Unsettled Ground by Claire Fuller is an incredibly sad, incredibly tender, atmospheric beauty of a book. It follows 51 year old twins Jeanie and Julius who are bombarded by family secrets and the reality of everyday living after their mother dies. This book definitely acts as a deep character study, particularly for Jeanie, but it isn’t without plot and proper tension either. I felt so anxious and sad when I first started reading this, but I also could not put it down, more and more so as the book went on.

The character development is strong here, not only in Jeanie and Julius, but in all of the side characters as well. Fuller can really write in such a stunning and sympathetically human way. The writing is so atmospheric without ever being distracting, and the interactions of these strange people in these bizarre scenarios still felt so humdrum, so relatable. I slid into this reality so easily in a way I wasn’t expecting. The anxiety I felt initially later turned into an odd form of comfort. I felt so much for the twins, their small worlds, and their particular vulnerabilities. I just found this story to be such a strong reminder of lives lived outside what we consider commonplace, normal life. There was so much value still in these characters who live on the fringe of our expectations or our reality even.

Another thing I really loved in this book is that it managed to address big issues such as illiteracy, poverty, asexuality, et cetera without ever feeling like it was trying to Tackle a Big Issue. These things were just a part of the story, a part of these people. There weren’t any answers to be found necessarily or philosophies to ponder. Life sometimes looks different, bad things happen, and it is what it is. That was such a bleak but also comforting notion that was so persistent throughout this while reading.

I’ve fallen head over heels for Claire Fuller and cannot wait to read more from her. This was probably one of the best reads for me so far this year. I know I’ve used this word once already in my review, but it was so so tender. I can’t find a way to describe it better. Absolutely recommend to anyone who can handle a heavier read and craves attention to detail, brave character construction, and a fierce literary quality in their books.

A dark, demented, disturbing read, which I absolutely loved! Phenomenally written, in a creepy, gripping manner! Characters were done in a fantastic way, which made the book even more addicting, which I didn’t know was possible! Highly, highly recommend, if you love deliciously dark, disturbing, and demented reads! Unputdownable and fast paced! Blew my mind, which is hard, because I read sooo much!

Will make sure to buzz around and use top Amazon reviewer number on release!

Lovely writing, very moving and terribly sad. My heart felt so heavy reading about the cruelty, loss and poverty experienced by the twins. As a result, it did make it tough to keep picking up. But I loved the use of folk songs throughout the narrative, and the sense of place was captured flawlessly. Tough read, and not my favorite of hers, but Claire Fuller’s writing is always just beautiful.

I've heard wonderful things about this book and obviously it's gotten a lot of acclaim, but I was sadly disappointed. All of the characters apart from the twins were woefully underdeveloped and some were almost caricatures. I found the main characters very frustrating and pretty much every decision they made was a bad one. I wish there had been more exploration into why the mother made the choices she made, why the twins were the way they were (yes, they were sheltered, but they came across as almost developmentally disabled in the poorness of their decisions and lack of foresight), why the "landlord" made the choices that he did, etc.

It's hard to explain without spoiling anything, but I found the ending particular difficult. Certain circumstances changed quite suddenly in a way that was not at all realistic in my opinion and although I appreciate a hopeful ending, it needs to be earned, and I don't think Fuller did that.

I was so excited for this book based on the description (and, if I’m being honest, the gorgeous cover art). Unfortunately though, I found it difficult to get into, partly because the book’s language structure felt like it was trying too hard. Some of the writing was beautiful, but it made the storyline hard to get into long-term for me.

Set in a rural village in the English countryside, Unsettled Ground tells the story of Jeanie and Julius, two twins in their early fifties who still live in their childhood home with their mother, Dot. When Dot dies of a stroke, Jeanie and Julius must suddenly grow up and fend for themselves. However, Jeanie and Julius are far from self-sufficient, especially Jeanie who can barely read or write and has been kept at home her whole life after her mother tells her that she has a rheumatic heart condition that prohibits normalcy. Facing eviction and struggling to pay back debts that their mother had secretly owed, Jeanie and Julius are forced to confront an entire life that might not have been as it seemed.

Undoubtedly, the strengths of this book rest in the talents of Claire Fuller and her writing style. Fuller writes in rich, detailed prose, with every setting lushly described and every character intimately developed. Where I struggled with this book was the general depressed and hopeless mood that I felt was evinced in particular by Jeanie. The suddenness that Jeanie is forced to become an adult feels almost brutal, despite the fact that Jeanie is middle-aged. In a way, it felt like it would have been better for Fuller to make her characters a decade or two younger - still old enough to illustrate the stuck-in-time qualities that Fuller was going for, while also making the predicament potentially more realistic. Indeed, Fuller may have been halfway there already, given that every time that Jeanie or Julius thought back on their past they jumped immediately to their early childhood, never once describing a memory from the thirty-five plus years in-between. Nevertheless, I enjoyed Fuller's latest if not for the plot, but for the rich and detailed characters and setting that Fuller created.

This book is great! Would definitely recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

THIS BOOK! Wow! Never have I maybe ever felt so deeply for a character. This book broke my heart a million times over, but I cannot recommend it enough!

What a devastating, poetic, and unforgettable novel from the magnificent Claire Fuller. UNSETTLED GROUND tells the story of 51 year old twins who still live with their mother in a cottage in dreary, rustic England. The modern world has passed them by, as they have clearly been sheltered and hidden away by their mother who keeps many things from them. These secrets slowly reveal themselves after her death in the first chapter, and the heartbreaking journey of the twins fending for themselves for the first time unfolds. Jeanie, the female twin, is one of the most unique characters I've ever come across in literature. Julius, the male twin, is stubborn and frustrating; an outcast of his own making. Watching them struggle to survive after money runs out and bad luck seemingly follows them at every turn is hard to read, but Fuller's prose and story structure makes this book unmissable.

What a heartbreaking story. I've read both Swimming Lessons and Bitter Orange by Claire Fuller, and enjoyed them both immensely. While they were often dark and depressing, there was an air of mystery that I felt invested in. I didn't get that from Unsettled Ground, instead it just left me feeling…unsettled. There is an attempt at mystery, but you don't get much resolution and overall I was just left feeling sad for the characters.

Unsettled Ground is a well-written book by Claire Fuller but as the story unfolded it was truly not for me although I think there are plenty of readers and fans who will enjoy it. In their 50s, twins, Jeanie and Julius live with their mother Dot in basic isolation in rural UK. Dot dies suddenly (seemingly) and the twins are forced to reconcile themselves to a life they lived with her, cut off from most of society. What follows is the unraveling of the twin's history and lies from Dot as they navigate through abject poverty. There are some twists and turns and ultimately it was depressing.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

This is my first Claire Fuller novel and it won't be my last. Fuller is a master at heartbreak, tragedy, loss, and longing. The story pulled me in from the start and each page allows you to carefully uncover another layer of mystery and devastation. Trying to unravel the truth about their mother, Jeanie and Julius are tragic characters that I couldn't help but root for throughout the entire book.

5/5 Stars

Thank you to Netgalley and Tin House for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book.
The characters were interesting and you were able to learn about them.
There were parts of this novel that made me happy. There were also parts that made me sad. This book has heartbreaking moments.
That’s what this book was trying to do. The author wants you to think and I enjoyed that.
This book is a very good book and I recommend that you should read it.
This story was about love and a tale of well developed characters.

A character-driven, emotionally engaging read. While the story itself is mired in difficulties and struggles, I feel the end (despite some worsened situations) carries some hope. The writing is reat and the characters, especially Jeanie, are strong and real. This is my first by the author and I think I will finally get to her other book, Bitter Orange, which has been sitting on my shelf for over a year now. She is an author I will keep an eye out and hope to get to her backlist soon.

And the cover is gorgeous!

Unsettled Ground is the perfect title for this book. The reader feels unsettled and and at other times feels hopeful. It’s quiet, dramatic and devastating. My first Claire Fuller book, but it won’t be my last.

Thank you to Tin House and NetGalley for this ARC.

Review posted on blog: https://books-are-a-girls-best-friend.com/

Wholly Unexpected.

When twins Jeanie and Julius are hit with the death of their mother, they are left to fend for themselves for the first time in their adult lives. The problem? At 51 years old, neither has ever had to as they have always lived with and relied on their mother.

A mother who left them wholly unprepared for life.

Afraid, alone, shocked and despondent, Jeanie and Julius must learn to take care of basic needs. Working, making money and finding a new place to live, all while discovering that their mother wasn’t exactly who they thought she was.

Time and again, these two are hit hard, devastated by life’s circumstances.

Digging deep, Jeanie works hard and is determined to save herself and her brother from the depths of despair.

A slow moving story that I enjoyed but that took quite a bit to get going. While I liked this novel, I didn’t quite love it. I admit to being confused by a mother who didn’t raise her children to care for themselves, and become independent forward thinking adults.
3.65 Stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Tin House for the arc.

Published on Goodreads and Twitter.

What an interesting exploration of the human spirit. Just when everything seems to go wrong (parent’s death, eviction, extreme poverty, a shooting), this novel shows how the strength of truth, love, and hope can rebuild lives. The main character is one of the most believable fictional individuals I’ve read recently.

Thanks to NetGalley and Tin Cup Publishing for the ARC to read and review.

Claire Fuller certainly has a way with words. Unsettled Ground is a perfect title — as unsettled is exactly how I feel. This book is f-ing devastating in a million, minuscule, invisible ways. At what point does care turn pathologically into harm? At what juncture does damaged turn into damaging? Many little moments line up to yield irreversible outcomes. Relationships oscillate from love to need to indifference to hate... Life. This book is about life and all its collective (literal and figurative) shit.

Jeanie and Julius are 51-year-old twins living at home with their mother, Dot on the outskirts of society—literally and figuratively. Dot is the glue that holds the family together, but when she dies suddenly, the twins are left to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives and uncover family secrets along the way.

To be completely honest, the summary of this book did not sound that interesting to me. I requested it from NetGalley because of the beautiful cover (cruel irony that you can’t get it on an e-ARC) and because I like Claire Fuller. I was pleasantly surprised when I actually really enjoyed this book.

Unsettled Ground gave me similar vibes to The Mercies (by Kiran Millwood Hargrave). Similar atmospheric vibes, like there were distantly rumbling, low hanging, gray clouds over everything, melancholy and brooding. In both books, not much happens in the way of plot, but the writing is so lovely and the characters so heartbreakingly compelling that you have to keep reading. Scenes where nothing “happens” are fascinating because of the authors’ abilities of characterization.

Another thing I loved about this book was that there aren’t many flashbacks. Flashbacks can be good, interesting, important, but they take you out of the story, so I find myself frustrated with books that use them too much. In Unsettled Ground, we remained firmly in the present for most of the story, which gave Jeanie and Julius’s predicaments more urgency (Fuller’s use of the present tense helped with that, too).

The ending was sad but also satisfying, which seems like it would be hard to pull off. If you like stories with rich characters, beautiful prose, teasingly idyllic settings, pick this one up!

This book is about two 52-year-old twins, Jeanie and Julius. Throughout their lives, they have lived with their mother Dot, in a rural area. The family is very impoverished and isolated from the world. The twins have always had to depend on their mother for everything. One morning the twins wake up to find that their mother had shockingly died. How will the twins ever survive without her?

Unsettled Ground is not a happy, mood-boosting story. The mood throughout is very melancholy and poignant. This book looks at how keeping a secret can deeply impact other people’s lives. Unsettled Ground is very thought-provoking and deep. I loved the depth of the characters and how the author made me feel like I knew the twins. The ending of the book completely wraps up the story beautifully.

This is my first book by Claire fuller and Unsettled Ground was very well written.
I am definitely going to read some of Claire’s previous works! Many thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and Claire Fuller for the advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review!