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3.26 AVERAGE
3.26 AVERAGE
adventurous
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Carol Evers has a strange condition: She randomly falls into comas that make her seem dead. Only those who know of it can make out the small signs of life she still shows. Her husband Dwight, poorer than her and constantly feeling overshadowed by her, decides to use it to his advantage. With the help of a woman named Lafayette, Dwight doesn't kill Carol, but instead pretends she died to get rid of her. Luckily, their maid knows of an old love of Carol's, the retired outlaw James Moxie, who she contacts to invite him to the funeral. Moxie knows of Carol's condition and immediately returns to the dangerous Trail to stop Carol from being buried alive.
I got this book in a surprise box, when I asked for books to get into the Weird West genre. When I started the book, I expected a fast-paced story with Moxie as the main character, taking the unconscious Carol and running away with her. The story actually follows Carol and the people who want to get her in or out of her grave. Maybe that's why I didn't enjoy the book as much as I hoped. Or maybe I just wasn't in the right mood, considering I put this book on pause for a while.
I think my biggest problem with the book is the large cast of characters it follows. In each chapter, the third-person narrator follows a different person. Some chapters were interesting (Moxie trying to get to Carol fast, followed by guilt and something more sinister; Dwight trying to keep his cover; the local sherriff trying to find out the truth), some were more informative (Carol in her coma, struggling to get out of it) and some were boring (different people living on the trail; Smoke, an outlaw hired to stop Moxie. Once I got what his deal was, his chapters became a drag to read through). The story, or rather the way it was told, often felt too slow to convey the urgency of Carol's situation. It's a shame, because the author isn't bad at setting up and paying off! For example: Moxie is a famous outlaw because he shot someone in a duel without drawing his gun. The trick gets referenced and mentioned often enough it stays present in your mind. At the end of the book, it gets revealed in a satisfying way and it made me so happy that the author didn't kept us guessing.
Besides the pacing, I actually enjoyed the writing style, maybe except for the overuse of "hell's heaven" and "pig-shit". Were there no other ways to curse? The ending was also neat.
In short, the book was perfectly fine and a solid three star read for me.
I got this book in a surprise box, when I asked for books to get into the Weird West genre. When I started the book, I expected a fast-paced story with Moxie as the main character, taking the unconscious Carol and running away with her. The story actually follows Carol and the people who want to get her in or out of her grave. Maybe that's why I didn't enjoy the book as much as I hoped. Or maybe I just wasn't in the right mood, considering I put this book on pause for a while.
I think my biggest problem with the book is the large cast of characters it follows. In each chapter, the third-person narrator follows a different person. Some chapters were interesting (Moxie trying to get to Carol fast, followed by guilt and something more sinister; Dwight trying to keep his cover; the local sherriff trying to find out the truth), some were more informative (Carol in her coma, struggling to get out of it) and some were boring (different people living on the trail; Smoke, an outlaw hired to stop Moxie. Once I got what his deal was, his chapters became a drag to read through). The story, or rather the way it was told, often felt too slow to convey the urgency of Carol's situation. It's a shame, because the author isn't bad at setting up and paying off! For example: Moxie is a famous outlaw because he shot someone in a duel without drawing his gun. The trick gets referenced and mentioned often enough it stays present in your mind. At the end of the book, it gets revealed in a satisfying way and it made me so happy that the author didn't kept us guessing.
Besides the pacing, I actually enjoyed the writing style, maybe except for the overuse of "hell's heaven" and "pig-shit". Were there no other ways to curse? The ending was also neat.
In short, the book was perfectly fine and a solid three star read for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Fire/Fire injury
More of a western than I had anticipated, which is not my usual preferred time period. But still compelling, despite using many of the tropes associated with books set in an idealized version of the American west. The ending was somewhat of a surprise, and though I predicted elements of it it was still thoroughly enjoyable.
3.5 stars would be most accurate, but I'm a pushover so I'll round up.
I love the premise of this book. I love that it gives you an Old Western feel, somehow without ever seeming much like a Western. The characters are all very well written with clear and distinctive personalities. Smoke is a brilliant villain, he's a horrible human and you just want him to die.
I feel like the final confrontation in Harrows was a bit muddy. The timing of Moxie's actions and the consequences of them don't seem to work out. I mean, he's shooting at ghosts in the upper level of the hotel after walking around town in a weird haze of guilt, manages to fall out of the second floor window and be largely fine, then dig up a coffin with his bare hands, and neither the sheriff or the deputies can be bothered to put in an appearance?
Rot was a fascinating aspect of the book, but I wish there had been a little more explanation, or revelation, or something to make it more. More what, I don't know, but I wish it was more.
BUT, a good book overall, and I'll definitely be looking into more of Malerman's novels.
I love the premise of this book. I love that it gives you an Old Western feel, somehow without ever seeming much like a Western. The characters are all very well written with clear and distinctive personalities. Smoke is a brilliant villain, he's a horrible human and you just want him to die.
I feel like the final confrontation in Harrows was a bit muddy. The timing of Moxie's actions and the consequences of them don't seem to work out.
Rot was a fascinating aspect of the book, but I wish there had been a little more explanation, or revelation, or something to make it more. More what, I don't know, but I wish it was more.
BUT, a good book overall, and I'll definitely be looking into more of Malerman's novels.
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.