Wow! It is official, Kimi Cunningham Grant is my favorite author!!

Synopsis:

Emlyn doesn’t let herself think about the past. How she and her best friend, Janessa, barely speak anymore. How Tyler, the man she thought was the love of her life, left her freezing and half-dead on the side of the road three years ago.

Her new life is simple and safe. She works as a fishing and hunting guide, spending her days in Idaho’s endless woods and scenic rivers.

But when Tyler shows up with the news that Janessa is missing, Emlyn is propelled back into the world she worked so hard to forget. Janessa, it turns out, has become a social media star, documenting her #vanlife adventures with her rugged survivalist boyfriend. But she hasn’t posted lately, and when she does, it’s from a completely different location than where her caption claims to be.

What I Loved:

The setting: I absolutely love a wilderness setting and this book put me in the beautiful Idaho wilderness with mountains, rivers and trees and I loved every minute!! 😍

Suspense: I had no idea what happened to Janessa. I loved the way the story kept me guessing!

Faith: Kimi usually has a side character with strong faith, and I LOVE that!! It’s just enough to not overwhelm an unbelieving reader, but also there is actual scripture quoted in this book! 👏🏼

Character Growth: Emlyn had to deal with a lot of things in this book and I really appreciated her character growth! I also loved the glimpses back to her childhood and early adulthood! It gave me so much understanding and empathy for her view of herself and the relationships in her life.

Quote from the book:

“Wilderness is a lonely place. It’s a place of hardship and doubt. You don’t know where you are and you don’t see a way through. And that is a real real hard spot to be.”

“But it’s in the wilderness that you grow… In ways that you couldn’t anywhere else.”

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book to read and review.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Nature of Disappearing. It is one of those "literary mystery/thriller" books that is slightly hard to categorize, but really satisfies the itch for a suspenseful book that is thoroughly grounded in relationships. The writing in this book was very strong, both in terms of descriptive language regarding the wilderness and backcountry activities and in delving into relationships and how they develop and morph over time. I thought the alternating timelines were done well, and I never had difficult following what was going on in either. The main character was drawn very well - flawed in some ways, but absolutely someone you are rooting for, even if you're not always sure what that "rooting" might mean in the moment. Supporting characters were also believable, and I thought the pacing (often a challenge in this kind of book) worked well. I didn't know anything about this book or author when I dove in, but it's definitely one I'll be recommending!

This book follows three friends who have a complicated history. When one of them goes missing in the wilderness, the other two go hunting for her.

I thought this book was just ok. I will start with the positives. I did like the wilderness setting and how everything was described. I feel like the wilderness is a scary place to get lost in so that really kept me interested to read. I also enjoyed the characters.

I listened to the audiobook and really enjoyed the narration! I liked the narrator. The voice was good and the pace was good.

My biggest complaint is that this story was so slow. I didn't like all of the flashbacks; I don't think they added much to the story. I think there should have been more action early on and less of the flashbacks.

While this book wasn't bad, it wasn't my favorite either.

Thanks so much to netgalley, St. Martin's Press, and Macmillian audio for the arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Emlyn has built a new life for herself in scenic Idaho, far from the painful memories of her past—namely, her fractured friendship with Janessa and the traumatic night Tyler left her for dead. Living in an Airstream trailer and working as a fishing and hunting guide, Emlyn finds solace in her routine and her small circle of friends.

This fragile peace shatters when Tyler reappears with alarming news: Janessa, now a social media star documenting her #vanlife, is missing. Reluctantly, Emlyn teams up with Tyler to find her old friend. As they follow Janessa's trail through the wilderness, Emlyn notices something off about her last social media post. Despite the unresolved feelings between her and Tyler, they push deeper into the wild, uncovering a darker truth that suggests Janessa isn't the only one at risk.

Initially, I had my doubts—the names threw me off, and I had to Google some fly-fishing terms. But as the story unfolded, I was hooked. The timeline shifts between past and present added depth and kept me engaged. The meaning of "Varden" became clear, and I couldn’t put the book down. Kimi Cunningham Grant's The Nature of Disappearing is poignant, suspenseful, and unforgettable. 3.5/5 stars.

I had high hopes after These Silent Woods. that being said, I was not disappointed. This was such an engrossing, layered novel yet again. Definition of a literary thriller/mystery. The alternating timelines really helped build the momentum for the final “climax”. You slowly get more and more invested in each character and their personal struggles. I can’t wait to read what’s next by her.

Emlyn has finally gotten back on her feet and being left freezing and half dead in the woods by her ex-boyfriend. She has good friends and a good job. But when she sees a news report that her estranged best friend is missing and her ex boyfriend asks Emlyn to help find her, she feels obligated to help. The journey explores not only the ruggedly remote Idaho wilderness but also her past and the relationships with her best friend and ex-boyfriend.

I feel the categorization of this book as a thriller, mystery or suspense is slightly misleading. A good portion of this dual time line book is exploring Emlyn’s past, her relationships and choices. This focus makes the book read slower than a typical thriller or suspense novel. I feel like it reads more like fictional second coming of age story where Emlyn explores her current and past life with the backdrop of the remote wilderness of Idaho. I loved the character growth demonstrated by the main character between the two timelines. I was glad to see the strength, both mental and physical, that Grant gave the two female main characters. Then ending did wrap up quite quick and there while the ending was a little twist, this book is not overall twisty. This reminds me of a little Wild by Cheryl Strayed + Happiness for Beginners wrapped in a mystery/suspense story.

I was really excited to get a copy of this. It has everything I look for in a book. A strong, complicated heroine. A dangerous, beautiful setting. Complex overlapping stories. And, as someone who was nomadic for a few years, a community close to my heart.

But unfortunately this author's distant, nearly disconnected voice was not for me. Every time I put the book down, I just forget about it. So, while I have a feeling this would be a 5 star movie, it's only a 2.5 start read for me. If you like the authors style, this will probably be a great read for you.

I have been picking ALL of the slow burns recently, and they just aren't doing it for me. I was always waiting for something to grab me, and nothing ever did.

Simply unputdownable! This novel grabbed me from the onset; and I just loved the descriptions of the wilderness. Although I’m not a camping type person, I’ll always appreciate the woods/trees/off the grid/forestry setting in any story.

Emlyn’s character had baggage, but also had strength. I will never tire of complex characters and dual time lines. You’re trying to understand her new life and how she got here. The novel kept me on my toes and guessing which is perfect for this mystery. Idaho was a new novel setting to me too.

Highly recommend this novel, especially if you love anything with a forest backdrop/complex characters/can’t stop reading type of book.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

At first this started off very intriguing and I was flying through it. But at around 40% I started to get bored and very fast. I was expecting a thriller and felt it really fell off the mountain in that aspect. I enjoyed the wonderful descriptions and the details of rugged life that Emlyn is living. She never really seems to make the best decisions and rushes off with a man she is scared of and left her for dead and has been hiding from. I felt that is not something anybody would do. If you are in the market for a slower burn of a book this might be for you. But maybe I am too used to mind bending twists and thrills.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
The synopsis of this book sounded interesting to me so I requested a copy to read.
Unfortunately, I have tried reading this book on 2 separate occasions and during this 2nd attempt, I have
decided to stop reading this book
and state that this book just wasn't for me.
I wish the author, publisher and all those promoting the book much success and connections with the right readers.

Thank you for an advance copy of this book by an author I have enjoyed. This tells the story of 3 childhood friends who go searching in the woods for one who went missing in the wilderness. This is a slow moving character driven story,, that really didn't pick up for me until about halfway thru. The story has alternating timelines and I was more interested in the present day than the past....I enjoyed this one but These Silent Woods was a stronger, more interesting story for me.

This backcountry thriller might be a slow-burn, but it is no less compelling; predictable, but no less enjoyable. I finished it in a single day. If you’ve been around my blog, you know I enjoy the outdoors and camping, so when I read the synopsis for this on NetGalley, I immediately requested it.

I really liked Emlyn’s arc. The synopsis says that her ex “ruined” her life, which I think is a bit of a misnomer. Fairer to say that he traumatized her and she struggled to heal from that trauma. But I thought the author did a great job of showing us her growth and healing from past hurts and trauma and the self-perceptions those things created in her. I thought some of the side characters took longer to come to life because they were only related in flashbacks for the most part.

The way the story was told in alternating timelines allowed the story to unfold very neatly. I did find, however, that the present timeline interested me much more than the past timeline, at least until about 60% of the way through.

I really liked the overall theme of wilderness, shown in this book both literally and figuratively. Her writing around this topic was incredibly insightful and I highlighted a couple passages about it.

Even if you’re not all outdoorsy, if you enjoy suspense, this slow-burn thriller will hit the spot.

I will always love the authors settings but this one didn’t blow me away like the last one. I enjoyed the past and present timelines. I found it ok and can’t put my finger on why I didn’t love it.

Thanks to netgalley, St. Martin’s Press and Minotaur Books for the advanced ecopy in exchange for my honest review.

Publish date June 18, 2024

So having really enjoyed the last book (These Silent Woods) I read by this author; I was looking forward to reading this new one. Like the last one, this new story also takes place out deep in the woods, off the beaten path, where one could easily get lost and/or die from either exposure or some wild animal.

The book summary basically just introduces the two storylines: one of Janessa and her boyfriend, Bush, who Tyler, their employer, thinks are missing and that something has happened to them. Tyler, Emlyn’s ex-boyfriend, convinces Emlyn to help him find Janessa and Bush. Emlyn and Tyler have a bad history; a few years ago, when Tyler was deep into his addiction, he abandoned Emlyn and she almost died on the side of the road waiting for him. Anyway, Emlyn, who hasn’t seen Tyler in years, is very wary of going anywhere with Tyler, who has been clean and sober for a couple of years. However, based on the info that Tyler provides, Emlyn also becomes concerned about Janessa.

The second storyline is of the history of Emlyn’s relationships with both Janessa and Tyler and how Emlyn met them and what happened that fractured Emlyn’s relationships with them. There is also a park ranger, Varden, who was the one that found and rescued Emlyn years ago after Tylor left her for dead. Varden has become hopelessly in love with Emlyn even though the feelings are unrequited.

Tyler and Emlyn head off to try and find Janessa and Bush out in the wilderness of Idaho. The story flips back and forth between Emlyn’s present and past. The past chapters are kind of all over the place: seven years ago, then five years ago, then 17 years ago, then four and half years ago, etc. The past chapters cover the history of Emlyn’s relationship with both Janessa and Taylor as well as what happened to her. The present chapters mostly cover Emlyn’s and Tyler’s search for Janessa and Bush. It's well into the second half, when Emlyn and Tyler find Janessa and Bush, that the story takes a really strange turn and a very ominous tone that culminates into a bizarre and scary intense ending. Good grief!!! That was insane!!!

I flipped back and forth between the ebook and the audiobook, which was expertly narrated by Emily Pike Stewart, who understands the timing of energy and pitch with just the right amount of flair for character authenticity, like the polar differences between Emlyn and Janessa. The characterization of Emlyn and Janessa was much more developed than the rest the rest; the rest being the men, Tyler, Bush and Varden. The pacing and storyline were steady and interesting, respectively. The writing style was good, but I found the alternate chapters (the chapters on Emlyn’s past) kind of clunky and a little thin on details. I’m sure that was by design with the author not wanting to give too much away. However, I love crazy endings!

Personally, I would have preferred that the author didn’t feel it necessary to include the scene of the wild animals that were tortured. I hate animal abuse!!! I’m looking at an overall rating of 4.2 that I will be rounding down to a 4star rating. I want to thank NetGalley and St Martin’s Press and Mcmillan Audio for sending me this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

#NetGalley #StMartinsPress #McmillanAudio #TheNatureofDisappearing

TW: Graphic scene of tortured wild animals

I was excited to score an ARC of THE NATURE OF DISAPPEARING. The description made it sound like it would be loosely based on the Gabby Petito case - a beautiful blonde influencer who’s traveling the country with her outdoorsy boyfriend suddenly goes missing while on the road - and her estranged best friend has to find her. It started out like this, but quickly drifted from the mark, in my opinion.

I had a hard time really becoming engaged in the plot or understanding the characters’ motivations. The underlying love story between the main character, Emlyn, and Varden felt flat and unnecessary. And the great falling out between Emlyn, Janessa and Tyler felt a little too convenient. It was necessary for the plot but it wasn’t believable.

Overall, the best word I can come up with for this book is “flimsy.” I felt like it was almost there, but it never quite delivered on the suspense. It’s clear that Kimi Grant Cunningham is a talented writer and I would like to give one of her books another chance.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the early digital copy to review. I’m sorry this one was not for me!

3.5 rounded up.

Emlyn doesn’t think about her past or the friend and ex who turned her life upside down. But while working as a fishing and hunting guide, she finds out that that friend from the past, Janessa has gotten lost in the wilderness, and it isn’t until her ex, Tyler shows up, that Emlyn’s ready to face her past head-on.

I was really excited for this book after absolutely loving THESE SILENT WOODS, but this one missed the mark a little.

THE NATURE OF DISAPPEARING by Kimi Cunningham Grant is an exploration of the wilderness around us and within us. It tackles messy relationships and the bravery it takes to put yourself first.

I loved the nature, hiking, and camping elements of this - literally just want to be bug-bitten in the woods right now - and even the mystery itself kept me wanting to push forward.

I wasn’t the biggest fan of the past timeline story in this and felt that the reveal behind the missing Janessa was a letdown.

Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Minotaur Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Publication Date: June 18

✨Arc Review!✨

The Nature of Disappearing
By Kimi Cunningham Grant
Publishes: 6/18/24
Genre: mystery/thriller

This book is one to put in your backpack for your camping adventures this summer. If you’re an outdoors enthusiast, you’ll most likely love it. I liked this story, but it wasn’t exactly what I expected. Actually, I don’t think I even read the synopsis beforehand. Probably I went in cold because I LOVED These Silent Woods!So, I was going to read it no matter what. Although The Nature of Disappearing wasn’t as engrossing for me, I still felt a connection to the main character and had an appreciation for the setting and symbolism. It just didn’t deliver the high suspense that I typically crave in a thriller novel, but it still had a lot of great qualities and a few suspenseful moments. I really enjoyed Emlyn’s search for herself more than the search for her missing friend. Descriptions of the outdoors and landscape are abundant and well done. It’s a novel about both human nature and nature outdoors. It’s about wilderness outside and in within oneself. It’s about accepting oneself and the past and choosing to move forward. And, I always love mentions of my home state of Pennsylvania. 😉 This earns a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating from me.

All this and more….
⛰️mountains
🌲 forest
🎣 fishing
🏕️camping
👥 human nature
💊addiction
💔love triangles
🧭 searching…literally & figuratively
😶‍🌫️ mystery
⏰ past and present timeline
👩 strong female MC

I rated this one a 4.5/5 stars. This one hooked me from the beginning. Emlyn was a deeply compelling character who was easy to root for. She was so resilient but also so broken. My heart ached for her. I was also in awe of how knowledgeable she was about the wilderness and tracking. I loved all the scenery descriptions! It made me feel like I was right there with Emlyn. This one was dual timeline, and it was well written. You knew at the start of the chapter which timeline it was. Also, both timelines were written in chronological order so it was easy to follow and guess at how it all connected. I liked the way the author explored Emlyn’s complicated relationships with Janessa, Tyler, and Varden while the plot unfolded. The plot was well paced and the reveals were perfectly timed. There were some details I guessed out, but I was surprised by the bigger reveals. The ending was a bit abrupt, but it fit the story and the characters. I appreciated the open-endedness of it and how it left room for hope. But I also kinda wished I knew how things worked out for Emlyn after the fallout of the climax.

“Wilderness is not the destination. It’s not the final chapter. Your story goes on.”
In the beginning we meet fishing guide & wilderness expert Emlyn. She’s resilient, lovable and a character to root for as you get to know her through flashback chapters that alternate with present day (I love when an author does this!)
The writing is descriptive and atmospheric. The reader is drawn into the rich Idaho setting and you feel like you are drawn along on the camping, fishing, and wilderness’s experiences.

Though this is not a Christian fiction, I appreciated the clear biblical themes throughout: wilderness/wandering, redemption, hope, freedom. It deals with tough subjects like parental abandonment and loving someone caught addiction. There also some interesting portrayals of strong friendships and sacrificial love, but also the dangers of toxic attachment and codependent relationships.

I personally didn’t enjoy one character (Rev) that was depicted as a Believer, but was a little new-age for my preferences. There were also multiple references to the “universe speaking” or sending signs.

😇: faith portrayed in positive light, new-age beliefs, redemptive themes, a couple Scriptures quoted
😍: talk of attraction, one kiss
🤐: one use of h*ll
⛔️: parental abandonment, drug use and addiction, drugged at a party

Thank you to St Martin’s Press & Minotaur Books for the complimentary ebook in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.