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 the audiobook to read and review.

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When her best friend goes missing in the wilderness, a woman is forced to team up with her ex-boyfriend to track her down in the Idaho mountains. Mystery wise it’s pretty slow, but there’s a lot of character development and surprisingly heavy topics covered. The atmosphere is the star here, really immersive nature writing that keeps you engaged.

This was a good listen! I’m not sure I would say I felt like it was a mystery or thriller - maybe dramatic fiction? Either way, the story was interesting, the characters were likable and the pacing was good.

We meet Emlyn and she’s struggling in her youth, trying to be happy after her dad leaves her mom. Then she meets Janessa and life turns around. We follow their story in a dual timeline and the flashbacks give important information for what happens in the current day.

The story gets a bit mystery-ish in the last quarter as we begin to learn about where Janessa is. However, it’s not mysterious, just another part of the story. Overall, it was good and I enjoyed the narrator very much.

Advance reader copy provided by Macmillan Audio + NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This was such an engrossing story.

I felt like it was deeply about friendship but also about finding oneself and realizing your worth. I loved Emlyn’s journey and her discovery and figuring out her story.

I liked the slow back and forth of the timeline to slowly understand how she came to be here. I found myself rooting for Tyler but holding back on it too.

I think the further you go, the more the suspense built. Until everything explodes toward the end.

This could be described as a slow burn but I was completely immersed throughout.

The narration was wonderful as well.

I truly wanted to love this way more than I did but it was fine. The beginning really intrigued me and drew me into the story. I’ve read reviews that say they don’t feel this is mysterious enough but I think Grant did a good job with that element within her story just fine!

The narrator did fine but without a book it was hard to distinguish the different characters so that is something to consider. I feel like narration could’ve been a touch better.

Other than all of that— I thought the plot was intriguing. I enjoyed the past and present storylines but at the end of the day, this just wasn’t over the top magical to me. If you’re going into this thinking you getting TSW…don’t.

Suspenseful, emotional thriller that slowly reveals its secrets. Has some really honest and interesting things to say about friendship, addiction, and trauma. It also is a fast paced and engaging adventure as well. Definitely recommended.

Thank you Netgalley for the audio ARC.

After loving These Silent Woods so much, I was excited for this new book by the author.

I’m sad to say I was really disappointed. The Nature of Disappearing was slow, dry and it dragged. It didn’t have enough dialogue and character interaction. I didn’t connect to any of the characters. I didn’t feel anything for them. I didn’t care to find out what happened at the end.
I thought about DNFing several times but i just kept on listening. I really should have DNFed it.

I loved this author’s last book so I felt like I needed to have the new release ASAP. She is a great writer, the details just paint the perfect picture in your head. I wish I could have read, the audio felt hard for me to follow with the jumping of timelines/flashbacks.

3.5

Emlyn has moved on from her past and is focused on her job as fishing and hunting guide in Idaho. Until her past shows up and pulls her back into the stressful world she once lived in - a best friend, a boyfriend - both who are not a part of her life anymore. Tyler convinces her that Janessa is in trouble and needs help. She reluctantly decides to go, fearing Janessa is in danger, but she doesn't realize how much danger they will all be in.

I appreciate Grant's writing and that she includes some faith-based lessons in her story.

My thanks to Net Galley and Macmillian Audio for an advanced copy of this audio book .

3 stars

While this book is billed as mystery/thriller, for me, it reads much more as contemporary fiction and, in some ways, women's fiction. I've been wondering if my reaction to the book may have been different with different incoming expectations/tags.

Emlyn has a somewhat challenging past, and her way of addressing her trust issues is by disappearing into the wilderness. Her communications with people are limited, her thoughts of the past are limited (until they become all-consuming), and her level of intrigue - at least for this reader - is minimal. A piece of news propels Emlyn into action and into grappling with elements of her past that may (all tea all shade) have been better left behind.

I didn't *dis*like this novel, but I did not experience it as thrilling or mysterious in a compelling way. At some stage, most folks realize that certain parts of and people from their past are no longer in the present for a good reason. Perhaps my own age and experience led me to this, but I found Emyln's ruminations and many of her decisions grating at times. I sense that in her 40s and beyond, even Emlyn might agree!

I enjoyed the author's last book a bit more than this one, and while I have some reservations, I'd recommend this to folks who are interested in that return to the past/stuck in nature/leave the past behind content along with the clear note that they should expect contemporary fiction/women's fiction over mystery/thriller.

The Nature of Disappearing tells the story of Emlyn, a naive young woman who is befriended in college by Janessa, a much more worldly, wealthy, and domineering classmate who has a good heart but who controls Emlyn's life a bit more than is normal. This eventually leads to a breakup when Emlyn falls for Janessa's childhood friend Tyler, about whom she was warned (but with no details provided about why she should stay away from him). Fast-forward to the present, well after Emlyn and Tyler have ended their relationship, primarily because of his drug addiction, and Emlyn and Janessa are on the brink of reconciling. They are all now in Idaho, where Emlyn works as a guide and Janessa is a media influencer among devotees who follow her RV-based travels through wilderness areas in the Northwest with her new partner. The book takes a long time to get to this place, when Janessa has gone missing and Tyler shows up to enlist Emlyn's help in finding her and her partner. The story twists and turns a little, the romantic element is predictable, and so is the ending.

Emily Pike Stewart's narration was fine; she reads in a pleasant voice and does not attempt to change her tone or style for each character. There were times when I felt she could have brought more drama to the listener but then realized that, in all fairness, that was due to the prose, not to its reading.

The Nature of Disappearing is all about the plot and the setting; character development is weaker. Nonetheless, the novel will appeal to readers/listeners who are drawn to this genre. There is not much that is original to the story but the setting of Idaho's back country wilderness is well depicted and adds an element that is often missing.

Started out stronger than it finished. Interesting themes throughout. Effects of social media, handling addiction, overcoming trauma, and more. Beautiful written nature descriptions. With moments of thought on spiritual truths.
Overall, I would recommend.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the chance to preview this book.

3.75 rounded up. This book was really good and less thriller/scary and more just intriguing. I liked the pace, albeit slow, and enjoyed the setting. Overall, I enjoyed and found it hard to take my headphones out when listening.

This was a slow burn character driven literary suspense novel that was just a tad too slow for me. And while we really got to know our main character Emerly, and kind of got to know Tyler, everyone else was a bit of a mystery. An expert tracker, Emerly has left her left her old life behind after her boyfriend Tyler abandoned her in the forest three years ago. Tyler is now a recovering addict and she has agreed to go with him to search for her once best friend Janessa has gone missing. Janessa is an influencer caught up in the van-life and has suddenly stopped posting, making Tyler very worried. This one had some moments, and was entertaining enough to keep going but not much more. I did like the narrator and production of this audio book. Too many books now have gone the route of a dramatic audio book format. I enjoy it much more this way, a great narrator with a pleasant voice reading me the book.

3.5 stars
This was such an interesting tale from start to finish with great narration and writing! I found These Silent Woods to be very compelling (even though I didn’t like the ending) so I was excited to start The Nature of Disappearing. The book starts with Emlyn struggling to reconcile events from her past. When an old friend goes missing in the woods, Emlyn has to work with her ex to try to track her down. The timeline went back and forth a lot in order to assemble all the details to come full circle with the story. I did get confused a few times about what was going on so I rounded down. It was probably just me though so I definitely recommend!
Thanks to St Martin’s, Minotaur and NetGalley for the advance review copies

Grant has a truly beautiful way of writing and she really brought a it the raw beauty of the Idaho wilderness in this one. In both of her books she creates an entire world in the way a fantastic fantasy is written. Every little detail provides a kind of moodiness that captures everything from the characters emotions to the picturesque scenery. This might not have packed the emotional punch like the end of These Silent Woods but it had me hooked and totally invested from beginning to end!

If you loved her debut then you should definitely give this one a try!

Thank you Macmillan Audio for the alc and Minotaur Books for the arc via Netgalley!

My second book by the author! I love how all of her books have some nature aspect.

I was able to finish this in two days. Kept my interest. Easy to follow. I think the length was good too.

The narrator does a great job of keeping you interested in the story while also relaxed.

Would definitely read more from the author! Thank you to NetGalley, Kimi Cunningham Grant, Emily Pike Stewart and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to listen to The Nature of Disappearing. I have written this review voluntarily.

Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
When her estranged best friend goes off the radar without a warning Emlyn sets off with his ex-boyfriend to try and find her. The story goes back and forth with the past and the present and we get to discover what happened between all three of them.
The story itself was intriguing but there was at no point any feeling of danger. For most of the story you're just wondering if Janessa is really missing or she just took off. I feel the story would have benefited much more without so much back and forth between the past and the present. The story is more focused on what happened in the past that has led the characters to have the current relationship than what could have happened to Janessa and for the most part, you can already guess in the beginning what happened between them. I didn't particularly enjoy the part after the big reveal. I thought everything was too rushed and all the characters behaved exactly how they needed to behave instead of what felt true to them. Despite all this, the story itself kept me entertained and the setting was quite absorbing.
I recommend the audiobook, I feel I dived deeper and understood the Emlyn so much more than if I had just read it. In general, I would recommend it to people who are looking for something quick, gripping, and simple.

3.5 ⭐️

Thank you Macmillan audio!

The religious references and time devoted to the wilderness atmosphere was generally a positive, but at times it felt a bit much. I did enjoy the slow burn mystery, but there were also pieces that were left unresolved (mostly pertaining to the sideplots). Overall not my favorite by this author.

I received this as an audiobook review. To begin, I enjoyed the narrator, Emily Pike Stewart.

Do people change? What do you do when the doors from your past open wide?

This slow burn mystery drops you into the Idaho wilderness to discover who your friends truly are and how far you will go for those you love. 🏕️

Emlyn was left for dead by her ex Tyler three years ago. Not only did she almost lose her life, but she barely speaks to her best friend, Janessa, anymore. Emlyn now
is living her life as a wilderness guide. She enjoys her safe and simple life until Tyler returns one day to turn it upside down.

Tyler informs her Janessa is missing while out documenting her “van living” adventure lifestyle. Emlyn is caught between helping her friend and being pulled in by Tyler yet again. 🆘

Digging into the past and connecting to the present with a dual timeline throughout. This made it so the author could incorporate the histories of the characters into the current predicament. Will Tyler and Emlyn find Janessa? Can the relationships of the past be mended? ❤️‍🩹

The book is for sure a slow burn but if you hang in, you might just enjoy the twists and turns.

The author is very descriptive and you feel as if you are in the middle of the wilderness that is being described on the page. 📃 I had not read anything by the author before but I was curious to read what was going to happen with these characters.

Thank you to the author, Kimi Cunningham Grant, NetGalley and McMillan Audio for the opportunity to listen to this book.
The publication date for this book is June 18, 2024.

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