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4.04 AVERAGE
4.04 AVERAGE
4.5 stars
This was a surprisingly enjoyable read! It’s a mystery set in the early 1940’s, WWII era. I’m not sure I’d agree with the magical realism classification here on Goodreads, though. Each chapter brought more suspense to the story, and I found the characters and their relationships very realistic. Sometimes the slower pace put me off, but I still liked this book. I also really liked the connections to Shakespeare’s work! It was very unique, unlike anything I’d read before. This book is not one to sleep on!
This was a surprisingly enjoyable read! It’s a mystery set in the early 1940’s, WWII era. I’m not sure I’d agree with the magical realism classification here on Goodreads, though. Each chapter brought more suspense to the story, and I found the characters and their relationships very realistic. Sometimes the slower pace put me off, but I still liked this book. I also really liked the connections to Shakespeare’s work! It was very unique, unlike anything I’d read before. This book is not one to sleep on!
After Aila Quinn’s mother dies and her father is drafted for World War II, her and her brother Miles find themselves in the quaint New England town of Sterling. Something about the town doesn’t sit right with Aila, but she can’t wrap her finger around it. Her and her brother live with her mother’s best friend and her family—the Clifftons. At first, she notices that despite arriving at the house on a rainy day, Mrs. Cliffton doesn’t grow wet when carrying their luggage from the car to the house. Then she realizes that there isn’t a single mirror in the house and the following day Miles asks why the flowers don’t have any scents. Upon questioning Mrs. Cliffton on the oddities of Sterling, she grants them the peculiar truth—every seven years, the residents on Sterling and its two Sister Cities lose something.
Scents, stars, reflections, dreams, and colors have vanished. No one knows why, just that the next date is looming closer which means something else coveted will disappear. To somewhat compensate for the missing things, Dr. Cliffton has created Variants from different aspects of nature, although the effects of these only last a few hours at the most.
With the help of the Cliffton’s son Will and some friends from school, Aila vows to discover the cure. Using a Shakespeare book that once belonged to her mother, Aila vows to solve the riddles her mother left behind written in the margins. Especially why everyone born into Sterling can’t ever leave since they never regain what is lost. The only person who left the town’s limits and didn’t suffer from the curse was Aila’s mother. That fact ostracizes Aila and Miles from the remainder of Sterling.
This story was beautiful. The writing was whimsical, capturing my attention so that I finished the book in two days. All the characters were likeable and each contributed something to the story. The romance was pretty much negligent and once it happened it wasn’t instant attraction. Despite the enchanting element of the story, Aila had a great sense of humor that I loved. She was sarcastic without coming off as arrogant and was determined to stop the curse despite most of the town being against her.
I received an ARC of The Disappearances from NetGalley in exchange for a review.
Scents, stars, reflections, dreams, and colors have vanished. No one knows why, just that the next date is looming closer which means something else coveted will disappear. To somewhat compensate for the missing things, Dr. Cliffton has created Variants from different aspects of nature, although the effects of these only last a few hours at the most.
With the help of the Cliffton’s son Will and some friends from school, Aila vows to discover the cure. Using a Shakespeare book that once belonged to her mother, Aila vows to solve the riddles her mother left behind written in the margins. Especially why everyone born into Sterling can’t ever leave since they never regain what is lost. The only person who left the town’s limits and didn’t suffer from the curse was Aila’s mother. That fact ostracizes Aila and Miles from the remainder of Sterling.
This story was beautiful. The writing was whimsical, capturing my attention so that I finished the book in two days. All the characters were likeable and each contributed something to the story. The romance was pretty much negligent and once it happened it wasn’t instant attraction. Despite the enchanting element of the story, Aila had a great sense of humor that I loved. She was sarcastic without coming off as arrogant and was determined to stop the curse despite most of the town being against her.
I received an ARC of The Disappearances from NetGalley in exchange for a review.
With it's wonderful characters, intriguing mystery, and expertly-crafted plot, The Disappearances had me completely under its spell from the very first page.
After her mother's untimely death and her father's deployment in WWII, Aila and her brother go to live with her mother's childhood friend in the seemingly quiet town of Sterling, but it quickly becomes apparent to Aila that the people of Sterling have a dark secret, one that revisits them every seven years. One that just might have been caused by mother all those years ago.
It's difficult to discuss the incredible magic that underlies the mystery of this novel without including spoilers, especially since I want to gush over the sheer brilliance of it. But I will say that it expertly maintains the reader's suspension of disbelief while being absolutely awe-inspiring at the same time.
The mystery itself is enough to keep you turning those pages late into the night, but what makes it the ideal mystery for us voracious readers is that on her search toward uncovering the mysteries of Sterling, Aila has to follow a series of literary clues left behind by her mother. That's right. LITERARY clues! Have you hit that pre-order button yet?!
I loved that this book was set in the 1940s. That was absolutely the perfect setting for this story. I don't think the plot would have worked nearly as well if set during any other era. The tone of the story is so filled with hope, yet includes this undercurrent of melancholy, which rang true with what I imagine that decade would have actually felt like to live through. The way that Emily has written the dialogue of the story also really brought the time period and and characters to life for me.
The characters are wonderfully crafted. I was absolutely charmed by Aila and so many of the other characters in this story, while also being equally suspicious of them and the role that they played in the Disappearances. In any kind of mystery novel, having a cast brimming with unreliable characters is so much fun, and Emily certainly nailed that element here.
This book was enthralling, heartbreaking, and so much fun to read all at the same time. This is one that I know I'll be thinking about for a long time to come, and I certainly can't wait to see more novels from Emily in the future!
After her mother's untimely death and her father's deployment in WWII, Aila and her brother go to live with her mother's childhood friend in the seemingly quiet town of Sterling, but it quickly becomes apparent to Aila that the people of Sterling have a dark secret, one that revisits them every seven years. One that just might have been caused by mother all those years ago.
It's difficult to discuss the incredible magic that underlies the mystery of this novel without including spoilers, especially since I want to gush over the sheer brilliance of it. But I will say that it expertly maintains the reader's suspension of disbelief while being absolutely awe-inspiring at the same time.
The mystery itself is enough to keep you turning those pages late into the night, but what makes it the ideal mystery for us voracious readers is that on her search toward uncovering the mysteries of Sterling, Aila has to follow a series of literary clues left behind by her mother. That's right. LITERARY clues! Have you hit that pre-order button yet?!
I loved that this book was set in the 1940s. That was absolutely the perfect setting for this story. I don't think the plot would have worked nearly as well if set during any other era. The tone of the story is so filled with hope, yet includes this undercurrent of melancholy, which rang true with what I imagine that decade would have actually felt like to live through. The way that Emily has written the dialogue of the story also really brought the time period and and characters to life for me.
The characters are wonderfully crafted. I was absolutely charmed by Aila and so many of the other characters in this story, while also being equally suspicious of them and the role that they played in the Disappearances. In any kind of mystery novel, having a cast brimming with unreliable characters is so much fun, and Emily certainly nailed that element here.
This book was enthralling, heartbreaking, and so much fun to read all at the same time. This is one that I know I'll be thinking about for a long time to come, and I certainly can't wait to see more novels from Emily in the future!
I enjoyed the book, it has a unique plot. When her mother dies and her father is called for war, Aila and her brother Miles are sent off to Sterling, the place where her mother was born. Once they reach there, Aila finds out that every 7 years something is taken away from the people of Sterling, and her mother is blamed for it. As the time for the next disappearance comes nearer, Aila wants to clear her mother's name.
Will Aila be able to do it?
Why do the Disappearances happen?
What will disappear this time?
Read to find out
Will Aila be able to do it?
Why do the Disappearances happen?
What will disappear this time?
Read to find out
3.5.
Amazing start and middle. Couldn’t put it down - I was hooked!
...and then the end came. Is *that* seriously why the Disappearances happened?! So...random!
Amazing start and middle. Couldn’t put it down - I was hooked!
...and then the end came. Is *that* seriously why the Disappearances happened?! So...random!
This was such an amazing novel and I'm so glad I got an ARC of this! The author has created such a unique story that I was never bored for a minute! First off, the plot was just fantastic. I was already intrigued by the idea of different senses and elements disappearing, but once the author brought in Shakespeare, it was a done deal for me. I loved how the author weaved all of these different components to create such an awesome cohesive piece of work. I liked that there were segments of the story told from a different perspective, as that just added to the intrigue. I loved all of the characters in the story and Aila is definitely a great main character! My only slight complaint would be that WWII didn't really have much of an impact in the story; since the author chose that specific time period for her setting, I wish it had had more relevance to the story. Overall, this was an amazing YA fiction story and I would recommend it to anyone who loves YA fantasy because you will NOT be disappointed!
I received this novel as an advanced copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
For more reviews, visit: www.veereading.wordpress.com
I received this novel as an advanced copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
For more reviews, visit: www.veereading.wordpress.com
Dnf 230 pages in. The premise was cool and the writing was ok but this was just so boring.
I don't know why it took me so long to get to this one, I think I thought it was going to be too dark and depressing. Well, I won't say it's not at all dark, but it's very hopeful and heart-warming and funny too. I actually loved it, with some caveats, and I burned through it.
First off, I guess I'm just not a big fan of the romance and I'm starting to suspect that I'm just a big ol' curmudgeon about romance in books so I'm just gonna drop it. Second, I don't necessarily have anything against how the villain's backstory was set up but it is a tiny bit tropey that he was disabled in his childhood.
However! I really loved this concept and I loved where the author went with it. I loved the characters, the setting, and most of the plot. I could say more but honestly I think this book is best dived into without knowing too much about the world and I full-heartedly recommend you do it!
First off, I guess I'm just not a big fan of the romance and I'm starting to suspect that I'm just a big ol' curmudgeon about romance in books so I'm just gonna drop it. Second, I don't necessarily have anything against how the villain's backstory was set up but it is a tiny bit tropey that he was
However! I really loved this concept and I loved where the author went with it. I loved the characters, the setting, and most of the plot. I could say more but honestly I think this book is best dived into without knowing too much about the world and I full-heartedly recommend you do it!
Fascinating premise! Execution left a bit to be desired.