4.04 AVERAGE


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

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!

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.

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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!

Fascinating premise! Execution left a bit to be desired.

I received this free from the publisher via NetGalley

Aila Quinn’s mother, Juliet, has always kept her secrets guarded. She was a vibrant mystery. When her mother dies Aila is sent to live in Sterling, her mother’s hometown, while her father fights in the war. It turns out Sterling is a place with many secrets of its own. Aila and her brother aren’t welcomed by the whole community, and she is starting to notice that things aren’t exactly normal. For example, the flowers have no scents, she can’t see her reflection, and she no longer dreams. Apparently, they are called the disappearances and something vanishes every seven years. No one knows what caused these occurrences but the town suspects Juliet, which puts Aila in an uncomfortable situation where she has to take the brunt of the blame in the place of her mother. Aila is determined to find out exactly what caused the disappearances and how to stop them.

The Disappearances was not what I expected but I was pleasantly surprised. It was magical, enchanting, and atmospheric. I felt that at times it had a very gothic feel to it, which I enjoyed. There were a lot of aspects of The Disappearances that I really enjoyed, most notably, the actual ‘disappearances’. It was an interesting and unique plot and I appreciated the mystery and the use of Shakespeare and how the mystery and ‘the disappearances’ revolved around Shakespeare and his work and how they were subtly unwrapped throughout the novel.

Aila was a lovely character and I really admired her. She was kind, patient, but stubborn and driven. She was determined to not let anyone get under her skin and determined to prove them wrong. She was not always welcomed in Sterling but she always held her head high. I also really enjoyed her complicated relationship with her brother, who was hot-headed and defensive. Their relationship was developed and complex, they didn’t always get along and when emotions ran high they were sometimes overly cruel to each other, but still, they love, care, and are protective of each other. I also loved their ‘finishing word’ game, it was lovely. The romance was another favourite, cute and swoon-worthy and sometimes embarrassing.

Overall, I’d recommend The Disappearances if you are looking for a magical historical fiction book with an intricate plot and a subtly unwrapped mystery.

too straight :/

Wow! This book was unique and thrilling from beginning to end. I didn't want it to end!

I have written my review to this book and I even created a playlist for it! Check it out on my blog! https://tealreader.blogspot.com/2017/07/review-disappearances-by-emily-bain.html

(I'm also doing a giveaway for this on my blog so check that out as well!)