After Regina’s brother and his strange daughter show up on her doorstep, she is forced into a story that doesn’t fit with the narrative she has written herself in the years since she last saw her family.

This was a strange book. It was a slow burn that flared with a building intensity for most of the book. The reader is left constantly wondering what characters will do next and if it will be sinister or innocent. I really enjoyed the writing style and Regina’s naive way of viewing the world. I found myself constantly wondering what would happen next and unable to guess correctly, which is unusual for me. I am left feeling unsettled but having truly appreciated this book. It was quite a read.

Thank you ECW Press and NetGalley for an audiobook copy of this book.

Not for me. I requested this to read in October, as I always like to stock up on "spooky stories" to get me in the Halloween mood. This wasn't quite what I expected, and not my favorite.

BAD LAND-Corinna Chong. Audio book narrated by Tara Koehler. Published by Arsenal Pulp Press, 2024.

🎉LONGLISTED for 2024 GILLER PRIZE.

“Regina is a socially awkward loner who is content to live a life withdrawn from everyone except her cherished pet bunny. But after seven years of silence, Regina's brother, Ricky, shows up unannounced on her doorstep, along with his daughter, Jez—a peculiar six-year-old with an unnerving vicious streak—upending Regina's quiet life.
It's clear to Regina that something terrible has happened, though the truth won't come to the surface easily. After all, Regina and Ricky lived a childhood fraught with secrets buried as deep as the fossils in the desolate landscape around them. But this secret is one that cannot stay buried for long, and its exposure sets off a calamitous journey through the plains and mountains of Alberta's badlands to the coast of BC, forcing Regina to confront the brutality of family love and to question how far she is willing to go to preserve it.” (blurb)

This audio version/narration fit the book perfectly. This was my first ‘book’ I’ve read of Chong. She has published a short story collection and I believe this is her second novel. Chong weaves a multigenerational story that looks at themes of mental health, trauma, and memory. I really enjoyed listening to this book, but I feel I’m going to have to read it for myself to get the true feeling of the book.

Would not be surprised to see this book shortlisted for the GILLER PRIZE.

🦕🦕🦕🦕

#books #booksaredeadly #gillerprize #giller #fiction #readmorebooks #badland

This was a really interesting narrative - exploring some interesting themes of generational trauma, abuse, unconventional families, childhood violence, and navigating life as an obese person and the anxieties that accompany this. It's engaging from page one - however I am a little disappointed with how little fossils featured in the story but that's a personal quibble that doesn't detract from the storytelling at all. Highly recommend.

Difficult and awkward might describe most if not all the characters in this book but nevertheless the author makes you care about them. The tale was completely intriguing and very original. I loved it from the start. Beautifully read too which adds to the experience

It was quite an intriguing experience. The story moves at a slower pace, which kept me engaged and attentive to how things unfolded. Tara Koehler really added to the immersion, especially in building the tension between the characters. The relationship between Regina and Jez stood out to me the most. Initially, they’re both hard to understand, but as the story progresses, their dynamic becomes clearer, exploring how their past shapes their interactions. I appreciated how the author tackled complex themes in a straightforward manner, without unnecessary embellishment. Overall, I found that the audiobook suited the tone of *Bad Land* very well. The atmosphere was effectively developed through both Tara Koehler’s narration and Chong’s writing.

The narration of this book is very good. The big reveal at the end is implausible. An ok book,not a great one.

Unfortunately, I was unable to fully get into this audiobook. I did not enjoy the overall story but did find the writing very well done. This was just not a book for me, therefore I do not feel I am qualified to leave criticism. I will still recommend to others as I do believe the book is well written and will work for the right people.

This work of literary fiction takes us from areas of fossilized dinosaur bones north to glaciers in search of family and truth. Regina and her younger brother were raised by a strict German single mother. Once the boy turned 18, their mother left them to fend for themselves. Some years later, the brother returns home with a precocious yet odd 6-year-old daughter and a secret. Regina’s memories are interspersed with meeting her niece and dealing with how her solitary life has been upended by her brother. She thinks she understands him, yet doesn’t understand herself.

This is a beautifully written story that is both heartbreaking and hopeful. It’s about being different and unwanted, about taking responsibility for one’s actions, for wanting more yet making do with less.

The audiobook was recently recorded thanks to a Canadian government grant. My thanks to the author, publisher, producer, and #NetGalley for access to the audiobook for review purposes. It will be available Sept. 24, 2024.

Definitely one to recommend, as the story went along, I found myself drawn in more, and caring.
About Regina and Jez. Even about the bunny.
A slow burn book , but one you'll be glad you picked up.
Excellent writing, and excellent narration.

Thank you NetGalley and publishers for the audio ARC. All opinions are my own.

I had a hard time with this one and am finding it diffcult to review. 3.5 stars rounded up.

It was about everything and about nothing. This story follows Regina who has had a rough life. She is insecure, loads of trauma, reclusive, and just prefers to live life in the shadows as to not draw too much attention. Then drop in her niece, who I am confident has some level of ASD even if it wasn't clearly stated (coming from the mother of an AuDHD 7yo) and it just makes life even more bizarre.

They travel to right unresolved wrongs. They exist in this weird space, the Bad Lands. And the books is about trying to find closure for some of these issues. Whether they do this successfully or not is up to reader interpretation.

Now, what I can say, is this audio was spectacular. A perfect fall read. It was melancholy, eerie, atmospheric... all the things I am looking for this time of year. So despite the content of the book, I thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend it on audio.

Have been waiting in something this good for a while, a great book to listen to on a long drive. Pretty addictive and the characters made the story. Enjoyed the narration very much and I thought the cover was appealing. Great job

Tara Koehler is a hugely talented human. The sheer range of the voices she created was impressive and she her delivery of the story was just *chef’s kiss*. Being Canadian, I loved listening to a Canadian read me this Canadian story! 🥰 Audio: 5/5

Story Review 📖
Infuriating, heartbreaking, hopeful, this story pulled me in and didn’t let me go.
My perceptions of many of the characters changed and evolved as the story continued and as we learned more about them. This isn’t an easy read and these are not easy characters. Chong is masterful at creating complexity in characters, relationships, and situations that pulls on the reader’s emotions and feel deeply, unsettling human. The sense of place was phenomenal across this book - I was there in Drumheller, on the VIA rail train, and on those long, lonesome Albertan highways.
The story has thought-provoking commentary on growing up with emotionally (and sometimes literally) unavailable parents, inter-generational trauma, life in small town Canada, the invisibility and otherness of being a large human, and the many faces and complexities of human love.

Part of why I requested this was because I was drawn to the premise of a reclusive woman living alone with her bunny in small town Canada. The love Regina felt for Waldo was palpable and beautiful. I loved the way their relationship was written and the poetic way that Chong explored the difference between ‘rabbits’ and ‘bunnies’ was delightful.
🐰 Is the bunny okay? <spoilers removed>

The narrator combined with the addictive slow burn made it a propulsive read that I rocketed through. The audio book format enriched this experience for me as a reader, forcing me to slow down and immerse myself in the world that Chong had created. Story: 4/5

I was privileged to have my request to read this book accepted through NetGalley. Thank you so much, ECW Press Audio! ✨