Bloggin' 'bout Books: The Disappearances Offers An Intelligent, Magical Mystery

2023 Literary Escapes Challenge

- ~~Alabama~~ (1)

- ~~Alaska~~ (1)

- ~~Arizona~~ (1)

- Arkansas

- ~~California~~ (5)

- ~~Colorado~~ (1)

- ~~Connecticut~~ (1)

- Delaware

- Florida

- ~~Georgia~~ (1)

- Hawaii

- Idaho

- Illinois

- Indiana

- ~~Iowa~~ (1)

- ~~Kansas~~ (1)

- ~~Kentucky~~ (1)

- ~~Louisiana~~ (1)

- ~~Maine~~ (1)

- ~~Maryland~~ (2)

- ~~Massachusetts~~ (2)

- ~~Michigan~~ (1)

- Minnesota

- ~~Mississippi~~ (1)

- Missouri

- ~~Montana~~ (1)

- Nebraska

- Nevada

- New Hampshire

- New Jersey

- New Mexico

- ~~New York~~ (4)

- ~~North Carolina~~ (3)

- North Dakota

- ~~Ohio~~ (1)

- Oklahoma

- Oregon

- Pennsylvania

- ~~Rhode Island~~ (1)

- ~~South Carolina~~ (1)

- South Dakota

- Tennessee

- ~~Texas~~ (1)

- Utah

- ~~Vermont~~ (2)

- Virginia

- ~~Washington~~ (2)

- ~~West Virginia~~ (1)

- ~~Wisconsin~~ (1)

- Wyoming

- Washington, D.C.*

International:

- Australia (3)

- Canada (6)

- England (12)

- France (1)

- Ireland (2)

- Scotland (1)

- South Korea (1)

- The Netherlands (1)

-Vietnam (1)

The Disappearances Offers An Intelligent, Magical Mystery

11:10 AM

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

I read a few exceptional novels in 2017, but the one that stands out most is The Disappearances by Emily Bain Murphy. Why? Lots of reasons: it's original, it's absorbing, it's intelligent, it's well written, it's just ... magical in a lot of ways. It's also really hard to describe, so you know what? I'm not even going to try. I'll just hit you with the back cover blurb:

What if the ordinary things in life suddenly…disappeared?

Aila Quinn’s mother, Juliet, has always been a mystery: vibrant yet guarded, she keeps her secrets beyond Aila’s reach. When Juliet dies, Aila and her younger brother Miles are sent to live in Sterling, a rural town far from home—and the place where Juliet grew up.

Sterling is a place with mysteries of its own. A place where the experiences that weave life together—scents of flowers and food, reflections from mirrors and lakes, even the ability to dream—vanish every seven years.

No one knows what caused these “Disappearances,” or what will slip away next. But Sterling always suspected that Juliet Quinn was somehow responsible—and Aila must bear the brunt of their blame while she follows the chain of literary clues her mother left behind.

As the next Disappearance nears, Aila begins to unravel the dual mystery of why the Disappearances happen and who her mother truly was. One thing is clear: Sterling isn’t going to hold on to anyone's secrets for long before it starts giving them up.

Intrigued? You should be! The Disappearances, Murphy's debut novel, offers an intriguing premise brilliantly executed in a memorable, well-written story about the importance of the things we take for granted every day. Don't be put off the book cover, which makes The Disappearances look like a dark horror novel. It's not at all. The novel's more of a genre mash-up, boasting the perfect blend of magic and mystery swirling together against a colorful historical setting. I absolutely adore this book and have recommended it like crazy to everyone I know. Do yourself a favor and just read it already!

(Readlikes: Reminds me of The Forgetting and The Knowing, both by Sharon Cameron and of Don't You Forget About Me by Kate Karyus Quinn)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for violence and brief, mild language (no F-bombs)

To the FTC, with love: I bought a copy of The Disappearances from Amazon with a portion of the millions I make from my lucrative career as a book blogger. Ha ha.

4 comments:

Kay08 February, 2018 13:30
I see that my library has this book, so I'm putting it on my list there so I won't forget. I'll try it before long - promise!
ReplyDelete
Replies
Lark 08 February, 2018 15:19
Glad to hear you liked this one; it's on my TBR list. :)
ReplyDelete
Replies
Jenny08 February, 2018 16:50
Seriously! Stop recommending books!
ReplyDelete
Replies
Jenni Elyse10 February, 2018 09:46
Ha! I'm with Jenny. Stop recommending books. I need to actually get some read first, lol.
ReplyDelete
Replies

Add comment

Comments make me feel special, so go crazy! Just keep it clean and civil. Feel free to speak your mind (I always do), but be aware that I will delete any offensive comments.

P.S.: Don't panic if your comment doesn't show up right away. I have to approve each one before it posts to prevent spam. It's annoying, but it works!

Search This Blog

Love reading challenges? Check out my other blog:

2023 Bookish Books Reading Challenge

My Progress:

2023 Literary Escapes Challenge

My Progress:

2023 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge

My Progress:

2023 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge

Booklist Queen's 2023 Reading Challenge

My Progress:

2023 52 Club Reading Challenge

My Progress:

2023 Build Your Library Reading Challenge

My Progress:

2023 Pioneer Book Reading Challenge

2023 Craving for Cozies Reading Challenge

My Progress:

2023 Medical Examiner's Mystery Reading Challenge

Book Bingo Reading Challenge

2023 Pick Your Poison Reading Challenge

My Progress:

Children's Book Reading Challenge...For Adults!

The Disappearances Offers An Intelligent, Magical Mystery

4 comments:

Reading

Listening

Followin' with Bloglovin'

Followin' with Feedly

Grab my Button!

Blog Design by:

Blog Archive