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3.26 AVERAGE
3.26 AVERAGE
Carol, despite being the title character, is something of a cypher - we hear her thoughts, but mostly she's in a state that is something deeper than a coma. It's her husband (who plans to bury her alive), her ex-boyfriend (who knows about her condition and that she's not really dead) and the man her husband sends to kill the ex whose lives and actions we follow over the course of three days. None of this takes place in our world, instead we're in a country (or area of a country) called the Trail, which feels very much like the Old West only more isolated and hemmed in by forest, wild vegetation and animals.
The characters and world were sufficiently interesting to keep me reading, but the plot? Nothing new, nothing different from the standard "husband resents wife's wealth, so decides to murder her" plot.
ARC provided by publisher.
The characters and world were sufficiently interesting to keep me reading, but the plot? Nothing new, nothing different from the standard "husband resents wife's wealth, so decides to murder her" plot.
ARC provided by publisher.
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
"You have no idea how dark it is, living in someone else's shadow."
Carol Evers has a dark secret - she has died many times, but what looks like death is a coma lasting for days. Only two people know of her condition, her husband, Dwight, and her ex-boyfriend, James Moxie. As she falls into another coma, Dwight plans a funeral to get to her fortune. As Moxie travels to save her from an early grave, Carol is aware and terrified.
I really enjoyed this book! I like westerns as long as there's some kind of horror or supernatural element to it, and this one certainly delivered. The premise was unique and terrifying, creating a sense of foreboding and claustrophobia. A story of life and death, love and loss, intertwined with magic and subtle horror. It definitely held my interest throughout the story.
I wish there were more chapters from Carol's POV as she was awake in her coma, aware of her husband conspiring against her. However, the characters were well-developed and I enjoyed following along with Dwight's mischievous plans, the sheriff's investigation, her ex-boyfriend's journey to Harrows, and Smoke, a dirty outlaw hired to get rid of Moxie.
It's a bit of a slow burn, but worth it. If you're looking for a horror mixed with thriller, suspense, and western vibes, then look no further!
Carol Evers has a dark secret - she has died many times, but what looks like death is a coma lasting for days. Only two people know of her condition, her husband, Dwight, and her ex-boyfriend, James Moxie. As she falls into another coma, Dwight plans a funeral to get to her fortune. As Moxie travels to save her from an early grave, Carol is aware and terrified.
I really enjoyed this book! I like westerns as long as there's some kind of horror or supernatural element to it, and this one certainly delivered. The premise was unique and terrifying, creating a sense of foreboding and claustrophobia. A story of life and death, love and loss, intertwined with magic and subtle horror. It definitely held my interest throughout the story.
I wish there were more chapters from Carol's POV as she was awake in her coma, aware of her husband conspiring against her. However, the characters were well-developed and I enjoyed following along with Dwight's mischievous plans, the sheriff's investigation, her ex-boyfriend's journey to Harrows, and Smoke, a dirty outlaw hired to get rid of Moxie.
It's a bit of a slow burn, but worth it. If you're looking for a horror mixed with thriller, suspense, and western vibes, then look no further!
This was not my cup of tea. I’m very disappointed after loving Bird Box so much. I wish I would have counted the amount of times that pig sh*t, pig sh*tters, pig sh*itting, pig sh*t eaters or any other form of this word was used. It was pretty ridiculous. It all felt so pointless and at the end I was glad it was over and just felt relieved but in no way satisfied.
I was fortunate to receive an ARC of Unbury Carol from the publisher, in exchange for an honest review. It's no secret that Josh Malerman is one of my favorite authors, and this novel was another 5-star read for me. One of the things I love most about Malerman's writing is that it's difficult to box him into one genre; each of his stories is unique. Unbury Carol is no exception to this fact. Yes, it's a western, but it is so much more. This is a story that deals with love, loss, fear, and guilt, all wrapped up with a supernatural element. The writing flows easily, and had I not wanted to savor the story, I would've finished it much faster than I did. The characters are well-developed. I loved Carol, but also many of the others, such as James Moxie, Sheriff Opal, and Smoke, one of the nastiest outlaws along the trail. I enjoyed the entire story, including the end, which was clever and satisfying. I look forward to purchasing my hardcover edition come publication day, and as always, I eagerly anticipate Josh Malerman's next piece of writing!
*3.75*
After reading Bird Box and having it jump onto my favorites list, I was eager to get a hold of more of Josh Malerman's books. And despite the fact this isn't even a four star book, I still really enjoyed this. I would definitely not go into this expecting it to be a story about Carol's condition; it's really more about Moxie trying to reach her on time. The pieces with Carol don't seem to play a huge part of the story, and honestly I don't know if the story would have suffered too much if they'd never been included. And while I was absolutely enthralled from start to finish, the last thirty percent or so felt very rushed and confusing, and some of the more "dramatic" scenes felt anticlimactic. And honestly, I hated the magical realism aspect. I honestly don't think it was very necessary to have this element added in; I think it would have been much stronger had that idea been taken out completely. It just took away instead of added. However, despite some of my gripes, I still really enjoyed reading this and I am absolutely, 100% going to pick up more of Malerman's books.
After reading Bird Box and having it jump onto my favorites list, I was eager to get a hold of more of Josh Malerman's books. And despite the fact this isn't even a four star book, I still really enjoyed this. I would definitely not go into this expecting it to be a story about Carol's condition; it's really more about Moxie trying to reach her on time. The pieces with Carol don't seem to play a huge part of the story, and honestly I don't know if the story would have suffered too much if they'd never been included. And while I was absolutely enthralled from start to finish, the last thirty percent or so felt very rushed and confusing, and some of the more "dramatic" scenes felt anticlimactic. And honestly, I hated the magical realism aspect. I honestly don't think it was very necessary to have this element added in; I think it would have been much stronger had that idea been taken out completely. It just took away instead of added. However, despite some of my gripes, I still really enjoyed reading this and I am absolutely, 100% going to pick up more of Malerman's books.
Spoiler
For 99% of the book, Moxie and Carol weren't even around each other. But I shipped them. So. Much.
Carol has a condition where sometimes she falls into a coma-like sleep so deep that her pulse and heartbeat slow to imperceptible speeds and by all accounts she appears to be dead. While under, she visits a dark world she calls Howltown, where she can hear and sense what’s happening to and around her seemingly lifeless body. This ailment obviously causes lots of problems and concerns, especially when her jealous husband is the only one in town who knows about her condition and Carol has suddenly “died” again. Can her ex-lover, famous outlaw James Moxie, come to her aid before she’s buried alive?
This was a weird (but good weird) mixture of mythical, epic western story with elements of horror and a sprinkling magic (I personally wish there had been a little more magic). It involves typical cowboys, some of whom can perform magical feats, along with terrifying characters like Rot (who’s not quite Death) and the psychopathic pyromaniac, Smoke (the smell of oil will stick with you). This has a large cast of characters, but the voice actor for the audiobook (Dan John Miller) does unique voices for each, which helps keep track of everyone and brings the scenes to life. I don’t usually like or gravitate towards westerns ([b: True Grit|257845|True Grit|Charles Portis|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1436277655l/257845._SY75_.jpg|1320617] being the five-star exception to that rule), but with the constantly revolving points of view for each chapter and the never-ending action and mystery, this one really kept me engaged. I’ll definitely check out more books read by this audiobook narrator, and I’ll continue to work my way through all of Josh Malerman’s novels. I’ve had pretty great luck with him so far.
This was a weird (but good weird) mixture of mythical, epic western story with elements of horror and a sprinkling magic (I personally wish there had been a little more magic). It involves typical cowboys, some of whom can perform magical feats, along with terrifying characters like Rot (who’s not quite Death) and the psychopathic pyromaniac, Smoke (the smell of oil will stick with you). This has a large cast of characters, but the voice actor for the audiobook (Dan John Miller) does unique voices for each, which helps keep track of everyone and brings the scenes to life. I don’t usually like or gravitate towards westerns ([b: True Grit|257845|True Grit|Charles Portis|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1436277655l/257845._SY75_.jpg|1320617] being the five-star exception to that rule), but with the constantly revolving points of view for each chapter and the never-ending action and mystery, this one really kept me engaged. I’ll definitely check out more books read by this audiobook narrator, and I’ll continue to work my way through all of Josh Malerman’s novels. I’ve had pretty great luck with him so far.
DNF'd at 30%. initial concept was interesting but this book was strange and boring
