The Disappearances

By Emily Bain Murphy

How do you know what you are missing if you can't remember having it?

Every seven years something disappears in the remote town of Sterling: people's reflections, the stars in the sky, the ability to dream. Aila realises that her mother may be to blame for the curse. But some mysteries are buried very deep and some secrets want to stay hidden - and one young woman's desire to uncover the truth may not be enough to save Sterling from the past.

A beautifully told story of love, loss and finding the truth - no matter how difficult that may be.

Emily Bain Murphy grew up in Indiana, Hong Kong, and Tokyo. She loves books, macarons, Japanese karaoke and exploring new cities, and is a long-time volunteer with Love146, a non-profit that fights child trafficking. Murphy currently lives in San Francisco with her family, where you can find her working on her second YA novel - somewhere between the bakery and the beach.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Pushkin Children's Books
• Release date: Jul 27, 2017
• ISBN: 9781782691501

Emily Bain Murphy

Emily Bain Murphy was born in Indiana and raised in Hong Kong and Japan. She graduated from Tufts University and has also called Massachusetts, Connecticut, and California home. She is the author of The Disappearances and lives in the St. Louis area with her husband and two children.

Reviews for The Disappearances

[stilesismybatman · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book was... amazing. I adore the World War II era so much so when I saw this book took place during that time and had an interesting plot line, I just knew I had to buy it. And this book didn't disappoint. I mean, different things vanishing from three small towns every seven years for no reason? How could that not make you want to pick this book up and find out why? First it was everyone's sense of smell. Then it was the stars being taken from the sky, then everyone's reflections and the colors from ink and paint. It was like clockwork for these towns and no one born there could escape it. The Disappearances followed them no matter where they went. Visitors to the town temporarily lost everything as well. But the towns had a way to make up for these loses with Varients, little pouches of dust that could temporarily bring back what was lost. I had to know what brought about this curse and why. By the end of the book, I still couldn't piece it all together. However, it all came together and the author answered all of the questions I might've had.
And there were the characters. I loved almost all of them. They were all so different and the cute romance that slowly develops through the book had me smiling.
There were some twists and turns I didn't see coming and I could easily sympathize for the characters. I can't imagine having to live life without some of these things that the towns went without or had very little of with the Varients. All in all, this book was amazing. I loved every second of it. I wouldn't call it a slow book by any means but it definitely picks up with the last hundred or so pages. It's definitely one of my favorites now. And despite the mystery of it being gone now, I think it's a book I'd definitely enjoy reading again. Considering I almost never reread books, I'd say that says a lot about this particular one.

[itsbookishme · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Yes! I've found a new favorite. My favorite thing about this book was the strong and reliable protagonist, I found in Aila. Of course sometimes Aila faltered in her confidence, but with what she was going through and the unexpected legacy she had to deal with made it that more believable that life was not always so hunky-dory for her. Aila's strength showed in the way she was able to always pick herself up and get back on track. I could only just imagine the research that went into making this book really come together in such a smart concept. And add in a thrilling mystery to solve, the subtle but amazing elements of magic, inspiring and quirky characters, fantastic storytelling by Ms. Murphy, I found myself drawn in to a world that awakens with charm and curiosity as it builds and yes, made me smile. Oh, and the fact that it was also an historical time period novel made the story even more endearing. I just love it.

[jen1the1librarian · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great read!

[gigisiriereads · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Yes! I've found a new favorite. My favorite thing about this book was the strong and reliable protagonist, I found in Aila. Of course sometimes Aila faltered in her confidence, but with what she was going through and the unexpected legacy she had to deal with made it that more believable that life was not always so hunky-dory for her. Aila's strength showed in the way she was able to always pick herself up and get back on track. I could only just imagine the research that went into making this book really come together in such a smart concept. And add in a thrilling mystery to solve, the subtle but amazing elements of magic, inspiring and quirky characters, fantastic storytelling by Ms. Murphy, I found myself drawn in to a world that awakens with charm and curiosity as it builds and yes, made me smile. Oh, and the fact that it was also an historical time period novel made the story even more endearing. I just love it.

[indygo88 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

When her father heads overseas to fight in World War II, Aila, along with her younger brother Miles, is sent off to the town of Sterling, her mother's hometown, to live with a long-ago friend of her mother's. Approximately one year has passed since her mother's death, and Aila is still struggling to come to terms with it. Upon arriving in Sterling, Aila and her brother soon realize that there is something odd about the town, and the community's reception of her is rather cool and somewhat puzzling. She soon learns that the town loses something every seven years. These "disappearances" include such things as scents, reflections, stars, & dreams. The townspeople don't understand why these disappearances occur, but they do tend to associate them in some respect to Aila's mother, although no one can explain to Aila exactly why or how. Aila soon realizes that she didn't really know her mother as well as she thought she did, and she sets out to discover some of her secrets, as well as attempting to find out more about the root of the disappearances.This book has gotten good reviews and the cover art is striking and appealing. However, I struggled to really become immersed in the story. While the story line was unique, the first half of the novel was a bit slow. I found portions of it confusing and not altogether cohesive. The novel would probably be classified as magical realism, which is a genre I enjoy if done well, but I just couldn't fully enjoy this one. Perhaps some aspects were just too unbelievable for me. I also was a little bothered by some of the dialogue, which didn't seem to quite "fit" with a 1940's time period. The ending, too, seemed a bit abrupt and not fleshed out as well as it could've been. I didn't really dislike this book, but I was disappointed overall based on the many 5-star reviews I've seen.

[simplykelina · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

“Mrs. Clifton, may your dreams be filled with stars and not with shadows.” I was lucky enough to get a copy from the publisher for review.I am not normally a fan of historical fiction, but this sounded interesting. It grabbed my attention from chapter one, and I am glad I gave it a chance. The beginning was very addictive and I did not want to put it down.What would you do if you started to lose things we take for granted? What if you could not smell or see your reflection? I really enjoyed seeing on the characters start finding out about the disappearances. I also like the suspense knowing a new disappearance is coming soon.This is the debut novel for Emily Bain Murphy, and she did an amazing job. I loved her writing style, and I cannot wait to see what else she brings to us in the future.

[readingbeader · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Aila and her brother, Miles, are sent to their deceased mother's hometown to live while their father goes to war. Taken in by their mother's best friend, they find that many others in the town are not as friendly. Every seven years something disappears for the townspeople. There are no scents, no one has a reflection, no one dreams, and the stars do not shine overhead. Some have discovered remedies that bring back the sensations for a time, but no one knows what caused the "curse" or how to fix it. But there is plenty of blame to go around. Two stories are told alternately, that eventually come together in the end.

I did like this one. I'm not sure why it had to be set in the past, it felt like that was just a method to get rid of the other parent. At first I was annoyed by the side/alternate story line, but as the book went on I was drawn into it also.

[montzaleew · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The Disappearances by Emily Bain Murphy is a very intriguing book! It's about two siblings that have to go live with their mother's childhood friend when their mother died. Their father was called to war. This was in the early 1940's. The family and town they live in now is very strange. The family is very loving and nice but has secrets. The town hates the new kids. Slowly things are revealed but not all. Every seven years the people lose something, they never know what! The seven years are up and they are worried about what they will lose this time!Great twists and turns! Great fantasy world! I was just going to read a little then sleep but ended up reading until I finished it! I couldn't stop!

[thegenreminx · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The Disappearances is a wondrous tale that is steeped in historical elements and a delight to the imagination. The writing is well crafted, eloquent and rich with details. The characters are developed, unique and memorable. This is a young adult novel and it has the strong emotional pulls that would resonate with that audience. It also has whimsy that would appeal to all readers.This story is set in the world war two era and Alia Quinn’s family has been through a great emotional upheaval after the death of her mother. Alia and her brother have to be separated from their father for a time, so they are taken in by a longtime friend of their mother. They must leave everything they know and move to a town known as Sterling. I loved how the house they originally resided in was playfully called “the tilt.” The thought of them leaving it made me feel homesick for them.Sterling and its residents are most peculiar. Once Alia arrives there she begins to notice strange things or rather notices the lack of things. Most of the residents seem suspicious or downright hostile to their presence. Apparently Alia’s mother has a history in this town and the story behind that is at first convoluted at best. What I can tell you without giving too much away is that something happened in this town and the cause for their current predicament is unknown. The residents to refer to the symptoms as the disappearances. It started with the residents of Sterling losing their sense of smell and every seven years since they have continued to lose an ability that they had previously taken for granted. It has also spread to two other towns.There is definitely a creep out factor with the disappearances. Losing the ability to see your reflection would be a major one for me. Just imagine knowing you are there but not being able to see your reflection. Well that might appeal to vampire wannabe’s but for me, not so much. The idea of losing some component of my senses or abilities every seven years and not being able to escape the inevitable would drive me bonkers.As the town is coming up to another seven-year anniversary things start to get pretty stressful. Especially for Alia as she learns more about her family’s history and connection to the disappearances. What caused the disappearances was a mystery that was not easily unraveled. That was just perfect. I love it when a mystery is truly something that you must use clues to come to certain conclusions in order to solve the puzzle.The entire plot surrounding the loss of her mother and then finding out about all these secrets was haunting. You think you know someone only to find out that they had so many secrets, it twists your heart with the feeling of betrayal. Especially sad when it is your parent! Alia deals with this and more as she and her friends follow clues left behind in order to unravel the mystery of the disappearances.What a lovely read! My only issue with this story was that I did feel that at times the pace slowed down. I prefer a story that sucks me in from the start and does not let go. I know for some this story did that, I had a different experience. Although I do believe that this story is going to be one that people are going to be talking about for years to come. I just can’t believe that this is a debut novel! I highly recommend this story to lovers of magical realism and historical fiction. You will be entertained!This review is based on a complimentary book I received from NetGalley. It is an honest and voluntary review. The complimentary receipt of it in no way affected my review or rating.