Book review: The Day We Disappeared - Lucy Robinson

 

Annie has a secret. But if she's not going to tell, we won't either. It's a heart-breaking secret she wishes she didn't have - yet Annie isn't broken, not quite yet. Especially now there's someone out there who seems determined to fix her.

Kate has run away. But she's not going to tell us why - that would defeat the point of running, wouldn't it? It's proving difficult to reinvent herself, however, with one person always on her mind.
Scratch beneath the surface and nobody is really who they seem. Even Annie and Kate, two old friends, aren't entirely sure who they are any more. Perhaps you can work it out, before their pasts catch up with them for good . . .
A gripping and unpredictable story of two young women running from their pasts. We defy you to guess the twist . . .

My opinion.

Speechless. At a complete loss for words. Flabbergasted. In short, not the best state of mind to be in when you're trying to write a review. I will get back to you after I've processed this reading experience...

Ok, so nothing much has changed about how I felt after just finishing The Day We Disappeared. I'm still struggling to put into words how I feel about this stunning book. (Ha, "stunning", as if that even begins to cover it!)

The Day We Disappeared was probably one of the most talked about books when it first came out. I can't believe it has taken me this long to finally pick up my beautiful copy and see for myself what all the fuss was about. 

I can't remember the last time - or even if ever - a book has had this big of an impact on me. I have been incredibly moved or haunted by characters, I've fallen in love with book-boyfriends and inspiring heroines and I've felt really strongly about a select few brilliant books in the past. But this one is just something I need to recover from. I felt so connected to Katy and Annie. Although their traumatic pasts thankfully have nothing in common with mine, some of their present struggles really hit home and Lucy Robinson found a way to really hit me with every single emotion her characters felt. I smiled at my book, I cried, I felt first-love-butterflies and at some point I even felt physically sick. 

Even though I've now written a few lines already, I still feel I can't put into words what this book did to me. 

Maybe I'll revisit this post one day to try and tell you more about why you should read this. Right now however, I can't think of anything else to say. Those of you who've already read this story may understand why I - someone who's been terribly betrayed by a loved one [*] and struggles with anxiety - feel so strongly about it. The Day We Disappeared is a glorious, gorgeous, stunning, beautiful, magnificent book.