The Nature of Disappearing: A Novel
In this captivating novel of suspense from the USA Today bestselling author of These Silent Woods, a wilderness guide must team up with the man who ruined her life years ago when the friend who introduced them goes missing.
Emlyn doesn't let herself think about the past.
How she and her best friend, Janessa, barely speak anymore. How Tyler, the love of her life, left her half dead on the side of the road three years ago.
Her new life is simple and safe. She lives alone in her Airstream trailer and works as a fishing and hunting guide in scenic Idaho. Her closest friends are the community's makeshift reverend and a handsome Forest Service ranger who took her in at her lowest.
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 has become a social media star, documenting her #vanlife adventures with her rugged boyfriend. She hasn't posted lately, though, and when Emlyn realizes the most recent photo doesn't match up with its caption, she reluctantly joins Tyler to find her old friend. As the two trace Janessa's path through miles of wild country, Emlyn can't deny the chemistry still crackling between them. But the deeper they press into the wilderness, the more she begins to suspect that a darker truth lies in the woods—and that Janessa isn't the only one in danger.
Poignant, suspenseful, and unforgettable, Kimi Cunningham Grant's THE NATURE OF DISAPPEARING explores what it takes to start over—and the cost of letting the past pull you back in.
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Community Reviews
The premise had potential, and I’ll admit, a few of the main character’s personal struggles felt relatable and intriguing. But by page 200, I wasn’t gripped by the tension—I was just gripping the book, wondering if I could disappear from it instead. The plot was like an endless loop, constantly teasing big revelations without ever actually delivering them. Instead of unfolding naturally, it felt like the author was holding my hand and over-explaining every moment, without ever letting me actually feel the impact.
Repetition ran rampant, turning what could have been an atmospheric mystery into a frustrating cycle of déjà vu. Every time I thought we were moving forward, we circled right back to another drawn-out explanation of the same scenario. By the time the book reached its conclusion, I wasn’t dying to know what happened—I was just dying for something to happen.
If you love stories that simmer in their own ambiguity without ever coming to a full boil, The Nature of Disappearing might be your cup of tea. But for me? It was lukewarm at best.
⭐☆☆☆☆ (1.5 stars if I’m feeling generous)
Janessa is a social media influencer now with her survivalist boyfriend. They document their travels with the #vanlife adventures. When Janessa has not posted in sometime, and her location pings from a different location then her post caption says, things become suspicious. Even though Emlyn and Janessa have not talked in sometime, Emlyn feels the need to go to her friends aid.
When Emlyn and Tyler get back to the Midwest, they begin their search for Janessa. Emlyn knows she might be the one of the only people with the knowledge and tracking skills to save her friend, so she reluctantly teams up with Tyler. As the two trace Janessa’s path through miles of wild country, Emlyn can’t deny there’s still chemistry crackling between them. But the deeper they press into the wilderness, the more she begins to suspect that a darker truth lies in the woods, and that Janessa isn’t the only one in danger.
The author is a very talented writer. I did love the author's descriptive writing of the wilderness and animals in the woods. I have read These Silent Woods by this author as well. For me, overall this was a very slow burn and a bit disappointing. I was patiently waiting for the suspense to sneak up on me, and it really never did. It somewhat picked up around the end, but I was expecting so much more.
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