Disappeared by Laura Jarratt - Book Review

Disappeared by Laura Jarratt

Publication Date: 17th Feb 2022
Genre: Women’s Fiction, Family Drama 

4.2 Stars 

One-Liner: Gripping, emotional, and fast-paced

*****

Cerys leaves her family one day and vows never to return. She sets the car ablaze after reaching the hillside that was her home. But she realizes that life has other plans for her as she meets Lily and Sammy, Lily’s four-year-old. 

Lily is running from her life and is desperate to keep her child safe. Bogged down by insecurities and vulnerabilities, she finds comfort and strength in Cerys. The two women forge a bond and have a fresh start in a small Welsh town. They still have their secrets and cannot reveal them. 

Moreover, the past is never behind. They know they can’t ignore it for long. Sooner or later, their pasts will catch up with them. Are Cerys and Lily strong enough to face the past and build new lives? What do they have to sacrifice in return? 

My Observations: 

• The story is fast-paced even when it moves between characters and their pasts. The story is told in limited third person POV of both the women, Cerys and Lily. This gives us enough info into their thoughts and background. 
• Cerys and Lily are vulnerable and likable. I could empathize with their situations and kept rooting for them. Lily, in particular, had my heart, poor girl. 
• The side characters like Dilys and Gavin were just as interesting. While Kate and Matt were pretty much one-dimensional, they served the purpose. 
• Dilys is a favorite. I like independent, grumpy old characters with a wise head and a soft heart. They are the best. Dilys added a lot of warmth and depth to the story. 
• Danny is your typical narcissist. While I’m glad that his brutality wasn’t explicitly described, I did want to see more of his dark side. The manipulations could’ve been shown better. 
• Rhys’ track seemed a little too quick given what Lily went through. I’d have liked it more if the pacing was slower for this. 
• The bonding between Cerys, Lily, Dilys, and Sammy is beautiful to read. It feels real and tangible. This is probably the highlight of the book. 
• While some of their decisions don’t make sense, I could empathize with them and understand their reasons. Moreover, I didn’t have to linger on it for long, thanks to the steady pace. 
• The book ends on a happy note, which is always a plus for me. My only grouse is that I couldn’t know what happened to Danny. I so wanted him to suffer (a lot). 

The book is marked as women’s fiction but has the word ‘thriller’ in the blurb. It’s more of a drama with some elements of thriller included. Luckily for me, it worked out because I liked the main characters. 

My ARC seemed like an uncorrected proof copy, though it doesn’t say that anywhere. The formatting was haywire and made it hard to understand the sudden shifts in POV, past, and present. I hope the final copy has the necessary formatting to make this easier. 

To sum up, Disappeared is an emotional and gripping story about two women who find each other in odd circumstances and build a strong bond. 

Thank you, NetGalley and Orion Publishing Group, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. 

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