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A review by heyyyitsericm
If I Disappear by Eliza Jane Brazier
2.0
Alright friends - to be honest, the cover is what caught me. It’s more inspired than a lot of book covers these days. And the concept was also intriguing...In a true crime obsessed world - “If I Disappear” begs the question - What happens when a true crime podcaster becomes the victim?
Sera Fleece, an incredibly damaged woman (as one needs to be in a book like this), decides it’s time to do something with her life - so, she decides to escape to the ranch where her favorite true crime podcaster, Rachel, has disappeared.
Interesting concept - horrible execution.
First off, the story is told from Sera’s perspective - and she is written so melodramatically, you can’t help but admit she is pretty stupid from jump, and it’s incredibly difficult to feel any level of sympathy for her as she attempts to uncover the mystery.
Throughout the book, she has tons of opportunities to leave the ranch, but apparently her obsession with finding Rachel is enough to keep her there. It wears thin after a while. And her internal dialogue becomes more and more unrealistic as the story drags on.
Additionally, all the other characters - Rachel’s parents, townspeople, and the sexy alcoholic Jed - are all written so unevenly - even if they were suspects, it’s hard to imagine their motives because each chapter, they have different personalities to meet the needs of a poorly written story. For example, Rachel’s mother, Addy, fluctuates between a nasty, crotchety old woman and a kindly, motherly type who always reminds Sera how much she loves having her at the ranch.
The mystery is convoluted, and the conclusion makes it even more confusing - and a wholly unsatisfying payoff. There are plot holes a mile wide - and for the story to work, you have to rely on people being insufferably stupid. And at the end of the day, you really don’t care what happens to Sera - because her character is so insufferable - and probably should have left the ranch the minute they said she could stay in a rat-infested cabin.
Sera Fleece, an incredibly damaged woman (as one needs to be in a book like this), decides it’s time to do something with her life - so, she decides to escape to the ranch where her favorite true crime podcaster, Rachel, has disappeared.
Interesting concept - horrible execution.
First off, the story is told from Sera’s perspective - and she is written so melodramatically, you can’t help but admit she is pretty stupid from jump, and it’s incredibly difficult to feel any level of sympathy for her as she attempts to uncover the mystery.
Throughout the book, she has tons of opportunities to leave the ranch, but apparently her obsession with finding Rachel is enough to keep her there. It wears thin after a while. And her internal dialogue becomes more and more unrealistic as the story drags on.
Additionally, all the other characters - Rachel’s parents, townspeople, and the sexy alcoholic Jed - are all written so unevenly - even if they were suspects, it’s hard to imagine their motives because each chapter, they have different personalities to meet the needs of a poorly written story. For example, Rachel’s mother, Addy, fluctuates between a nasty, crotchety old woman and a kindly, motherly type who always reminds Sera how much she loves having her at the ranch.
The mystery is convoluted, and the conclusion makes it even more confusing - and a wholly unsatisfying payoff. There are plot holes a mile wide - and for the story to work, you have to rely on people being insufferably stupid. And at the end of the day, you really don’t care what happens to Sera - because her character is so insufferable - and probably should have left the ranch the minute they said she could stay in a rat-infested cabin.