The New York Times bestselling author of Bird Box returns with a supernatural thriller of love, redemption, and murder.NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY NEWSWEEK“This one haunts you for reasons you can’t quite put your finger on. . . . [Josh Malerman] defies categories and comparisons with other writers.”—Kirkus ReviewsCarol Evers is a woman with a dark secret. She has died many times . … Reviews
Carol Evers is a woman with a dark secret. She has died many times . . . but her many deaths are not final: They are comas, a waking slumber indistinguishable from death, each lasting days.
Only two people know of Carol’s eerie condition. One is her husband, Dwight, who married Carol for her fortune, and—when she lapses into another coma—plots to seize it by proclaiming her dead and quickly burying her . . . alive. The other is her lost love, the infamous outlaw James Moxie. When word of Carol’s dreadful fate reaches him, Moxie rides the Trail again to save his beloved from an early, unnatural grave.
And all the while, awake and aware, Carol fights to free herself from the crippling darkness that binds her—summoning her own fierce will to survive. As the players in this drama of life and death fight to decide her fate, Carol must in the end battle to save herself.
The haunting story of a woman literally bringing herself back from the dead, Unbury Carol is a twisted take on the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale that will stay with you long after you’ve turned the final page.
Praise for Unbury Carol
“Fantastically clever. A breakneck ride to save a life already lost, proving sometimes death is only the beginning.”—J. D. Barker, internationally bestselling author of The Fourth Monkey
“Breathtaking and menacing . . . an intricately plotted, lyrical page-turner about love, betrayal, revenge, and the primal fear of being buried alive.”—Booklist (starred review)
“Unbury Carol is a Poe story set in the weird West we all carry inside us, and it not only hits the ground running, it digs into that ground, too. About six wonderful feet.”—Stephen Graham Jones, author of Mongrels
“Bleakly lyrical à la Cormac McCarthy and Flannery O’Connor.”—Library Journal (starred review)
“With vivid prose and characters that leap off the page, guns a-blazing, Unbury Carol creates its own lingering legend, dragging you along like an obstinate horse toward a righteous storm of an ending.”—Delilah S. Dawson, New York Times bestselling author of Star Wars: Phasma
more
Fantastically clever. A breakneck ride to save a life already lost, proving sometimes death is only the beginning.
Josh Malerman writes what he wants and that is just fine with me. Whether it’s a mother trying to keep her kids alive, a group of musicians trying to save the world, or an outlaw trying to rescue his ex-lover, they all have one thing in common: Malerman communicates desperation and incredibly deep themes in a storyline that is as unique as a fingerprint.
In Unbury Carol, Malerman uses a combination of western, horror, thriller/suspense, paranormal, a little bit of steampunk, and wild west humor to tell a story about murder and betrayal. The many, many characters introduced along the way are fun to follow and surprisingly complex, and the “hero” in this story is one who is not only trying to save Carol, but trying to save himself in the process.
When I first started reading, I didn’t think I would enjoy this book. I was confused by the “western” feel of it at first glance. But then I met Smoke (yeah!), got to know the guilt-ridden James Moxie more, and watched Carol grow with strength and determination despite the obstacles holding her down. Unbury Carol is different but it was the kind of different I ended up enjoying. I hope you do to!
With vivid prose and characters that leap off the page, guns a-blazing, Unbury Carol creates its own lingering legend, dragging you along like an obstinate horse toward a righteous storm of an ending.
Once I finished Bird Box, I literally walked over to my computer and purchased another Josh Malerman book. I did the exact same thing when I finished Unbury Carol. To say that I have a reader/author crush on Josh Malerman is putting it lightly.
Unbury Carol was completely unexpected. It’s a western which is stated in the books blurb but hey I didn’t bother reading the blurb the cover and title, plus my current Malerman kick is all I needed to click “buy now.” The story line is also unexpected. It’s gothically gorgeous in phrases, yet there are moments of “cowboy talk” or “country speak” that are specific to the area and story line that blew me away. The Unbury Carol story and writing is excellent, but where this audiobook truly shines is the narration. The narrator Dan Jon Miller is one of the best I have ever heard. Read Unbury Carol for the clever twist on an old premise, but love Unbury Carol audiobook for the exceptional narration. The narration in the last chapters is outstanding. Is there such a thing as an audiobook narrator Emmy because Miller should be nominated for Unbury Carol.
I really enjoyed the suspense. Unexpected ending.
Unbury Carol is a Poe story set in the weird West we all carry inside us, and it not only hits the ground running, it digs into that ground, too. About six wonderful feet.
As usual, Josh Malerman’s writing quickly pulled me into his fictional world. Unlike his other books, Unbury Carol takes place in a time period that feels like the Old West but also seems mystical too, as if it belongs in an alternate universe.
I fell in love with Carol, Moxie, and Opal. Their story is equal parts western, fantasy, horror, and fairy tale.
Carol is the damsel in distress who has way more inner strength and power than any fairy tale would lead you to believe.
Moxie is the flawed anti-hero who is half-outlaw and half-hero. His journey through the mistakes of his past – and their accompanying madness – was absolutely compelling.
Opal is an old-fashioned lawman who can’t quite bring himself to believe that everything is as it appears. His skepticism and willingness to investigate makes him the type of sheriff every town needs.
The bad guys – namely Rot and the beyond insane Smoke – are terrifying versions of our fears and worst instincts. Rot represents death. Smoke represents the vengeful, single-minded approach of a psychopath who has zero impulse control.
I loved Malerman’s occasionally esoteric musings inside of Howltown. This reminded me of his other novel with a philosophical bent, Black Mad Wheel.
By the end, I was cheering on the good guys, had a proper amount of hate for the bad guys, and felt completely satisfied by the story’s resolution. There is at least one question left open that may nag at some readers (although potential answers are woven into the story), but explaining everything would have spoiled some of the magic.
This book is a combination of many things: an updated fairytale, a paranormal romance, & a western-type mystery. It was very entertaining but may have tried a little too hard to be too many things. I did love the story, but I wish the ending had been a little more drawn out. I will read more books by this author and I do recommend it.
Such an imaginative combination of western, gothic, supernatural and magical thinking! It would almost fit seamlessly into Stephen King’s Dark Tower series. From my personal point of view and based on my own taste in entertainment reading, that’s one of the highest compliments I can pay a novel!
Interesting concept, but too much detail and rambling. I like the idea of the “coma” and the husband. It just seems the story could have been shorted by about 200 pages.