Title: Unbury Carol

Author: Josh Malerman

Publisher: Delacorte Press 2023

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 320

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf; Spooky Season

Where I Got It: Book of the Month October 2023

In the small mountain town of Jasper, North Carolina, June Farrow is waiting for fate to find her. The Farrow women are known for their thriving flower farm—and the mysterious curse that has plagued their family line. The whole town remembers the madness that led to Susanna Farrow’s disappearance, leaving June to be raised by her grandmother and haunted by rumors.

It’s been a year since June started seeing and hearing things that weren’t there. Faint wind chimes, a voice calling her name, and a mysterious door appearing out of nowhere—the signs of what June always knew was coming. But June is determined to end the curse once and for all, even if she must sacrifice finding love and having a family of her own.

After her grandmother’s death, June discovers a series of cryptic clues regarding her mother’sdecades-old disappearance, except they only lead to more questions. But could the door she once assumed was a hallucination be the answer she’s been searching for? The next time it appears, June realizes she can touch it and walk past the threshold. And when she does, she embarks on a journey that will not only change both the past and the future, but also uncover the lingering mysteries of her small town and entangle her heart in an epic star-crossed love.

I read Young’s previous book, Spells for Forgetting, and enjoyed the atmospheric slightly spooky story. We picked her newest book as our book club selection for October. I immediately fell into the Farrow family lore and wanted to know more about their history. As June’s life becomes unraveled, I really started rooting for her to get her happiness. Once we are transported back in time, the storyline really gets moving and I was desperate to figure out all the secrets. I sped through the book and let out a contented sigh at the end. This was a great slightly magical book about a woman finding her place.

Next up on the TBR pile: