"Buried" by Kennedy Plumb is a masterfully crafted mystery novel that plunges readers into a suspenseful and emotionally charged narrative. Set in a small town with dark secrets lurking beneath its picturesque surface, Plumb's novel expertly weaves together themes of grief, redemption, and the relentless pursuit of truth.

The story follows protagonist Emily, a determined and resilient woman who returns to her hometown after a tragic loss. As Emily digs into the past to uncover the truth behind a long-forgotten mystery, she unearths hidden secrets that threaten to unravel the lives of those she holds dear. Plumb's writing is both evocative and gripping, creating a tense and immersive atmosphere that keeps readers on the edge of their seats from beginning to end.

Plumb excels in character development, making Emily a compelling and relatable protagonist whose journey is as much about self-discovery as it is about solving the mystery. Emily's courage and vulnerability are portrayed with depth and nuance, allowing readers to connect with her on a profound level. The supporting characters, each with their own intricate backstories and motivations, add layers of complexity to the narrative, making the town of Hidden Falls feel alive and brimming with untold stories.

The pacing of "Buried" is expertly managed, with twists and turns that keep readers guessing without feeling forced or contrived. Plumb's ability to balance suspense with emotional depth ensures that the story remains engaging throughout, with moments of tension punctuated by poignant reflections on loss, forgiveness, and the human condition.

The small-town setting is richly detailed, providing a vivid backdrop for the unfolding drama. Plumb's descriptive prose brings the town to life, from its quaint streets and cozy homes to the shadowy corners where secrets fester. This attention to detail enhances the immersive quality of the story, drawing readers deeper into the world of Hidden Falls.

At its core, "Buried" is a story about confronting the past and finding the strength to move forward. Plumb skillfully explores the impact of buried secrets on individuals and communities, highlighting the importance of truth and reconciliation. The novel's resolution is both satisfying and thought-provoking, leaving readers with a sense of closure while still pondering the deeper themes explored within its pages.

Overall, "Buried" by Kennedy Plumb is a standout mystery novel that combines compelling characters, an intricately plotted narrative, and a richly atmospheric setting. With its blend of suspense and emotional resonance, it earns a well-deserved rating of 4.5 out of 5. Fans of mystery and suspense will find "Buried" to be a thoroughly engaging and rewarding read.

Reminiscent of books like The Uglies series and The Hunger Games, this novel is well written and certainly does not disapoint.

The United States is at war and every available adult is drafted into service. Children, elderly and disabled people now live in several large underground cities, living a life of servitude under strict rules and watchful eyes.
Teenager Sam and his eight year old sister Ella have been living underground since their father was called to The Draft eight years ago, never to be heard from again. For them life is hard, repetitive work for minimal pay for things like food, the smallest of mistakes severely punished. The only thing they have is each other.
Struggling to care for his sister and worried about aging out and being drafted himself, Sam is horrified to discover Ella has gone missing.
Sam must travel through the vast underground, joining a band of rag tag misfit rebels and avade capture, whilst searching other cities in the hopes of finding Ella.

This is a fantastic read. I love the character dynamics and the touching bond between Sam and Ella and her witty, sarcastic humour. Sam is such a complex, multi layered character, I like that we are given flashbacks to really get to know the depth of his character. It helps to understand him and the choices he makes.
There is a bit of a background romance blossoming between Sam and a girl named Q, who has an adorably brave german shepherd named Luna.
This is a long read, but definitely engaging, I highly recommend. It ended on a cliffhanger, I'm so looking forward to reading book two.

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this book.

I was a little up & down with this book- there were times I just couldn't get into it, and other times I was completely engrossed. Could be because I was reading a page or two here or there on breaks at work and it took me a while to finish... but it was a pretty good read overall. I will definitely be interested and seeing what happens next!

Je n'ai malheureusement pas eu le temps de lire ce livre mais l'intrigue me plait tout particulièrement.

I was expecting somehting along the lines of Tunnels (Gordon, R.), but the 'underground' feature is less in your face and used primarily as the background function for the dystopian society.
Slow-paced at the beginning as the dystpoian world is built up, the characters unravelled.

I also like the pet - not enough books feature a pet which also gets page space - it added a different dimension to the characters. You can always tell a lot about a person by the way they behave with animals.
Warning: ends on a cliffhanger!

I so wanted this book to be one that I would love but unfortunately that was not the case . I got bored and just couldn’t finish this book .

I can’t recommend this .

Super interesting world building but it didn't really suck me in. The concept and writing are well executed but it did kind of feel like 7 or so other books I read in my dystopian/ Divergent/Hunger Games phase of my life.

Are you a fan of the Dystopian Young Adult genre?
I took a long reading break when my daughter was young and once my reading interest returned, I began reading novels such as The Hunger Games and The Giver with a huge appetite and I could not get enough of the genre, This book should have filled my happy tank. I did something I never do and looked at publisher's reviews, which were outstanding, so went back and read the book again, I could not engage. There were sections of the novel that I did like and these are the sections that I will review.
2922 days since Sam and Ella saw sun and the same count since the pair took care of each other without their parents. Sam is the primary caregiver of Ella and she has been missing for the past three days
There are graphs and images between chapter that acts as an enticement to the storyline, "A pretty unhelpful, definitely not-to-scale, map of the underground." The images saved the book for me.
A fun little fact is the Wrist Tab, which reminds me of iWatch2, is this the direction in which we are going?
Thank you NetGalley, Kennedy Plumb, and First Print Publishing, for giving me this book to read in return for an honest review. 3.5 stars out of 5.
#NetGalley #FirstPrintPublishing #Buried #KennedyPlumb

I was very excited to receive this book and wanted to love it.
I believe 12 year old me would have been obsessed with this book and the world that was built. Unfortunately something was amiss for me me.
I ended up DNF'ing it.

I will say the writing great and the world was interesting. But I believe it just was not the story for me.

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Buried was a pretty fun book to dive into. At first, I didn't know how I was going to feel but then things picked up pretty quickly after that. I feel like the beginning will always be a bit slow to get into because we are getting introduced to everything. So, I'm happy that I never really got hit by slow, boring, or dull moments for the rest of the book.

In this, you will meet some interesting characters. I mean, it would be kind of weird if they weren't.
Especially due to the world they were living in. Each twist, turn, and sarcastic comment kept the pages turning. If I could pinpoint to a favorite character, I would. Sarcasm and bantering give me life so any character that can give me those two things will always be a winner in my book.

Other than that, I was very surprised by the cliffhanger at the end. I honestly didn't think this was going to be turning into a series. So now I'm kind of excited for the sequel to come out.

Wow. I am obsessed with this book and I am currently planning when I can reread it to somehow experience it again.

4.5/5

I genuinely fell in love with this book, but more specifically, I fell in love with Sam. But not in the romantic kind of way, more of the, I want to be his friend so badly that I would live underground and never see sunlight again and that would be okay kind of way.

Buried is set in a post-apocalyptic/dystopian world where anyone under 18 or anyone who is rich is sent underground to live. Everyone else is forced to enlist in some sort of army, which anyone over 18 is drafted for. Sam and his sister Ella both live underground in C9 where they toil their lives away working for the government as they wait to be enlisted. Their life is mundane but Sam often finds it a bit more exciting due to his run-ins with authority. However, one day Ella disappears, sending Sam down a dangerous and harrowing path to find the only person he has left.

Plum’s world-building is so fascinating and intriguing. She was able to describe a feasible world underground that I wanted to know more and more about. I loved the diversity of settings we encountered throughout the book and I loved how the book cover tied in with the later destinations. The pacing in this book was perfect, in my opinion. I finished this book within a week because I just couldn’t put it down. Plum’s writing style is also something I found myself enchanted with. I can’t explain it but it scratched an itch that I didn’t know I had in the YA genre.

But where this book truly shines is the characters. I have never quite read a dystopian novel with such a likable and genuinely funny main character. Sam’s wit shone throughout the book, but I would give anything to read the first few chapters again to experience his hilarious thoughts for the first time. Ella was also a good character, except I feel as if she did follow a few tropes at points. We also didn’t get to know her as well as we did Sam, so at times I thought she fell a bit flat. However, Sam’s relationship with Ella is written and articulated beautifully. I love a tough character backstory and Sam had it, uncensored and raw in all of its glory. Because we get such an intense look at Sam’s past, his motivation throughout the book to save Ella is rock solid. I empathized with him and understood why he did what he did in order to try and save his sister, which wouldn’t have happened if Plum hadn’t crafted such a likable and layered character.

I appreciated the romance as well, but I loved that the romance never took over the plot. It was more of a side quest, which is how I like romance to be. It was a bit predictable (who wouldn’t have guessed that they would like each other) but perhaps this was also just due to the book not being long enough to really dive into the romance and eliminate the tropes.

This book is currently my favorite book I’ve read this year and I cannot wait to reread it. But I’m sure you’re wondering, why didn’t you rate it 5 stars? Well, it’s because of the ending. The ending was… disappointing. I understand why Plum ended it as she did, but I felt a touch bit betrayed after 730 pages that there isn’t any real resolution to the book. There was a distinct lack of explanation, closure, or loose ends tied despite how much new information is introduced within the last few chapters. I wanted a bit more from the end, but perhaps the sequel will quench my thirst for answers.

All in all, I am obsessed with this book, the characters, and Plum’s writing style. I will wait entirely impatiently for the sequel to this book so I can fall more in love with Sam. But in the meantime, I’ll be planning out how I can possibly live underground in hopes of one day being cool enough to be his friend.

** spoiler alert ** Thanks to NetGalley for a free copy of this book. I would give this 3.5 stars.

This was a really promising start to a series (trilogy? There’s at least going to be a sequel). Interesting world building, although there’s a lot still to be explained, and I think my rating would be a little higher if we got more information in this book.

Why are the people underground? Are there still people above ground? I want more details about zones E1 and E2, and even about other lower zones besides C9. We got a peek at how things work but I want more.

I enjoyed the characters, especially the group of random people Sam ends up with. I appreciated the diversity there.

There’s lots of directions this story could continue in and I’m interested to see where it goes next.

This one was PERFECTION! And that is a BIG deal coming from someone who has a hard time with YA dystopias... but I really loved this! The writing style just really worked for me, it's in the first person in Sam's perspective, and well he's so sarcastic. Like he feels so believable as a teenager, a traumatic teenager. He's gone through hell through hells When he was 8 his dad was drafted on this long years war that left the US in pieces and never came back, but before he went he made Sam vow that he'll take care of his mom and his unborn baby sister... yikes. But it gets worse when his mom has to go to labor early and there are no emergency people coming, so a literal 8-year-old has to help... At least he managed to help his mom and sister. But NO, his mom dies in front of him surrounded by all this blood, and this literal 8-year-old has to take care of this baby.. for months until these military people find him... God. I feel so sorry for him. But at least that's over... Nah, his life is just sad with a capital S. All he wants is his sister Ella to be safe, he makes his personal goal to protect her. And now for 8 years, they live in this Underground United States where people are divided by status (typically) and the kids have to do work and if they don't obey or make trouble... well they're not very nice to them. And well, Sam's sister is just a big troublemaker and prankster (she's cute though) and Sam always has to get punished in her place (he wants to, he doesn't want his sister to be hurt, ever). And then some shit goes and Ella is nowhere to be found. And Sam wants to do anything to find her.
Man, the plot was just AMAZING! It's sad that it's left in a cliffhanger, but I SO wanna read the sequel! I'm very interested to know what's next.
The chapter titles are so genius and sassy, so fitting to the MC's personality or rather his way to mask his insecurities, fears, and trauma. I really liked that the author mentioned literally everything, the problems in all ways and perspectives not just our MCs. I liked it, and I think this debut author will do amazing books. Also, Q is such a cool character, and Luna the dog was soo cute.
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND, if you like YA dystopias that aren't much cliche and not all-powerful and all into saving the world, go read this. It's very well written, and even though it has a lot of pages, it didn't even feel like that, it was never boring. I'm so happy to have read this and also crushed... I want the sequel fast!

***Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an electronic copy of this book in exchange for honest feedback.***

“What a horrific year we have suffered here in the United States of America.”
- first line
*Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.*

As a result of undefined “acts of violence and attacks of cruelty and savagery,” the president signed Executive Order 153. The order requires that all US citizens (men and women) between the ages of 18 and 65 be drafted for involuntary military deployment. It also states that underage, elderly, and disabled civilians will be left to the “safe care of the US Government” and granted access to “government-sanctioned homesteads” underground.
Siblings Sam and Ella have been living in the Underground United States for the last 8 years, since their parents were taken by the Draft. Ella was just a baby when they came to Zone C9 and Sam has always taken care of her. When Ella disappears, Sam is determined to find and rescue her. But no one leaves the Zone and survives.

It took me a while to get into this story, but once I did, I was hooked. I love Sam and his sarcastic attitude and Ella with her playful innocence. Living in the Zones is awful - between the cold and dark, the lack of food, the guards, and the wristtab (a cuff that attaches to the artery at your wrist). Minors (children under 12) take classes, but all other residents are forced to work and must pay for the meager food at the cafeteria each day. When you reach 18, you are sent to “who-knows-where to do who-knows-what for what’s left of the military.”

The world-building in this book is amazing and unique. I could easily picture the underground environment and the Zones. The Zones reminded me of the Districts in the Hunger Games - some are dirt poor and residents struggle to survive and others are wealthy and residents are only concerned with partying. The characters Sam meets during his search for Ella are well-developed and interesting. One twist at the end I sort of saw coming but the other one floored me. I’ve seen some complaints about the drawings and other artifacts included between some chapters, but I enjoyed them. They made the world more interesting and real to me. I recommend this book to fans of Hunger Games, Uglies, and other dystopian books. And I’m really looking forward to reading book 2!!

I thoroughly enjoyed the world-building and characters in this book. It's definitely a good read for those looking to get started in the world of dystopian/sci-fi books. The plot and sibling dynamic work very well, and Plumb's writing is lovely.

While I don't think this stands out in comparison to some of my other favorite titles in this genre, I definitely think its a solid read. I could recommend this to many of my friends and followers!

I'd be interested to see if a sequel covered the details I felt were missing at the start of this one.

As far as dystopian novels go, this one had some different elements that kept me intrigued.
As is often the case in these types of stories, there is a major war and the inhabitants of the US have been forced to live underground. Every adult, except the elite (those with money or in a position of power), has been forced into battle, leaving the children relegated to living in zone underground by themselves. They are provided for, but live in less than ideal conditions. What keeps this story refreshing and entertaining is the element of mystery - Sam’s sister goes missing from their zone and he has to track her down. I can’t go into detail without spoiling it, so I will not. I recommend you read it to find out,
The story flows nicely as Sam goes in search of his sister and we go back into the past to learn more about the characters. I think one of my favorite elements was the closer look into Sam’s mind through what resembles some kind of journal entry.
I really enjoyed this story and look forward to the next instalment.

The wit and humor of the main character give this dystopian an unique spin, while still weaving through more serious themes.

Sam's parents were forced into the armed forces, while he and his much younger sister were forced to join those living underground. He never saw his or heard from his parents again. Life underground is separated into different levels, which he and his sister reside in the lowest class. They work for credits to pay for their food and such, and he is well-liked by one of the heads. Life isn't great, but when his sister goes missing, it takes an even worse turn. Now, he can only hope it will be possible to find her.

I do enjoy a good, YA dystopian, but this one was not what I was expecting. While there are cliches and things that remind me of other books in this genre, there's a humorous touch, which makes it unique. The main character, Sam, isn't happy with the state of things...nor should he be...but he packs sarcasm and keeps humor up. It's not that he cracks jokes, but rather, the way his thoughts flow and his comments give him a touch of Diary of a Wimpy Kid. This was strengthened by the illustrations of diagrams and notes he'd create. So, unlike other YA dystopians, which harbor serious circumstances and danger, this one takes a lighter twist...and still, adds in serious circumstances and, toward the end especially, danger.

The writing in this one flows well. It's written in first person from Sam's point of view, but even here, it's a bit original in that Sam speaks to the reader, at times, and switches between acting as a narrator and really sinking in as a character in the story. It makes it hard to say, which audience this book is intended for. Much of it screams middle grade, and I'd recommended it to that group if it weren't for some of the tougher scenes later on. Honestly, I'm not quite sure where to put this one.

The world building is well done and makes the underground world easy to picture. I also adored the sibling relationship, although I would have liked to have gotten to know his sister a little better. The other characters are very varied, and there the basis for the series is well set. While it is a longer read, the illustrations do keep it from bogging down and add a little fun. Still, there were more than a couple holes in the background information and reasoning to the world, which I do hope will still be explained in the next book(s)...but I am missing it already now.

This is an original and fun dystopian with a different flair. I'm going to recommend it for the very upper end of the middle grade and the very lower end of the young adult audience, and am sure the right readers will enjoy it quite a bit. I received an ARC through Netgalley.

Thanks so much to Netgalley and Kennedy Plumb for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!!

Buried was quite a journey. I haven’t read a book over 600 pages in a while, so I was first pretty daunted by this 735-page novel. It had a solid setup, plenty of action. I do have to say that some of the scenes felt a little unnecessary, there wasn’t much that was going on in some of them and I was musing to myself, “I’m not sure this needs to be here.”

The exposition was pretty incredible. Sam (the main character) vividly paints a picture of a colorless, underground world. There are some parts that are very, very similar to the Hunger Games, but it was different enough that I didn’t feel like it was a knockoff. Sam’s unwavering and fierce love for his sister Ella is both heartwarming and inspiringly courageous, some of my favorite scenes in the book are Sam‘s memories of raising her. The switching back from the past to the present kept me hooked the whole way through. I cannot wait for the sequel!

I loved the concept of this book, and how the author took this genre and came up with something different. I was hooked from the first page and I couldn’t wait to dive into the story. Sending the children, elderly and disabled underground whilst all other healthy adults are ‘drafted’ into the military was genius. It created an air of mystery, wondering about what these adults are doing. It was also quite dark and in parts brutal, but the descriptions and emotions invoked the right kinds of feelings in me to be so powerful and lasting.

It may seem silly, but I loved that the chapters had names. I don’t know why, but it seemed to get me wondering what there was to come. They also showed Sam’s personality, so it also added to the interesting character development!

Sam’s love for his sister, Ella, was so heartwarming. You could feel the pressure he felt under to keep her safe, and it was obvious he’d do absolutely anything for her. He was such a likeable character — witty, funny, and didn’t have a filter, which made for some very interesting reading. So many other characters had such interesting backstories, and I only wanted to find out more.

I was fascinated with the world, the history, the culture. I loved the diagrams scattered throughout the book explaining how the underground worked. It provided me with a visual aid to imagine what it was like. I was outraged alongside the characters at how controlling and unfair the conditions they had to live in were. How it was portrayed on the surface of being a safe environment from whatever waited for them on the outside when really the ones in charge were just using it to hold control over the children.

It was a little slow in the beginning, but at around the 30% mark, things started happening and it was a wild ride from there. Twists, reveals, and lots of action to keep the story moving along. The book got better the more I got into it, and by the 50% mark, I could not stop reading!

I guessed the ending, or at least part of it, but it was still a brilliant build-up. I didn’t realise when I started reading that it was going to be a series, but I’m glad it is because I’m not ready to let go of the characters. There was still an air of mystery and threads left to untangle in the next book. However, it still wrapped up some things and had a satisfying end, even with the massive cliffhanger!

Thanks to Netgalley and the author for a chance to read and review this book!