Read about a girl gone missing and the town left behind
Sycamore — Bryn Chancellor
What to Read This Week
Sycamore by Bryn Chancellor
What It’s About
Jess Winters vanished 18 years ago from the small town of Sycamore, Arizona, and it’s haunted the town ever since. But when a college professor, new to the community, stumbles upon human remains out in the desert, it stirs up restlessness and unease among the townspeople, all remembering when Jess first disappeared and wondering if these remains belong to the girl from all those years ago.
As authorities work to uncover the answers, each of the residents reveals stories of their own and how the disappearance of Jess affected them and their lives all those years ago, and in some cases, how it still affects them today.
Flipping between 1991 and 2009, when Jess vanished and the present day, the story unfolds slowly (but with a pacing that doesn’t feel slow at all) as answers come out from the local townspeople and from Jess herself all those years ago. This is not only a book of a missing girl, but a book about regret, grief, and how a community can use their collective sadness to pull together and rise from the ashes.
Why You Should Read It & Who Will Like It
If you’re like me, the end of summer marks a time when I want to sit and reflect. I don’t know if it’s the start of a new school year feeling (even though I’ve been out of school for almost a decade now) or the lazy, languid days of humidity the end of summer provides, or the feeling that winter is coming and I somehow need to prepare? Regardless, I find myself wanting something different in my reading; rather than the beachy thrillers that I can’t look away from, I tend to pick up slower novels that give me beautiful language and some sad characters.
It’s hard to find books like Celeste Ng’s Everything I Never Told You, with a core mystery at the center but with developed characters and real, raw emotions. This is one of those rare books that lives up to that comparison. Fans of Frederick Backman’s Beartown series may also find familiar elements they like, mainly the surrounding town and its residents as they all cope with their own forms of grief, loss, and heartache.
Next Up
I’m not usually one for active TBR piles—I tend to grab whatever sounds good in the moment. But I have been making a stack of books I’d like to get to immediately, and I think I’m going to host a one-person readathon this weekend and hunker down with some books to tackle some of this gigantic stack that’s threatening to topple over. I still haven’t gotten to Our Wives Under the Sea—having that fear of starting my most-anticipated read and what if I don’t love it—plus I am very into creepy and witchy books (always, tbh, but now in particular), so I can’t wait to start What We Harvest, Small Spaces, and Wild Is the Witch.
End-of-Summer Giveaway!
You have two more weeks to enter to win a box of books!
Through the month of August, each time you comment on a post, you get an entry into the massive end-of-summer giveaway! I currently have 17 brand-new ARCs and finished copies of 2022 releases, and adding more every week! These will likely be split up into two boxes for two winners, and I’m leaving it a mystery so you will be surprised! They include all genres, from fiction to nonfiction to mystery, thriller, romance, literary fiction, and more.
To enter:
Must be US resident or have US mailing address
Must be 13+ years
Comment on any August recommendation or post to earn an entry. The monthly August what’s on my stack is included!
You can earn multiple entries by leaving comments on as many August recommendations as you want!
Entries accepted through August 31.
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More Books
Can’t get enough, or looking for a different recommendation? Browse the archives, or check out some popular past recommendations:
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Sycamore sounds intriguing. Now on my list! And I too will be scoping out some fun and entertaining witchy type books as that wonderful time of year approaches
Ooh this one sounds interesting! I like that the book is also about the community rather than being too wrapped up in the gory details, it sounds like.
I am actually reading Our Wives Under the Sea! (I managed to get the first library hold in, lol) It moves a little slower than I expected, but the writing is fascinating. I'm about 50 pages in, and I feel like it's definitely getting more and more interesting. I just hope it's not going to be predictable somehow.