Susana Prather is anxious as she approaches her eighteenth birthday. She is pretty sure she doesn't believe in curses but the general atmosphere around her, the looks from family members, gives her the feeling that some are waiting for the family curse to hit her. The curse that travels down through generations of her bloodline to each eldest daughter. The curse that took her mother into the swamp, never to be seen again. A curse that is sure to kill her after driving her mad.
I received a copy of this book by Caroline George, my first read by her, from the publisher through NetGalley and this is my opinion of it. It isn't blatant horror in my opinion, it is dark, moody and sometimes a bit confusing when stories switch between Susana and her ancestor. Through the generations there are various forms of the name Suzanna. That being said, there is beautiful writing with descriptive language that I appreciate so much. There are some great lines particularly toward the end of the book. If you enjoy a dark gothic type of story that has timeline changes, a bit of romance and a wicked twist, you may enjoy this book. It definitely could make me think about the superstitions and stories in my own family.

I didn't know what I was getting into when I asked for this book, and that turned out to be a good thing! It blew me away with the atmospheric language and misty-mysterious vibe. I love that the Southern Gothic story is set in multiple timelines, and that I accidentally learned a bit more about the people living in Georgia before the Civil War. The Muskogee connection was powerful and needed.



The plot follows a long line of Susanahs\Susans\Suzies, each cursed in her own way to ruin her life and\or die young. But the curse is more than just the women. It envelopes the whole town and all the people in it. The intertwining of the past and present is magical--and masterfully done-- and really puts a story to the idea of generational trauma. The swamp is a character itself, and it was a needy, clingy thing.



Of course, you can't have a ruined life without a love interest, and this is where the book got a little off for me. I hated that just loving someone could be wrong, and that Susana Prather's choices were so reactionary. I get that was part of the curse, but I wanted more modernity from the present-day characters. However, the ending was perfect. I've read other reviews that said it fell flat, but I feel like the fact that something so seemingly small could be the key is the point.

I can honestly say I've never needed the epilogue/author's notes more for any book. Thank you for such a marvelous display of how Southern families ignore trauma. In moving to a more northern state, I've had trouble explaining these concepts to people. No ONE in the south talks about hard topics. Everything is buried. So many secrets. And this book does the best job at peeling back the layers. It's a wonderful autumn read filled with scary swamps and magic. If anything to add, I'd have loved just a touch more paranormal but the fact that most of the book occurs within the main character's mind...priceless. it's a thriller!

At the heart of this book is a unique and darkly beautiful story of the role of folklore, religion, and generational trauma in our bloodlines.

It mixes historical fiction and Southern Gothic with a sprinkling of magical realism. The atmospheric way it was written oozed from the pages. Despite their flaws, the characters were multi-faceted and likable (always a big plus for me).

It would make a fantastic movie.

All that said, I had issues with the book, resulting in a 3-star rating.

First, the storyline had so much going on that it took a lot of work to follow. The Suzanna/Suzannah/Susan/Susie/Susana characters didn’t make it any easier.

Secondly, you know when you’re eating a big restaurant Cobb salad? It’s delicious, but you feel like you’re eating and eating and not getting anywhere, so you focus on eating all the good stuff. Eventually, you can’t take any more bites, and nothing but a bunch of lettuce remains on your plate.

That’s how this book felt. I wanted more of the “Cobb salad toppings” and less of the “lettuce,” so to speak.

The storyline got bogged down in repetitiveness and minor details. It was slow going, which left me frustrated as a reader.

My final issue is a personal pet peeve when reading: using obscure words when a simpler one would do just fine.

One of many examples from this book is using the word “sobriquet” instead of “nickname.”

It felt incredibly out of place, considering the mainly hillbilly southern dialect of most of the characters.

The book did pick up the pace for the final 20% or so, and moments at the ending gave me chills. The author’s note is essential to fully understanding the story.

I would like to give this book four or five stars, especially knowing how personal it is to the author and how creative it is. With the above issues fixed, it would be a five-star read.

As written, I will have to go with a solid three-star review.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

A big thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Yes! Yes! Yes! To the southern setting! I feel like I'm my backyard with this book.

Curses and Other Buried Things by Caroline George is a historical fantasy YA novel about Susana Prather. Seven generations of women in Susana Prather’s family have been lost to the Georgia swamp behind her house. The morning after her eighteenth birthday, she awakens soaked with water, with no memory of sleepwalking. No matter how she tries to stop it, she’s pulled from her safe bed night after night, haunted by her own family history and legacy. Now, the truth feels unavoidable: it’s only a matter of time before she loses her mind and the swamp becomes her grave. Unless she can figure out how to break the curse. When she isn’t sleepwalking, she’s dreaming of her great-great-great-great-grandmother, Suzanna Yawn, who set the curse in motion in 1855. Her ancestor’s life bears such similarity to her own that it might hold the key she seeks. Or it might only foretell tragedy. As Susana seeks solutions in the past and the present, family members hold secrets tighter to their chests, friends grow distant, and old flames threaten to sputter and die. But Susana has something no one else has been able to seize: the unflagging belief that all curses can be broken and that love can help a new future begin.

I LOVED the setting of this book, as don't get much representation of the deep south in fantasy. Plus it had all those spooky gothic vibes! And the plot, oh my gosh. Don't get me started on the plot because it absolutely blew me away. READ THIS BOOK IMMEDIATLY!

I pushed through this. I was really getting annoyed with it never ending. Just wrap it up already! And the ending with the whole zombie feel? eh. It was very very odd. Honestly, it's unusual enough I could see Netflix deciding to turn it into a movie or something.

Long story short--due to a "curse" the firstborn women in the family are doomed to die (or go insane) the year they turn 18. They are also all named a form of Suzanna. The book goes back and forth between the original Susanna (in 1850s) and the present day one. YOu experience the 1850s one as the present day one begins to sleepwalk into the swamp. She "dreams" it.

There are love triangles. And honestly its just an odd book. I guess I'm just not into her style. It's fantasy--kinda? It does deal with mental illness. Teenage pregnancy. Suicide. Premarital sex. Abuse. Murder. Genocide.

But it just wasn't for me. It was okay. I finished it. But I don't think I'd recommend it.

3 stars.
*I was given this book as an ARC by the publisher and NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are 100% just me.

This book is fantastic. Historical fantasy ghostly cursed Deep South Americana romance with a lot of generational trauma. The best version of Shrek I’ve ever read (jk, but it is set by a swamp).

Really loved all of the characters, and it felt like I was being offered a hand to join their extended family. Some decisions I questioned, but I think that speaks so well as to how well written the main characters are - they’re not me.
I love books where the locations are characters, and the swamp feels so alive, as does the ghosts of the past.

I came out of this novel knowing that we curse ourselves to a path, and that we do have that power to change.

** “Baggage is called baggage for a reason. If a person doesn’t unpack and deal with their problems, they’ll carry the problems from place to place. And if they can’t find happiness where they are, how can they expect to find it where they go next?” **

Caroline George offers a story of overcoming generational trauma and the curses we put on ourselves and each other in “Curses and Other Buried Things.”

As Susana Prather approaches her 18th birthday, all she can think of us the curse her great-great-great-great-grandmother Suzanna Yawn placed on her family’s firstborn females — a curse that leads to madness and early death. She’s determined to break the curse, therefore allowing herself the chance to dream of a future.

Will visions of her family’s past help Susana reconcile her present? Will she and her friends end up reliving the curses of each of their families, or will they be able to work together to break their familial holds?

Written in a deeply descriptive manner, “Curses and Other Buried Things” is a deep southern folkloric story based on the author’s own family legends. George takes on topics like silence and secrecy; superstition and blame; kin and loyalty; history is not so easily buried; we choose to live with curses; we have to choose to grow from mistakes; and reminds us to live an incredible life (“Live a life so impossible that when you die and people tell your story, listeners will question whether you’re a tall tale. Stories turn even the most ordinary of persons into myths”).

This story also reminds us that no one is perfect and that we must be aware of not passing along more damage to others (“Key ain’t to blot out all the bad. Nobody’s perfect. I think all we can do is work to ensure whatever bad we pass down won’t leave an irreparable wound”).

Featuring a tone similar to Delia Owens’ “Where the Crawdads Sing,” fans of books like Kimberly Brock’s “The Lost Book of Eleanor Dare” and authors like Jaime Jo Wright will enjoy “Curses and Other Buried Things.”

Four stars out of five.

Thomas Nelson provided this complimentary copy through NetGalley for my honest, unbiased review.

I wish I'd read the author note for this one first! Understanding that the “curse” in this speculative YA is a metaphor for generational trauma has changed my thinking around this book. I now think the repetition and cyclical nature of this story may have been stylistic choices. So please keep that in mind, and if you like YA plots with mature writing and eerie vibes, then check this one out!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from @thomasnelson and @netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Great for Spooky Season


Are you ready for some spine-tingling reads this Spooky Season? Well, let me tell you about a gem I stumbled upon. You see, I have a bit of a book addiction, and sometimes, I pick books solely based on their intriguing covers. This one was a perfect example, and boy, am I glad I did!
Nestled in the heart of the southern U.S., this story takes us on a journey with Susana, a teenager raised in a small rural town where modern excess is but a distant dream. Instead, families toil on their land, barter with neighbors, and live in harmony with the mysterious swamp and its enigmatic inhabitants.
Susana Prather, as she turns eighteen, starts experiencing ominous signs that the ancient curse haunting her family for generations is rearing its sinister head once more. She knows that if she can't unravel the curse's secrets, it will slowly erode her sanity until it ultimately claims her life. The catch? The answers lie buried in her family's history, reachable only through her eerie sleepwalking episodes, which allow her to glimpse the past and the life of Suzanna Yawn. But with this gift comes the perilous proximity to her own demise.
Susana's dreams offer tantalizing but fragmented glimpses into Suzanna's dark and tragic existence, a time when law and modern conveniences were but distant notions. The events that unfurl provide poignant insights into the roots of the curse, painted with a raw realism that draws from the annals of history.
This book, my fellow book lovers, had me hooked from the very beginning. It delves into the profound themes of forgiveness and the insidious harm inflicted by bearing grudges against individuals for the actions of their forebears. It masterfully illustrates how fear can create chasms between us and our happiness. The author's vivid descriptions transported me to this captivating world, where I could almost hear the snap of alligator jaws, feel the blessed relief of cooler night air, and sense Susana's escalating desperation as the curse tightened its grip.
However, a couple of minor quibbles cropped up along the way. The abundance of firstborn daughters named variations of Susana (Suzanna, Suzannah, Susan, Susie, Susan, and Susana) and Suzanna's several last names could occasionally be confusing. Additionally, some parts of Susana's thoughts and love stories felt repetitive.
I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to Netgalley, Caroline George, and the publisher Thomas Nelson (of HarperCollins) for granting me access to this captivating ARC. If you're ready for a spine-tingling adventure this Spooky Season, don't miss out. Click the link below to get your own copy of this hauntingly engrossing book!

This was an interesting story about generational curses/cycles and how belief in them and what others think/say can influence your life. I enjoyed the similarities between the two different timelines, not just physical ones but characteristics and actions too. I especially loved the author's note at the end and how many of the stories both from the present day POV and the historical POV were based on the author's real life, whether from her own experiences or her ancestors'. There were some scenes that I felt were too long and I was inclined to skim, but overall, it was a unique and emotional story that was the perfect read for a windy fall day.

I was thinking what am I reading most of the time I was reading this one! I wanted to know what was going on. Is Susana cursed, or her family or some other family cursed? Why is anyone cursed? What’s up with the swamp? I loved all the characters. Susana was my favorite. The family drama and secrets were such a twist. I highly recommend this book. I cannot wait to read more by this author. Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

Every time I read a book by Caroline George I find that they are never quite what I was expecting... but they will most certainly always leave me thinking. This is certainly another great example of that.

First of all, being from a Christian publisher, I was a little surprised by the paranormal aspects of the story. There was definitely a spooky, magical vibe to the story and as the title and description suggests it deals with a family curse. To be honest, I thought this was going to be more in line with the style of Jaime Jo Wright, where it has that feeling throughout, but everything is explained in the end and nothing is quite what it seemed... but that was not really the case here. I didn't personally mind that aspect, but something to consider if that's not your cup of tea. It did take on the difficult topic of generational trauma in a way that was intriguing and thought provoking and I really appreciated that aspect of the story.

While I really enjoyed the overall feel of the story, there were a few things that I think kept me from loving it as much as I could have. First, the very similar names and storylines across both timelines. At times, I struggle with keeping up with who is who in dual timelines anyway and these similarities certainly didn't help in that respect. I also found myself unable to relate to some of the decisions made by the characters, which could very well have just been because this is a YA read. Still, despite this, I did find that I enjoyed the story overall. It really was a very unique read and one worth checking out.

**I received a complimentary copy for consideration. All opinions are my own.

Caroline does it again! Curses and Other Buried Things by Caroline George is a phenomenal young adult contemporary Southern gothic story.
I just love her books and especially her writing.
This book was a masterpiece. There’s no other way to say it.
This story was a rollercoaster of emotions. It was utterly compelling and her characters once again stole the show. Like damn she creates the absolute best cast and it shows!
These characters came to life in the story to me. And the vivid writing and storytelling was spellbinding.
The author knows how to keep her readers engaged and guessing until the very end.
This book left me speechless. And once again CG has written another remarkable book.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for the opportunity to read this ahead of its publication date in return for my honest review.

Book Name: Curses and Other Buried Things
Author: Caroline George

ARC
Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson--FICTION, Thomas Nelson for an ARC of Curses and Other Buried Things by Caroline George

Stars: 3.5
Spice: 1

Standalone
Fast Paced
Dual POV
SPOOKY and Atmospheric
Southern Gothic
Magical Realism (ish) more paranormal light?
Dual Timelines


- Topics
- Generational Curses
- Generational Trauma
- Freedom
- Acknowledgment of The Past
- Healing
- Relying on Others
- Tropes
- family secrets
- Curses (obviously)
- small-town mystery
- friends-to-lovers romance
- love triangle
-
- Thoughts.
- Grabs you in a choke hold from the first moment…
- So Atmoshepric
I loved how the swamp became a character in and of itself.

I really enjoyed this book, writing brought the story to life, and the atmosphere was top notch.
I loved the idea of a generational curse that not only affected one family, but really the entire town. Seeing Susanna try her best to thwart the curse, while reconnecting with the boy she loved, all the while hiding everything shes going through from her grandparents had me really invested in the story and how it was all going to end.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this book.

Susana Prather comes from a long line of cursed women. It seems that these women don't live long after their 18th birthday. Susana is no different, awakening the morning after she turns 18 dripping in swamp water from where she'd sleptwalked. Can she and her friends discover how to end the curse that has terrorized her family for so long?

I wanted to like this book. It has so many elements I enjoy, like Southern literature, a spooky atmosphere, witches and curses. However, I felt that this book just didnt' deliver on what it promised. While I understand that this book is rooted in generational trauma and how people must overcome it, and I love that premise, it didn't feel fleshed out enough. The curse in the book didn't seem strong enough to hold the family for generations, and the twist of how the curse functioned also floundered. It was simply too weak.

My real problem with the book is the misogyny. Internalized, externalized, it was everywhere. The orignial Suzanna was such a complelling character that fought the mores of her time to be independent for many years. She supported her family, worked, provided, you name it. However, by the time you get to Susana, all that strength has fled. She's told time and again that if she succumbs to falling in love with a boy she's "like her mother" who had a teen pregnancy. Sexuality is weaponized in this book. The ENTIRE book is her feeling guilty for having romantic and physical feelings for a boy. By around 70% in, my skin was crawling from how this girl was turning herself inside out for having perfectly natural feelings. Don't even get me started on the secret with her mother, and how that played out.

Another issue I had with it was that it felt like groundhog day. Whatever decisions were made in the past were echoed in the present. I get cycles and trauma and repeating the sins of the father and all that, but it was sometimes difficult to figure out which timeline you were reading because it was all the same. Susana was basically living a watered down, less interesting version of her ancestor's life, and after a while, it simply wasn't interesting anymore. Free will seemed too foreign a concept for anyone in this whole town to ascribe to.

Which leads me to the other thing that has bothered me. Though this is set in the past and present day, that present day feels more like the 1950s. The way women are treated and categorized, the language used, the lack of any sort of modernity, it all combined to have a weird out of time element that felt out of step with what the author was trying to portay. It wasn't so much "the more things change, the more they stay the same" as "this is how things have always been and they'll never change." While I'm not saying every book has to be talking about cell phones and apps and all that, the fact that no technology is mentioned at all is just odd. It's very out of step.

All of this being said, I don't think it's a bad book per se. I just think that for me, the past story was far more interesting and vibrant than the present day story. I found more power in Suzanna's story than her great great...however long grandmother.

A perfect gateway to the spooky season ✨️

@authorcarolinegeorge is an auto-buy for me, but Curses and Other Buried Things is my favourite BY FAR!
This is the kind of book I will recommend to everyone and their cat. It's a magical realism southern gothic story that will have you breathless by the end- but its real magic is depicting generational trauma and breaking that cycle. It even has resources in the author's note, which I found beyond amazing!

I should have started with the facts: the writing is gorgeous and immersive, the characters are fascinating, and the intertwining of past and present threads is flawless 🖤

This was so good. Why can we only give 5 stars? Some books deserve more.
Our main character thinks she is dealing with a generational curse. She is dealing with mental illness and sleepwalking and she can't (actually can't) leave her small town. She is alos in love with a boy who might be distantly related.
I love the historical part of this and the modern stuff. I love the small town details. I felt this.
It is just beautiful.

Another home run from Caroline George. I feel like I was reading the best parts of Taylor Sheridan's 1893 (my favorite). George's prose is gorgeous and I can't wait until this one is released and I can hold in my hands! So love this book! Great job!