It’s funny how the stories we tell ourselves in our youth shape the rest of our lives. Indian Burial Ground by Nick Medina is a story with dual timelines of Uncle Louie and his niece Noemi. Weird things start happening on the reservation. Three graves have been disturbed at the cemetery and bones are discovered missing. Who took the bones and why is only one of this novel’s mysteries. Childhood fears of vampires, death, spirits and myths are uncovered as well. ARC was provided by Berkley Publishing Group via NetGalley. I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thank you to NetGalley, author Nick Medina, and Berkley Publishing Group for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

I really enjoyed this. Since reading Firekeeper's Daughter last year, I realized that I needed to read more books by Native American authors and about Native American characters. I didn't realize before starting that Indian Burial Ground was set in Louisiana (which I grew up near by living in southeast Texas), and I enjoyed reading about a tribe set nearish to my hometown. I really was hooked in Louie's chapters; the perspective of his story was so fascinating, and the story really shone in the events that happened leading up to the present day. I was unfortunately not as hooked with Noemi's chapters. She read slightly immature/less developed as a written character than Louie, and I felt that not enough time was set in the present. I think the story would have worked a bit better if it was just Louie's, but I did still like the connection between past and present. There are some truly creepy moments in the story, and it's filled with suspense. I am interested in reading Medina's first book now and continuing to learn about different tribes and customs.

Merging indigenous horror with a bittersweet coming of age story, Indian Burial Ground takes readers to the bayou of Louisiana, to the reservation the Broussard family has lived on for generations. After years of feeling stagnant in her life, 38-year-old Noemi Broussard is finally excited about her future with her loving boyfriend, Roddy. When Roddy dies in an apparent suicide, in a particularly violent and shocking manner, Noemi can’t accept the facts of his death and becomes convinced something more menacing is at play. The key to discovering what really happened to Roddy may lie with Noemi’s Uncle Louie, who has recently returned to tribal lands after more than a decade away, and who experienced something on the reservation as a teenager in 1986 that still haunts him.

The novel unfolds on two timelines, with the mystery of Roddy’s death driving the present-day narrative, but Indian Burial Ground is mostly Louie’s story in 1986, a tale that is just as heartbreaking as it is horrifying. Nick Medina is a skillful storyteller, weaving a slow-burning story about legend and myth, addiction, family drama, mental health issues, and generational/inherited trauma. Medina doesn’t shy away from the hard things, and I don’t just mean the scary stuff: He addresses the complexities of indigenous life, particularly on a reservation, head-on. The horror elements are incredibly unsettling, relayed in Medina’s hypnotic, vivid prose, but he also offers a sensitive portrayal of a complicated family, weighted down by their circumstances but not without hope. This is a book about navigating grief, about growing up and growing away from people we thought would be in our lives forever, about the fierce, protective, forgiving love that bonds a family. And it’s also a book about mythological horrors and evil lurking in the places you least expect. The way Medina balances all of this in the narrative is so creative, nuanced, and compelling.

Indian Burial Ground is a deeply-felt character study, a horror novel, and a complex examination of indigenous life all in one. I can’t wait to go back and read Sisters of the Lost Nation, and I’ll definitely be looking forward to Medina’s future works too. Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group for the early reading opportunity.

This is a solid supernatural Horror with plenty of family drama, tribal lore, dark elements, and thought-provoking themes creatively told through alternating timelines. I would highly recommend this to all lovers of the Horror genre who are looking for a nuanced story that is more than just a gore-fest. Really well done!

Thank you for the ARC! Will definitely read more by this author!

INDIAN BURIAL GROUND by Author Nick Medina is a bone chilling, highly atmospheric acknowledgment of the stereotyping and plight of Indigenous people. A character driven story of generational drama that's rich in mythology and tribal lore, this story highlights social issues long suffered by marginalized people living on reservations including suicide, alcoholism, and violence. It's an honest, straight forward portrayal of a family in crisis as they confront the spirits and demons they thought buried.

Thirty-eight-year-old Noemi Brossard is optimistic about escaping the reservation for a better life when she receives devastating news that her prosperous, happy boyfriend committed suicide. She knows in her heart something's not right and begins probing into the circumstances surrounding his death. After being gone for decades, her Uncle Louie returns to the reservation around the same time. To help Noemi with her grief, he descends back down the dark, lethal rabbit hole of his past, sharing his time as a seventeen-year-old boy working to hold his family together as his mother succumbed to the lure of alcohol. Eventually, Louie ended up alone caring for a young Noemi while navigating an array of mysterious and horrific supernatural events occurring on tribal land. Among other things, strange occurrences are attributed to a sinister spirit targeting the tribe and some of these scenes are horror based, so be forewarned. Now, Noemi and Louie are facing some tough questions. Has Louie's return to the tribe angered the spirits causing them to lash out? Was Noemi's boyfriend's death suicide or is something more sinister happening? Despite the imperilment of unlocking demons and spirits best left to rest, Louie and Noemi begin rattling cages by digging into the past.

INDIAN BURIAL GROUND is a stunning, bloodcurdling blend of mystery and horror. I don't mind saying I'm a wimp when it comes to reading horror, but I found this story to be eerily hypnotic and haunting and was intrigued by the mysterious yet deadly aura engulfing the characters and story overall. Medini's expert weaving of mythical and cultural lore throughout enhances the story line while lending an authentic yet supernatural feel. The story unfolds through two timelines - the dark past through Louie and the present via Noemi. Both points of view come together to paint a heartbreaking picture of the generational impact of trauma and abuse on groups of Indigenous people. While the story is chilling with a menacing tone, an encouraging message of inner strength and hope manages to peek through.

Author Nick Medini has crafted a brutally honest, powerful story of the devastating effects of substance abuse on both the addicted and their loved ones in INDIAN BURIAL GROUND. His commitment and willingness to take a stand and offer a voice to marginalized people by exposing the stereotyping and challenges faced by life on a reservation is commendable. Medini's passion and desire to open the public's eyes and be a conduit for change is evident by the inclusion of his message at the end offering helpful avenues to Natives (and anyone else) seeking help for alcohol abuse and mental health issues. The author's enthusiasm and knowledge of Native lore and culture is clear as he flawlessly weaves supernatural myths and legends into this suspense laden, heartbreaking mystery/horror story. Highly recommended to fans of mystery, horror and stories featuring Indigenous people.

“A man lunges in front of a car. An elderly woman silently drowns herself. A corpse sits up in its coffin and speaks. On this reservation, not all is what it seems, in this new spine-chilling mythological horror.”

Told in dual timelines, this story focuses on a family navigating its way through not only real-life dysfunctions, but supernatural happenings as well. “Indian Burial Ground” is genuinely frightening, but at its heart is a story of family bonds and confronting our past. I enjoyed this book so much that I purchased the author’s previous work, “Sisters Of The Lost Nation.”

“Indian Burial Ground” is a must-read if you enjoy creepy horror mysteries and family drama.

Thanks so much for the opportunity to read!

Accident or suicide? Indian Burial Ground starts off with a bang as a man is hit by a car and dies. Noemi Broussard’s life is upended with this news as she knows her boyfriend would not have killed himself. When her Uncle Louie comes back to their tribal lands, he reveals the many secrets that he’s kept hidden since he left so long ago, some which should have remained buried. But the past has awoken, and Louie will try to unravel the mystery that has allowed this horror to rise yet again. A mixture of horror, Native American lore, and generational trauma bring this story to life. A wonderfully creepy tale.

“Indian Burial Ground” by Nick Medina is an emotional story, full of visceral, vivid description and powerful connections to the reality of reservation life. While couched in the supernatural, the horror has half a leg in the very real issues faced, such as poverty and alcoholism and that authenticity packs an impactful punch.
One of the ways that Nick Medina builds the connection is by telling the story from multiple points of view, sharing the story between the past and the present, between Noemi and Louie, as each struggles with different types of monsters and harsh truths. The horror aspects are disturbing and evocative, the story thrilling as Louie faces the supernatural threat in his life and the very real threat against him and Noemi. The change from past to present builds suspense and holds the reader's attention.
If you liked Nick Medina’s previous novel, you will love this story as well. It is powerful, an emotional story full of drama and thrills as the supernatural and reality clash. The character’s are easy to connect to and the story is vivid.

Indian Burial Ground is a dual timeline family horror set on a reservation. We follow Noemi in present day, her boyfriend just died and it has been rumoured to be a suicide. In the second timeline we follow Noemi's uncle, Louie, back in the 8os during a horrifying summer.

I really enjoyed this. It was very slow paced and character driven, with main themes surrounding mental health and alcoholism. The pacing, topics, and character focus reminds me a lot of <i>Bad Cree</i>.

The chapters were short which made it really easy to pick up often and never feel lost. There were so many creepy eerie moments and scenes that will stick with me for a long time, and the characters were endlessly memorable.

My only complaints are:

1 - I really preferred Louis' timeline/POV much more than Noemi's. This is just personal preference, but I honestly wish this was just all Louis' POV, a lot of Noemi's chapters felt like filler.

2 - <spoiler>I feel icky about the fact that the only fat main character ended up being the bad guy. His weight was brought up often (which isn't a problem in itself), but he was constantly described as being lazy and creepy and having no friends, and I feel like it's just not necessary to perpetuate those stereotypes fat people have to deal with on the daily.</spoiler>

Overall I really enjoyed this story and am looking forward to seeing what else Nick Medina comes out with in the future!

*Thank you to Berkley and netgalley for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review*

Nick Medina is definitely making a mark in the horror community, as his novels are gut wrenching and unsettling to the bone. But there are also a lot of really poignant and realistic moments of horror and sadness in his tales, which give them moments of raw and vulnerable humanity to combine with the supernatural scares. In INDIAN BURIAL ground we have two stories, the first in the modern day with Noemi, an Indigenous woman living on a reservation in Lousiana, whose boyfriend Roddy was struck and killed by a car, the official death being ruled a suicide. Noemi can't believe that Roddy would have killed himself, and decides to investigate, convinced that it was something more sinister. Then there is the 1986 timeline, where Louie (Noemi's uncle), a sixteen year old with a LOT on his plate between his alcoholic mother and his parentification in regards to his niece. During this timeline there are a lot of mysterious and tragic deaths, and Louie starts to see a pattern of strange behavior in the victims, as if they are doing things outside of their own control. I loved how Medina created these two timelines and how he brought them together, finding scares in folk lore and legend, as well as in the real life hardships that Indigenous people face in America due to systemic racism, poverty, mental illness, addiction, and generational trauma. It's a haunting tale that will surely stay with me past the last pages.

I like to read a horror novel every now and again so I'm not an expert on the genre; and while this did get gory in a few sections I didn't find it a true horror type of book. Is a slow burn horror a thing?? I must say this was a tough read for me and struggled with it. I thought the writing was good but the dual timeline, two point of view storytelling didn't make for an easy flow for reading. I do think this will have a niche in the reading community. Was a solid story for me.

While horror isn’t my usual genre, I’ll wade into it for the right book. Things I usually look for if I’m thinking of reading a horror book include an interesting premise (duh), a compelling setting, a broader theme or message, and nothing too gory (I’m more of a cozy horror girl). Nick Medina’s Indian Burial Ground seemed to fit the bill, so I gave this book a try. This is a complex and sometimes uneven story, but one that delivered some powerful messages.

Told in two timelines, the story is set on an Indian reservation and centers around a family. In the mid-eighties, Louie is a 17-year-old living on the reservation and bearing the heavy weight of holding his family together. His mother is barely hanging on, having succumbed to alcoholism. His aunt Lula got pregnant as a teenager, and she leaves Louie to care for her young daughter, Noemi.

Meanwhile, sinister incidents seem to plague the tribe. Someone has been stealing bones from graves. A boy with special needs thought to be deceased speaks from his coffin. A man is claiming that Louie’s mother has vanished. It seems that a dark spirit is targeting their tribe, taking over the most vulnerable members. Eventually, Louie escapes the reservation.

In the present day, Noemi is now a 38-year-old woman who feels her life has finally taken a positive turn. She has a new boyfriend, Roddy, who treats her well. Roddy has a career as a news anchor and the couple has been planning to move away from the reservation where Noemi grew up. Noemi is relieved to be in a happy place.

On the day her uncle Louie returns to the reservation to participate in a ceremony with their tribe, Noemi’s optimism and happiness are shattered when she learns that Roddy has died, allegedly from suicide. They say he threw himself in front of a moving vehicle. Neomi doesn’t believe this—Roddy was not suicidal. But that only leaves the alternative that something much more sinister is at fault… Could Louie’s long-awaited return to their tribal land have set something in motion, triggering the dark spirits that plagued the tribe three decades earlier?

There is an unsettling quality to this novel. The dark forces plaguing the tribal land are eerie and at times terrifying. The story heavily favors Louie’s perspective from three decades earlier, as he grapples with his family falling apart and the strange events happening on the reservation. The death of Roddy sparks terror of the same dark spirits returning, and speaks to the generational trauma within the story, but also that many tribes experience.

The characters are imperfect and have depth that lends an air of authenticity. I thought it was interesting that the author, Nick Medina, didn’t shy away from the stereotypes that have plagued indigenous people in this country for decades. Instead, he chose to boldly portray them while at times turning them on their head, and at others adding a humanity to them that speaks volumes about how our country has treated these people. Mental health, poverty, addiction—these are all themed that Medina explores throughout the story.

The tribal lore was the most interesting part to me. There’s a spiritual (or perhaps supernatural) feel to the events of the book, as though the people on the reservation are connected to other generations of their tribe and the darkness that plagued them. The idea that Louie may have triggered the return of something sinister couldn’t be dismissed, even if the reader believes the timing was a coincidence. Roddy’s death is the inciting incident and the one we are looking for a conclusion to, though it isn’t the sole focus of the story as much of it is spent with Louie in flashbacks to the events three decades earlier.

Powerful messages make this a win, despite some complexities to the narrative structure that made it hard to follow at times. The mystery is compelling and Medina writes with a vision in mind. The author’s note at the end shouldn’t be skipped.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing and Penguin Random House for my copy. Opinions are my own.

This was definitely an intriguing and unique read. I really enjoyed the part of the story that takes place in the past when Louie is a teenager dealing with the mysterious deaths of those in his community. The depictions of Native American mythology had me hooked, and I wanted to stay in the past to figure out what was happening. The part of the story told in the present was more of a slow-burn kind of mystery having to do with the death of a man named Roddy. Did he kill himself or was it something from the past that came back to cause more death?
The present story line while good didn't grip me the same way the past one did. I enjoyed the way the story was told and how real the characters felt. It was creepy and had me on the edge of my seat waiting for the next thing to happen.
This is the first book I've read by this author and I'm definitely going to be checking out his other work.

The dead never really leave us.
Medina steeps readers in Native American mysticism and mythology with his characters.
Neomi and Louie struggle to unearth what is happening on the reservation.
Some parts made my skin crawl as I read. My favorite parts were when the Coyote was depicted, trickster and teaser, but what secrets can he reveal?
It’s a haunting, mystical read about legends, heritage, and history.

There was a lot I liked about this book, I really felt a part of what was happening so the author did a great job bringing the reader into his world. My problem is that I just don't care for horror stories and that's what this is at it's core.

Noemi has had a rough life on a reservation but believes she has found her place with a new man who has a good job and good prospects for his future. She even believes in herself enough to pursue college. Then her boyfriend is found dead and they aren't sure if it was an accident or suicide. We start a revolving story where Noemi's story is told in current day and her Uncle Louie is telling his story in the past, the 1980's. Both Noemi and Louie are present in both timelines, just much younger.

Life on the reservation is hard even after there is some gambling money to go around. The people and their daily lives tell a very compelling story but then there is this alligator who possesses individuals and causes their deaths. Again, I'm not into the horror part. Someone who likes that kind of story would probably be very happy with this novel. I feel like I've seen a lot of shows lately that bring in the supernatural when portraying Native Americans.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Read if you like:
😱 Horror
🪶Native American Culture
🔍 Mystery
⏳ Two Timelines
2️⃣ Dual POV

TW: suicidal ideation & alcoholism

This was an interesting read, that is most definitely a slow burn mystery with slightly uneven pacing due to moving between points of view and shifting timelines between past and present. This story also gives horror aspects via the Native American culture and storytelling of evil that may be plaguing the tribe and the tribal lands.

I think my favorite aspects to this story were the cultural aspects and the discussion around the unfortunate alcoholism and suicide that plagues native Americans at an alarmingly high rate as I felt it was important to include these topics and to not shy away from them to create a more idyllic version of the story.

Overall, the story telling wasn’t able to get my as invested as I would have hoped in the story, but I still enjoyed it and think many will as well.

Thank you to Berkley for my ARC & PRHA for my gifted audiobook in exchange for my honest review!

After reading Sisters of A Lost Nation, Medina became an auto buy author for me. When I saw Indian Burial Ground, I knew I needed to read it ASAP. Told between two timelines (past and 80s) and two POVs (Louie and Noemi), we get a mythical tale of mystery and family living with addiction, poverty and some underlying evil.

I love when stories have a mystery and weave past and present to give you the final answer to the question. The way Medina writes, you fall in love with the characters right away. I felt so much for Louie. He was so brave even though his childhood was far from perfect. The folklore interwoven through the fabric of the story was beautiful and aided to the overall message of it. Thought provoking and filled with dread, I did not see the ending coming and BAM! It was SO perfect.

If you are looking for real life monsters with a bit of lore pick this up. Medina will continue to be an autobuy author for me. As with Sisters of A Lost Nation, read the Afterword. He provides such great information/insight to the background of his stories. Thank you to @berkleypub and @netgalley for my advance copy!

This is well done Horror! What I found most compelling about this is the dual timeline and that it is a short enough span where we have Uncle Louie's POV in the past at age 16 but current time is his niece's Neomi POV as an adult so we see Uncle Louie through her eyes when he comes back to the rez. As suspenseful as this story was I just found that aspect really sweet. It made me want to know more with how much love Louie had for 3 year old Neomi to answer for why he left for so long and is so apprehensive about coming back.

This, like other reviews mention, is at times heavy and depressing. Per the blurb when Neomi loses her fiance to possible suicide we see it all happen in real time and her immediate shock and grief is so powerful. It covers familial dynamics, alcoholism, and abandonment in both timelines. All with this overarching unease with wondering what happened in the past and how it could tie together with what was happening now. There is one twist in particular that is so stuck with me. It was a certain scene that made me double check if my door was locked.

This author does not waste words. Not in the way that I feel like you need to pay attention to "solve" the mystery, it is not as clear cut as that (in a good way, makes the general fiction and emotional side plots of this hold their own value) BUT so much does tie together and everything has a purpose whether its character development or to bolster the eventual full on horror aspects.

I had the privilege of hearing Nick describe this book, on flipping the "Indian Burial Ground" trope and doing it justice. This absolutely does make compelling commentary on current social issues while using indigenous lore and traditions without hitting you over the head with it. Thank you so much to Berkley for the eARC!

CW: child death (on page. I will say this is typically a CW I avoid because I find it gratuitous at times, that was not the case with this particular book and I felt that it was handled with respect and not overly graphic or unnecessary), alcoholism, suicide, death, body horror

(4.5 ⭐) In Indian Burial Ground, Nick Medina has yet again crafted an incredibly compelling blend of supernatural & real life horrors.

We’re following two characters in two timelines. In the present, Noemi has just lost her boyfriend to a horrific car accident. She soon learns that it may not have been an accident at all, and she grapples with grief and attempts to find some closure. At the same time, her Uncle Louie comes back to the reservation for the first time in many years.

In the past, we’re following teenage Louie as he witnesses a series of strange deaths on the reservation. He fears that there’s a monster on the hunt and wants to protect his loved ones (including then 3-year-old Noemi), but not everyone even believes that there is a real threat.

In this dual timeline setup I definitely preferred Louie, but both narrators were engaging in different ways. Louie’s was more visceral and more gory, with a high stakes mystery and horrifying deaths around every corner. Even though it takes place in the past, you have NO idea how it will wrap up. Noemi’s was slower and more mundane - more tender and agonizing as she processed her grief. However, both storylines involved losing loved ones, and both focused on learning to fend for yourself and learning how to have compassion for yourself & others.

I loved the clever twists on the trope of an “Indian burial ground” that used genuine Indigenous stories and myths. There were so many oral storytelling elements here that touched my heart. There’s gore and there’s body horror and there are people rising from graves, but there were also stories about the importance of balance and respect for nature and other living creatures. And about the dangerous desire to consume and destroy with no regard for others.

The chapters were short & engaging, and kept the story moving really quickly. And there were beautifully covered themes of family, alcoholism, depression & suicide (and patterns of depression within marginalized communities), greed & balance, and dedication & love for community and the earth/nature.

There was also some openness in the ending, which intrigued me – it wasn’t clean, but it was hopeful. (After a totally trippy & terrifying final showdown, of course.) The characters are moving forward and starting new journeys.

My one complaint - which I can’t say too much about without spoilers - is that I felt like there was a metaphor that was used a bit lazily/haphazardly. I think Medina is talented enough to not need to rely on old messy stereotypes.

Overall, Indian Burial Ground was a terrifying piece that swirled together mythical predators and dangers that are all-too-human. It’s both a quiet look at trauma and generational weights and a bone-chilling horror story.

CW: death (child/parent), murder, gore, suicide, animal cruelty/death, grief, fatphobia, ableism, addiction, alcoholism, mental health, car accident, fire

I received a gifted galley of INDIAN BURIAL GROUND by Nick Medina for an honest review. Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group, PRHAudio and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review!

INDIAN BURIAL GROUND follows Noemi and Louie. Noemi is a young woman looking forward to a good future ahead away from the reservation she grew up on. When she gets the news that her boyfriend has been killed, apparently a suicide, she can't believe that it was truly a self inflicted death. Louie has returned to the reservation he had left behind, and his return brings back secrets from the past of things that might be lurking in their tribal lands.

I really enjoyed Nick Medina's SISTERS OF THE LOST NATION, so was excited to pick this one up. I am happy to say that I did enjoy it, but will also say that it was a lot different than what I expected. This is listed on Netgalley as a Multicultural Interest title as well as a Mystery/Thriller. I think both of those are certainly true, but I would also file this one under Horror (which is the primary flag on Goodreads for it).

This book is a mixture of hard hitting real life subjects with issues addressed including mental health, suicide, and substance abuse. There is also a big supernatural layer to the story as well and part of the mystery is figuring out what is real and what is lore and how it all ties into this young man's death. I think this was well done, but there were a few times when I felt like there was a lot going on at once.

I enjoyed the audiobook and that there were two narrators as we followed Noemi in the present and Uncle Louie largely in the past. I did at times feel like using an older narrator to read Louie's story was a bit jarring as the story is being told in his much younger perspective and that threw me off at times. I know it is because the Uncle Louie of the present is telling the story of his own past so it makes sense, but I think that just came down to personal preference.

In all, I enjoy Nick Medina's writing and look forward to more from him in the future.