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3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
this book gave me the heebie jeebies, but not in the way i wanted it to.
the story itself wasn't scary, but the depictions of addiction, of women, of fat people were really one-note and devastating. more inhuman than the evil presence driving the plot was the way these characters were rendered on page.
it's cringeworthy and wrong.
it's also dual perspective and dual timeline, and if there's one thing i continue to learn again and again in my reading life, it's that i am a single perspective, single timeline kind of reader. rarely do i read a story and think, wow. this really benefited from dividing its time and narrative strength between two things.
beyond that, the storyline itself was slow and moved in fits and starts, and the writing felt awkward and unwieldy. things that are imbued with huge significance never come up again. points of view you think will coalesce are just left as loose ends.
the connection it tried to make between vices and monstrosity would have been much cooler a hundred years ago, before we had modern lines of thinking and understanding of why people do what they do.
bottom line: i wanted to like this, but i couldn't find much to like.
------------------
pre-review
in my horror era
or not.
(thanks to the publisher for the e-arc)
the story itself wasn't scary, but the depictions of addiction, of women, of fat people were really one-note and devastating. more inhuman than the evil presence driving the plot was the way these characters were rendered on page.
Spoiler
the alcoholic mother is revealed to be a cold, cruel, unfeeling monster. the overweight bedridden man who is constantly referred to as disgusting is eaten and does the eating.it's also dual perspective and dual timeline, and if there's one thing i continue to learn again and again in my reading life, it's that i am a single perspective, single timeline kind of reader. rarely do i read a story and think, wow. this really benefited from dividing its time and narrative strength between two things.
beyond that, the storyline itself was slow and moved in fits and starts, and the writing felt awkward and unwieldy. things that are imbued with huge significance never come up again. points of view you think will coalesce are just left as loose ends.
the connection it tried to make between vices and monstrosity would have been much cooler a hundred years ago, before we had modern lines of thinking and understanding of why people do what they do.
bottom line: i wanted to like this, but i couldn't find much to like.
------------------
pre-review
in my horror era
or not.
(thanks to the publisher for the e-arc)
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
It is a chilling horror mystery steeped in Native American mythology, cultural tensions, and eerie supernatural events. Noemi Broussard is a young woman on the cusp of starting a new chapter in her life. She’s leaving behind the reservation she grew up on, and her new boyfriend, Roddy, seems like a bright spot in her life. But everything unravels when Roddy is found dead in an apparent suicide. As Noemi struggles to make sense of his tragic death, she begins to suspect that something much darker is at play.
Things take an even more unsettling turn when Noemi’s Uncle Louie returns to the reservation after years of estrangement. Louie’s past is full of secrets and horrors, and his reappearance seems to coincide with disturbing occurrences—people acting strangely, and unexplained supernatural events. Together, Noemi and Louie are drawn into a hunt for the truth, which leads them deep into the myths and mysteries of their tribal lands.
But as the pieces begin to come together, Noemi wonders if the secrets they uncover are better left buried. The more they dig into Roddy’s death and the unsettling occurrences around the reservation, the more they risk unleashing something that could endanger them all.
Elements
- Mythological Horror
- Cultural Heritage and Identity
- Supernatural Thriller
- Family Secrets
Perfect for
- Thrillers with supernatural elements
- Mysteries set within Native American communities, highlighting cultural themes and mythologies
- Atmospheric horror novels with intricate character relationships
Indian Burial Ground promises to be a spine-chilling exploration of myth, culture, and family secrets. With haunting imagery and a fast-paced mystery at its core, this novel is perfect for readers who enjoy horror stories that blur the line between reality and the supernatural, all while providing a poignant exploration of Native American identity and history.
Things take an even more unsettling turn when Noemi’s Uncle Louie returns to the reservation after years of estrangement. Louie’s past is full of secrets and horrors, and his reappearance seems to coincide with disturbing occurrences—people acting strangely, and unexplained supernatural events. Together, Noemi and Louie are drawn into a hunt for the truth, which leads them deep into the myths and mysteries of their tribal lands.
But as the pieces begin to come together, Noemi wonders if the secrets they uncover are better left buried. The more they dig into Roddy’s death and the unsettling occurrences around the reservation, the more they risk unleashing something that could endanger them all.
Elements
- Mythological Horror
- Cultural Heritage and Identity
- Supernatural Thriller
- Family Secrets
Perfect for
- Thrillers with supernatural elements
- Mysteries set within Native American communities, highlighting cultural themes and mythologies
- Atmospheric horror novels with intricate character relationships
Indian Burial Ground promises to be a spine-chilling exploration of myth, culture, and family secrets. With haunting imagery and a fast-paced mystery at its core, this novel is perfect for readers who enjoy horror stories that blur the line between reality and the supernatural, all while providing a poignant exploration of Native American identity and history.
Thank you to Berkley and Netgalley for this advanced copy through the #BerkleyBesties program. All thoughts are my own.
Indian Burial Ground is a Native American horror novel following two timelines: In the present day, Noemi is grappling with the sudden death of her longtime boyfriend Roddy. In the past, we follow Louie as he struggles to understand the strange things happening during the summer on the res. When Louie shows up on the res in the present day, Noemi and Louie try to make sense of the various questions they have about the monsters that lurk in the dark.
Frankly, I'm not really sure what I read. I'm not sure if my description of the plot really conveys what actually happens because I'm not even sure about what happened...and not in a good way. The two timelines felt clunky and it was hard to tell how they would eventually tie together in the end. The pacing was a bit off at times and I felt like there were a lot of secondary characters where it became hard to differentiate who was who.
I don't read horror so I am proud of myself for at least trying a genre out of my comfort zone. A more avid horror reader might enjoy this more than I did.
Indian Burial Ground is a Native American horror novel following two timelines: In the present day, Noemi is grappling with the sudden death of her longtime boyfriend Roddy. In the past, we follow Louie as he struggles to understand the strange things happening during the summer on the res. When Louie shows up on the res in the present day, Noemi and Louie try to make sense of the various questions they have about the monsters that lurk in the dark.
Frankly, I'm not really sure what I read. I'm not sure if my description of the plot really conveys what actually happens because I'm not even sure about what happened...and not in a good way. The two timelines felt clunky and it was hard to tell how they would eventually tie together in the end. The pacing was a bit off at times and I felt like there were a lot of secondary characters where it became hard to differentiate who was who.
I don't read horror so I am proud of myself for at least trying a genre out of my comfort zone. A more avid horror reader might enjoy this more than I did.
Nick Medina is officially an auto-buy author. I previously read Sisters of the Lost Nation and found it utterly captivating, and this book was no different.
This incorporates real life issues (missing Indigenous women) with Indigenous mythology, and Medina has a knack for walking the line between the natural and supernatural which creates an ominously unsettling feeling rather than straight up horror. The story is switches seamlessly between present day, middle-aged Noemi and her uncle Louie's perspective from when he was a teenager and Noemi was just a toddler. The pieces fall together in a beautifully told story.
If Nick Medina writes it, I will buy it.
This incorporates real life issues (missing Indigenous women) with Indigenous mythology, and Medina has a knack for walking the line between the natural and supernatural which creates an ominously unsettling feeling rather than straight up horror. The story is switches seamlessly between present day, middle-aged Noemi and her uncle Louie's perspective from when he was a teenager and Noemi was just a toddler. The pieces fall together in a beautifully told story.
If Nick Medina writes it, I will buy it.
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I'm not sure I'd ever read this author again, some of the writing was top notch, some of it was not.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
finished copy gifted by the publisher
Noemi Broussard is looking for a fresh start until she learns of her boyfriend's suicide. Coinciding with her uncle Louie's return to the reservation after decades, the duo must decide if there's something menacing within the tribal lands or if they want to keep the secrets buried.
Alternating between the two MCs' timelines, GROUND is a poignant yet painful story that examines alcoholism, mental health, and poverty within Native communities. Medina seamlessly weaves mythology and generational trauma into this powerful tale. I was more invested in Louie's teenage years as he assumed an adult's responsibility and hoped for more mystery elements from Noemi's narrative. While there are imperfections with pacing, the use of psychological burden manifesting as a horror story is ingenious.
Noemi Broussard is looking for a fresh start until she learns of her boyfriend's suicide. Coinciding with her uncle Louie's return to the reservation after decades, the duo must decide if there's something menacing within the tribal lands or if they want to keep the secrets buried.
Alternating between the two MCs' timelines, GROUND is a poignant yet painful story that examines alcoholism, mental health, and poverty within Native communities. Medina seamlessly weaves mythology and generational trauma into this powerful tale. I was more invested in Louie's teenage years as he assumed an adult's responsibility and hoped for more mystery elements from Noemi's narrative. While there are imperfections with pacing, the use of psychological burden manifesting as a horror story is ingenious.
I really enjoyed Sisters of the Lost Nation and was very excited to read this. Indian Burial Ground is another great book, navigating tragic and strange activities happening present day and looking to the past to make sense of them. I appreciated the weaving together of Indigenous folklore with the real-life horrors of poverty and addiction.
I found the pacing a bit uneven at times, and this is certainly a more character-driven book; but the last third/quarter of this book was captivating. Will definitely continue to follow this author’s work.
I found the pacing a bit uneven at times, and this is certainly a more character-driven book; but the last third/quarter of this book was captivating. Will definitely continue to follow this author’s work.