When You Disappeared by John Marrs
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Traveling Sisters NetGalley Sister Review by Brenda with Lindsay and Kaceey’s thoughts.
When You Disappeared started off with seven of us for a Traveling Sister Group read, and then they started to disappear with three sisters dropping out and the thread started to read like a thriller itself. Norma with a full weekend ahead had to drop out as well, leaving Kaceey, Lindsay and me as the last standing Sisters for this read
When You Disappeared is a family drama thriller that is heavy on the drama and light on the thrills. Some parts of the story dragged and were unrealistic for us. We had the believability police on duty for this one and reporting back to the rest of us. We found much to be unrealistic but came to the conclusion it was for the convenience of the story and thought it was written more for drama than believability.
The story is told by Catherine and Simon in two different timelines which we all enjoyed. At times when the story dragged we really wanted Catherine to put down the wine and do something. We really had some strong feelings of dislike for Simon and there was nothing likable about his unlikeable character for us.
The story had no suspense for me and I was rushing to get to the end but for Kaceey and Lindsay the suspense kept them turning the pages to see how it ended. In the end, we all found the ending to be over the top and underwhelming. We still recommend for thriller lovers who really like a lot of drama to their thrillers.
Thank you to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer and John Marrs for a copy of this book to read and review.
Lindsay’s Thoughts
3 stars.
This novel had such potential with a highly enticing premise, however, the extreme lack of believability meant the story fell flat for me. I enjoyed the way the story unfolded. The novel was told through Catherine and Simon’s perspectives ranging from 28 years ago to a present-day meeting. The author, John Marrs, does a great job revealing pieces of the story in a suspenseful and intriguing way, all the while making me curious to see how the story would play out. Unfortunately, many of the situations, particularly those involving Simon seemed highly unlikely and absurd. Believability is a huge requirement for my reading enjoyment – I have a hard time truly immersing myself within a story that isn’t realistic (the “believability police” within me kicks in quickly!). My reading mind can stretch to accept slightly exaggerated situations, but the list is fairly long
of the things that I found far-fetched within this novel. There were some very serious parts to this story that really pulled at my emotions and maternal instincts. I had a hard time reading some pages as there is such a devastating family loss that deeply affected me.
Overall, I found this to be an averagely enjoyable read with nothing that truly made it stand out other than its lack of believability.
A big thank you to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer and John Marrs for a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review!
Kaceey’s Thoughts
Catherine wakes up in the morning oblivious that her world is about to change forever. Her husband is gone! And she is frantic! He never showed up to work…maybe lying injured or dead in a ditch somewhere. The hours turn into days and eventually fall away into years. Simon has never been heard from again…until now!
We’re also given a view into Simon’s world during his disappearance. What would have motivated him to leave his family? What is the unforgivable act that triggered his vanishing act? And why stay away so long? There are whispers throughout this book of what drove a wedge between Catherine and Simon and eventually led to Simon leaving. There-in lies the mystery, buried deep within the pages. (Unfortunately not deep enough for me as I guessed most of it early on. I know…junior detective in the makings…Lol!).
Told in past and present tense from the POV of both Catherine and Simon. Including the journey Simon traveled to find himself in his new life. Which at times became soooo far-fetched! He was not at all a likable character.
In fact, I ended up having a love-hate relationship with this book. I absolutely loathed everything about Simon, wishing him ill-will at every turn. Yet, I couldn’t pull myself away from tale he told.
Aren’t the best books the ones that make you feel unsettled, setting off a wave of emotion within you? Especially if that emotion may be a troubling one. Well this book did just that!
Thank you to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer and John Marrs for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Penny For Our Thoughts 