I have to be honest but this book didn’t do it for me. I was confused in a lot of the plot and the characters seemed a bit childish to me. The parents are toxic but I loved the mystery part, at the most!

I decided to use the audiobook version of this book to really get into the story. I loved the unreliable narration of the characters. Honestly wished there was a more definite ending for them. I loooooved Jory

I tried reading this book but sadly I didn't make it very far while reading this book. I think that the different point of views made it a bit difficult to understand . I usually love this author's books and I hoped that this one would work out for me.

A middle of the road YA thriller for me - was a fun ride but not particurlarly memorable for me. Would read more from her in the future before writing off.

This book really messed with my mind! In fact, I'm still thinking about it days later! Liv and Jory are siblings who have horrible parents and do not behave towards each on a positive way. Liv decides to emancipate herself from her parent, but the day of the hearing they go missing. Liv and Jory go on a road trip to try and find their parents. What happens for the rest of the book is a complete mind@#$%!!

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley for an honest review.

I'm not really sure what to say about this book. The characters are written masterfully, so much so that they felt real. Jory's condition was especially interesting to read about. I also got rather creeped out in certain parts, which is hard to do. It was definitely a weird book, with an ending that didn't completely satisfy me but was still entertaining.

If books that send you into a tailspin are your sort of thing, then check out YA author Kate A. Boorman’s new novel, What We Buried. This story about teenage siblings who go on a wild goose chase through the Nevada desert searching for their negligent, missing parents will leave your head spinning.

Brother and sister, Jory and Liv are seeking retribution for what they consider to be an abusive childhood, fraught with more than their fair share of demeaning and humiliating experiences. Liv grew up in the spotlight as an over-the-top reality show beauty queen, and Jory, who suffers from partial facial paralysis due to Moebius Syndrome, has always lived in Liv’s shadow and has had to battle his father’s reckless verbal abuse.

Liv is now suing her parents due to the “irreparable and lasting harm” that being forced into pageants at such a young age caused her. However, before Liv can face off against her parents in the courtroom, they disappear without a trace. One minute they are here, the next they are gone. How can two people just vanish into thin air, and where did they go? Liv doesn’t know for sure, but she is determined to find out ... and she’s dragging Jory along with her. She has no intention of letting her parents get off so easily, and she is determined to find them at all sinister and creepy costs.

What We Buried is one of those books that reads like a dream. As a reader, you don’t really know if you can trust the characters’ perception of their world. Why exactly is that the case here? Well, Liv and Jory experience some pretty crazy, and rather unexplainable, things out there in the desert. Roads that never end or lead anywhere, cats without jaws, and their parents’ possessions half-buried in the sand are just some of the odd findings they encounter. If you enjoy a surreal reading experience, then this novel will be perfect for you; however, if you like your reads more rooted in reality, you may want to skip this one, as much of the story reads like a pieced together, hazy dream.

This book takes you down so a twisted, dark and unexpected path. I did not anticipate just how much I enjoyed the way the author plotted this book out and how important each character was to the overall story. Thank you I am so glad that I decided to read this book NetGalley.

What We Buried by Kate A. Boorman is the story of Liv and Jory. Liv is an ex-child beauty queen that is suing her parents for making her the horrible person she was and Jory is the older brother who has had to deal with their father's crude remarks about his partial face paralysis.

Liv's childhood was ruined by beauty pageants and a TV show showcasing the child stars. Someone started a lawsuit against their parents for making them do all that stuff so Liv decides to jump on the bandwagon.

Jory has always been in his sister's shadow even though he is the older sibling. His parents even denied him a surgery that could make talking a lot easier for him because it wasn't a great investment like his sister's beauty pageants. So when he finds out Liv is suing his parents he starts to resent her even more.

When their parents are supposed to show up to court for the hearing results they suddenly vanish and Liv and Jory must work together to try and figure out what happened. But things start feeling weird for both Liv and Jory. They both start feeling like they have done things before or said something before and by the end of the book things start to right themselves and everything becomes clear.

Man, oh man, what can I say about this book that won't give too much away but will still entice people to read it. Oh, I know! This book made me feel literally insane. I had a moment where I was reading and my husband was taking the trash out and all of a sudden I couldn't find a bag I had sitting on the bed and I felt like I was losing my mind while searching for this bag. Now, the logical thing would have been to think about it and realize oh maybe my husband threw it away. But noooo. Because I was so sucked into this book I thought I was losing my mind. Yes, I did accidentally give my husband the bag to throw away and yes I had to go retrieve it from the trashcan outside at 3 am but the moral of this story is THIS BOOK IS A TRAP. But it was a trap I enjoyed.

In the end, I went back and forth between three or four different ending scenarios in my head but the true ending wasn't any one of those scenarios. I just want to know one thing, did they survive?!

Overall, I gave the book 4.5/5 stars.

"Told from the split viewpoints of Liv and Jory, Kate A. Boorman's What We Buried is a psychological thrill ride that deftly explores how memories can lie, how time can bend, and how reconciling the truth can be a matter of life or death."

Yup that pretty much sums this book up. I still have no real clue what happened to either Liv, Jory, or their parents. Going into this book I thought it would just be a family drama but there are most definitely something supernatural going on with the time loop the two siblings seem to be caught up in. I almost didn't read it because my TBR is ridiculously long but I am so so glad I did. I will be recommending this book to my teens who are looking for something different. I feel like I cannot go into too much detail because it can ruin the story. This one is best gone into with little information. I just wish I could wrap my head around that ending!

Thank you Netgalley and Henry Holt and Co for providing me an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I was afraid the beauty pageant aspect would deter me from enjoying it, but this book had me laughing out loud, jaw dropping to the floor, and begging for more! It’s a super fast read. Talk about a crazy family dynamic! It’s a little cliche (as most young adult novels tend to read like for adults, in my opinion), but the dry humor is fresh and original. I’m still reveling in how the author chose to end the book. If you’ve read this one, let’s talk about it!

4/5 Stars

I ended up really liking (?) this one despite spending the entire book wondering what I was actually reading and feeling vaguely lost and confused. I'm glad I read it. The ending was good. The road getting there was alternately really good and really.... disconcerting. I ended up rating this a three-star read, just because there were many times I didn't feel a huge connection, but I did enjoy the way the overall story came together.

What We Buried by Kate A Boorman
BLURB~
“Told from the split viewpoints of Liv and Jory, Kate A. Boorman's What We Buried is a psychological thrill ride that deftly explores how memories can lie, how time can bend, and how reconciling the truth can be a matter of life or death.
“Do you ever just want to be believed?”
Siblings Liv and Jory Brewer have grown up resenting each another. Liv—former pageant queen and reality TV star—was groomed for a life in the spotlight, while her older brother, Jory, born with a partial facial paralysis, was left in the shadows. The only thing they have in common is contempt for their parents.
Now Liv is suing her mom and dad for emancipation, and Jory views the whole thing as yet another attention-getting spectacle. But on the day of the hearing, their parents mysteriously vanish, and the siblings are forced to work together. Liv feels certain she knows where they are and suspects that Jory knows more than he’s telling…which is true.
What starts as a simple overnight road trip soon takes a turn for the dangerous and surreal. And as the duo speeds through the deserts of Nevada, brother and sister will unearth deep family secrets that force them to relive their pasts as they try to retain a grip on the present.”
 
REVIEW~
I take notes when I am reviewing a book. At the top of the page of the notes on this one, I have written, “WTH? Mind Blown!”
 
This novel is a serious....I don’t even know what to say. It just is insane. The blurb tells you the basic premise, so I won’t go into that. I just wish everyone had read it already and we could talk about it and all share our ideas and thoughts. I will say that Boorman did a FANTASTIC job at keeping you reeled in and hooked. This story is unlike any I’ve ever read before. It isn’t action packed, but very emotionally charged.
 
The writing is sublime. The way the author shifts POVs and times, giving alternating perspectives of the same situations of the past… It is so real that it is unreal. It just illustrates so well that reality is merely perception. I didn’t like these characters at first, but as you learned their stories and what they’d been through at the hands of these God-awful parents- you begin to understand the reasons they are the way they are, which is SO messed up.
 
I can’t say I ever figured out the plot. It is character driven. They become more relatable to the reader and each other throughout the story. They experienced a lot of growth. This book was like reading a family therapy session to me. And it was just spectacular and mind boggling at the same time.
 
It was an enjoyable read, although I have to say it was FULL of tension. I couldn’t read fast enough. This book had me in a state, let me tell you. And I have read other books since I am writing this review but this one stands out. TBH, it has me wondering about my own life and things that’ve happened to me and I wonder how other people saw the same situations unfold in my own past.
 
This is one of those books, that if you were standing next to me, I’d shove it into your hands and tell you, “you have GOT to read this!.” …and just…wow. PLEASE tell me your thoughts after you read it. I MUST talk about this book with someone. It is seriously THAT charging! Have I used enough all caps? Sorry, but I will definitely be getting a physical copy of this book, it is so surreal. 5/5

 I was given this book by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This review, or portions thereof, will be posted (when able) on Amazon, B&N, Goodreads, Kobo, IG, FB, Pinterest, Litsy, and my own blog.
Unfortunately, I am unable to provide links to all sites as I am using my phone.
On various sites I am:
Pinterest~ Pinterest.com/katskraps
Barnes & Noble~ Karyl-Ahn-white_7
Litsy~ Karylahn or Karyl White

A twisted ride involving siblings and duel timelines. The ending, however, is unclear enough to bring this down a star.

First off, this book's ending has left me reeling and filled with questions. If you aren't in the mood for a book that will make you think, then this is not the book for you. However, if you're a fan of the truly twisted psychological thriller and love guessing games, this will be right up your alley.
The book starts off outside of the local courthouse, where younger sister Liv and ex beauty pageant contestant Liv is suing their parents for her past winnings. Older brother Jory is getting a coffee across the street, where we first witness how even the most innocent of daily interactions can be heartbreaking for him. He has Moebius syndrome, giving him partial facial paralysis, and the author makes it immediately clear that even the most well intentioned of people can inadvertently say or do the wrong thing, but has displayed it in a way that doesn't feel preachy or cliched.
Jory and Liv have not had a close relationship since they were children. However, after the opening scene in the court house, the two realize their parents are missing. Against his natural inclination, Jory agrees to go with Liv on a road trip to the family's lakeside cabin in an attempt to find them...and this is where it all gets weird.
The alternating viewpoints show that both are feeling some sort of break in reality, and yet there are certain experiences and visuals both of them are a part of. It feels like the story is leaning towards a sci fi explanation, while also planting the see that it could be purely psychological.
During the back and forth, I would have appreciated more introspection from the two characters and less regurgitating of past stories. It felt like there were one too many half planted clues for me to really buy into the conclusion. Also, the ending is a TRIP (pun intended) but not as well executed as it could have been. Overall, a solid three stars, because I did feel invested and enjoyed all of the second guessing.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for sending me an early copy. This did not influence my review.

I am not too sure how I came upon this book. I think I just found it on NetGalley and thought it sounded good. I wasn't sure what this book was truly about but it was a mystery. I love mysteries. So I grabbed it. I will start by saying this book had me thinking I was crazy. This was a total mind screw kind of book. It was good. I enjoyed it greatly, I couldn't put it down. It was nothing that I had expected but I am so glad I gave it a go.


This book is about a brother and a sister. The brother, Jory, is about to go away for college. Very smart boy but has some physical handicaps. He is a little awkward, and doesn't talk much. The sister, Liv, is a pageant queen that wants to get away from her parents. So much she is willing to take them to court so she can legally be on her own. She feels they have screwed up her life. The two siblings were never very close but as of lately they aren't even talking.

The day of the court hearing, their parents disappear. No where to be seen. Jory and Liv decide to go on a road trip to the one place they think their parents will be. Sounds good right... except all is not what it seems and isn't simple at all. They get lost, see things, hear things, meet some pretty strange people, and uncover many memories and family secrets.



So the biggest part of this story is the mystery. I can't go into to much detail about the story. I will say the story is pretty crazy. I was completely at a loss for most of the book and close to the end I did figure it out... sad to say I think I figured it out when I was supposed... right before it was revealed. So the mystery is good. Maybe some others will figure things out sooner, maybe not but I can say it was a wild ride for me.

The writing is good, very fast paced book, easy to read through. I was totally into the story from start to finish. I wanted to stay up all night reading it but just couldn't. It's not often I do this with books.

The only real complaint I have... I didn't much care for either character. I get the story, these two are not supposed to be likable...they are broken and messed up but in the end I wanted to feel something. I really didn't feel much of anything for the characters. They were well written as in if I was supposed to really not care for them because they are rude and selfish... then they were for sure well written. I feel they were developed. I got them. I understood them. I just didn't care for them. Bit that was okay I was reading it for the story anyways. I do feel this book is more about the journey than the growth in the end.

It's a bit messed up,a bit dark, a bit angsty. But I did enjoy it A LOT. It was mildly addicting... but I do think this book won't be for all. It's for those that likes a great mind screw, enjoys dark tales, and a not so happy ending... just an ending.



A bit on the crazy side, but I loved it.

Unreliable narrator is one of my favorite things to read, so as I was reading this and realizing that’s sort of what it was turning into, I was even more excited. And I can honestly say that I have no idea what I just read.

I liked the dynamic between Liv and Rory. I didn’t really like either one of them, but their relationship plus their toxic parents really intrigued me. This is quite a character driven story, all about the two of them.

Plot wise...I’m not sure what to say. It was a thrilling and throughly confusing mindfuck that had me second guessing everything. The back and forth of past and present {even with the same event from each POV} kept me turning the pages. The ending is unclear and I think that even if I read it a second time, I still wouldn’t have a clue.

Overall, it kept me reading, even with my confusion. I’m eager to see what other people think happened at the end and look forward to talking about this story.

**Huge thanks to Henry Holt for providing the arc free of charge**

I enjoy these books that take a long hard look at the effects of fame and especially reality television on a child. Especially when they ask us to consider ideas of consent and competition. This book explores: the effects of fame and pressure on a developing child; the effects on the non-famous, largely ignored sibling; toxic parental relationships; and the effect of personal bias on memory. We see the same memory from both character's perspectives, each adding pieces of information that provide context for their action or reaction. We see how each bad experience compounds with the rest, destroying the sibling relationship early on And that would be interesting all on its own. But Boorman also provides a mind-bending exploration of divergent realities and time travel,. With an open ending, this book could spark some interesting discussions.

What We Buried by Kate A. Boorman is...intriguing. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I picked it up and, after having read the book, I would highly suggest you not read any synopsis of the book. I think going in with a mostly fresh slate is your best options considering the comparisons most descriptions make that may ruin the thrilling unraveling of this story.
Now I’m going to be a hypocrite. Here is a list of very basic descriptors that will pique your interest but not give anything away:

--Liv is an ex-child beauty queen and reality TV “star” who is suing her parents.
--Jory is Liv’s older brother and has always been looked down upon for his physical looks.
--Jory and Liv’s parents disappear and the siblings go on an overnight journey into the desert to find them.

If those basic descriptors don’t appease you, maybe some of this will. What We Buried is a novel of layers. Boorman writes alternating perspectives between Liv and Jory, between past and present, as we piece together memories of this family. As the siblings look for their missing parents, Boorman overlays the intricacies of two people growing up in the same family with very different experiences and how those experiences morphed their own relationship as brother and sister. We watch beauty queen Liv and ignored, “pitiful” Jory as they learn more about each other and come to unimaginable realizations.
Overall, I’d give What We Buried 3 out of 5 Awesome Austin Points. The book is a bit confusing throughout, but Boorman ties all these loose ends together....eventually. However, I was still left a bit reeling at the end with all the layers building upon each other. Boorman also writes incredibly intricate back stories for her characters that line up in surprising ways while playing with concepts surrounding memory and childhood with the consequences these have on us as we age. I’d recommend this to anyone who likes a good psychological thriller.

Liv: Paraded through the kiddie pageant circuit by their domineering mother, Liv is known to be spoiled and full of rage. Once followed everywhere by cameras as part of a reality television show, now Liv's star seems to be dimming. The book begins as the family heads to court. Liv is suing her parents for emancipation and her earnings from beauty contestant days. Estranged from the family, she has been living outside of the home for months.

Jory: Older brother, Jory, has been pushed into the background of the 'Princess Liv' show his whole life. Jory suffers from Moebius Syndrome which displays itself outwardly through partial facial paralysis. This makes speech difficult for him and he struggles to be understood. His parents have constantly avoided him and he even feels like his father hates him. Constantly in the shadow of his sister, Jory has come to resent her and everything her vapid life stands for.

You quickly come to understand that Liv and Jory have really been traumatized by their less than conventional upbringing. Their mother is manipulative and superficial and their father is an emotionally abusive and unavailable drunk.

Over the course of this narrative there is not one fleeting moment of humanity to be found in either parent. Is it any wonder the kids are full of resentment and rage? But what happens when the parents disappear?

Forced to work together to try to figure out where their parents have gone, Jory and Liv undertake a late night road trip into the desert because, honestly, what could go wrong?

I will admit, the first couple of chapters, building up to the road trip, I did not think I was going to like this. The story is told in alternating perspectives between Jory and Liv. They both seemed so negative and angry, I didn't like them at all but once the road trip started, I couldn't put it down. Literally, could not stop thinking about it.

Reading like an episode of The Twilight Zone this book played on my anxieties. A dark road, late at night, nothing around, getting lost, not having enough water, etc. It built some serious tension. There were definitely scenes that chilled me to the bone.

I do feel that this book will not necessarily be for everyone. There isn't a lot of action. We have two characters in a car for most of the book, hashing out their differences and then we have both of them recollecting their childhood. As I got farther and farther in, I really began to connect to the characters. I understood more of where they were coming from and why it drove them to hold such resentments against one another.

I felt real growth with both characters and towards the end I was rooting for them. I had theories on where this was going, it's an odd little story, but it didn't end the way I thought it was going to. It played nicely with temporality in a way I found unique.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I would recommend it for people who don't need to instantly fall in love with every character and who like their stories a bit on the eerie side.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Henry Hold and Co., for providing me with a copy of this book to read and review. I always appreciate an opportunity to read a book early. I look forward to hearing what others readers this of this one!