What I'm Reading: March 1, 2024 Issue of Booklist

The current issue of Booklist has 2 of my reviews in it. As usual you can find my draft reviews below with a bunch of bonus content.

Indian Burial Ground

by Nick Medina

Apr. 2024. 384p. Berkley, $28 (9780593546888); e-book (9780593546901). 
First published March 1, 2024 (Booklist).

Medina (Sisters of the Lost Nation) returns with another mystery encased in supernatural mythology, set on a Louisiana Reservation. Noemi, 38, is starting to see a future for herself when her boyfriend is unexpectedly killed. Louie, the uncle who helped to raise her, until the age of 5, returns for the annual Pow-Wow just as Noemi is receiving the terrible news, returning him to the summer of 1986 when a series of deaths led to the unraveling of his life. Told from both Louie and Noemi’s point of view, the story moves fluidly between past and present, enhancing the unease and layering the dread allowing readers to feel the reverberations of both horrible secrets and reservation life over time. However, despite the pain and fear, ultimately, there is a celebration of life at the novel's core. A great choice for fans of Mystery-Horror hybrids which offer a compelling, character focused story that entertains without shying away from a direct portrayal of the generational trauma experienced by marginalized people such as White Horse by Wurth or Children of Chicago by Pelayo.

Further Appeal [Notes]:

• Most of the mysteries are resolved– this is important because it is realistic. Not all mysteries can be resolved but you can learn and grow from the bad things that happen to you. Not a straight up mystery, but mystery readers may like this one too. 
• The narrators are clearly notes but it is fluid as well. Not a straight back and forth, which is good!
• Medina provides context and help for those struggling with alcohol or suicidal thoughts, especially in his Native community in the book. This is well done at the end.
• He takes a clear stand and includes a nuanced portrayal of the issues in the book as part of the story. It adds context to the characters and setting and honestly makes the entire story more compelling.
• I moderated a panel with Medina for a LJ event last Dec and during it I noted how I love how his books directly take on stereotypes of Native communities head on, he acknowledges they exists and have a reason, but also flips them to add context and take control back. I love this about his writing. And the fact that it is just part of the story, but you can see that he is doing this upon reflection is why he is such a great option for a wide audience. There is pain and generational trauma, but there is also joy and love.
• POV clearly notes at the chapter header, sometimes the time frame takes a moment to discern but adds to the unease and fluidity of the storytelling

Three Words That Describe This Book: dual time frames, generational trauma, character centered

Readalikes: The two in the review are mysteries with trauma told by marginalized people. Shutter by Ramona Emerson is also a good choice here as it is a supernatural mystery with a Navajo perspective that greatly enhances the story and increases the tension. I also feel that for those looking for another Horror story about family secrets and trauma, I would suggest How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix.

 

Next up is a debut novel and the author is a Librarian.

Living in Cemeteries

by Corey Farrenkopf
Apr. 2024. 224p. JournalStone, paper, $16.95  (9781685101190); e-book (9781685101206). 
First published March 1, 2024 (Booklist).

Dave works in a historic cemetery on Cape Cod, but this graveyard is slightly askew from what readers know, as the unsettling open to Farrenkopf’s debut novel makes apparent when a ghost bull charges mourners at a funeral and impales his best friend. No one is surprised however, because here ghosts are not only real, but they are linked to a living adult relative, destined to die as a payment for that ancestor's misdeeds. Dave loves his girlfriend, Jessica, but has put off a career in botany for her. And unlike Jessica, who got answers from visits to her ancestor’s graves, Dave is struggling because he has no idea what fate awaits him. The effortless world building, buoyed by Dave’s confident narration, immediately immerses readers in the intense unease, carrying them to its emotional conclusion. A character-centered and thought provoking tale that is as much about embracing life as it is about death, this title will appeal to fans of Elizabeth McCracken and Neil Gaiman as well as grief horror like This Thing Between Us by Moreno and Ghost Eaters by Chapman.

Further Appeal: This is a great story. Dave will hook people immediately and guide them through this compelling plot with stellar world building. It is hard to build a convincing setting that is similar to our world and yet slightly askew, but Farrenkopf pulls it off perfectly.

The entire book is also about those years in your life, after college, that time when you are figuring out what your adult life is going to look like. It is the anxiety and uncertainty explored in a depth you don't often see. The idea that the world in this novel is a place where you can learn how you are going to die and when, adds to the anxiety of that time without trivializing it. It serves to heighten the unease.

This book is truly immersive. I believed this world was possible while reading it. It is also character centered. These two appeals make it seem like the book would be more methodically paced, but it is not. This is a story that will keep you turning the pages as well.

And I mentioned it above, but the ending is very emotional, in a way that serves to enhance the entire novel. Also it is believable in response to my comments about how the book is ultimately about that fear of taking those first steps into adulthood.

Three Words That Describe This Book: unsettling, effortless world building, immersive

Readalikes: I gave many above but I need to point out a book that Corey was a part of that got a star in Booklist and I gave a glowing review to in LJ: Tiny Nightmares. I point this out because Farrenkopf might be an author you haven't heard of, but he has been lurking alongside some HUGE names for a bit now. 

I would also suggest The Insatiable Volt Sisters by Moulton as a great readalike as well.