The Disappearances

Description

'When just the right things come together, there is always a bit of magic. And when just the wrong combination of things do, there is tragedy.' When Aila and her brother are sent to stay with her deceased mother's oldest friend they think they are going to find refuge. What they find instead is a town beset by a curse, and a population sure that their mother has something to do with it. Every seven years something goes missing in this town: the stars, reflections, the ability to dream, the sound of music... And it is the eve of another 'disappearance'. As Aila struggles to find out what is happening, she finds that the truth is the answer to the town's woes, and facing that is where the future lies. Set in the midst of a teenaged girl's mourning over the recent loss of her mother, The Disappearances is a mystery made up of literary clues, a mother's buried secrets, and a seven-year curse. Most of all, it is a story about finding beauty, hope, and magic in the world after losing someone to death - the most formidable Disappearance of all.

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.

Thick with mystery, buried secrets, and magic, nothing is safe in The Disappearances. Be careful, or you might lose yourself in this strange and wondrous world, where stars go missing, reflections don't exist, and the question, how much would you sacrifice for love? is given entirely new meaning. I adored this book! Stephanie Garber, bestselling author of Caraval The Disappearances is purely poetic - a beautifully woven story with enough heart to take on its own life Lindsay Cummings, New York Times bestselling author of 'The Murder Complex' The Disappearances is a dazzling debut, as glimmering as the Variants themselves, with a haunting mystery, wondrous world building, and a finely wrought family at its heart. I adored it Jessica Spotswood, author of 'The Cahill Witch Chronicles' Sumptuous worldbuilding, richly developed characters, and a swoon-worthy romance elevate this delightful, fantasy-tinged mystery Publishers Weekly (starred review) Full of twists and surprises. Murphy's novel is delightfully whimsical and unsettling... a story bursting with color and originality Kirkus The riddle behind the town's curse is an intricate and surprising one, and readers will happily join the clever and witty Aila on her hunt for clues Bulletin The Disappearances is a book of wonder and mystery by first time novelist, Emily Bain Murphy. It is well crafted and the plot is memorable and complex... sublime Assembly on Literature for Adolescents of the NCTE, an ALAN pick Nov/Dec 2016