Book Review: The Nature of Disappearing by Kimi Cunningham Grant

 

Rating:3.5⭐

Book: 3⭐
Audiobook: 4⭐

As the novel begins, we meet twenty-eight-year-old Emlyn, who makes a living as a hunting and fishing guide in Idaho. She lives a simple life, keeping busy with her work and living alone in her Airstream. Her closest companions are Varden, a Forest Service Ranger and the makeshift reverend “Rev” who took her in after a particularly traumatic episode in her life.

Emlyn is forced to confront a painful episode from her past when her former boyfriend Tyler asks for her help to find Janessa, a #vanlife social media star who was once Emlyn’s closest friend and who has gone missing with her boyfriend, both of whom work with Tyler, while on their latest trip. Her relationship with Tyler had ended three years ago when he had abandoned her, leaving her freezing and fighting for her life, on the side of the road. Janessa had once been Emlyn’s closest friend, but their friendship became strained after Emlyn embarked on a relationship with Tyler, who was Janessa’s childhood friend. Emlyn, unable to reach Janessa, also identifies discrepancies in her most recent social media post. Concerned for Janessa’s well-being, Emlyn agrees to help Tyler and the narrative follows them as they navigate the wilderness in search of their missing friend.

I really enjoyed These Silent Woods by Kimi Cunningham Grant and was eager to read The Nature of Disappearing. I loved the atmospheric setting and the vivid descriptions that transport you to the Idaho wilderness along with the main characters. The narrative is presented from Emlyn’s perspective and moves between past and present timelines – the past timelines detailing Emlyn’s past, her friendship with Janessa and her relationship with Tyler. Though I could sympathize with Emlyn, I can’t say that she was a particularly interesting character. I wish we had gotten to know more about Rev and Varden. I should mention that the plot focuses on personal relationships and the complicated history between the main characters more than the mystery behind Janessa’s disappearance. The plot progresses slowly and only in the final quarter of the novel is the mystery addressed and even then, I found the “twists” and revelations a tad underwhelming (with more telling than showing) after the long-drawn-out build-up.

Overall, while I didn’t dislike the novel, it wasn’t the gripping suspenseful read that I’d expected. However, many have enjoyed this more and I would request you to read the other reviews before making a decision about reading this one.

I paired my reading with the audiobook narrated by Emily Pike Stewart, which made for an engaging immersion reading experience.

Many thanks to St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for the digital review copy and Macmillan Audio for the ALC via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.