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3.26 AVERAGE
3.26 AVERAGE
DNF. Made it halfway, but just couldn’t do it anymore.
Reminded me of Stephen King, but it wasn't good.
2.0/5
2.0/5
3.5 - An interesting blend of genre's with a very slow burn. Malerman seems to be really great at writing "atmosphere" the places, feelings and experiences are what really stand out and keep you pulled in when the story is just moseying along.
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Part Western, part thriller, part paranormal, Unbury Carol is one of the more unique books I’ve had the pleasure of reading this year.
Set distinctly in a Western-esque region with a writing style to match, this book may not be for everyone. The book is written in third-person POV but changes each chapter to follow a different character. This means that while the story is linear, the reader only gets bits and pieces of each plot-line at a time. It can feel slow at times, but the intrigue and simplicity of the prose draws you in, allowing you to read more of the book in a single sitting than you might expect.
The book has a sizable cast of characters, each clear-cut and developed. There are many villainous characters in a variety of shades ranging from grey to the blackest black alongside heroic characters who stretch along their own spectrum of purity. There’s not a whole lot of depth to them, but they have a level of depth that suits the story.
Aside from the title character’s condition there is a paranormal element that took me by surprise when it first appeared. It added to the atmospheric setting and the quest plot, but the novel’s ending didn’t tie this thread up neatly enough for me, which is really my own complaint about the book as a whole.
Due to be published in April, I can’t help but feel this book is more suited to the dying days of Autumn. It is eerie and unsettling, but perhaps the publisher is playing on the rebirth theme tying into early Spring.
When I saw this book would be available at NYCC I put it on my must list and was happy when I was able to get it. Settling in to read it, I had high hopes that it would be good. While not entirely what I was expecting it to be, I enjoyed it. If want to read something atmospheric and a bit different, Unbury Carol may be what you’re looking for.
Part Western, part thriller, part paranormal, Unbury Carol is one of the more unique books I’ve had the pleasure of reading this year.
Set distinctly in a Western-esque region with a writing style to match, this book may not be for everyone. The book is written in third-person POV but changes each chapter to follow a different character. This means that while the story is linear, the reader only gets bits and pieces of each plot-line at a time. It can feel slow at times, but the intrigue and simplicity of the prose draws you in, allowing you to read more of the book in a single sitting than you might expect.
The book has a sizable cast of characters, each clear-cut and developed. There are many villainous characters in a variety of shades ranging from grey to the blackest black alongside heroic characters who stretch along their own spectrum of purity. There’s not a whole lot of depth to them, but they have a level of depth that suits the story.
Aside from the title character’s condition there is a paranormal element that took me by surprise when it first appeared. It added to the atmospheric setting and the quest plot, but the novel’s ending didn’t tie this thread up neatly enough for me, which is really my own complaint about the book as a whole.
Due to be published in April, I can’t help but feel this book is more suited to the dying days of Autumn. It is eerie and unsettling, but perhaps the publisher is playing on the rebirth theme tying into early Spring.
When I saw this book would be available at NYCC I put it on my must list and was happy when I was able to get it. Settling in to read it, I had high hopes that it would be good. While not entirely what I was expecting it to be, I enjoyed it. If want to read something atmospheric and a bit different, Unbury Carol may be what you’re looking for.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Not what I expected from Mallerman. I have read a few of his other books and this one just did not do it for me.
An interesting take on the sleeping beauty myth, but the author needs to work on his craft.
The story is unique but could have been better had the author spent a little extra effort to clean up the details and use fewer words to get the same point across.
Basic things didn't make sense and it took me out of the story. Here's a few examples:
- The author mentions cardinals flying around a field looking for mice to eat. Cardinals eat seeds.
- All the towns along the Trail are described as very dusty. Always dusty, knee high dust. But then the Trail is so thick with vegetation that people have to duck to get through sections. How does this ecosystem work?
- Smoke, a man without legs from the knee down, wears tin legs and steals a horse and rides away. How? Does the author not know how to ride a horse because Smoke isn't getting anywhere without functioning heals.
- Towards the end of the book, a character is standing beneath a cherry tree, but standing on pine needles. How? How does a cherry tree have pine needles under it and not leaves?
- All the towns along the Trail are also along a river, but only one town is described as using it for trade ... who are they trading with if the other towns don't use the river?
The side characters are the most interesting and the main characters are nothing special. Also, you'll come away with more questions than answers. Here are a few:
- Why did Carol marry Dwight? This never gets answered.
- Why does everyone love Carol? This is just stated as fact. Also, where did all her money come from?
- Why does Dwight really want to bury Carol? This one isn't really addressed beyond "he's insecure and she threatens his masculinity." Also, there's one weird chapter where Dwight has an imaginary other wife ... then it's never mentioned again.
- There's a fight scene where Smoke steps on a man's throat with his tin leg and dumps oil in the man's mouth. Why didn't the man just use his arms to push Smoke off him? It would be easy to get out from under a man teetering on fake legs.
- Why didn't Dwight just kill Carol? Seriously, a pillow would do this very quickly without leaving any marks for old-timey western doctors to detect. Here's what Dwight should have done - have the local doctor declare Carol dead (because we know that would happen, it was mentioned over and over again), then right after he leaves, smother her with a pillow. Done and done.
Story: 3 stars
Character Development: 2 stars
Writing/prose: 2 stars
The story is unique but could have been better had the author spent a little extra effort to clean up the details and use fewer words to get the same point across.
Basic things didn't make sense and it took me out of the story. Here's a few examples:
- The author mentions cardinals flying around a field looking for mice to eat. Cardinals eat seeds.
- All the towns along the Trail are described as very dusty. Always dusty, knee high dust. But then the Trail is so thick with vegetation that people have to duck to get through sections. How does this ecosystem work?
- Smoke, a man without legs from the knee down, wears tin legs and steals a horse and rides away. How? Does the author not know how to ride a horse because Smoke isn't getting anywhere without functioning heals.
- Towards the end of the book, a character is standing beneath a cherry tree, but standing on pine needles. How? How does a cherry tree have pine needles under it and not leaves?
- All the towns along the Trail are also along a river, but only one town is described as using it for trade ... who are they trading with if the other towns don't use the river?
The side characters are the most interesting and the main characters are nothing special. Also, you'll come away with more questions than answers. Here are a few:
Spoiler
- Why did Carol marry Dwight? This never gets answered.
- Why does everyone love Carol? This is just stated as fact. Also, where did all her money come from?
- Why does Dwight really want to bury Carol? This one isn't really addressed beyond "he's insecure and she threatens his masculinity." Also, there's one weird chapter where Dwight has an imaginary other wife ... then it's never mentioned again.
- There's a fight scene where Smoke steps on a man's throat with his tin leg and dumps oil in the man's mouth. Why didn't the man just use his arms to push Smoke off him? It would be easy to get out from under a man teetering on fake legs.
- Why didn't Dwight just kill Carol? Seriously, a pillow would do this very quickly without leaving any marks for old-timey western doctors to detect. Here's what Dwight should have done - have the local doctor declare Carol dead (because we know that would happen, it was mentioned over and over again), then right after he leaves, smother her with a pillow. Done and done.
Story: 3 stars
Character Development: 2 stars
Writing/prose: 2 stars
I think I am one of the few who read this before reading Bird Box. Unbury Carol is my first Malerman and unfortunately, I am not impressed. This was such a drag to read. It had a really interesting concept that ended up just being a western Sleeping Beauty. I didn't like any of the characters. So with a boring plot and a boring cast, there wasn't anything here to keep me engaged. It's nothing special.
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
N/A