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Watch Me Disappear (2017)

by Janelle Brown

Other authors: See the other authors section.

MembersReviewsPopularityAverage ratingMentions
7035732,630 (3.6)10
Fiction. Literature. Suspense. Thriller. HTML:NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER ? The disappearance of a beautiful, charismatic mother leaves her family to piece together her secrets in this propulsive novel for fans of Big Little Lies??from the bestselling author of All We Ever Wanted Was Everything and the upcoming Pretty Things.
??Watch Me Disappear is just as riveting as Gone Girl.???San Francisco Chronicle
Who you want people to be makes you blind to who they really are.
It??s been a year since Billie Flanagan??a Berkeley mom with an enviable life??went on a solo hike in Desolation Wilderness and vanished from the trail. Her body was never found, just a shattered cellphone and a solitary hiking boot. Her husband and teenage daughter have been coping with Billie??s death the best they can: Jonathan drinks as he works on a loving memoir about his marriage; Olive grows remote, from both her father and her friends at the all-girls school she attends.
But then Olive starts having strange visions of her mother, still alive. Jonathan worries about Olive??s emotional stability, until he starts unearthing secrets from Billie??s past that bring into question everything he thought he understood about his wife. Who was the woman he knew as Billie Flanagan?
Together, Olive and Jonathan embark on a quest for the truth??about Billie, but also about themselves, learning, in the process, about all the ways that love can distort what we choose to see. Janelle Brown??s insights into the dynamics of intimate relationships will make you question the stories you tell yourself about the people you love, while her nervy storytelling will keep you guessing until the very last page.
Praise for Watch Me Disappear
??Watch Me Disappear is a surprising and compelling read. Like the best novels, it takes the reader somewhere she wouldn??t otherwise allow herself to go. . . . It??s strongest in the places that matter most: in the believability of its characters and the irresistibility of its plot.???Chicago Tribune
??Janelle Brown??s third family drama delivers an incisive and emotional view of how grief and recovery from loss can seep into each aspect of a person??s life. . . . Brown imbues realism in each character, whose complicated emotions fuel the suspenseful story.???Associated Press
??When a Berkeley mother vanishes and is declared dead, her daughter is convinced she??s alive in Janelle Brown??s thriller, calling to
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» See also 10 mentions

Showing 1-5 of 57 (next | show all)
A gripping and page-turning family drama that focuses on the choices we make and the ties that bind us to the ones we love.
  mcmlsbookbutler | Apr 11, 2023 |
This took me a bit to read. I kept picking it up and then drifting to something else. I think because it made me uncomfortable, this unraveling of the mystery of Billie's death. I wanted to find out everything, but at the same time, nervous of the outcome. In the end, a very well put together tale and recommend it. Thanks to Netgalley for the copy in exchange for my honest review. ( )
  McBeezie | Jul 27, 2022 |
Billie Flanagan, wife & mother to her husband Jonathan and teen daughter Olive, one day goes out for a hike and never returns. Though her bodily remains have never been found, she is believed to be dead. A year later, as her family is finally coming to terms with the fact that she isn't returning, Olive begins having visions of her mother, who she believes wants to be found. Meanwhile, Jonathan begins to unearth some disturbing facts, leading him to believe that his wife wasn't truly who he thought she was. Did Billie really die, or did she just disappear?

I had mixed feelings about this novel. There was more to like than not to like. The story alternated points of view -- Jonathan and Olive in the present day and Billie in the past. I liked how the story unfolded, and as a reader I was kept guessing until the end. But there were other aspects I thought were unnecessary or detracted from the meat of the story; mainly, the paranormal visions that Olive experienced. For me, it didn't add much and just seemed odd. And the more I read, the more I disliked Billie as a character, to the point that I nearly detested her near the end. I'm unsure how I felt about the epilogue. It brought closure, but yet it didn't. ( )
  indygo88 | Jun 1, 2022 |
I feel like this could have moved quicker with just as good, if not better, results. I found myself losing interest too many times and my mind wandering to other things. By the end, I just wanted it to be over because I hate not finishing a book. Good story, good writing - just too drawn out for me. ( )
  purple_pisces22 | Mar 14, 2021 |
Idk exactly how I feel about this one. Some parts really kept my interest, but some parts didn't. ( )
  ToniFGMAMTC | Feb 17, 2021 |
Showing 1-5 of 57 (next | show all)
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Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
Brown, JanelleAuthorprimary authorall editionsconfirmed
Flavin, TimNarratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
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People/Characters
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Epigraph
Dedication
To Auden & Theo
First words
It's a good day, or maybe even a great one, although it will be impossible to know for sure later.
Quotations
Who you want people to be makes you blind to who they really are.
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Disambiguation notice
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Fiction. Literature. Suspense. Thriller. HTML:NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER ? The disappearance of a beautiful, charismatic mother leaves her family to piece together her secrets in this propulsive novel for fans of Big Little Lies??from the bestselling author of All We Ever Wanted Was Everything and the upcoming Pretty Things.
??Watch Me Disappear is just as riveting as Gone Girl.???San Francisco Chronicle
Who you want people to be makes you blind to who they really are.
It??s been a year since Billie Flanagan??a Berkeley mom with an enviable life??went on a solo hike in Desolation Wilderness and vanished from the trail. Her body was never found, just a shattered cellphone and a solitary hiking boot. Her husband and teenage daughter have been coping with Billie??s death the best they can: Jonathan drinks as he works on a loving memoir about his marriage; Olive grows remote, from both her father and her friends at the all-girls school she attends.
But then Olive starts having strange visions of her mother, still alive. Jonathan worries about Olive??s emotional stability, until he starts unearthing secrets from Billie??s past that bring into question everything he thought he understood about his wife. Who was the woman he knew as Billie Flanagan?
Together, Olive and Jonathan embark on a quest for the truth??about Billie, but also about themselves, learning, in the process, about all the ways that love can distort what we choose to see. Janelle Brown??s insights into the dynamics of intimate relationships will make you question the stories you tell yourself about the people you love, while her nervy storytelling will keep you guessing until the very last page.
Praise for Watch Me Disappear
??Watch Me Disappear is a surprising and compelling read. Like the best novels, it takes the reader somewhere she wouldn??t otherwise allow herself to go. . . . It??s strongest in the places that matter most: in the believability of its characters and the irresistibility of its plot.???Chicago Tribune
??Janelle Brown??s third family drama delivers an incisive and emotional view of how grief and recovery from loss can seep into each aspect of a person??s life. . . . Brown imbues realism in each character, whose complicated emotions fuel the suspenseful story.???Associated Press
??When a Berkeley mother vanishes and is declared dead, her daughter is convinced she??s alive in Janelle Brown??s thriller, calling to

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