The Disappearing Act by Catherine Steadman

The Familiar Dark by Amy Engel

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



I had no words of comfort, no real belief that someday our loss would no longer feel like a gaping wound or that our daughters were better off. The dead were gone and the world could be a nasty, festering place. And somehow, our daughters had gotten tangled in its ugliness. That was the only truth I knew.


This book is dark. It will make you uncomfortable. It’s supposed to. That’s the only way to truly show how monsters work. It’s disturbing, dark, and even beautifully written at times, but literally one that will stop your heart and rip your soul out.


I hadn’t had more than that single sip of beer last night, but my whole body throbbed like I was nursing the world’s worst hangover. Even my skin ached. Maybe it was grief, oozing out through my pores. My body had suffered when Junie came into the world. It seemed only fitting that it suffered when she left.


This book was so well done, but so hard to read at the same time. The writing is fantastic and the author really puts you in a position to feel sorry for Eve, reading about her upbringing and the lost of her daughter were like punches to the gut. This book clearly isn’t going to be for everyone. But for those who can look into the shadows and still see light, this is story that you will never forget.



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