it, with a big nod to the rural, western US deep forest/wilderness setting. The writing was suspenseful and consumable, keeping me engaged and wanting answers. I also did enjoy the dual timeline and i always appreciate how both timelines progress and eventually merge into present day, leading to a big plot reveal.

I also was finding a lot of parallels to the sweeping and infamous true crime story of Gabby Petitio from a few years ago which was fun to draw upon my knowledge from that whole case.

My biggest and most glaring qualm with this book was how substance use & addiction were depicted & specifically the language surrounding it. I don’t mind a story that has it as a plot point, but if it’s not handled with care and delicacy then it adds to the harmful stigma and shame surrounding it that people in this field and also people in recovery work so hard to reduce. I cannot emphasize enough how important this subject is to me and as you can tell, im quite passionate about it.

Because of addiction, the author actually uses this direct quote to describe one of the characters (I’m altering names/pronouns to keep it vague & spoiler-free) — “she sees [redacted] as [redacted] must’ve seen him/her, all along. As he/she truly is. Not captivating, as he/she’s always been to him/her, but broken, selfish, desperate. Tragic.” Ummmm I’m sorry nothing about this is okay and i simply cannot recommend this book because of it. It is so disheartening and disappointing to read this.

I loved The Silent Woods by this author and was anxiously awaiting this one. I will say this one was a bit slow for me and not as exciting as her other book. The plot point was the slow part; however, the authors visual depiction of the atmosphere is what kept me reading this one. It was beautiful!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books and the author for the ARC of this book.

I loved this book. I did think it was going to be mainly a thriller, but there were a lot of contemporary fiction elements as long as a lot of friends/family drama, which I liked because it felt like it added more depth to the story, along with a pinch of romance.

I felt like Cunningham Grant did a great job of keeping the reader on their toes throughout. This is a story I struggled to even describe. The twists that came I did not expect at all. It’s also always a plus as a female reader to see how strong the bond of friendship truly are. What would any of us do if our best friend disappeared and everyone assumed she was, hiking off the grid, but we just knew in our gut that something wasn’t right?

There were some scenes I can picture so clearly in my head. One of my favorite things about this author is her use of imagery and ability to conjure a completely eerie, scary scene without anything major happening.

I can’t say enough good things about the story. It’s a quick read because it is so hard to put down. I became so invested in Emlyn and Tyler’s track to find Janessa and loved all of these characters.

Sometimes the thrill of thriller isn’t a serial killer or an abuser in the night, but actually someone thought you knew better than anyone else.

As for my ratings :
Excitement level: 5
Ease of reading level: 5
Overall rating : 5

I really enjoyed the author's previous book, These Silent Woods, so I knew that I was going to be giving her newest book a try. Unfortunately, The Nature of Disappearing didn't wow me like These Silent Woods.

I will say that Kimi Cunningham Grant is a master at atmosphere and wilderness settings. You can visualize the scenes so well from how she writes them. However, the characters and the plot just didn't grab me like I had hoped and mixing that with a bit of a slow burn, I found myself drifting a lot. There is underlying tension that easily comes through with the characters, but they were all so unlikable that I didn't find myself as invested in the tension as I usually would have been.

I will still try her next book to see if she ends up being a must read author, but for now I'm still unsure.

3.5/5 stars

I'm sad to say this one did not work for me. I loved These Silent Woods but for me this was a departure. It lacked emotional depth and I couldn't bring myself to really care for any of the characters. I didn't feel as though the reveals were that interesting, and while the wilderness writing was solid, the story itself was lackluster. Still, I'll read anything this author writes.

I love this type of book. Atmospheric and well developed characters with a mystery built in. There are some relationships at the core of the book too and I love the themes that are woven through. Wanted more from the ending and resolution, but couldn’t put this down and look forward to more from this author!! Thanks to Net Galley for the digital arc!

A story of relationships, love, and courage told across dual timelines. What kept me engaged in the story is the author’s talent in describing the nature and wilderness. It makes me want to take a hike in the mountains. Overall, I enjoyed the unfolding of Emyln’s story.

ARC was provided by NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.

I really loved this!
I liked how it took place in the wilderness.
I'm an outdoor girl, so it really resonated with me.
I also liked how I didn't know what to expect while reading. The twist wasn't obvious until after they found Janessa, and i really liked that.
I also enjoyed the FMC. She didn't believe she was strong or deserved to be loved. It was a great story about how she was freed from her past and her past beliefs.
I would have liked an epilouge or something to show what ended up happening.
I would definitely recommend this!

This story is told with a dual timeline. I found that the one timeline was a bit boring and din't hold my interest. I wanted more of a suspenseful wilderness book. This was more about t he characters and I found I didn't really care for them very much.

The writing isn't bad, though. I was happy with the ending. The slower pace and lack of much wilderness made this a bit of a letdown for me.

It is an incredible story about a woman who lives in the wilderness. She gives tours to those who want to fish and camp out in the wild. She also fell in love five years ago and never really got her heart back. It's a story of courage, love, and adventure. It was an awesome read I couldn't put down.

I ended up listening to this one and while I found the narrator to be quite engaging - I found myself bored throughout most of the story, and wasn’t overly surprised by the ending. I’ve heard good things about the authors previous work and will definitely be reading more.

A roller coaster of a read. Emlyn is a relatable character that you could not help but just root for. When she embarks on a search for missing friend Janessa, Tyler he ex-boyfriend would not be her first pick in a traveling partner. As Emlyn comes to terms with her past self and the relationship she currently has with these two, she realizes more about herself than she could have ever imagined. Grant will have you on the edge of your seat till the end with all the twists and turns packed into this book.

I can't even imagine what it would be like to have a friend or family member disappear. The feeling of absolute need to search for them.....the fear that they may be injured or even dead.....the pain of not knowing. Some friends/families never find out what happened to their loved one. I guess I can be glad that I just have to imagine what it would be like. So many actually go through this sort of life-changing event.

When I read the book blurb for this novel by Kimi Cunningham Grant, I knew I needed to read this story! Take a disappearance, add in past relationship drama, a dose of fear and suspicion, and a healthy bit of reckoning/acceptance/dealing with the past.....and you get a suspense novel like this one! The story quickly morphed into something so much greater than searching for a lost friend.

I enjoyed this book from the first word to the last! I actually ended up binge reading this one, because I couldn't put it down! I wasn't sure how the story was going to end.....which made it an awesome emotional trip. I liked the main character...so strong and capable yet still trying to get a grip on her life and move on from her past. I love how the plot centers around the disappearance of a basically estranged friend.....and how events lead Emlyn to face her demons, past and present.

I love books that make me feel all the feels -- I had a wide range of emotions while soaking in this story. Fear, anger, hope, sadness, happiness......and when I finally got to the end, I had to sit and just digest about how I felt about the story as a whole. It's awesome when a book has that sort of a hold on me! Lovely reading experience!

Great book! I look forward to reading more from this author!

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from St Martins Press. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

I had really high hopes for this book as the author’s previous is a favourite of mine. Unfortunately, this one was a huge disappointment.

I found the first 30% engaging and interesting, but from there literally nothing happened. It’s a slow burn plot (sloooooow burn), with a bit of a love letter to nature. I didn’t really find it to fit into a mystery/suspense genre at all, zero suspense and maybe a touch of mystery - but the end was a letdown for me too.

I hope this finds the right readers, but for me I was just bored.

Emyln, Janessa, and Tyler. That was then. Now - Emyln has made a new life for herself. And then Tyler returns with the shocking news of Janessa's disappearance. Lots of twists and emotional wrangling in this one! Enjoyed it very much!

I am just beyond in love with this cover!!!

I really wanted to love this book! Unfortunately, like her first book I just couldn't get into it and it fell super flat for me.

I didn't feel any connection to the characters or the plot. I'm a bit of an outlier on this one and it wasn't for me. But, there are tons of 5 stars so please check those out!!!

2/5 stars

I think I was just the wrong audience here. Took me forever to finish, and I almost didn’t finish at all. I’m sure it’s me and not the book itself, but I was so bored.