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3.26 AVERAGE
3.26 AVERAGE
I ultimately really did like this book overall. It had a very fascinating premise that blended elements of horror/thriller as well as wild west cowboy stories. There was some very strongly written impactful dialogue and the main antagonist Smoke was despicable and terrifying in his actions.
I do understand that part in parcel with this story being imagined and written how it was, a sort of spin on Sleeping Beauty, and the terror of being completely powerless and utterly at the mercy of others, but yet finding the strength, and ingenuity to persevere, that I should have expected several chapters of the book to be how they were. And I found Carol to be a sympathetic, likeable, and charming protagonist. But there was still a part of me frustrated that the main protagonist whose name is in the title spent three quarters of the book completely without agency.
I do understand that part in parcel with this story being imagined and written how it was, a sort of spin on Sleeping Beauty, and the terror of being completely powerless and utterly at the mercy of others, but yet finding the strength, and ingenuity to persevere, that I should have expected several chapters of the book to be how they were. And I found Carol to be a sympathetic, likeable, and charming protagonist. But there was still a part of me frustrated that the main protagonist whose name is in the title spent three quarters of the book completely without agency.
dark
medium-paced
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I think this was a good read for spooky season, but it was lacking a lot for me. I love the idea of the story but the execution was lacking. It reminds me of a soap opera, switching perspectives at odd moments that were not satisfying. The end was a jumbled mess compared to the rest of the book.
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Unbury Carol touts itself as a kind of blend between western and supernatural elements, with a thriller based plot. The novel, which tells the story of Carol Evers who periodically falls into a deathlike Coma that mimics death. Only two people are aware of this condition: Dwight, her husband, and Moxie, her ex-lover. Dwight uses her condition as an opportunity to rid himself of her and inherit her fortune. Moxie, now an outlaw with a "magical" past, hears of her "death" and makes his way back to save her from being buried alive. This story, which should have been a gripping thriller against time, however, it quickly turns into a disappointment.
One of the most frustrating aspects of the novel is the lack of depth in its characters. Many read as flat or, in some cases, downright caricature-like. For example, the character of Smoke-depicted as a "cripple" who uses his boot to shoot oil and kills with a sing-song menace-feels more cartoonish than menacing. His exaggerated traits make him feel quite implausible, detracting from any genuine suspense and making the story feel rather "stupid" and overall detached from reality. The result is a villain who is hard to take seriously, and making it more difficult to invest in the story.
The structure and pacing of the story also suffer, much with the critical plot points. Like Rinaldo's "twist," seeming very dry and uneventful. Instead of feeling suspenseful or dramatic, these moments feel contrived, creating a "so that's how we're doing this?" reaction. Even when Moxie and Smoke finally meet, the scene is lackluster, failing to build any real level of excitement and left a me feeling disengaged.
The biggest disappointment, however, is the ending. Rather than providing a satisfying payoff for the buildup that was far too drawn out, it was boring and lackluster. For a book that spends the build of its pages in suspense, you'd expect for it to get good at some point but nothing seems to ever get going. The novel claims to be horror, but in reality leans more into Western, with some supernatural elements, but unfortunately not in a compelling way. As a result, any sense of horror is pretty much absent.
While I tried to find some redeeming qualities in Unbury Carol, I found it pretty much impossible. The book failed to deliver excitement, tension, or depth to make it worth reading. It feels like a poorly executed experiment rather than a polished piece of horror or even western literature. If this hadn't been a book club read for me, I very easily would have DNF'ed this within the first 100 pages. I cannot speak for Malerman's other reads but this one certainly was bad.
One of the most frustrating aspects of the novel is the lack of depth in its characters. Many read as flat or, in some cases, downright caricature-like. For example, the character of Smoke-depicted as a "cripple" who uses his boot to shoot oil and kills with a sing-song menace-feels more cartoonish than menacing. His exaggerated traits make him feel quite implausible, detracting from any genuine suspense and making the story feel rather "stupid" and overall detached from reality. The result is a villain who is hard to take seriously, and making it more difficult to invest in the story.
The structure and pacing of the story also suffer, much with the critical plot points. Like Rinaldo's "twist," seeming very dry and uneventful. Instead of feeling suspenseful or dramatic, these moments feel contrived, creating a "so that's how we're doing this?" reaction. Even when Moxie and Smoke finally meet, the scene is lackluster, failing to build any real level of excitement and left a me feeling disengaged.
The biggest disappointment, however, is the ending. Rather than providing a satisfying payoff for the buildup that was far too drawn out, it was boring and lackluster. For a book that spends the build of its pages in suspense, you'd expect for it to get good at some point but nothing seems to ever get going. The novel claims to be horror, but in reality leans more into Western, with some supernatural elements, but unfortunately not in a compelling way. As a result, any sense of horror is pretty much absent.
While I tried to find some redeeming qualities in Unbury Carol, I found it pretty much impossible. The book failed to deliver excitement, tension, or depth to make it worth reading. It feels like a poorly executed experiment rather than a polished piece of horror or even western literature. If this hadn't been a book club read for me, I very easily would have DNF'ed this within the first 100 pages. I cannot speak for Malerman's other reads but this one certainly was bad.
Unbury Carol by Josh Malerman is a free NetGalley ebook that I read in late April.
Carol Evers is a happy, attractive woman, who frequently falls into a catatonic state she calls Howltown. Her husband, Dwight, with his eye on her fortune, plans her permanent death while she's stuck in its stasis, but one man, her former paramour James Moxie, sends a telegram that exclaims the book's title. In all, their three stories (plus an occasional flashback to Carol's mom) are told very well, while also with the overhanging spectre of death and doom.
Carol Evers is a happy, attractive woman, who frequently falls into a catatonic state she calls Howltown. Her husband, Dwight, with his eye on her fortune, plans her permanent death while she's stuck in its stasis, but one man, her former paramour James Moxie, sends a telegram that exclaims the book's title. In all, their three stories (plus an occasional flashback to Carol's mom) are told very well, while also with the overhanging spectre of death and doom.
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
3.5 out of 5 stars
Who keeps marking this book as horror?
WHO ARE YOU PEOPLE??! Are we reading the same book???
Let's adjust some expectations here: this is, above all, a Western. Yes, a Western, and also kind of a take on Sleeping Beauty with some minimal magic elements. This is not a thriller, this is not fantasy, and this is DEFINITELY not horror. Also, this is not really about Carol.
OK, now that we got that out of the way, I'm going to try to take my expectations out of this and review this book for what it is. To be honest, I just really am not a big fan of Westerns. I will say that it WAS an interesting setting for a Sleeping Beauty flavored story, but generally speaking the whole outlaw thing just doesn't do much for me. Some of the POV jumping between characters was a bit jarring as well, but I eventually got used to it. I DID find the story itself to be engaging, and I really like Malerman's writing style, especially considering that he's turning out to be a pretty versatile author, but overall this wasn't exactly my cup of tea. I still enjoyed it for the most part, but I think fans of Westerns will get WAY more out of this than me.
Who keeps marking this book as horror?
WHO ARE YOU PEOPLE??! Are we reading the same book???
Let's adjust some expectations here: this is, above all, a Western. Yes, a Western, and also kind of a take on Sleeping Beauty with some minimal magic elements. This is not a thriller, this is not fantasy, and this is DEFINITELY not horror. Also, this is not really about Carol.
OK, now that we got that out of the way, I'm going to try to take my expectations out of this and review this book for what it is. To be honest, I just really am not a big fan of Westerns. I will say that it WAS an interesting setting for a Sleeping Beauty flavored story, but generally speaking the whole outlaw thing just doesn't do much for me. Some of the POV jumping between characters was a bit jarring as well, but I eventually got used to it. I DID find the story itself to be engaging, and I really like Malerman's writing style, especially considering that he's turning out to be a pretty versatile author, but overall this wasn't exactly my cup of tea. I still enjoyed it for the most part, but I think fans of Westerns will get WAY more out of this than me.