Bad On Paper Podcast: “Notes on Your Sudden Disappearance” Book Club
Hosts: Becca Freeman & Olivia Muenter
Date: September 24, 2025
Episode Overview
This episode of Bad On Paper centers on a book club discussion of Notes on Your Sudden Disappearance by Alison Espach. Becca and Olivia dive into their personal highs and lows, then shift into a nuanced, at-times divided, review of Espach’s novel. The episode becomes a platform to analyze narrative voice, character development, authorial evolution, and the effect of book packaging (i.e., covers) on reader expectations—all filtered through the hosts’ distinct tastes and life experiences.
Highs and Lows: Hosts Catch Up
Olivia’s High: The Yard Sale Social Scene
- Olivia threw a neighborhood yard sale, with her average customer age “probably about 77.”
- Despite mismatches in aesthetic (mid-century modern not quite appealing to camo-clad tool-seekers), the event became a social gathering.
- Friends brought wine and lingered in an impromptu outdoor living room, leading Olivia to quip:
“We made new friends, we hung out with local friends... pillar of the community, Olivia.”
[02:52]
Becca’s High: Draft Turned In, Weekday Fun
- Becca submitted her (late) manuscript draft after a “10-day sprint,” then enjoyed NYC adventures (CJ Hendry’s art pop-up, museum visits, and pickleball with her friend).
- She reflects on the guilt and freedom of stepping away from a traditional workweek:
“It feels very cheeky sneaky that I’m not sitting in front of a computer on a weekday.”
[05:01]
Post-Draft Lows & Existential Dread
- Becca discusses her familiar “post-draft spiral,” struggling with imperfection and small edits.
“Part of turning in any draft is this process of reconciling that the book still isn’t perfect... you have to trust yourself and you have to trust your team.”
[08:14], [09:43] - Olivia’s low is a broader anxiety about the state of the world and America:
“It’s a very tough time to be in the world right now and just manage it all... there’s a sense of surrealness and numbness.”
[11:23]
Book Club Discussion: Notes on Your Sudden Disappearance
Quick Recap (Plot Summary)
[14:38]
Sally, who idolizes her older sister Kathy and Kathy’s boyfriend Billy, survives a car accident that kills Kathy and gravely injures Billy. The novel tracks Sally’s ensuing grief and her complex, growing connection with Billy in the aftermath.
Divergent Host Opinions
Becca: Did Not Love the Book
- “I started out as a like-not-love in the first section... and as I went, I didn’t hate it, but I didn’t like it.”
[17:59] - Found structure and plot lacking in the latter parts; preferred The Wedding People by Espach.
Olivia: Big Fan
- “I adored this book... it had a feeling that reminded me of The Wedding People: the darkness, the humor, the warmth.”
[19:08] - Praised the authentic “voice” and the second-person narrative.
- Fascinated to see Espach’s evolution as a writer.
In-Depth: Narrative Style & Characterization
On Second-Person POV
- Olivia: “It was a really fresh way to approach storytelling... Sally seemed like such a real human to me.” [20:33]
- Becca: Neutral—“Stylistically, it didn’t bother me... at some points it was interesting... but I didn’t mind it.” [36:21]
On the Sally/Billy Relationship
- Olivia admits early discomfort with their dynamic, given age and experience gap, but ultimately found it believable and emotionally rich:
“At first I felt a little bit weird about it... but as it went on I really understood why they would be so drawn to each other.”
[40:09] - Becca found their connection logical, anchored in shared survivor’s guilt, but questioned Sally’s character evolution:
“I don’t think Sally’s character totally made sense for me. Consistency-wise... the connective tissue of her transformation didn’t track.”
[42:37]
Life Experience and Book Resonance
- Becca points out that Olivia has experienced a sudden loss similar to the novel’s premise, which may explain Olivia’s connection to it:
“I don’t have experiences of death in my own life that match this book... I can empathize, but I don’t have those feelings in my body.”
[31:48] - Olivia shares how her friend’s sudden death affected her reading:
“You think it’s not real... it’s such a surreal existence and it changes everything.”
[32:49]
Real-Life Origins
- Olivia reveals Espach’s own brother died as a teen, infusing the novel’s grief with authenticity:
“I found it very powerful... it just hit me in the soul in such a way...”
[34:41]
Discussion: Cover Design & Marketing
- The hosts analyze both iterations of the cover (initial pool float vs. later floral pattern).
- Both agree the covers may have misrepresented the book and set improper expectations (thriller? happy, light?).
- Notable quote:
“I think the only time a cover breaks the book is when it missets expectations.”
– Becca, [25:53]
Comparing Notes on Your Sudden Disappearance to The Wedding People
- Becca finds that The Wedding People uses structure (wedding-weekend timeline) and “zaniness” to balance its darkness—a contrast with Notes, which felt “all negative” after Kathy’s death.
“The Wedding People to me was more of a chocolate pretzel book... this one was more black licorice.”
[28:24] - Olivia is drawn to darker books, finding the “black licorice” element appealing.
Memorable Moments & Notable Quotes
- On second-person narration:
“It’s literally Sally talking to Kathy about her disappearance, her death, everything that comes after.”
– Olivia, [20:33] - On covers and expectations:
“With the first cover, people picked it up thinking it was a thriller and then were disappointed.”
– Becca, [25:53] - On writing and self-doubt:
“By the end, you’re like, okay, no, this is what it is... making peace with all those closed doors.”
– Becca, [09:43]
Other Discussion Topics
Authorial Trajectory & Publishing Insights
- Espach’s first novel (The Adults) came out in 2011; her second (Notes) in 2022. Olivia discusses how Espach’s previous publisher rejected the option for her next book, which eventually led to her later breakout.
“To think that someone who has had one of the biggest novels... would have been rejected like that...”
[47:04]
Would the Hosts Read More from Espach?
- Olivia: Yes—“I love the feeling of finding an author that you then tackle their backlist.”
- Becca: Probably not, though she loves other authors for whom that’s felt true.
Ed Matter
Obsessions
- Olivia: One Trick Pony Peanut Butter—creamy, silky, innovative packaging.
“If this stuff isn’t the creamiest, silkiest, most glorious peanut butter I have ever seen...”
[55:07] - Becca: Westman Atelier blush in “Coquette”—pastel baby-pink, surprisingly flattering.
What They’re Reading
- Olivia: The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver—slow, multi-POV, great line-level writing, but less plot than Demon Copperhead.
- Becca: Looking forward to The Wilderness by Angela Flournoy; has been stuck reading drafts and the podcast pick.
October Book Club Preview
The next book club pick will be The Lover by Lily King (author of Writers & Lovers).
- Becca raves:
“This book blew me away. I think it’s probably my favorite book I’ve read this year and we need to make it a book club pick.”
[62:11]
Timestamps for Key Segments
- [00:37] Highs and Lows
- [14:30] Book Summary & Discussion Begins
- [17:59] Initial Opinions Diverge
- [20:33] Narrative Style and Voice
- [23:47] Cover Discussion
- [27:35] Why The Wedding People Worked Better for Becca
- [31:48] Book Resonance and Grief
- [36:21] Second-Person POV
- [40:01] Sally & Billy Relationship Analysis
- [47:00] Espach’s Publishing Path
- [52:18] Would You Read Espach’s Backlist?
- [55:07] Obsessions
- [58:27] Current Reads
- [62:09] October Book Club Preview
Final Thoughts
This episode offers a thorough, honest discussion—not just of Alison Espach’s novel, but of the complex ways life experience, personal taste, and publishing context shape our feelings about books. Whether Notes on Your Sudden Disappearance resonated or not, both hosts agreed the conversation was rich ground for exploring why stories move us and how authors evolve. For those ready to read ahead, The Lover by Lily King is the next pick.
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