Gothictown, a "Southern Gothic" novel, is the first book I've read by Emily Carpenter. After reading this, I will definitely be looking for more upcoming works by her. Though there were some horror elements here, it was more of a mystery and thriller for me. After all, it's not the dead we need to be afraid of...

Billie Hope was an extremely successful New York City restauranteur and chef, until the Covid epidemic hit and she was forced to shutter her restaurant. She lives in a cramped NYC apartment with her therapist husband Peter, 6-year-old daughter Meredith (Mere) and Ramsay the cat. She dreams of something more, and then she receives an email which changes the trajectory of all their lives. For $100, Billie can purchase a Victorian house for the family in Juliana, Georgia, a small rural town north of Atlanta, which is offering incentives in order to rebuild its economy in the aftermath of the pandemic. Not only that, but she can obtain a business grant to open a new restaurant. What could possibly go wrong? It seems like the answer to their dreams! Soon Billie and family are officially part of the "Juliana Initiative", and things are soon coming together for their family. But is it all really perfect like it initially appeared to be? Billie's busy with her new restaurant, but she can't help but notice that her marriage with Peter has become very strained, Ramsay the cat has become unhinged, and the town elders seem to be hiding things from them. What's the real secret about "gentle Juliana"?

Though I didn't get the horror story I was expecting, I found this to be quite an interesting mystery/thriller. Billie, Peter and Mere were all likable characters, and I felt for them for losing the life they had before Covid hit. When Billie gets an email about the Juliana Initiative, she believes this is exactly what her family needs to get back on track. But there are strange and menacing undertones beneath the facade of Southern hospitality. Ramsay, who had always been a docile pet, now seemed to be a feral beast, and little Mere was now afraid of him. When the family was told about an uncapped well on the property, Peter became obsessed with finding it and spent entire days searching for it, in fear that Mere could fall into it. No matter who they asked about the well, no one seems to have answers, nor were they willing to try to help. Jamie Cleburne, who ran the antique shop that's attached to Billie's restaurant, became friends with Billie, and he seemed to be very attracted to his new business neighbor beyond friendship. Billie, Peter and Mere began to have strange and eerie dreams about children in the dark singing, and a woman with a crown of gray braids. How can their dreams possibly be connected? Though her new restaurant begins to take off, Billie's marriage begins to deteriorate. Peter, who had always been a kind and gentle man, has a change of personality and becomes violent, then suddenly takes off. The suspense continued to increase as the story progressed. Things that seemed normal, such as Billie's friendship with Jamie, suddenly began to have sinister undertones. All was not as it appeared on the surface in Juliana! Throughout the story we read pieces of Juliana's history, and it soon becomes chilling to find out how the founding fathers of the city managed to keep her afloat. The conclusion of the story felt rather anticlimactic to me, but all in all it was a very satisfying thriller.

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley. I received no compensation for my review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Carpenter takes on some classic Southern gothic staples in Gothictown: the legacy of the Civil War, isolation, rural settings, etc. The setting, Juliana, Georgia, is appropriately spooky and populated with equally spooky people.

The climax of the novel does not, for me, justify the rather lengthy build. There is a real "and then everyone clapped" feeling to it that feels out of left field. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the read.

This is one of those stories that I liked to an extent. The more I thought of this after, the more questions I had and unsure I was. Without trying to spoil this, I have to say that this was a story that seemed to go in one direction for most of the time and then went in another. That switch of direction left a lot of earlier events unexplained to me.

Putting those thoughts aside, this was a good story with a lot of suspicious characters and a perfectly gothic atmosphere. The protagonist was fully dimensional, and while some of her choices were questionable, she remained very likable. While this wasn't creepy for me, it was intriguing and solidly paced where it was hard to put down. Overall, I give this one three and a half stars.

Thank you, Netgalley and Kensington Publishing, for this ARC.

This was a wonderful book. Emily Carpenter has done a great job of pulling me in and making my day. This is such a good book. From start to finish. Not holds barred.

When Billie is at the lowest in her life she receives an email that will change her life. Not just her life but her husband Peter and their daughter Mere's lives also. Billie is at a point where she needs a drastic change. Her restaurant has closed due to the pandemic and her mother moved off to join a cult. Things are not going good for her. Her husband is a therapist who can easily work from home, and anywhere.

This family move from NY to GA and start a fresh life. The email that Billie received was from a town called Juliana. Juliana, GA it seems is a small town and you can buy a home for only a hundred dollars. She can own a new restaurant and have plenty of land for a garden and for her daughter to be able to run and play without worries. In Juliana, GA there is no crime. Everyone gets along for the most part. And it's easy to get what you need to do whatever it is you are doing. They barter with each other a lot.

But there is also secrets in this small town. Deadly secrets. Things that have happened over the years that the founding fathers believe have made the town prosper and thrive. Seems you can do or have almost anything in Juliana if you know the right person. But there are secrets.... Deadly secrets... Be warned.

This was a very exciting read for me. From start to finish I enjoyed it. It made me hold my breath in a few places. Cringe a lot and I did shed some series tears too.

If something seems to good to be true run from it. Run fast and hard.

Thank you #NetGalley, #Kensington, #rbMedia, for this ARC.

Five big stars from me.

Readers of Southern gothic horror and mystery novels are in for a treat when they read Gothictown by Emily Carpenter. Near the beginning of the pandemic Billie Hope decided to close her successful restaurant in New York City. Post-pandemic, she gets an email that seems too good to be true. She and husband Peter can buy a home in Juliana, Georgia for one hundred dollars. On top of that, she can get a business grant to open a new restaurant in the riverside community in Bartow County.

With several phone calls and one quick visit, Billie, Peter, and their daughter Meredith move as part of the Juliana Initiative to revitalize the town. She opens a new restaurant, meets members of the community, and Peter works mainly remotely as a psychologist while Meredith makes a new friend. Things should be wonderful, but the misgivings start to grow along with the sleeplessness and nightmares.

Billie makes decisions with her gut. Sometimes it works out, and sometimes it doesn’t. She wants to make her mother proud of her, but feels abandoned by her. Despite being surrounded by people, she’s somewhat lonely and makes some bad decisions. Peter tends to weigh pros and cons of any situation and makes fully-informed decisions. He’s normally a communicator, but has some secrets.

The book starts with a chilling prologue set in Juliana in 1864 and has some occasional flashbacks to times between then and now. These flashbacks let the readers know what is happening in the town before Billie and Peter do. However, that doesn’t deter from the suspense and horror of the situation that gradually builds.

As the situation became clear to this reader, I was cheering for Billie, Peter, and Meredith. Both adults make mistakes, making them both more realistic and more aggravating. Unfortunately, Billie’s broken relationship with her mother was discussed more than once in the book. I felt this subplot could have been omitted to make the story more cohesive. Despite this, the shocking and horrifying beginning stays with you and the tension builds throughout the book. The author did a great job of creating atmosphere and transporting readers to the community of Juliana.

The novel has a Southern Gothic feel with flawed, disturbing, and eccentric characters, alarming events, a somewhat isolated location, and a bit of the paranormal. There’s a focus on both its history and the current situation of the town. Is this truly an idyllic southern town or have Billie, Peter, and Meredith stepped into something dark and hidden? Various themes run through the novel including secrets, lack of communication, death, trust, family, belonging, and much more.

Overall, this is a dark, disturbing, compelling, and thought-provoking story, full of tension and with characters that came to life and were often unique. The author’s note and the discussion questions at the end are worth reading as well. I’m looking forward to reading more books by this author. Readers who like dark southern gothic mysteries will likely enjoy this novel.

Kensington Publishing and Emily Carpenter provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date is currently set for March 25, 2025. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.

This is the perfect novel for fans of Southern Gothic horror (specifically perfect for those who are also fans of Old Gods of Appalachia). I LOVED this book and would absolutely read again!

I think I might read just about anything that claims its a southern gothic thriller lets be honest. And Gothictown did not disappoint! This is a age old tale of if its too good to be true.... it most definitely is! I loved how the story made me more and more uneasy with each page as well as the past sins of the American south. Lots of strange characters and old southern decaying atmosphere. Overall as super engaging read that will keep you thinking about it weeks after you finish! can't wait to see what else Emily Carpenter writes!

Well…..Gothictown by Emily Carpenter is not my usual genre, but………..I raced through the book, thoroughly enjoying it! 3.75 stars rounded to 4.

Peter and Billie Hope leave their life in New York after the pandemic, to start over. They move to Juliana, Georgia, a very small town, run by the “old guard”. The town is offering an initiative to anyone who moves there to buy a house for one hundred dollars, and a grant to start a business there. Too good to be true, right? Why do the people of Juliana need new residents? The story will unravel a crazy past, with eccentric characters and ghostly events. It will reveal horrific crimes and many secrets that the “old guard” is trying to cover up.

My question to you after you finish the book, would you stay in a town with a past as horrible as Julianna?

This is not my usual genre but I am glad I went out of my comfort zone and read Gothictown. I am hoping to convince my friends to read it!

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Publishing/Kensington for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. It is out now.

Author Emily Carpenter uses the history of her city of Roswell, Georgia in her new novel GOTHICTOWN. I have read previous books about the Roswell mills that were run by women and children during the Civil War to provide material for Confederate soldiers' uniforms and other things needed. When Sherman came through Georgia burning almost everything in his path, the mills were destroyed. Many of the women and children sent north since they were deemed as traitors. Both of the other books I've read and the Author's Notes in GOTHICTOWN, claim not all the people were accounted for after the Civil War ended.
The town in this novel is a fictional one named Juliana. Right before the Civil War ended the founders of the small town wanted to hide their gold mine by sealing it up with a woman and children inside who had worked the mine. They were afraid Sherman and his troops would have claimed the mine and burned the town. The town elders decide the "sacrifice" of the miners saved them. They pledge that a sacrifice will be needed again if the town starts to flounder.
The story truly begins two years after COVID, which really hit Juliana hard. The town founders decide they will start the Initiative to lure people from outside to boost business and keep the bloodlines from getting too close. Billie Hope is someone who sees the offer to get a nice house for next to nothing and start a new restaurant. She had a very successful restaurant in New York City, but COVID ruined it.
Billie is very excited, Her therapist husband Peter isn't. He has the feeling that if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Slowly, Billie finally convinces him to make the huge move. She also believes their daughter Mere (Meredith) will love the more rural environment. They get told when arriving at their new home that there is an uncapped well on the property even though it didn't show up on the information received. Peter becomes obsessed with finding the well which is hard on the 12 acres of their land. Worse than that, Billy and Mere both start having identical nightmares. Peter has severe insomnia at night then falls asleep at inopportune times during the day. This is bad for his therapy clients, both online and in person.
This novel is in the horror genre and is full of some grisly images and plenty of unexpected twists. As a longtime fan of Stephen King, Shirley Jackson, Flannery O'Connor, this story pulled me in right away. I love how Southern Gothic tales are being published more now. As someone who has lived most of her life in the South, Southern stories resonate with me. I am going to a book launch for Emily Carpenter March 27, 2025 at my beloved indie bookstore and am very excited to learn more about the author.

Emily Carpenter's latest Southern Gothic thriller and soon a TV series, GOTHICTOWN, is a dark, creepy, and atmospheric wickedly delicious thriller. It beckons you into a seductive world, where all your desires can be fulfilled… if you're willing to pay the price.

The story unfolds in a seemingly idyllic town in Georgia, rich with history and a chilling atmosphere, making it a captivating read for fans of the genre. A restauranteur from NYC is lured to a Southern town in Georgia, post-pandemic, with all the enticing incentives that turn into a horror nightmare for her and her family.

About...

Billie Hope was a successful owner of a New York restaurant called Billie's that celebrities often frequented; however, during the pandemic, she was forced to close.

She is at odds since her mom decided to join a cult in Maine, and she misses the busy restaurant to keep her busy.

She learns of a Southern town, two hours north of Atlanta, in (fictional) Juliana, Georgia, offering incredible incentives to build up the city and business. A beautiful, spacious Victorian home (furnished), land to grow things for a restaurant, and a large grant to open a restaurant. Billie is delighted, thinking this is fate.

Gentle Juliana Beckons You…

"Start your life today in a community that cares, courtesy of the Juliana Initiative.

Founded in 1832, Juliana, Georgia, is an idyllic, historic, riverside mill town that offers every amenity you need to start your new business, continue your remote work, or set up your practice in a safe, secure, and vital environment away from city life. Juliana has always been its own town, and we are proud of it. The weather is warm here and so are the people. We welcome all to our jewel of the South."
— Gentle Juliana

Finally, Billie convinces her husband, Peter (therapist), and young daughter, Mere, to make the move, filled with hope and excitement at the prospect of the beautiful home and the opportunity to open her dream restaurant.

But then, things take a bizarre turn. Sleep becomes elusive, nightmares and strange events unfold, evil forces of Juliana surround their home, and the town's leaders exhibit peculiar behavior. Rumors about a well on their property add to the mystery. Beneath the town's warm hospitality, something sinister lurks. As the stress mounts, their marriage is tested, and Billie is left grappling with the inexplicable.

The story is filled with suspense and tension, keeping you on the edge of your seat, wondering if they will escape.

Check out the website for more: Gentle Juliana. So much fun and a playlist!

My thoughts...

I loved GOTHICTOWN! The author cleverly creates the Southern Gothic chilling atmospheric setting that is so enticing on the outside with a menacing sinister horror lurking with every page turn and those creepy EVIL characters!

From the evil forces of Juliana to its eccentric characters, sins of the town's past, and sinster ghostly events, all make for an engrossing unputdownable tale.

GOTHICTOWN is the author's finest work, and I eagerly anticipate a sequel. The TV series based on this gripping tale only adds to the excitement.

Audiobook...

The audiobook is superb, narrated by one of my favorites, Cassandra Campbell! Her performance was award-winning, elevating the story with vivid settings and the perfect impressive voice for all the characters, particularly Billie! I highly recommend the audiobook.

The area...

An Atlanta gal for many years, spending my entire career there, living in Vinings, Buckhead, and Midtown, and later Big Canoe, GA (which I loved) about an hour north of Atlanta, and dated a guy in Dalohenga (mentioned in book) until I moved to Florida. I love stories set in Georgia, and Atlanta will always be home for me (my grown sons wish I still lived there as Florida is not an easy drive from NC). I adore and support Atlanta authors.

Author's Note...

I thoroughly enjoyed the author's note. It provided a fascinating insight into the inspiration behind the book and the history of Roswell, GA. Wow, I could not wait to find the inspiration—adding depth to the story, making me appreciate the author's work even more.

Ironically, years ago, I was the Director of Membership and Events for the North Fulton Chamber of Commerce (overseeing the cities of Roswell, Sandy Springs, Alpharetta, and Mountain Park) and did not know about all this scandalous history! Later, I was an associate publisher for Atlanta's largest commercial real estate directory for many years, Atlanta B2B Magazine, Publisher of Atlanta New Homes Data Book and several online commercial real estate companies in Atlanta, covering these areas. It is always fun to learn something new. Fascinating. Thank you, Emily!

Note to Emily...

Please write a ghostly Gothic book set in Columbus, GA! This town also has many historic Victorian homes, and the city has ghosts, very mysterious, creepy, and strange townspeople, making this a perfect setting. I had a client located downtown, and I spent six months there and could not wait to leave! Lots of haunting stories here.

Recs...

GOTHICTOWN is for fans of the author and those who enjoy works by Ashley Winstead, Stacy Willingham, Laura McHugh, and Jennifer McMahon—for readers who enjoy well-written Southern Gothic tales with a touch of horror.

Thanks to Kensington, Recorded Books, and NetGalley for the gifted advanced review and listening copies in exchange for an honest review.

Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 5 Stars
Pub Date: March 25, 2025
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I am sucker for a sunny gothic tale, and this one was a quick, dark read. Billie and her family take a deal that seems too good to be true to move to a small town in Georgia - they get a nice old house with all the land they've always dreamed of, and a second chance for Billie to open her own restaurant after the pandemic killed the first one. But when it seems too good to be true, it is.

We know from the opening pages that Juliana, GA has a dark legacy. We know who the old families are and what they've done - once Billie, her husband Peter, and her 6yo daughter Meredith arrive, it's constantly asking yourself what the purpose of their arrival to the town is. Are they meant to sustain the town, or to be sacrifices for it? That question is what kept me reading because it worked it's way around to answering it.

This will feel familiar from any small town gothic story - the over-niceness, the suspicions, the gaslighting - and it will also make your skin crawl as you comprehend that Billie is a vulnerable woman acting from places of hurt, fear, and love. She's an interesting character to be with, and makes choices that you'll understand, and choices that'll have you thinking oh girl, what the heck?

If you want horror that's made for the summer, this is definitely it.

From the start, you knew the main character, Billy, and her husband, Peter, and daughter, Meredith, were in for some rough times. The suspense was amazing as they moved to Juliana, Georgia, and started meeting the locals, who had strange customs and somewhat diluted stories of the creepy history of the town. With time, Peter especially deteriorated under the strain of the strange dreams the whole family experienced, haunted by ghosts of the past. I found myself wondering when the shoe was going to drop for Billy and her family and eager to find out what horrors awaited them. Fans of spooky, gothic thrillers will love this book.

A restauranteur lured by pandemic-era incentives moves her family to a small town in Georgia. There she discovers a darknesses that is well hidden. Billie Hope is lured to this small town with the hope of escaping big cities and she is in for a surprise beyond her wildest dreams. This is well written and I loved it.

Honest Netgalley ARC Review: This hauntingly gothic story was full of mystery, suspicion, danger, and justice. Billie is dealing with the pandemic, her closed down restaurant, and her mothers sudden move away. She is ready to move forward and have a fresh start for her family. When an email comes to her with a too good to be true offer she and her husband look into it. Moving to Juliana, living on a large property with land, opening a new business, a fresh start are all things Billie wants so the family moves. It doesn’t take long for things to take a weird turn. The family is having weird symptoms, everyone in town is almost too friendly, the founding families seem to worship the towns namesake, and now her husband thinks they should move away from the strange small town. As the family integrates into the town a rift forms between Billie and her husband. The tension, strangeness, and weird information lead to a heart pounding realization. Something is not right in Juliana and Billie is suddenly found herself in a precarious situation. This story was definitely a slow burn that eventually found its stride then was off in a flash. It took some time getting to know all the families and how they were connected to the town but in the end it makes the story that much more impactful. I really loved the dark and alluring atmosphere of the book. I could imagine the town and all the strangeness through the writing. The buildup was good and the ending was very satisfying. I wasn’t sure how things were going to end up and that made it even more mysterious and fun to read. I thought it was really interesting that true history was mixed in with this tale and that made the story so much more real. Despite the fact this is a story there are a lot of relevant topics that can be examined and make you ponder. The main characters were very interesting and I loved the feeling that something paranormal could be happening but we really never know. The story was rich, easy to read, and had a southern gothic feel that I really enjoyed.

This novel stressed me out in a good way. It concludes semi-happily but Billie Hope, the main character, and her family are really put through the ring. Billie sees an email in her inbox one day from the Juliana, GA Initiative. In exchange for moving down south and opening a business, she and her family can purchase a huge Victorian mansion for$100 and receive another $30,000 toward her new business. Billy and her husband and young daughter jump at the chance. The offer seems too good to be true and in actuality, it really is.
From the first day, the family experiences insomnia and worry. Their family cat becomes feral and Billie's husband knows there's something rotten in Juliana. But Billie is thriving and even though she knows there are issues, she's content to work through any problems. However, when her husband up and leaves after another argument, Billie finally tries to piece together what is actually happening in Juliana.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for this digital e-arc.*

How old were you when you learned....if something seems too good to be true, it probably is. But, the plot line certainly plays into an excellent horror/suspense/thriller story in Emily Carpenter's capable hands.
If you've ever lived in a small town in Georgia, or a small town anywhere, you know that everyone knows everyone else's business and the town has a history. The history is tied to the citizens and their plans to do good and live big. But then Billie Hope had only dealt with the mass anonymity that lives in a larger, more populous city. She's moved her family here to secure their future. When small things start happening, it's no biggie. But small things add up to the point where her family is in danger and she has to trust someone. Don't blink or you'll find yoruself against the wall with Billie.

Would you move to a small town in Georgia if you were given a historic mansion for only $100? I’ve read enough haunted house horror to say, “Hell NO,” but clearly, our MCs didn’t get the memo 😅

💀 What did you love the most?
Emily Carpenter masterfully crafts an eerie Southern Gothic atmosphere. The story weaves between past and present, revealing the town’s dark history in a way that keeps the tension high and the mystery gripping. This isn’t really a ghost story—it’s a slow-burning, psychological horror that seeps into your bones.

📖 Read if you like:
🏚️ Light Gothic Horror
🌿 Creepy Small Town Settings
⛪ Cult Fiction & Hidden Secrets

⏳ How was the pacing?
This is a slow-burn horror novel, but the eerie atmosphere and gradual unraveling of secrets make it work beautifully. The suspense builds, and just when you think you’ve figured things out… NOPE.

🔪 Do you recommend this book?
If you’re new to horror books, this is a perfect gateway novel. It’s atmospheric, unsettling, and full of WTF moments without being too graphic. Emily Carpenter delivers a hauntingly well-written Gothic horror novel that will leave you questioning what secrets lurk in this small town… 👀

*3.5 stars. This book starts off with a delicious gothic and atmospheric premise but doesn't quite carry that through the entire story. Peter and Billie Hope live in NYC with their young daughter Meredith as the pandemic ends. Peter is a therapist who works with his clients online and Billie has had to shut down her successful restaurant. She receives one of those 'too good to be true' emails from a small town in Georgia offering a chance to start over and the couple jump at the chance. The reader is privy to the horrific things that went on in that town during the Civil War and so the dread builds for the naive couple.

The Hope family moves into the beautiful vintage house of their dreams in Juliana, Georgia, but right from the start things are not quite right. They learn there's an old abandoned well on their property so Meredith cannot run free until they can find it and get it capped. Both Billie and Meredith have similar nightmares but Peter cannot sleep! Their gentle cat becomes almost feral. Is there something wrong with this house?

I felt the story lost its way in the middle but recouped for a clever ending. The horror genre is probably one of the hardest to carry through successfully from start to finish. When it's done well, it is unforgettable. Two of my favorites are Rosemary’s Baby by Ira Levin and Harvest Home by Thomas Tryon and of course Edgar Allen Poe is the master.

Many thanks to the author and publisher for providing me with an arc of this new novel via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

Of course Mom fell for a cult; wait, are we falling for one too? Suspicious emails send our New Yorker main characters down a path of a perfect Victorian home too cheap to pass up in a small town of Georgia. Of course, there’s more to the house and town, with haunted children and dreams.

I liked that the Billie main character was unreliable; I’m assuming she is meant to be unlikeable, due to her recklessness of others and selfishness but it made me like her. When the neediness kicked in though, I could have done without. With little tidbits and hints regarding her mother and current relationship, it didn't really add to the story even thought the mother was the best character. I would have enjoyed a little bit more development on Peter; he was written as an outcast of the family, paranoia but not really a reason why. Like something would have needed to build it up before even moving to the town for it to be believable. Maybe a couple of flashbacks of their marriage so the possible triangle felt more developed, even though his storyline played out exactly like I thought. Maybe because I’m not a big romance reader, the love triangle idea and insta love I could do without. I would have preferred more detail to the horror ideas and elements instead. Then the added random couple of racist comments, when I still wanted development on previously introduced items, felt forced and unnecessary. The main character would reach conclusions that weren’t set up to reach. And it couldn’t be paranoia, as that wasn’t set up as part of her personality.

There’s a lot of ideas but not as much follow through I would like. Would have liked this better if a little simplified and focused. Even though this book falls for some bad tropes/stereotypes- like not telling people everything over the phone, but waiting to tell you when I see you in an hour- but the last 30 % was fun and I did enjoy the ending.

Did Carpenter Steal My Life? (No, She Didn't.) Hmmm... a book set in the real-life Bartow County (if in a fictional town within it) along the real-life Etowah River and some real-life roads (and some fictional ones). Featuring a veteran of a war named Major. Where an old Confederate area mine plays a major role. With (fictional) long-time area families being a key component of the story.

And I, a reader who is a native of the real Bartow County, whose great-grandfather was a WWI POW named Major, who went to high school not far off one of the roads in question (which runs through the northern section of Bartow County in real life, fwiw), who knows exactly where the real-life Cooper's Furnace and several area mines (including several similar to the fictional one in the book, which aren't on many current maps) are located, who can readily identify where the scars of the real-life war criminal terrorist bastard William Tecumseh Sherman's troops left scars on the land that are still visible *to this day*, who went to both high school and college near the sites of famous actions during the Atlanta Campaign, whose families (including all relevant branches) have been in the area for over 200 years as I type this (though to be clear, my dad and his siblings were the first to call Bartow their home county), who knows well how well-connected families *continue* to control the real-life Bartow County via its (one of few remaining *nationally*, per my understanding) Sole Commissioner government system...

Yeah... the parallels between my real life and the fictional world Carpenter created here allow me a rare (not *quite* unique, as there *are* at least a few hundred others who have similar life experience and knowledge) view into this particular tale. :)

But to be 100% explicitly clear, while Carpenter and I have interacted via social media off and on for a few years now, and while several of my grandparents and older were from her own area of Georgia in the Roswell area she admits in the Author's Note she actually based much of the tale on, we've never actually met and she had no possible way to know *all* of that about me. Thus, it is 100% coincidental that the story bears so much resemblance to so much that I can readily identify. :)

With all of *that* noted... this truly was a tremendous book. The motivations of pretty well everyone are pretty clear and believable (if a bit twisted, in the case of the antagonists of the tale). The parallels to The Lottery are blatant (as that tale is referenced in-story), but actually work well here with the story as presented. As things begin to go towards the psychological/ horror, it is done in a very believable manner, with open questioning of reality. The emotions are raw and visceral, no matter whether it be the hope of a new move, the horror of... the horrible things that happen (to avoid spoilers ;) ), the disgust of some other things that happen... it all completely works.

And yes, I could absolutely see some parallel reality where the real-life Cassville - the County Seat of what was then called Cass County during the Civil War - actually plays out very similarly to how Juliana plays out here. The tale really is that close to being true to life, at least life as I experienced it as a former trailer park trash kid growing up alongside Bartow's elite.

Finally, as Billie's diner is a big part of this tale, I wanted to end the review in a unique manner for me, since this is a rather unique book for me. I'm going to leave you with a few recommendations for places to eat and things to do in and around Cartersville, should you ever find yourself on I-75 in Georgia north of Atlanta. (Unlike Carpenter noting that her Bartow County was *two* hours outside of Atlanta, in real life it is closer to 45 min from downtown Atlanta without traffic, and with traffic... who knows how long. During a snow storm one year, it literally took my dad over 12 hrs to get from his work on the perimeter of Atlanta (on I-285, basically) to his home in Cartersville.)

Places To Eat:
4-Way Diner. Historic diner near downtown Cartersville, still retains its "black only" entrance from the days of Jim Crow (now for historic purposes only, to be clear).

Jefferson's. Restaurant in downtown Cartersville, inside the same building that houses the world's oldest outdoor Coca-Cola sign on its railroad-track facing side. Likely the closest thing Cartersville currently has to a real-life Billie's, as described in the text.

Moore's Gourmet Market. Small eatery near Roselawn (below) and the Bartow County Library, just outside of downtown Cartersville.

Restaurants Along Felton Rd. There are a lot of places here, none of which have any historic significance - but the road name does. The road is named for Rebecca Latimer Felton, who owned a plantation in this part of the County before and after the Civil War. She was the first female US Senator - and the last formerly slave owning one.

Things to See:
Roselawn: Sam Jones' mansion just outside of downtown Cartersville, one of few antebellum houses still existing in town. Across the street is a historic marker noting the former home of Lottie Moon, prominent Baptist missionary to China of the same era Sam Jones was preaching in and the person the Southern Baptist Convention's Christmas fundraising effort is named for.

Old County Courthouse/ Sam Jones Memorial Methodist Church: Side by side, these buildings represent much of Cartersville's history. I've personally seen KKK rallies at the Courthouse (and went the other way), and a cousin got married at Sam Jones, which was named after a preacher who was essentially the Billy Graham of the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries.

World's Oldest Outdoor Coca-Cola Sign. Along the train tracks at downtown Cartersville.

Etowah Indian Mounds: Mounds made by a pre-Columbus native tribe. The site is now across from a cemetery where several of my family members are buried and from Cartersville's main recreation park, Dellinger Park.

Atco Village: Early 20th century mill village, its mill has now largely been destroyed, but the elements of the town are largely still intact to varying degrees. The mill was actually one of two that locked its doors on my dad when it shut down nearly 25 yrs ago, but the old Methodist Church still stands at the entrance to the village, along with its old post office (next to the railroad tracks) and the Baptist church (where my family attended for decades) still stands at the dead end of the street that you enter the village on. Many of the houses still retain their original looks, despite improvements over the century.

Cooper's Furnace: I mentioned this site above. Just outside of Cartersville and just below the Allatoona Dam on the Etowah River, as you leave US 41 to drive over to this site, if you look into the river you'll see the stone pillars that once held railroad tracks destroyed by Sherman's troops as he moved through the region.

New Echota: Technically in Gordon County just north of Bartow, this is the site of the Capital of the Cherokee Nation at the time of the Trail of Tears. There is a relatively small State Park here with several buildings that were moved to this site to show what life was like at the time.

And enough with the tourism board stuff - I'm not Juliana's Initiative by any stretch of the imagination, just a man proud of his hometown and constantly in awe of just how much history he grew up around, largely unknowingly.

Even as a Bartow County native - maybe *especially* as a Bartow County native - this book is absolutely...

Very much recommended.