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nerdyprettythings's review against another edition
funny
reflective
sad
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
I really enjoyed Notes on Your Sudden Disappearance. It has a bit of a dark comedy feel to it, as well as a great character study and portrayal of grief. I don't always love books where the main character is a child, but if that's you, still consider giving this one a try! I thought it was really well done. Sally, our main character, wants to keep her missing loved one involved in her life (trying to be vague to not spoil!) and we get a couple of decades of it. Unlike other characters, she's not deluded about whether this person will come back, but she wants to continue talking to them, and to share the things they would have shared in life. The second person perspective really worked for me, and I'm so grateful to NetGalley and the publisher for access to the audiobook - this book worked especially well for me on audio, with Sally's second-person narrative.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
gladiolus17's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
Thanks to Netgalley for the E-arc!
Wow! This literary novel is heart wrenching, and yet sometimes funny. It follows Sally Holt as she grows up, learning about sex and boys, to navigating more adult relationships, all colored by the death of her sister. She also navigates through the sudden change of her parents. Before, they were kind and quirky, and after her sister’s death, now are irreversibly changed by grief.
The prose is sparse and punchy, and the dialog can be witty and painful. I found the mother’s dialog to be particularly funny!
Sally as a character took things literally, and that showed up how she processed grief. While her mother and father dealt with it through anger or through superstition, Sally dealt with it with the bare facts. But Billy was still Kathy’s boyfriend, as if Sally could not move past that fact, even after her sister passed.
The ending made me think on it for hours after finishing.
Wow! This literary novel is heart wrenching, and yet sometimes funny. It follows Sally Holt as she grows up, learning about sex and boys, to navigating more adult relationships, all colored by the death of her sister. She also navigates through the sudden change of her parents. Before, they were kind and quirky, and after her sister’s death, now are irreversibly changed by grief.
The prose is sparse and punchy, and the dialog can be witty and painful. I found the mother’s dialog to be particularly funny!
Sally as a character took things literally, and that showed up how she processed grief. While her mother and father dealt with it through anger or through superstition, Sally dealt with it with the bare facts. But Billy was still Kathy’s boyfriend, as if Sally could not move past that fact, even after her sister passed.
The ending made me think on it for hours after finishing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, and Grief
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