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annalucy29's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, Death, Violence, Gun violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Chronic illness, Classism, Bullying, and Car accident
liviy0017's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Blood, Car accident, and Violence
Minor: Cancer, Cursing, and Sexual content
rorikae's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
In 'Unsettled Ground,' Claire Fuller unravels the story of a family through the eyes of two grown twins after their mother's passing.
The story centers on Jeanie and Julius, twins in their early fifties, who live with their mother Dot in a tiny cottage in the countryside. When Dot dies unexpectedly, the twins are thrust into the world, having to deal with the life their mother left behind and what they will do now that she is gone.
In every novel of Fuller's that I have read, she does an excellent job of creating compelling characters and setting up a slight air of mystery that tugs the reader along throughout the story. This sense of mystery is usually some impending or long ago disaster that has impacted everything for the characters. This is much the same in 'Unsettled Ground' but I think that this is Fuller's best iteration of it yet. Jeanie and Julius have stayed at home with their mother far longer than most would expect and it's clear from the beginning that Dot has coddled them in some ways. There are lurking memories in their past that ground them to the cottage they've lived in with their mother and that bubble to the surface as they are forced to reckon with the outside world.
This is a quietly tragic book. Jeanie and Julius go through unfortunate circumstances and their lives begin to unravel. Revelations that happen later in the book complicate everything that they have known and have them thinking about the lives that they could have lived if things had been different. Fuller makes this so affecting by focusing on small details and letting them speak for larger moments. Details are rich from the first page but they never feel like too much. Jeanie and Julius feel like real people to me and I want the absolute best for them.
This isn't an easy book and it left me feeling melancholy though grateful for the time I spent with these characters. I highly recommend it if you are looking for a story that is steeped in melancholy and family trauma but has a glimmer of hope still shining at the center. I think it's Fuller's best book yet and I can't wait to see what she writes next.
The story centers on Jeanie and Julius, twins in their early fifties, who live with their mother Dot in a tiny cottage in the countryside. When Dot dies unexpectedly, the twins are thrust into the world, having to deal with the life their mother left behind and what they will do now that she is gone.
In every novel of Fuller's that I have read, she does an excellent job of creating compelling characters and setting up a slight air of mystery that tugs the reader along throughout the story. This sense of mystery is usually some impending or long ago disaster that has impacted everything for the characters. This is much the same in 'Unsettled Ground' but I think that this is Fuller's best iteration of it yet. Jeanie and Julius have stayed at home with their mother far longer than most would expect and it's clear from the beginning that Dot has coddled them in some ways. There are lurking memories in their past that ground them to the cottage they've lived in with their mother and that bubble to the surface as they are forced to reckon with the outside world.
This is a quietly tragic book. Jeanie and Julius go through unfortunate circumstances and their lives begin to unravel. Revelations that happen later in the book complicate everything that they have known and have them thinking about the lives that they could have lived if things had been different. Fuller makes this so affecting by focusing on small details and letting them speak for larger moments. Details are rich from the first page but they never feel like too much. Jeanie and Julius feel like real people to me and I want the absolute best for them.
This isn't an easy book and it left me feeling melancholy though grateful for the time I spent with these characters. I highly recommend it if you are looking for a story that is steeped in melancholy and family trauma but has a glimmer of hope still shining at the center. I think it's Fuller's best book yet and I can't wait to see what she writes next.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Car accident, Death, Death of parent, and Grief
Moderate: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Infidelity, and Medical content
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