Notes on Your Sudden Disappearance

When Emily St. John Mandel praises a book as “deeply moving, always excellent, and often unexpectedly funny,” my expectations are going to be sky-high, so frankly I was a bit wary to read Notes on Your Sudden Disappearance - I didn't want to be disappointed if it didn't live up to the hype. Happily, and astonishingly, it exceeded it.

I absolutely loved this book. It's in that elusive sweet spot - strong plot, compelling characters, AND excellent writing. I felt so strongly for Sally - and, even though we never hear from them directly, for her mother, her father, and Billy, her sister Kathy's boyfriend when she died. Even though most of the book takes place in the aftermath of the accident that kills Kathy, she's such a vivid character, too. (I will note that plot-wise, it reminded me strongly of another ARC I've read recently, Kaleidoscope by Cecily Wong. At a high level, they can be described quite similarly - girl loses beloved sister to a horrific accident, trauma-bonds with her left-behind partner, their relationship begins to transform...)

On reflection, it's fitting that Emily St. John Mandel wrote the review she did. She's described her recently adapted-for-TV book, Station Eleven, as a story not about the apocalypse, but about post-apocalyptic joy; Notes on Your Sudden Disappearance is similar. Kathy's death is apocalyptic for Sally and her family - but, though their grief is endless, there's joy to be found, too. (Along those lines, while the ending may be controversial, I loved it.)

5+ stars. I'll be buying a copy to reread, and I've requested Alison Espach's first novel from the library.

Thank you to Henry Holt & Company and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book is a perfect description of grief and how differently people can be affected by it. It was beautifully written, and even with the length and not a ton of dialogue I still finished it in one day. Initially I had picked it up to try out a chapter and ended up reading the entire thing. I love the writing style and how we as the reader were meant to be Kathy. I loved Sally's character and the story she told of a grief that spanned decades. Beautiful. 

This was by no means a feel good book, however, I ended up feeling so tenderly for Sally. She's the focus of the book as she addresses her sister before, during, and after her death. We get to grow up with Sally and learn all of the intricacies of dealing with loss and grief and the guilt and shame that go along with that. We also get a glimpse of the people that surround her, her family, friends, and people in her neighborhood and school.

There's also this forbidden love feel to it with Sally and her sister's boyfriend throughout Sally's life; from childhood into adulthood. To watch it play out over years is both cringey (for lack of a better word) and heartbreaking. I was cheering them on but also felt a bit weird about it. The writing of this book was beautiful. I listened to it through audio, and while I thought the narrator did a very good job, I wish I could have read it in print.

Overall the story and writing was beautiful. There were a few parts that I felt rather bored, but I think that was due to me listening to the audio book and only able to go at the pace it went. I think reading it I could have flown through it.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan audio.

A lyrical touching novel about the aftermath of grief and learning over time to weave it into the fabric of your life. Sally Holt is about to enter eighth grade when her beloved sister Kathy, dies in an auto accident. Sally was also in the car and the driver was Billy, Kathy's boyfriend and for different reasons, they both carry guilt about their role in the event. The story then follows the two of them, as well as Sally's parents, through the years as they slowly accept the death and learn to move on. Told from Sally's point of view, we watch her grappling with all the challenges of growing up, including an ondoing friendship and eventual touching romance with Billy, the only person who she feels truly understands her. While the subject matter is dark and painful, the book is not a downer but instead an uplifting treatise on coming to terms with loss, continuing to mourn but also learning from the experience to appreciate all that life offers you. It's a profoundly moving and thoughtful book and I highly recommend it.

My thanks to NetGalley for an advanced reader copy.