The Disapparation of James

by Anne Ursu

The Woodrow family is at the circus to celebrate Greta's seventh birthday. When a clown asks for a volunteer from the audience, the parents are shocked when James, their extremely shy five-year-old, raises his hand. James thrives in the spotlight, and as the clown leads him through the routine, the parents glow with pride as the audience cheers for their son. The cheers turn into thundering applause as the act culminates in spectacular fashion, with James vanishing before their very eyes. The trouble is that James really does vanish-poof-into thin air.As the police and media descend on the Woodrows, they feel that the laws of the universe have shattered. How can you solve a puzzle with no logic? As young Greta sets out to discover what really happened to her brother, each family member grapples with the joys and perils of loving, the persistence of loss, and the magic of everyday life.

Genres: Fiction, Mystery, Fantasy, Adult, Book Club

288 pages, Hardcover

First published January 8, 2003

About the author

Anne Ursu is the author of several fantasies for young readers, including THE REAL BOY, which was longlisted for the National Book Award, and BREADCRUMBS, which was named as one of the best books of the year by Publishers Weekly, Amazon, and School Library Journal. She is also the recipient of a McKnight Fellowship. She teaches at the Hamline University's Masters of Fine Arts in Writing for Children and Young Adults, and lives in Minneapolis. Her next book, THE LOST GIRL, will be out in February 2018.

Reviews

[Cheryl · Rating 2 out of 5]

First of all, oops. Unlike "Breadcrumbs" which led me to believe that something else by Ursu might be terrific, this is not a children's book. Second of all, wtf? I don't care how damn smart and lovely it is, it's still a horrible subject and to read about it is not in the least enriching. Not only was there no point or resolution, and so my time was wasted, but now my night is going to be spoilt w/ nightmares.

Still, it is beautifully written. My heart aches for some of the characters. I am thoroughly convinced that there is no 'normal' way to react to crisis or tragedy. So, if you like character studies, and can stand true terror (you know, as opposed to zombies etc.), have at it.

Btw, my edition is apparently not on GR, or not combined... I read in an entirely different cover....

Also, I have no idea whether I want to read more by Ursu or not. I'll look, but they'll have to be lighter, for sure....

[Kim · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked up this book because of the word "Disapparation," not gonna lie. It was not, however, remotely connected to what that word means in the world of Harry Potter. At least not connected in any way that could be considered fun or whimsical or awesome. A much more accurate title might have been the Disappearance of James, but I would not have picked up that book, so marketing-wise, smart move.

I didn't love this book, and sometimes I was skimming through (super short chapters from many different characters' points of view), but in the midst of the moments I didn't like were a few true gems. Ursu gives good 7 yo girl--I fully believed the scenes from the daughter's perspective, and I loved her thinking she could draw her brother back into their lives. I also enjoyed getting into Tom the cop's head, and overall I appreciated the intention of showing the myriad people affected by a missing child beyond the parents. The parents themselves, eh. The rest of the story, eh. But great title.

[Hauntie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am hooked, I desperately want to know what happened to the child, but at the same time I cringe thinking about my own son disapparating ... I can't wait to keep reading!

Well, I was ultimately disappointed. While the emotions and reactions of the characters feel genuine and are explored with care and really good writing, I was too wrapped up in wanting answers to my questions and too disppointed when I didn't get them.

Ursu did a great job of exploring the emotions and reactions of each family member and even pulling in characters outside of that immediate circle and making you care and weaving them into the story. The descriptions of loss and of love so strong it hurts resonated with me as true. It's a good story and a very good study of emotion and reaction, but be prepared to fill in the gaps yourself.

[Maeta · Rating 1 out of 5]

I feel cheated. I invested my good time in what I thought was a good book. The characters were engaging, the story riveting, and the plot moved well. But then.....I guess the author ran out of creativity. No explanation of what happened to the boy who disappeared and suddenly reappeared, with no knowledge of what happened to him. No ending. I loaned the book to a friend who almost de-friended me over it. She was just as upset at the ending as I was.

[Dale Harcombe · Rating 1 out of 5]

Have you ever read a book that has you intrigued from the start and then you get to the end and feel like throwing it against a wall? That's how I felt after reading this book.The characters were well defined and the premise interesting but the ending was a cop out. Spoilt all the rest for me.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. Emotional ups and downs. Page turner. Well written. Held interest. Interesting story about a clown who makes a kid disappear and screws up the trick so he doesn’t know how to make him come back which I think is a unique and brilliant idea!

[Sarah Pottenger · Rating 5 out of 5]

The kind of beautiful that hurts. One of my absolute favorites.

The story centers around a young family as they celebrate the daughter's seventh birthday at a stage circus. James, the five-year-old, is called up on stage to participate. The clown makes him disappear, literally, and he doesn't know how he did it. The scene between the daughter and the detective who stays with the family is amazing.

[Josh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the last book I read by Ursu, Spilling Clarence... it really moved me. This one has confirmed her place in my list of favorite authors.

This wonderful novel walks a strangely beautiful line between tragedy and magical realism, with striking and profound results. A deeply insinuating story that mines the fears of parenting and being human to great, and ultimately celebratory, effect.

[Tiare · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dragged on. Only finished it to see what finally happens.

[Sophia Barsuhn · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is, to put it bluntly and rather unkindly, kind of dumb. It's too whimsical and cutesy to really be an adult book, but YA books never focus on parents the way this book does, and there are too many swear words and adult fears for this to be a book for children. (The way this book uses swear words reminds me of a child learning about bad words; they say them without knowing what they mean or how to use them, they just like how they sound.)

The cutesiness of this book really doesn't work. Not many authors can pull off the kind of whimsical magicalness this book is going for; the only books I can think of that do it well are Middlesex and Special Topics in Calamity Physics, and even those weren't so much whimsical as just different, less grounded in reality but never dropping into cutesiness.

About the only thing I really liked about this book were the occasional flashes of beauty. Sometimes a word or paragraph would strike me with a vivid memory of being a child, getting ready for school on an autumn day, or going downtown as a high school student for coffee, and it would hurt in a bittersweet way. I love it when books do that, even if the rest of the book is just stupid.

[Tamara Bennett · Rating 4 out of 5]

my hardback version had an entirely different cover not shown here on goodreads.
this was a great book. it was a unique & well-written story.
i had never read a book written almost entirely from the perspective of a family affected by an ongoing crime. their young son was taken from them in an entirely illogical, confusing way and right in front of them during a magic show. i was in suspense as well & had no idea how it could end.

[Jeanne Houde · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was a bit ambivalent about this review. I kind of liked the book, but I didn't like the way it was laid out. I think they could have done without all the dream sequences etc. A chapter on what James was going through would have spiced it up though.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

weird and wonderful story

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Engaging. Abstract.
Exceptionally smart.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightfully quirky!

[Marianne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Swearing.

[Katy Lovejoy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'd add the word disturbing to this title

[Judi · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is Greta Woodrow's seventh birthday and to celebrate she is at the Razzlers Circus Stage Show at the Lindbergh Performing Arts Center with her family -- her mother, Dr. Hannah Woodrow, a physician and the family breadwinner; and, her father, Justin Woodrow, a very content and competent stay-at-home Dad; and, her 5-year-old lovable brother James. Of the two orange-headed Woodrow children, Greta is the louder and far more agitated child, a difficult baby from birth, yet a smart little girl "skilled at the art of interrogation," which she delivers with an ever more shrilling voice. James is the opposite; he is quiet; sometimes a little too quiet. James is the kind of kid who is content to sit in a corner with his building blocks hour after hour, an easy child whose developmental growth is going at its own pace. But on this evening, James is not his normal self; he's acting out just like any other excited kid waiting for the circus to start, bouncing about and kicking the chair in front of him.

When the circus gets underway both kids are enthralled, Greta expresses herself by yelling, "This is so GOOD," while James' excitement is not as perceptible, a nod of the head when asked if he's enjoying it. So when Mike the Clown asks for volunteers, neither parent is surprised when Greta raises her hand - actually stands on her chair and shrieks - along with all the other kids. And then James raises his arm and stands stiffly hand in air waiting. Perhaps Mike the Clown chooses James because "he seems like an alien among all these screaming 'pick me'-ers." Yet once up on the stage, James is a natural entertainer, making the audience laugh and laugh. He is adorable and the Woodrow's are so proud of him.

Then Mike the Clown does his final balancing act; he has James sit in a chair and he balances James and the chair on his chin. Then, in a moment of sheer magical brilliance, James disappears into thin air. He truly disappears. The show ends and James does not return. Justin thinks this is not such a good trick after all because a nice touch would have been to have the boy reappear, "because usually when someone or something disappears during a trick, they reappear again --- that's part of the whole trick, really it's the payoff." Yet, the show ends, everyone leaves the stage, the audience files out to the lobby. And James is not among them. Nor is he in the lobby with Mike the Clown. Nor is he backstage stuck in a secret chamber or other hiding place. He is just plain gone....

Read the rest of my review here:
http://mostlyfiction.com/contemp/ursu...

[Tony · Rating 4 out of 5]

The disappearance or death of a child is quite literally a parent's worst nightmare, and there are countless thrillers revolving around such scenarios. Here, Ursu takes that nightmare and twists it just enough so that the focus is not on the hunt for the missing child, but on the effect on the parents and family. It's a clever way into the topic that neatly sidesteps the procedural plot points that dominate thrillers about the same topic, and allow for a much richer exploration of the psychology of such an event.

The Woodrow family is at the circus for their 7-year-old daughter Greta's birthday and their possibly developmentally disabled 5-year-old son, James, is fidgety and withdrawn until the appearance of Mike the Clown. All of a sudden, the normally shy James perks up and even volunteers to be part of a trick. However, the clown's disappearing act becomes all too real when the Woodrow's son vanishes in a puff of smoke, and no one, not the clown, the cops, or the parents have the remotest understanding of how it happened, or where's he gone. Each family member copes with the loss in their own way (mother sinks into near-catatonic depression, father has wild rages, and Greta creates a rich tale about where her brother has gone), and while these are somewhat obvious reactions, they are vividly and realistically rendered (it should come as no surprise that the least obvious coping mechanism of the three, Greta's story, is the most interesting).

The obvious message of the book is that no matter how closely we watch and guard over our children, we ultimately have only the illusion of control over what happens to them. In the case of this story, the fates can literally spirit them away. This is the kind of theme that I'm not sure I would have found interesting in any way prior to becoming a parent, but now that I am, strikes me with intensity. A thought-provoking read, especially for parents.

[K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the first chapter of this book, the youngest member of the Woodrow family--after Dad Justin, Mom Hannah, and big sister Greta--James volunteers as a stage volunteer for a clown's act as the circus, and, in the middle of the act, disappears. The clown has no explanation for the disappearance, and no evidence of a kidnapping exists. James is simply gone.

In the chapters that follow, Ursu follows each character as he or she deals with the after effects of James's disapparition. For the parents, we see the grief of losing a child; for Greta, the desire to bring back her brother; for Tom, the policeman assigned to the case, the frustration of not being able to do anything helpful.

This is not a mystery book. If you want to know whodunit and what happened to James, this is not the book for you. If, however, you want an emotional exploration of loss and the fragility of life, you might enjoy this novel. I did.

Plus, any novel that can provide passing references to both Peter Gabriel's "Shock the Monkey" and Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass is probably going to be something I like.

[LindaN · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of all, I was surprised how difficult it was to find this 10-year-old, out-of-print book. Books do disappear.
Second, I think there might be a Harry Potter tie-in, as the word "disapparation" is from that series, but it escaped me.
On the Eve of 7-year-old Greta's birthday, the family of four attends a circus. 5-year-old James uncharacteristically volunteers to be part of the magician's act and, lo and behold, disappears. This book recounts the reactions of those around him--family and officials. One of a family's greatest fears is the disappearance of one of its own, and here we read about the reactions of the mother (depression, withdrawal), father (rage, perpetual activity), sister (busy work, documentation of brother's traits), aunt (trying to help, being there). This book is much more than plot: it is about how dear our loved ones are to us, how fragile life is, how one little blip can change everything; it is about our insecurities, our love, and how hard it is to let go.

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

When a young boy disappears during a magic trick at the circus, everyone involved finds their lives drastically altered.Ursu masterfully gives us the perspectives of James' hurting parents, a copy assigned to guard their house, the boy's 7-year-old sister, the magician who doesn't know how he "lost" James, and others, all of whom lose trust that life can be trusted or they can ever feel safe.

I most appreciated Ursu's ability to get inside different characters' perspectives, probing how one event can alter everything they believe about the world. She also includes some alternate experiences that seem to exist in a parallel universe or may just be how a particular character wishes reality was unfolding.

The plot is interesting, but it is in the details of the characters' inner workings that Ursu most excels, especially with the parents who experience numerous, conflicting emotions as they wonder what they di that led to the loss of the child. This book will haunt me for some time.

[Jae · Rating 2 out of 5]

dropped

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

" James has disappeared. This sort of thing happens in books all the time. Children disappear into thin air and end up in some other universe, some other dimension. There are tesseracts, tornadoes, and tears in time; there are looking glasses, magic wardrobes, enchanted castles, and rabbit holes. There are all kinds of places for a young boy to go to- there is Camelot, there is Narnia, there is Never-Never Land, there is Oz, there is Wonderland. There are lions, Cowardly and Christlike, there are Wonderful Wizards, there are sorcerers, fairies, and knights, Tin Men and White Rabbits. But there are also witches, White and Wicked, Queens of Hearts, and Captains with a Hook. Be careful, James. Come back through the looking glass. Click your heels, James, come on. There's no place like home. There's no place like home. There's no place like home-
Why is it that nobody ever talks about parents in theses stories?

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

A 3.5.

This was a reread for me. I read it probably 8 years ago. I liked it better this time I think. It tackles a tough topic of missing kids. Even though the reader knows that James truly disappears by magic, it is gut-wrenching to walk through the uncertainty with the family, to watch them all break in their own way.

On my first read I did not see a lot of similarity between this book and Ursu’s Spilling Clarence. However, on this read I see connections. Both are about extraordinary circumstances that cause people to fall apart. Both are a window into humanity’s psyche breaking and attempting to reassemble itself.

It is hilarious to read a book from 9 years ago where a character is referred to as Magical Mike….

Spoiler alert:
I wasn’t sure that Tom needed to shoot Mike. I get that Ursu is trying to show that Tom was forever changed, but I wonder if it could have been done in a different way.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book isn't for everyone. I've talked to other people who complained that they wanted to know what happened and why. The reality of this book isn't what happened, but rather how people reacted to it. I think Ursu did an excellent job of dealing with the emotions of all the different characters to the "disapparation of James". The parents, the relatives, the people who became involved only because of circumstance. Each character has their own response and their own back-stories leading to their response. In all, I thought it was a super book looking into the details of the thoughts of people, and reactions to stressful times.

But, yeah...what did happen to James?

[Shana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I see Anne Ursu's Shadow Thieves mentioned, so thought I'd add this one. It is not a sci fi book, but is quite clever. It is intense, and for a parent, perhaps a bit disturbing. I had a tough time reading every word, until I did the horrible thing and read the end. It is about a boy who disappears into thin air. Literally. And the trauma and disruption it causes.

I read it because not only is she a good Minnesotan, but I was acquainted with her brother a few years ago, AND my sister has a best-friend's-brother is married to her type relationship, so it was interesting to read after hearing about her that way.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This isn't a mystery destined to be solved at the book's close. It's a story about loss and grieving, and what really happened to James is beside the point. The other book I've read about the sudden loss of a child, McEwan's Child in Time, never resolves itself, either. Perhaps the message is that when it comes to horrible, inconsolable loss, what happened doesn't really matter; it happened, and it can't be changed, and the family is left to pick up the pieces.

Did I mention this book was seriously upsetting?

[MaureenMcBooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anne Ursu achieved local fame here with her Batgirl blog, a witty commentary on the travails of our beloved Minnesota Twins. But now she's moved away and had a baby, so her writing is confined to a few books, including this one. It's a fantasy eerily grounded in real life, told in her sparkling voice. A quick read and one that makes me want to read another one of her books, "Spilling Clarence," asap.

[Jeanine Walker · Rating 3 out of 5]

What can I say? Weird things happen. A boy disappears. It's sort of like that movie with Gweneth Paltrow where she does get into the subway, and then she doesn't. It's hard to tell what's real, except the message, if there is indeed a message, seems to be that "realitY" is much bigger than our eyes lead us to believe. I'm all for that message. Beautiful writing. Didn't go as much as I wanted it to. Missing the whatever big climax.