Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
Series: None
Format: Hardcover, 388 pages
Source: Library
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What if the ordinary things in life suddenly…disappeared?
Aila Quinn’s mother, Juliet, has always been a mystery: vibrant yet guarded, she keeps her secrets beyond Aila’s reach. When Juliet dies, Aila and her younger brother Miles are sent to live in Sterling, a rural town far from home--and the place where Juliet grew up.
Sterling is a place with mysteries of its own. A place where the experiences that weave life together--scents of flowers and food, reflections from mirrors and lakes, even the ability to dream--vanish every seven years.
No one knows what caused these “Disappearances,” or what will slip away next. But Sterling always suspected that Juliet Quinn was somehow responsible--and Aila must bear the brunt of their blame while she follows the chain of literary clues her mother left behind.
As the next Disappearance nears, Aila begins to unravel the dual mystery of why the Disappearances happen and who her mother truly was. One thing is clear: Sterling isn’t going to hold on to anyone's secrets for long before it starts giving them up.
I was not expecting to enjoy this book as much as I did! The mystery surrounding the town of Sterling and the three other towns was so intriguing, as was Aila and her mother's connection to the curse.
I mean, could you imagine losing something every 7 years that was important to you? That would be devastating!
One of my favorite parts of The Disappearances was the time period that it was set in. I love the 1940's so I was very excited to read a book set in that time.
The characters were honestly one of the best parts. I loved the family that Aila and her brother end up staying with in Sterling. Even though they were not Aila's real family, you could feel the love that they all felt for each other. Beas was another favorite. She was a neutral party that tried to be friends with everyone, even though she knew that some of the friends weren't acting right. Her love for music and her reaction after the Disappearance was so raw and real.
I wasn't totally convinced with the romance. Sure, they were living together but they didn't really have a ton of conversations before they developed feelings for each other. I was more focused on the actual Disappearance part of the story rather than the romance.
My issues with the book are with the lack on explanation of the magic. I know we are supposed to suspend our disbelief, but there is no explanation whatsoever on how the curse was made or how the Variants were made with magic. We are just supposed to roll with everything that's happening. I get that with magical realism readers expect magic to be in the story, but I still think there needed to be a more in depth explanation.
I did think that the Shakespeare storyline was very clever and original. I enjoyed reading as Aila and her friends worked out the clues to help solve the riddle of the curse.
Overall this was a refreshingly fun read with a good mystery to unravel.
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