Unsettled Ground Review

My first finished book of 2021!

I got an advanced reader copy of Unsettled Ground through Netgalley.

This book features a Bitchy Literary Caroline™ — is there a conspiracy amongst authors to have every single character named Caroline be an icy monster? Please advise.

This specific Bitchy Literary Caroline™ is the wife of the landlord of the cottage where Jeanie and Julius, 51-year-old twins live with their mother, Dot, who dies suddenly. Jeanie and Julius rely heavily on each other and do not have other friends or relations in their social circle, so they do not have a support network to help them through their grief. In addition, the twins find that Dot has lied to them over the years, so their grief and isolation is compounded by a reevaluation of their lives and themselves.

The entire tone of this book is bleak. The twins cannot seem to catch a break and their life essentially falls apart in the wake of their mother’s passing. Jeanie and Julius’ relationship becomes strained because of their reduced circumstances and need to become a more cohesive team to both survive and come to terms with the lies about themselves and each other they had come to believe.

Because the story was so bleak, I found it difficult to “like” this book, but I would still recommend it because it was powerful. Jeanie’s character arc, especially, was memorable and impactful, as she makes strides to become more independent and to know herself better. Three solid stars.