A review by onemorepagecrew
Notes on Your Sudden Disappearance by Alison Espach

emotional funny reflective sad slow-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

4.5

In this emotional coming of age story, we meet Sally and her older sister, Kathy, when they are in elementary and middle school.  The story is primarily told through Sally’s experiences and with the audio at just over 12 hours long, there was time to develop her voice and let the reader build a connection to her.  We follow Sally through the tragic and sudden loss of her sister, through her childhood, and into early adulthood.  We get to hear her inner thoughts as she makes her way through the world.  Often, she is misunderstood by those she is talking with, and the author did a great job of giving space for the close encounters of relationships when people aren’t connecting as their true selves.  I felt myself longing to nudge people closer together or just clarify how they felt, but that’s not always how life works and the story felt wistfully authentic. 
 
The two primary people in Sally’s life are her sister and her sister’s boyfriend, Billy.  Billy continues to be an important person in Sally’s life, even beyond her sister’s death, and the way their relationship evolves felt realistic and tangible.  I need to be in the right mindset for an emotional, sad, and wry coming-of-age tale and reading this felt like great timing.  When an author captures a teen or young adult inner monologue well, especially as they navigate a world that doesn’t always “get” them, it always pulls me in. 
 
If you enjoyed books like In an Instant by Suzanne Redfearn or Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng, then I highly suggest adding Notes on Your Sudden Disappearance by Alison Espach to your TBR.  It’s available on May 17 and I am excited to hear what others think.  Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the chance to read this advanced copy! 
 
Content warnings: Child death, Grief, Self-harm, Mental illness 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings