"Theories abound...that it's some sort of curse. That it's a change in brain or sensory function - something passed down through families as a genealogical trait. We've explored the idea of it being something in the air or water or soil. That we were all having a psychotic break. Or maybe it's just something random and unfortunate, being struck with a disease."

3.5 ??

I enjoyed The Disappearances. Set in the 1940s during WW2, Aila and her brother Miles are sent to live with their mother's childhood best friend as their father has gone to war and their mother unfortunately passed away suddenly. When they arrive in their new home of Sterling, they realise Sterling is not your average town. Every seven years something goes missing for all the residents in Sterling and two neighbouring towns. From their sense of smell, reflections to their dreams at night. The residents are worried at what caused this, and if it could ever be stopped.

The chapters switch between Aila's POV as she settles in Sterling and learns more about the disappearances, and a mysterious POV which eventually becomes clear - someone interested in the disappearances for their own means.

As we learn about Aila's mother's past and her childhood in Sterling the mystery of the disappearances grows ever more complex. I enjoyed all the different theories, and watching the mystery unravel.

"When you're in love...doesn't that kind of make everything sing?' She smiles in a way that is both wide and sad. 'Yes', she says, 'And when it's over, everything gets disjointed, until some days I can hardly find the music in anything anymore."

It was a solid 4 star read right up until the end. I d that a lot of the answers were found in Shakespeare - all the types of disappearances and the variants created in an attempt to replace them. however when they finally discover the cause - Shakespeare had put a curse on his grave so any who disturbed it would be cursed. But I don't see why Shakespeare's grave would be in a random town in America? I also don't know why his bones were spread out so the kids needed to bring them back together again? From what I understood - the grave was disturbed so someone could steal the Helena Stone, which they did, so there seems no logical reason for the bones to have been spread around - at least to me anyway.

Other than that I thoroughly enjoyed this magical book, it was certainly different :)

"When just the right things come together, there is always a bit of magic. And when just the wrong combination of things do...there is tragedy."
historical-fiction magical-realism war ...more87 s Luke TaylorAuthor 15 books301

So what is The Disappearances?



A cryptic carousel of entendre and experience, mystery and memory, love and loss, hatred and hope, chance and choice, science and a summons of the sublime, where secrets have been left to grow fetid in their dusky shadows and familial wounds have woven a spell around a quartet of towns a cerulean ribbon in a young girl’s plaited hair, Emily Bain Murphy’s glimmering debut shines and sparkles with every sort of magic under the stars. Her literary gifts clearly evident from the very onset, Emily displays a mastery the craft in a swirl of subtlety and serenity, spookiness and sensuality, giving everything in The Disappearances the impression of dreamy cinema verite.



Stephen King once said, “Good books do not give up their secrets all at once.” – and to summarize the plot and themes and box this book up in a neat little package would be cruel and inhuman. Read the book and watch it unwrap itself, as if kissed by the very fingers of the wind, curling itself around you to hold you captive until you finish it. Fully stocked with metaphors (many of them of the avian variety!) and a deeply embedded code that will thrill the most extreme literature enthusiasts (be still my beating heart and blame The Bard for being such a catalyst to the author), Emily’s origami prose is so good it might inspire you to write portions of it on your thigh. Trust me on that one.



I really, really love this book and it really got me. it understood me and what I wanted and what I needed. It opened itself up to me and showed me all of its colors in a gray gray world. It reminded me of all the things I hold dear and all the things I believe. It inspired me and entertained me in equal measure and it sure as snow made me feel good. My deepest gratitude to Emily Bain Murphy for carving and crafting and creating such a wonderful and profound novel (and letting me support what I predict to be its amazing journey into the hearts and minds of readers and their bulging bookshelves), and to Edelweiss for providing me with an ARC of this inimitable book.

Recommended for everyone.hall-of-fame77 s Chelsea SedotiAuthor 5 books567

If I would have read THE DISAPPEARANCES as a teenager, I would have been obsessed.

I would have gathered herbs to mix Variants. I would have drawn hearts on my arm and read every bit of Shakespeare I could get my hands on. I would have pretended I lived in Sterling and ignored the rational part of my brain that told me THE DISAPPEARANCES was only a book.

Because I would have desperately wanted it to be real.

To be fair, even as an adult I’m pretty obsessed with THE DISAPPEARANCES—I’m just a little more reasonable in my obsession. You know, gushing about how much I love the book instead of actively trying to live in the world Emily Bain Murphy created.

THE DISAPPEARANCES is magical. It’s beautiful and melancholy, and filled with gorgeous writing that captivated me from the very first page.

I was charmed by Aila, the tragic (but optimistic) main character. I was charmed by Sterling, the mysterious town where Aila is sent to live after her mother’s death. And the Disappearances themselves were so creative and wonderful and terrible that they blew me away.

I’m actually sure not how to talk about this book without spoilers. And I really don’t want to spoil anything. I only knew a little bit about it before reading, and discovering more along the way was such a pleasure that I’d hate to deny someone else the same experience. This book isn’t, , a twisty thriller, of course. But it’s filled with so many beautiful surprises.

Parts of THE DISAPPEARANCES were heartbreaking. Parts were thrilling and uplifting. And every bit of it was completely enchanting. It’s the kind of book that’ll stay with you long after you finish reading.

I wish I could say more. I want to gush about every single part of this book. But I’ll let everyone find out for themselves how incredible it is.

Because it is incredible. The only think I dis about THE DISAPPEARANCES is that I can’t actually climb into the pages and live there.
64 s Lindsay CummingsAuthor 15 books5,072 Read

Lovely and well written story! I had no idea it was a historical until I got into it, which actually made me pleasantly surprised. So many great lessons in this one! 201747 s Tatiana1,454 11.4k

Another torturous read undertaken for the sake of my book club. We need to pick better!

It's not that this book is strictly bad, but it is incredibly boring. Boring mystery, boring people, boring and nonsensical magic, boring teen romance.

And a note to the author: it takes more to writing WWII historical fiction than having your characters say "Swell!" once in a while.

P.S. What in the world was this deal with ninja stars? Such a weird addition to, again, WWII historical setting.1 2020 book-club ...more41 s Danielle (The Blonde s Books)630 411

When Aila's mother Juliet dies and her father is drafted for the war, she and her brother Miles pack up and move to the city of Sterling to stay with her mother's best friend. Sterling is also the city her mother grew up in, and it's full of mysteries. 

Not long after arriving, Aila and Miles find out that in the city of Sterling something new disappears every 7 years. Things reflections, scent, and the stars are gone, and there are rumors that Aila's mother was the catalyst for the disappearances starting. Aila is determined to take her mother's notes and solve the mystery of Sterling and its disappearances once and for all. 

The Disappearances was told in alternating POVs, between Aila and an ominous third party who is up to no good, however we don't know who they are yet. Overall, I enjoyed the story and thought it was very unique! I've never read anything quite this book, and Shakespeare was incorporated in the book pretty heavily, which I loved. 

The one small qualm I had was around the pacing - I did feel there were some parts in the middle that started to drag, and I felt the relationship that occurred between Aila and a boy named Will could have been developed a little better. I felt more I was being told that they d each other rather than shown until the very end of the book. I absolutely loved the last third of the book. Everything fell together, and a lot of things were revealed and the pace picked up a lot. I was really curious about how the book would end, and I enjoyed the ending a lot. 

The Disappearances was set in the 1940s, and I think the author did a great job of capturing the atmosphere and ambiance, and the writing was spot on. Overall, this was an impressive debut novel from Ms. Murphy, and I'm excited to see what she writes in the future! Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and Emily Bain Murphy for an advanced copy of the book. It was my pleasure to provide an honest review. The Disappearances is out now, so be sure to check this one out! netgalley-edelweiss-publisher ya-fantasy37 s Jasmine from How Useful It Is1,443 367

About: The Disappearances is a magical realism novel written by Emily Bain Murphy. It will be published on 7/4/17 by HMH Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 400 pages. The genres are young adult, fiction, magical realism, and fantasy. This book is the author’s debut novel and is intended for readers ages 12 and up, grades 7 and up.

My Experience: I started reading The Disappearances on 6/19/17 and finished it on 6/22/17. I love reading this book! It has just enough mystery sprinkle in the flow of the story that makes me want to read on and on. The characters are all able. The plot is interesting. There are enough actions and adventures to give me adrenaline rush and suspense. This is my first magical realism read and I enjoyed it a lot!

“When just the right things come together, there is always a bit of magic. And when just the wrong combination of things do.. there is tragedy.” p116

In this book, readers will follow the point of view of Aila Quinn, 15 years old as she says goodbye to her father who is leaving to go to the warfront. Aila is catching a train to Sterling with her younger brother Miles to live with her late mother’s best friend, Matilda Cliffton. Not long since they moved into the Cliffton’s household, they started noticing strange things. Miles noticed that flowers doesn’t give off any scents and Aila noticed that she doesn’t see her reflection in the water fountain. Matilda then explained to Aila and her brother what happened in Sterling is called The Disappearances, that every 7 years, something disappears from their life. One time the people in the town can’t smell anything and the next seven years dreams disappears. It has been 35 years and no one understand what caused it and no one knows what will disappear when the next 7 years comes. There are 3 towns that The Disappearances affected: Sheffield, Sterling, and Corrander. One person that the townsfolks to blame is Juliet Quinn, Aila and Miles’ mother because she is the only person not affected by The Disappearances. Others have tried to leave town but what disappeared for them in Sterling also disappeared for them no matter where they live. The people just continue to stay in Sterling and accept their fate. Matilda’s husband, Malcolm is an inventor and he able to invent Variants that brings back what disappeared from them, even only temporary. This year, The Disappearances occurred out of the norms because as soon as music disappears from their life, something else disappears soon after. And then a fourth town is affected and what had disappeared for the 3 previous towns every 7 years, it happens to the fourth town all at once. People are nervous and Aila believes that she’s close to understand how it all began.

“I feel a surge of euphoria, terrifying and addictive, every time I think of him. It’s almost being hit with a Variant: a pure shot of joy, bottled and shimmering, multiplying even as I try to empty it from my hand.” p302

This book is very well written. I love Shakespeare’s involvement. I love the finishing word concept. I the alternating point of views. I love the little drawn hearts and riddles. I Aila and her friends George and Bea. They are awesome supporting characters. I Aila and her friends as they work through the problem to unravel the mystery. This story is different from anything I have read and I couldn’t devour it fast enough. I highly recommend everyone to read this book!

Pro: mystery, page turner, couldn’t put down, family, friendship, light romance, Shakespeare

Con: none

I rate it 5 stars!

***Disclaimer: Many thanks to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for the opportunity to read and review. Please be assured that my opinions are honest.

xoxo,
Jasmine at www.howusefulitis.wordpress.com for a detailed review
fantasy from-publisher young-adult33 s Warda1,259 21.9k

Not too sure how to review this book. I don't even know whether the rating reflects me just feeling shitty or that I didn't connect with this book as much as I hoped I would.

I didn't hate it, or love it.

When I first began reading, I thought it was exactly what I needed. Something light and YA. And so the beginning of the book drew me in and the air of mystery surrounding the whole story is what kept me reading.

It's set in the 1940s. It's a story about a town where disappearances occur every seven years, so the people living in the town have lost their sense of smell, for example, and more. So our main character, Aila, is trying to figure out what this alleged Curse is. For the time being, they have Variants, which counteract the things that disappear and is a replacement.

Meanwhile, it follows another mysterious POV that is a lot more darker and was probably my favourite part of the book.

Though it's set in the 40s, it didn't read historical fiction. Other than the constant references to Shakespeare, who plays a big role in this book, so if he's your thing (it's not mine), alongside magical realism, then you'll really enjoy this book.

The characters fell slightly flat though. I didn't form an attachment to any of them and I think that's what bugged me. As well as the Shakespeare reference. Never was a fan of his work.

But I still enjoyed it, for its lightheartedness, for its mystery and the 2nd POV that got progressively creepier.39 s The Sassy Bookworm3,634 2,796





Great cover on this book. It is simple, but a great representation of the story and it has some unique title work.

I am not sure, but it appears as if this book is the author's debut. Perhaps she writes under a different pen name? In any case, I was beyond impressed with this story. When I requested this ARC, I wasn't aware that this was going to be set back in the 1940's. I may have passed it over had I known that and what a missed opportunity that would have been!



The writing was fantastic. The plot was unique and intricate. Layer by layer the author peels away the mystery of the Disapperences in such a way that it has you turning the pages frantically. There is magic and friendships. Interesting secondary characters. Twists and turns. A smidge of young romance. Well developed and likable main characters. And finally SHAKESPEARE! How can I NOT love a book that brings the Bard into the mix?

Two HUGE thumbs up from yours truly.



28 s Stacee2,824 738

I was instantly interested in this premise and was quite eager to get to it.

I really d Aila. She's heartbroken and kind of feisty and I was really intrigued by what was going on. I fully enjoyed being in her head. There are several other characters and a few definitely stood out, but I don't want to ruin anything.

Plot wise, it's captivating and slow at the same time. There's a quiet anticipation that I wasn't expecting as each revelation comes sandwiched in between scenes of normal life school and family dinner. There was a different POV that confused me at first, but eventually I settled into it. And I have an insane and absolute love for what it is, how things get resolved, and the last chapter.

Overall, it was something unique and lovely. I can't wait to see other things Emily comes up with.

**Huge thanks to HMH Books for Young Readers for providing the arc free of charge** edelweiss read-in-201722 s Bmquiram407 9

This wasn't what I expected; it was so much more.
When Aila's mother died and her father is shipped off to war she ends up back in the town where her mother grew up. That is when things go from bad to worse. Everyone is acting very strange and most of the people in town seem to hate her. Where are all the mirrors? Why didn't she have her reoccurring nightmare?

Great story line. Awesome setting (it makes the story) I easily related to the main character. Loved the twists and turns.22 s Anna PriemazaAuthor 3 books185

I loved this book to pieces! Loved loved loved it!

I coveted this book from the moment I first read the description, and I was over the moon when I got it early--but also a bit nervous because I knew my expectations were set excessively high and it'd be hard to meet them. I needn't have worried. This book met my high expectations and blew them out of the water.

This book is gorgeous. It's haunting. It's terrible and beautiful and wonderful. I cried numerous times. I got stupid, giddy grins on my face and felt my heart was going to burst.

I'm not going to say a thing about the plot because every moment feels a spoiler. Just know that this book is gorgeous. And riveting. And perfection.books-i-desperately-adore reviewed19 s bookaholic_kim499 54

How on earth can this book be a debut novel? Wow! Just wow! This book is amazing. It is written in a perspective of 2 people in different places but there is a connection which adds to the mysterious vibe.

So in this book we follow the characters, Aila and Miles who moved to live with their mother’s friend in Sterling, their mom’s hometown. Not long when they noticed strange things in this town. Why do the flowers don’t have smell and why are there no mirrors. Then, they were informed that every 7 years, something disappears. On top of that, people in that town is blaming some people of the disappearances and it includes their mother. Aila now has to prove to this people that her mother is not who they think she is. Aila thinks she can stop the disappearance with the help of the clues that her mother left.

I love how the story started, it didn’t take long to introduce the conflict. There is already mystery in the beginning and it elevates as you go further to the story. It is a fast paced read that I had to read faster than my normal pace because I had to know what happened or what causes the disappearances.

It is also an easy read, the setting is well written and so the characters. We have numerous characters but they were given distinct roles so there is hardly confusion between them.

I read this book without knowing much of the plot which I think is the right way to read it. So I recommend you to read it now before reading any more as some spoilers might ruin the reading experience.
2017-releases 5-stars dual-multiple-pov ...more18 s Warrengent141 17

Believe the hype about this book, it was absolutely beautiful in every way possible.
I found it physically impossible to put it down.ng17 s Erin PhillipsAuthor 10 books778

Such a beautiful book! I’ll hopefully have time to write a longer review but it took my breath away
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