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A review by ashleyfrechette
The Other Side of Disappearing by Kate Clayborn
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2024 after inhaling Kate Clayborn’s entire back catalog last year and it did not disappoint.
I loved the character development of not just our main character Jess, but also her sister Tegan. You’re quite literally on an emotional road trip as they travel to unravel the mystery of why their mother abandoned them and why she would do so with a criminal and the subject of the true crime podcast The Last Con of Lynton Baltimore.
Salem Durant is on a mission to finish the story she started telling over a decade ago on her podcast, and her assistant Adam Hawkins is there to learn from the master of podcasts to better tell his best friends story. Each one of these characters goes through significant growth and while they’re an odd group to stick together, they play well off of one another.
This book is part mystery, part romance, and part family drama. That can be a large challenge for an author to tackle all three in a compelling story, but Clayborn does it with ease. You find yourself rooting for the characters and deeply invested in all elements of this story. There are no loose strings at the end that you’re still questioning, it ties together nicely and every characters story has a satisfying ending. I loved the snippets of podcast transcripts scattered throughout the story. It provided just enough background to set the scene and drive the plot without feeling out of place. Instead of telling information, the picture was painted so you could draw your own conclusions.
In true Kate Clayborn fashion, there were moments that brought me to tears and moments of pure delight. She has a way of crafting a story that’s compelling and every character truly has their own journey but they all connect beautifully. This will definitely stand as one of my favorite reads of the year.
Special thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
I loved the character development of not just our main character Jess, but also her sister Tegan. You’re quite literally on an emotional road trip as they travel to unravel the mystery of why their mother abandoned them and why she would do so with a criminal and the subject of the true crime podcast The Last Con of Lynton Baltimore.
Salem Durant is on a mission to finish the story she started telling over a decade ago on her podcast, and her assistant Adam Hawkins is there to learn from the master of podcasts to better tell his best friends story. Each one of these characters goes through significant growth and while they’re an odd group to stick together, they play well off of one another.
This book is part mystery, part romance, and part family drama. That can be a large challenge for an author to tackle all three in a compelling story, but Clayborn does it with ease. You find yourself rooting for the characters and deeply invested in all elements of this story. There are no loose strings at the end that you’re still questioning, it ties together nicely and every characters story has a satisfying ending. I loved the snippets of podcast transcripts scattered throughout the story. It provided just enough background to set the scene and drive the plot without feeling out of place. Instead of telling information, the picture was painted so you could draw your own conclusions.
In true Kate Clayborn fashion, there were moments that brought me to tears and moments of pure delight. She has a way of crafting a story that’s compelling and every character truly has their own journey but they all connect beautifully. This will definitely stand as one of my favorite reads of the year.
Special thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment
Minor: Suicide