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This was an excellent book.
I was sucked in instantly into the town and lives of the families interwoven in the past. I had ideas throughout the book on the hows and whys of certain things and I wasn't always right--but I kept guessing and I think that is a sign of a good book. I don't always want to know exactly what will happen next in a storyline, and this book kept me guessing.

I'm interested in seeing how this book turns into a series (ahem, I am speaking that into being... or trying to at least. It was left open to be so)

This book does touch on self-harm... cutting, quite a bit. And it can be quite graphic with regards to the process, the feelings and the emptions that lead to it. Leading this book being better for a reader that is a bit more mature than simply being a "young adult".

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to preview this book. I did not finish, as it was dark, evil dark. Really evil dark. And the main character cuts herself, and people are dying, and there is just so much pain all over this book that why would a young person trying to escape reality and read a book read this book at all? I would not want young people to emulate the things going on. This book disturbed me a lot. It is sad. It is heavy. Yes, reality sucks, but to stick brutal reality into entertaining reading matter for young people just seems so wrong on so many levels. When I started this book it just left me with my jaw hanging, and gasping at the stark horror being written, not a horror story per se, just the feelings of gaping empty desolateness. I don't recommend it, except maybe for teachers, psychologist, psychiatrists, and counselors who may use some of the material to help treat others who are suffering.

After her father's death, Tori Burns and her family move from Washington D.C. to small town Chaptico, Maryland when they mysteriously inherit a house. Tori is having a hard time adjusting and coping, especially since the Slaughter family believe they were cheated out of the house Tori's family is living in, and will do anything to get what they think is rightfully theirs. Tori is struggling with self-harm, and when she sheds blood near a tree on her property she awakens Nathaniel, the murdered indentured servant who worked for the Slaughters centuries ago.

The story flashes back to Emmeline and Nathaniel who are illegally whisked away to the colonies, and forced to serve the evil Slaughter. Tori will help Nathaniel break the curse placed on the Slaughter line and he will help her discover the truth about her inheritance.

There is just so much to love in this book. History, witches, LGBTQ, etc etc. This is one of my favorite books from this author, who also wrote Nearly Gone and Holding Smoke and I think might be one of my new favorite YA authors. There are so many layers to this book and I enjoyed them all.

THE SUFFERING TREE has themes teens will identify with but the plot holes and writing style overwhelm and distract from the overall novel. Tori Burns and her family move to Chaptico when they are bequeathed a house and plot of land. After her father’s death, Tori is depressed and angry. She’s a cutter who already feels like she doesn’t fit in and living in the close-knit town just isolates her further. When her blood accidentally raises Nathaniel Bishop, a murdered indentured servant, Tori learns more about the dark history of the town. Both Tori’s and Nathaniel’s past become integral to ending a curse and solving why the Burns family were given the house at all.

There were a lot of odd writing choices in THE SUFFERING TREE. Chapters are broken into two different POV styles (3rd person/omni for Tori, 1st person for Nathaniel). Tori’s dream scenes are written in 1st person present tense. Each writing switch becomes more clunky and distracting. Everytime we think we’re settled into Tori’s head, there’s a one-line mention of another character knowing something or seeing something about Tori. Exposition also gets in the way of Tori’s chapters. Near the end of the book, Tori distractingly turns into Hercule Poirot and starts rattling off long theories.

There are some problematic elements that I wished had been addressed. With the history of slave ownership and indentured white servants, why is a servant's rape the sole thing that shames the Slaughter family? Why is that worse than anything else that likely happened on the plantation? There should be a known dark history to the Slaughter's and the town, as well as an already twisted family tree. As well, the witchcraft and magic that Emmeline performs has clear roots in voodoo but it’s never explains how Emmeline knows this magic.

This is one of the few books that I wish that there had been a love triangle or that the romance element was removed completely. I never invested in Tori and Nathaniel’s romance, especially since Nathaniel’s chapters were filled with longing for Emmeline. Jesse Slaughter started off as a charismatic teen who was kind, popular, and just had his family’s life ripped apart by this new family. Then, he goes full 80s villain. It felt like a lot of the character reversal was to buck the ‘love triangle’ conventions. Instead it just leeched away any interesting tension and complex characterisation. What would it mean if not all the Slaughters were batshit crazy and out to get Tori?

A forced romance and confusing characters ultimately detract from what could have been an interesting historical fantasy. If THE SUFFERING TREE focused more on Emmeline, and if the Slaughter family hadn’t been such obvious villains, there could have been a lot of interesting questions that addressed the impact of personal history, the importance of blood relations, and whether the past is still something that must be atoned. Tori and Nathaniel’s story may continue into another novel, but it’s one I don’t think I’ll be reading.

Reviews shared on Goodreads, Amazon, B &N and V's Reads: https://vsreads.com/2017/06/30/cephalopod-coffeehouse-june-2017-the-suffering-tree-a-review/

Trigger warning: this book has intense and graphically described instances of the MC cutting her skin as a means to cope with her grief and isolation.

16 year old Tori Burns is new to rural Chaptico, Maryland. Her adoptive mother, brother and herself mysteriously inherited twenty acres of land and a home smack dab in the middle of the Slaughter farm, bequeathed by Al Senior upon his death several months ago. It was just in time, too, as Tori's family had been recently evicted from their apartment. (There's some shenanigans about this that I'll describe later.)

Tori hasn't been the same since her adoptive father died a year ago. Since then, she's quit swimming--though she was an expert swimmer--because she can't imagine doing it without her father cheering her on. Also, she's begun cutting her skin to mask the grief she's experiencing. Her arms and legs are covered in scars, and she regularly presses on healing cuts to induce pain when necessary. She's an outsider in her school which has lots and lots of Slaughter kids, all of whom have the status. Jesse Slaughter is the typical king of the school, and Tori can't figure out why he's talking to her and asking her to Homecoming.

One night, when the pain is too great, Tori runs out to the small graveyard on the edge of the property and digs a sharp branch into her arm. The blood shed releases a centuries-old curse and, inexplicably, a man from his shallow grave. Tori's appropriately horrified by the advent of this former-servant of age-old Slaughter Farm, Nathaniel, and that's only the beginning. She's plagued by nightmares of the Chaptico Witch, Emmeline, who was the love of Nathaniel back in the seventeenth century.

So, you can see, this was a really different plot line. The POV shifts between 1690s Nathaniel's memories, the present-day, and dreams/visions Tori experiences from Emmeline's magic. Because, she was a witch, and she did love Nathaniel enough to preserve him until he could fulfill his sworn duty to protect her.

There are many interesting themes here: dealing with grief, learning about your history, becoming the person you were meant to be, doing the right thing, as well as the folly of greed and the horror of locking down one's family skeletons. I think I didn't really get hooked until about a third of the way through, mostly because I was a little stupefied by some of the issues Tori faces.

See, her mom is a volunteer art teacher. Her father dies and has no life insurance, leaving them essentially destitute. They have no other family and are on the verge of eviction. Sorry, I'd be working at a paying job, folks. And, the grief really isn't an excuse for me. The whole set-up seemed shady, and it put me off. I almost had less trouble accepting the magical resurrection of Nathaniel than their real-life crisis of near-homelessness. Also, her mom is practically unable to keep this family together. Beyond driving and painting, she has virtually no life skills despite being a mother for 16+ years. It was insulting, honestly. So, shenanigans. I call it.

The isolation Tori experienced was far easier to accept as a reader. New girl in a small town. She's odd and weird. No doubt she'll struggle to fit in. The double-crosses were to be expected, and I didn't think that was a deficit. Plot-wise, I liked the interwoven POVs and I liked Nathaniel, a lot. Tori, at times, seems deliberately obtuse, but she comes to terms with her position in the tangled history with Nathaniel, Emmeline and the Slaughters past and present. It doesn't help that the current Slaughters are experiencing unprecedented tragedy--including blight, fire and death--and they pin it to the arrival of Tori and her family. It's a mystery why these events are occurring, to everyone but Nathaniel, Tori and an elderly black neighbor who knows more than her family with believe.

I liked how this turned out in the end, with much faster pacing and a tumultuous climax. For me, the book is an interesting allegory for the power of greed to destroy and of love to reclaim/redeem. That said, it's still troubling how little assistance was available for Tori, with both her grief and her cutting.

I have lots to say about this book so I'm going to try and break it all down for everyone. Starting with the aversion many have with this book.

<b>Cutting</b>
Yes it is true our lead gal is a cutter. She self harms herself in about 8 described incidents (though I would argue that ones done for a spell are different), 4 of which are possibly graphic. I didn't think so but then again I dabbled with cutting as a teen myself and my husband had larger issues with it as a teenager. I think it's a really important issue that most writers shy away from. I've never read a novel where the lead character is a cutter and, given how widespread of a teen issue it is, it's occurred to me that we should probably be more concerned than we are.

So, <b>why is this such a taboo subject? </b>
I personally feel like those who have DNF'd or given 1 star because of the cutting content are incorrect. You can still dislike the overall book of course; and choose to say the book is not for you, but that doesn't mean it's bad or inappropriate. Especially if you DNF and don't witness the progression of the cutting issue. Right from page 1 it is not glorified or made out to be right. In fact the shame and fear our gal has over the issue, I think, sends a very good message to teens.
I'm not interested in arguing about this at length. This is merely my opinion. But as a previous cutter and having witnessed those who struggle with it even worse I think this is a really important, rarely discussed issue.

<b>Plot</b>
There is a lot of great content here. Between moving to a new town, dealing with death, stigma and corruption it has a good base. Then add in the historical context discussion indentured folks, slaves and witch trials: you suddenly have a well thought out book. There was more magic than I expected and I really enjoyed the jump between dreams of the past, and the past and present perspectives.
It's quite intricate and the overall family tree and past element felt a lot like Girl With the Dragon Tattoo for me. Add in our damaged cutting lead gal and you suddenly start to have a bunch of themes that crossover.
That said it's a teen book. While it's definitely not appropriate for less than 14 or 15 due to content, it is still not an adult novel.

<b>Writing</b>
The overall writing is quite good. There are some really annoying issues at times where someone has the answer to a crisis when they couldn't have had time to make a call and plan in the span of the two minutes between incident and telling others of a confirmed plan. So some holes. But for the most part they are not too hard to overlook.

<b>Overall</b>
I'd say on principle this book is 3.5 stars for me, but I bump it to 4 stars for being willing to tackle self harm and mutilation issues with teens.
Could it trigger someone? Sure.
Should it have mentioned self harm in the blurb... I dunno... maybe...
Ironically I felt the scenes in the past including whipping, switches and other torture methods was far more graphic and disturbing. I have noticed a tendency as a society to be okay with past violence as we believe it no longer happens today, so it's not as disturbing or something... there's a psychology paper in there somewhere.

<B>Recommend?</b>
I would recommend this book for adults who love magic that happens or is set in present day, those who enjoy a complex family tree and conspiracy, or anyone interested in a well done take on why teens (or others for that matter) inflict injuries upon themselves by choice.
I think any teen over 14 would be entranced by this novel.
Oh and I shouldn't forget to mention that the love interest is very unique. I liked it a lot. I especially appreciated he lack of love triangle, gushing about cuteness or hotness and that there is zero slut shaming. All things I'm more than tired of.
Overall I would recommend The Suffering Tree and I commend Elle Cosimano for tackling a hidden issue that needs to be brought to the surface even if it makes folks uncomfortable. In fact the more uncomfortable you are the more likely it is that the issue needs to be discussed!

The Suffering Tree deals a lot with self-harm and it took me off guard. I generally shy away from books dealing with it. It’s very present and I would say graphic. It’s always difficult for me to read because my brother cut himself.So reading it is hard because I wonder if this is how my brother was feeling. Even when it came out, I don’t think my family ever really talked about it. I don’t know what it feels like to read it as someone who has gone through or is going through this experience. I was glad the book dealt with it though. It wasn’t just something mentioned on the side it was something that she felt she needed. Something that frequently occurs. I, however, did not like that it was what triggered the magical events.

So the book is about a girl, Tori, and her family that have to deal with the loss of her father. Tori is adopted and has always know it but her mother makes sure she knows how much she is loved. They move to a small town with a dark history that revolves mainly around the Slaughter family. I could only imagine bad things from a name like that.

I thought it was interesting that Elle Cosimano choose to use the part of history involving indentured servants. Being Irish I know a lot about that side of it but as fair as children being kidnapped from England, I was clueless. The story also has witchcraft mixed in being that one of the kidnapped children happens to be a witch. Which triggers the events in the present that stem from the misdeeds of the past.

We get three different perspectives. We have Tori and then through her dreams she sees the past in the eyes of Emmeline. Then we have Nathaniel whose past we see through his memories. I was okay with the switching perspectives. I know sometimes it’s difficult to follow but I did not feel lost at all. There are times that some of the memories overlapped.

I liked Nathaniel. I think the bulk of understanding his personality comes from his past memories. The connection that he forms with Tori stems from both the past and present. He can’t help but feel connected to her but at the same time it’s also new.

I liked the mystery. Tori is running around trying to figure out why Al senior left them the house and what part Nathaniel plays in the whole thing. As well as to pieces together the memories of the past and what dark secrets the Slaughters are holding.

I like Drew and Magda but I was saddened by the underdevelopment of their characters. I think they could have played a more pivotal role in Tori’s issues. Even not knowing her for very long. They are more involved towards the end but it feels like we never get to really know them.

I feel like it’s hard to review the book because there are two sides. The self-harm is such a big part of it and difficult to read. I liked the mystery and the mixing of history with witchcraft. I read the book pretty quickly because the pacing is good and I liked the writing.

The Suffering Tree by Elle Cosimano is a highly engaging and deeply entertaining novel that wonderfully mingles haunting supernatural elements with important themes, historical mystery and budding romance.

Victoria “Tori” Burns has just moved with her family to the small town of Chaptico, Maryland after surprisingly inheriting a house from a complete stranger under mysterious circumstances. Though the Burns are hoping for a fresh start after a hard year, Chaptico is a close knit town and the Burns find themselves outsiders, especially with the Slaughter family adamant that the Burns have no right to the land and home they occupy. Brimming with influence in Chaptico, they’re adamant that the land rightfully belongs to the Slaughter’s. Depressed and alone, everything begins to change when Tori witnesses a young man literally claw his way out of the ground from under a tree in the graveyard in her new backyard. Nathaniel Bishop doesn’t know what brought him back to the land of the living centuries after his harrowing life came to a brutal end, but when it becomes clear that Nathaniel’s past is connected to Tori’s present, only by discovering what connects Tori to the Slaughters will Tori and Nathaniel be able to stop the curse that is overshadowing the Slaughter people and save innocent lives from being lost.

Having recently finished The Suffering Tree, I’m surprised to see all the negative responses to the novel, as I personally found myself enjoying it from the moment I began reading. As far as I’m concerned, Elle Cosimano has detailed a wonderfully woven story that mixes history with entertainment and hints of the supernatural, as well as strong themes including self-harm and the abuse and treatment of slaves and servants during the Plantation era. As far as I’m concerned, it was a good blend and was well executed.

Supernatural to a part, The Suffering Tree features a very beautiful atmospheric and haunting feel reminiscent of ghostly tales as it bridges the gap between past and present. Unfolding through Tori’s eyes and Nathanial’s memories of his time as an indentured servant, The Suffering Tree is true to its name as we witness the horror of both Tori’s and Nathanial’s life. Tori’s experiences with self-harm is a large part of the story and will make you feel for her; this girl that feels like she doesn’t belong.

There a small hint of romance within The Suffering Tree, but don’t expect it to be such a large feature as Tori and Nathanial’s relationship if often only a backdrop to the supernatural and human dangers within Tori’s life. That being said, I thought they were sweet and I really enjoyed how Nathanial’s past with Emmeline was interwoven with who Tori was.

If I’m being picky, I only had two issues with this novel, one being that I felt Tori was a bit too quick to accept Nathanial. I mean the guy clawed his way out of the ground and next thing you know she’s hiding him in her barn, and the second thing was that I don’t think Tori’s issues with self-harm were correctly addressed. Yes, Cosimano gives us closure with this issue at the end of the story as we learn Tori has plans to begin to heal, but seeing how large an issue it is, I feel like Cosimano should maybe have expanded on this resolution a little bit more. But that’s just me, I guess.

Haunting, but really entertaining, The Suffering Tree encompassed it all for and had all the fixtures I look for in a unique supernatural YA that dares to offer us something different. I’ll definitely read more by Elle Cosimano in the future and look forward to seeing what she releases next.

Before I begin this (short) review, please be aware that this book goes into graphic self-harm detail and should not be read if this is a sensitive topic.

Unfortunately, I have to DNF this book. I got about 2% in and the book went into some seriously graphic detail regarding the main character participating in the act of self-harm. As this is a topic that I am severely uncomfortable reading about, I cannot continue reading The Suffering Tree. At one point, I did decide to try and press on, but it just got worse for me. After reading multiple reviews that stated that the self-harm only gets more frequent and much more graphic, I've made the decision to put this book down and not pick it back up. While this book did have an interesting premise and it was one I was eager to read, I just could not continue due to the subject material. I do believe that there should be a warning to anyone that is sensitive to self-harm because it could be seriously harmful to many readers. While I am grateful for the opportunity to read The Suffering Tree, I could not keep going without making myself incredibly uncomfortable. This book may be wonderful to others, but it just was not the book for me.

The Suffering Tree was a pretty good read. I'm a plot driven reader so I enjoyed how it all unfolded and the way the mystery revealed itself. There was a lot of drama and an atmospheric setting to keep me engaged. I just wish it paced a little more evenly and there was better characterizations.

I thoroughly did not enoy this novel. There was nothing appeasing or interesting in it! And the fact that Self Harm was used as a glorious factor to the story wasnt olay at all. It was like Self harm was painted in a good light, and not considered harmful. But thats wrong. As someone who suffered from Self harm for years, this book was a joke. I cant cut myself and have some hot dude show up for me. Like thats not how it works. This was disappointing and aggravating and a waste of my time.

I realise that a lot of people have taken issue with this book for the graphic descriptions of self harm involved in the story, and I can understand why to some extent. Still, this is a fictional book, and that is what I'm keeping in mind when writing this review. I did not judge fiction books on their ability to make people so things they ordinarily would not do. If a fictional character can fly after jumping off a ten story building, I'm not going to try it just because I read about it. I thought this was a very well-written, unique and wonderful story and that is why it earned five stars in my opinion.

If you like YA books that have outstanding and memorable characters, this is one that you want to get your hands on. From the very first few pages this book hooked me into the story and refused to let go. I found myself walking around with my kindle because I didn't want to put it down to do menial life tasks without reading the next paragraph.

I liked Tori right away and found her family's situation interesting. The chapters often began with things that happened in the past and that was just as interesting as the current story. Although Emmeline was not a character in the present portion of the book, she was integral to the plot and I liked her character a lot as well. There were a lot of surprises and unexpected events in this book and it thrilled me to uncover them a page at a time.

This book has stayed with me since I finished reading it a few weeks ago, and I would happily recommend it to those that like a bit of magic and mystery with their historical YA. The romance was sweet and the ending was great.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

This had to be the most unique and unexpected novel i read all year. What starts off​ looking like a YA novel, turns out not to be one. At least not fully. While it has YA elements in it, it spices it up with fantasy, anxiety, cutting, promises, curses that lead to time travel, of sorts & voodoo for good measure.

It will might take you a while to get into the book but once it hooks its claws into you it will be hard to let it go. If you get emotional while reading books, this one will give you all of them. Well except horny, but that's beside the point.  If you don't get emotional while reading, prepare to get on this one.

My head is still buzzing as I'm writting this, cause to be honest I still don't know what to make of this book, other than the fact that i absolutely loved it. Keep in mind that there is some self harming in this book, nothing too graphic, but it's there. And as the story progresses, the author uses it to show that beyond the fear and the stuggle, there is beauty & love to be found there. But don't be mistaken, this is not a book about self harming. It's a work of fiction. But self harming is involved and it also adds an amazing aspect to the story.

The plot itself transcends time as it follows two sets of timelines. You don't see the connection at first, and it takes some time before they connect the timelines together fully. But it comes at you like a runaway train. And you don't want to get out of its way....you want to hop on board for this one, cause​ it's one heck of a ride. Prepare to be amazed, engulfed, entertained, surprised, & once you make it to about 60% in, prepare to say goodbye to real life as you'll want to finish the story. You'll want to find out what happens. So get the book & read it.

And to Elle Cosimano, thank you for writing this book, and thank you for all the all-nighters it took to read it.

The Suffering Tree is a beautifully constructed novel with tons of plot and character development. As Tori struggles to overcome tragedy from her past and make a place for herself in a new community she is nearly consumed by self-harming behaviors. Her defenses and fears finally begin to break down as a new friendship develops. I loved the themes interwoven into the story, every theme is explored in a way that shows both positive and negative sides. Blood is important in so many ways, it served to divide people and bind them together. The strength of friendship and family is shown as both empowering and destructive.

I feel the need to address some of the complaints from other reviewers who have given this book poor reviews, I think they are a bit overblown. It is certainly necessary to be upfront about the content in this book and how it may affect potential readers. I think the negative aspects of self-harm and cutting behavior are well represented. Tori suffers from an enormous amount of shame and doubt, it changes her family dynamics, her friendships, and her ability to connect with others. I imagine this could be further explored to emphasis how she isn't just physically damaging herself, she is emotionally damaging herself and those around her, BUT there is a subtext within the novel about how one action can cause a multitude of reactions. One moment, big or small, can influence everything that comes after.

Overall, The Suffering Tree is a lovely exploration of character as Tori works through her own secrets to discover acceptance, while other characters cannot get over the shame and secrets of their past enabling it to destroy them. It is a dark and thoughtful book with a complex plot and much tragedy for the characters.

Thank you to Negalley and Disney-Hyperion for a copy of the eARC in exchange for a fair review.

Tori has recently moved to Maryland, her family has inherited a plot of land and house just in the nick of time. Since Tori's dad died they have lost everything and had no choice but to move from DC to this small town in Maryland. Even though she finds it strange that they have a random plot of land in the middle of the Slaughter family farm.

Tori also cuts, but her mom knows about that so when she heads out to the old dead tree to cut herself she doesn't think anything of it until she finds a boy later. Nathaniel Bishop tells her that he was hanged from that tree and that Emmaline must have brought him back.

When Matilda the old lady that lives near them tells her that Emmaline brought him back, Tori knows something deeper and darker is going on. Will Slaughter has gone missing, and Tori keeps finding Alister Slaughter on their property. She knows they are looking for something, and it has something to do with why they inherited the property.

Sins of the past are coming to light, and Tori is falling for a boy who has long been dead. Will she be able to set him free? Will she be able to find the proof she needs in order to save her family?

I have read all of Elle's books so when I saw this it was an automatic request! While I didn't love it as much as her other books, I soon found myself sucked into the mystery and wondering what was going to happen. I love Tori, despite all that tries to break her and her cutting she still gets up and tries again and again.

I also loved the Gothic southern feel to the book. Buried secrets are some of my favorite things to read about and this did not disappoint, especially since it brought up indentured servants a part of our history that we really don't spend a lot of time focusing on. I have to say that I hated that it ended, I wanted more and I want to read more about Tori, but alas this is a standalone so I have to just be happy with what I have.

THE SUFFERING TREE is a dark and intriguing story whose title will pique your curiosity, whose secrets will keep you riveted, whose characters will break your heart, and whose mysteries will keep you guessing. It is a tragic and romantic and thrilling tale of loss and love and greed and vengeance. It is haunting and magical and unsettling and interesting and is a read that promises to be unforgettable.

Tori Burns had no idea why Alistair Slaughter Senior had bequeathed the home and land she now resided in and on to her family. The Slaughter family had owned the land for centuries, and his descendants were not at all happy with what he’d done.

It was hard enough being a new arrival in Chaptico, Maryland. But being an enemy of the Slaughters and having a secret she is ashamed of makes her even more of an outsider. And with the nightmares she’s been having, the misfortune that suddenly befalls the Slaughters, the strange things that start happening, and the mysterious arrival of Nathaniel Bishop, there is no chance that she’ll be able to adjust to her new reality.

Not until she finds out just what Nathaniel is doing there, learns what her family’s connection is to the Slaughters, figures out how to keep the Slaughters from taking back her family’s inheritance, and uncovers the secrets they don’t want coming to light.

Elle Cosimano crafted a fascinating and different story that gives readers a glimpse at a past that is harsh and heartrending, introduces characters who are captivating and diverse, touches upon issues past and present that are tough and uncomfortable and disturbing, and offers up an enthralling puzzle to solve. Add to this a witch, a curse, blood magic, forbidden love, deception, revenge, and murder, and it is a read that will be unputdownable.

Full of twists and turns and surprises, THE SUFFERING TREE is gripping and chilling and foreboding. It doesn’t shy away from mentioning the cruelty and the injustices that were commonplace in the past or from discussing Tori’s drastic coping mechanism. But it isn’t overwhelmed by these issues. The history, the mystery, the romance, the magic, combine into a story that is absolutely spellbinding.

[Received a 5-star "amazing" review on the blog]

The Suffering Tree is a fun YA read with plenty of mystery, atmosphere, and excellent use of suspense.

The story follows Tori Burns who moves with her family from DC to Chaptico, Maryland when the family inherits a house. The inheritance puts the family on the map for the small town in a not so pleasant way. The Slaughter family feels the land was stolen from them. Tori also witnesses something very mysterious - a young man claw his way out of a grave under the Oak tree in her backyard.

The POVs include Nathaniel’s history, Tori’s visions, and of course present day. This occasionally gets confusing due to the change in tense, but the intrigue remains real. There is a blend of genres throughout including romance, historical fiction, paranormal fiction, fantasy, contemporary fiction, YA, etc.

The setting is written pretty well. This is actually the thing that immediately intrigued me about The Suffering Tree - it is set in the area I grew up in, Chaptico Maryland. It is a very small town in southern Maryland, not the actual town I myself lived in (mine was next door). But this is where we ended up a good amount of time. There isn’t much in Chaptico..besides Chaptico Market which my friends parents own. So there was a lot of hanging around. In high school there would be parties in abandoned barns..abandoned cornfields. That sort of thing. So I do applaud the writing of the small town. My only gripe is the atmosphere really takes from that “if you aren’t from here, we don’t want you here” sort of town where they really take pride in their roots. That was never exactly the case. There is a lot of great history down there because of St Mary’s City and Sotterly, but there is no hating of new people who move in town. In fact, over the last decade the area has grown a lot, meaning the area embraces outsiders. But I digress. I did appreciate the local towns and mentioning of the longer drive to the Annapolis mall and how it could be worth it. Anyone from the area, especially as a teen, knows this feeling.

The ending is very satisfying making it more than worth the read. There is self-harming in this book, though with awareness it could help to be warned in the synopsis. I am including it here. The plot is very compelling. Readers of young adult may really want to check this one out!