Nonfiction of the Week for July 13th: The Year We Disappeared
The Year We Disappeared by Cylin Busby
I'm a TV crime/drama junkie. My favourites are "Law and Order", "Law and Order Criminal Intent", "The First 48" and "48 Hours Mystery" who, by the way, featured a segment on Cylin and her family called "Live to Tell: The Year We Disappeared". You can check out the episode on-line here.
Naturally, I was drawn to Cylin Busby and her father John's true crime memoir. The thing that gets me the most is that in a split second, your life can change forever. Everything you thought was real and normal is gone and you are living in a nightmare. In the amount of time it took someone to pull up beside her Dad's car and pull a trigger, Cylin's life went from playing on the beach to sleeping with a knife under her pillow, armed guards and attack dogs. This is truly scary stuff, made all the more chilling since it is real, but it is also a story about coming through the nightmare, and learning to live again.
Cylin is now an accomplished author and writer, wife and mother. She has recently edited a collection of stories called First Kiss Then Tell, in which popular teen authors such as Scott Westerfeld, Lauren Myracle and Donna Jo Napoli talk about their own first kisses.
Margaret is a Teen Librarian who in her spare time enjoys reading teen fiction about vampires, werewolves, faeries and wizards, writing really bad short stories, and of course, watching TV.
I like Law and Order: Special Victims Unit the best from all of the other Law and Order shows.
CSI Miami is awesome, too.
In "The Year We Disappeared", I thought it was horrible how badly John was shot. He's very lucky to be alive after going through that and all the surgeries.
Posted by: Kyle | July 16, 2009 at 01:19 PM
I enjoying reading and watching mysteries as well. I'll give this book a try.
Posted by: Shel | July 16, 2009 at 05:00 PM
I read this book and it was gritty and real and a real eye-opener about how politics works in some small towns.
I like the way father and daughter alternated writing chapters. You definitely get the adult and the child perspective on the horror the family went through.
Posted by: Susan K | July 16, 2009 at 05:53 PM
I'm totally putting a hold on this book! It sounds just too terrible to be true, though. It takes a lot of guts to write about personal experiences like those.
Posted by: Oshin | July 16, 2009 at 06:58 PM
The Year we disappeared sounds soo interesting. I want to put a hold on it ASAP.
Posted by: Ruby | July 16, 2009 at 07:39 PM
I love to watch vampire, Law & Order as well, and i love to wact Mysteery hunters and ghost tracker!!! maybe i'll try this book
Posted by: Jenny Chau | July 16, 2009 at 08:52 PM
I am reading it right now and I am almost at the middle. I am telling you IT'S GREAT!!
Posted by: Iffat | July 17, 2009 at 03:38 AM
This book sounds interesting to read. I like watching TV shows like Law & Order and CSI, so this book should be along the same lines.
Posted by: Agnes | July 17, 2009 at 11:17 AM
This looks awesome, I'll have to add it to my list of books, and hopefully get around to it before September
Posted by: Alexa | July 17, 2009 at 05:01 PM
This is definitly something I would read. Sounds really interesting. I put a hold on it but who knows when I'll get it.
Posted by: Alice | July 18, 2009 at 11:39 AM
gonna put it on hold. cause this book sounds good to me. The title is thrill with excitment. :P
Posted by: ying | July 18, 2009 at 05:21 PM
I read this book and it was really great! I just picked up this and book and didn't stop reading it till I was finished. I just loved how Cylin and John narrate the book so that we can get an idea of both the adult and the kid's perspective! It really shows how families together can overcome even the worst-case scenarios poosible. It's a must read if you're a crime show junkie!
Posted by: Ally | July 18, 2009 at 08:59 PM
This book was really good! I can't believe the tragedy that occured to John (Cylin's father). That's total bizarre how the shooting happened and John described the pain. But in the end, they survived together and i was relieved for them and happy too.
Posted by: Fei | July 18, 2009 at 09:49 PM
Seems like a great book after all the blogs Iv'e just read! Going to put it on hold.
Posted by: Tatum | July 19, 2009 at 03:33 PM
The Book "The Year We Disappeared" by Cylin & John Busby is an amazing book of the journey of their struggle through John's "injury". It has an amazing storyline. It explains the life of Father-Daughter like no other Father-Daughter book has ever.
WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD
YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED
Spoiler: My favorite part was when Cylin first saw her dad in the hospital and didnt think it was her father. I love this part becuase it just goes to show that even though Cylin was only 9 years old, she still had to deal with the pain of seeing her father near death (although thankfully he survives)
I beleive that this book is inspirational to those who have struggled with a traumatic injury in their family. Thankfully in the end, they are a strong family.
Please read this book. It's AMAZING.
When you read this book it'll seem as if each word is "hand picked" so to say, and believe me, it'll get to you, as it did to me.
Posted by: Nare | July 19, 2009 at 09:58 PM
mysterious...
Posted by: Tasfia | July 19, 2009 at 10:19 PM
This was truly one page turner! I love to read nonfiction books like these...absolutely amazing.
Posted by: kiu | July 20, 2009 at 04:00 AM
sounds very mysterious and interesting
looking forward to reading it
Posted by: Sarah | July 20, 2009 at 02:34 PM
I like law and order, csi miami and criminal minds :D they're all amazing shows!
this seems like a really good book but i gotta think a bit abt giving it a try, since violent things are really hard for me to get out of my head.....so yeaa..
but the plot and everything seems amazing and from the comments above, i can tell that it really is a book worth reading!
Posted by: Lola | July 20, 2009 at 03:49 PM
Sounds mysterious and definetly very intresting
would like to read it so i'll pu t it on hold.
Posted by: Devi | July 21, 2009 at 03:04 PM
I think this is a law and order book. I hope i am inspired to come a judge. I love this book already. Can't wait to read it
Posted by: Theevijah | July 21, 2009 at 06:40 PM
This book sounds sooooooooo serious but mysterious at the same time. I love like it sooo i am putting it on hold.
Posted by: Theevijah | July 21, 2009 at 06:40 PM
The book seems good but its a mystery.. I dont usually like mysteries but ill give it a try.
Posted by: Sid | July 21, 2009 at 07:59 PM
I like CSI Miami and criminal minds!
this mook sounds really good, sounds like a mystery and i loveeeeeeeeeee mystery books
however the problem is that once i read/see violent stuff, its reallly hard for me to get it out of my mind and i just keep thinking abt it! :(
Posted by: Lola | July 23, 2009 at 02:37 PM
Same me and my sisters love Law and order, this book does seem very intresting, so i'll try and get it
Posted by: Mary | July 23, 2009 at 07:07 PM