Thank you to Harpercollins and to Netgalley for granting me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review! Unfortunately, as this book has already been published, I will not share my review on Netgalley at this time.

This may be the best spooky middle grade novel I've read all year. Calista and the Wynn family were so real that I could see this playing out as a movie in my mind. Without giving too much of the many surprises that come along a lot in the book, I enjoyed this so much.

I really enjoyed Young's The Program series (though I have not finished it and I need to re-read it before continuing lol) and haven't read any of her standalones. I was excited to read a middle grade by her. This was an interesting concept and a fun book for middle graders! Especially if they're into the spooky!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of What Stays Buried by Suzanne Young. I really enjoyed this spooky middle grade novel.

This was requested when I first found out about NetGalley and I had requested so many ARCs that I could not get to all of them before they were archived. I really wanted to get to this one, as it seemed interesting. If I can find this somewhere for a reasonable price, I will try to get it! I am giving this book three stars, as I don't want to give it a good or bad rating, since I did not get to it and we have to leave a star rating.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book, as this book has already been published, I will not share my review on Netgalley at this time.

This was great! It's the perfect spooky fall read and I was pleasantly surprised by how dark it was for a middle grade novel. I loved Calista and her family. I thought it was interesting how clairvoyancy runs in her family and that it stops at a certain age.

It was an intense mix of paranormal and mystery. I plan on picking up more of Suzanne Young's books in the future, especially her Middle Grade!

WHAT STAYS BURIED – by Suzanne Young – All The Feels–My Heart!

‘CALISTA WYNN KNEW the boy was dead before she even opened her eyes. He whispered her name again, soft and far away, the way all ghosts sound even when they’re right next to your ear. An echo through the veil of this life and the otherworld.’

‘[A]t thirteen years old, all of the mediums in the Wynn family lost their ability to see ghosts. It had happened to Calista’s father, Mac, and to all five of his younger siblings. And soon, it would happen to her. Sure, the Wynns still had other gifts, other intuitions, but the ghosts stopped appearing to them. . .’

‘Calista didn’t want to lose her gift. It was part of who she was. She’d be losing herself.’

In a word, WOW! I Love This Book Sooooooo Much!

Engaging, Intense, Couldn’t Put It Down—Highly Recommend!!

Reading Age: 8 – 12

Thank you, NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishing, for providing me with an eBook of WHAT STAYS BURIED at the request of an honest review.

A lovely middle grade paranormal story about loss and the ghosts we carry with us. Calista will be turning thirteen in just a week; normally a happy occasion, but for Callie, it's also the day she will lose her ability to see and speak to spirits, including her father and grandmother. As her birthday draws nearer, the stakes also rise for the entire town. Several children have gone missing, and Callie discovers that a vengeful spirit is the culprit. She will have to use both her gift and her own ingenuity if she hopes to save her family, and the entire town.

This is such a touching story. I loved Callie and her family. It's so easy to feel for her, soon to lose both her gift as a medium, and her last ties to her father and grandmother. Grief is never easy. The stakes are high, and the ghostly imagery is quite creepy. Haunting and emotional, this one will stick with you.

I thought this book was good. It was spooky and fun. The main character was relatable. For me it was very much middle of the road 3 star review. I liked it but it didn't blow me away and its not one of my favorites but I think it did what it set out to do well. Firm 3 stars.

Young has given us a solid read here. There are rules provided from the start for the psychics - who can interact with ghosts and when. Their other "gifts" are a bit more nebulous and undefined which would be my primary criticism. Now, those rules are so solid that it makes the plot a bit predictable. Or to put it more positively, the ending is inevitable. We might hope for things to work out differently but we accept the resolution because it's fair. It follows the rules. There aren't a lot of complex child characters but the ones we get are solid. It's a compelling read and a solid example of the genre.

I did a read through of this out loud to my older kids and boy oh boy was it worth it. Before getting into the review; this book would be a perfect way to touch on the topics of grief and loss with kids. It feeds it to you in a way that is digestible, not overwhelming.

Our little MC, Calista, was blessed/cursed with being a medium as a young child but is on the verge of aging out of that gift. She's about to grow up and lose those abilities... Right as an evil ghost starts abducting children, including someone very special to her. Now she's racing against the odds to solve what's going on and hopefully save everyone.

Trigger Warning for parents to watch out for:
Ghosts, possession, mild scary vibes/paranormal

Calista is about to lose something and it's all because of the Tall Lady and her curse on the family. Loved following Calista along as she fights to save her family and herself before it's too late.

On the verge of turning 13, Calista is struggling with the fact that on her birthday she will lose her ability to speak with the dead. Among the dead she'll no longer see are her father and grandmother, and Calista is not ready for that. But when a neighborhood ghost woman starts abducting neighborhood children, including Calista's little sister, Calista becomes consumed with finding the children before she loses her ability to see/thwart the ghost woman.

Let me start by saying I adored this book! Part horror, part almost detective novel - the characters were well-developed and beautifully drawn. The author wove the theme of how people handle grief through the story in a way that felt natural. While at first it felt like the writing/story was just a bit mature for it's intended audience, the more I read, the more I was impressed with how the author was able to walk the tightrope of spinning a tale that was believably scary without being overly graphic. What a fun read!

Published March 6, 2023 - available now! Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins for the opportunity to read an advanced copy!

Calista Wynn knows she's different, being a medium who sees ghosts and all. She also knows that when she turns 13, the ghosts will fade and with them her father and grandma Josie. She wasn't ready for the Tall Lady, Edwina Swift, a vengeful spirit that started the family curse that takes their powers to return and set her sights on the children of Meadowmere and her little sister, Molly. Though her powers are waning, Callista will do everything she can to save the missing children of her town and her sister, even if it means having to give herself to the Tall Lady. The book focuses on the warmth of a family's love, on the grief that can take a long time to come to terms with when family members die (even if they are ghosts you get to see), and struggling with trying to realize who you are, what you are meant to be, and what your true power is. Give to fans of ghost stories like K. R. Alexander, Mary Downing Hahn, V. E. Schwab, and Katherine Arden.

Full Review: https://readingbeyondthebookcover.com/what-stays-buried-by-suzanne-young/

Rating: 3.5/5

In What Stays Buried, readers are taken on an emotional journey. There’s this perpetual knowledge that the Wynn family is cursed, which is why Calista’s abilities will be gone after her thirteenth birthday. The understanding behind why this happens is revealed as the story develops, providing more backstory to the origin of the curse. This is where most of my interest lies in this book.

Aside from the pacing, the story is well-written plot-wise and has surprising moments of creepiness. *Cough* *cough* the Tall Lady and her minions. I never want to come across a spirit like her.

This book would be a great selection for a children’s reading group or book club, perfect for reading aloud by the campfire or in your reading nook by flashlight. If you aren’t ready to read it now, put it on your reading list for books to read during the Spooky Season.

This is a strong story with complex and engaging character development. It moves quickly and is scary without being truly terrifying, and morbid without being overly graphic for its intended middle grade audience. Compared to other contemporary kids' books, the message about grief seems a little clearer and reminds readers that sometimes it really is necessary to say goodbye. As creepy kids' stories go, this is one that's going to stay with readers.

There's always a call for scary stories for kids, so a good paranormal thriller is great for the shelves. This book started off strong and kept going. The main plotline isn't too surprising, but satisfying as a whole as the looming threat is revealed. But Suzanne Young doesn't just provide readers with a solid ghostly thriller, she weaves in the very real aspects of grief and grieving and how Calista has to cope with her delayed grief since she's about to lose the ability to interact with her father's ghost. Not every author can easily make the jump to writing middle grade books smoothly, but the author here crafts a story that doesn't skimp on great story building for the audience and doesn't talk down to them.

This urban fantasy middle grade is perfect for fans of curses, mediums, and family secrets. What Stays Buried has one of those perfect titles. Not only does Calista's family have secrets of their own, their town is also sitting on a chest of buried skeletons. From the premise alone, I love the idea of a girl who is facing the loss of her father - twice fold. She's always been able to see the ghosts of her grandmother and father, but as she approaches her birthday, she will lose that ability.

Not going to lie, I teared up as this element developed. For Calista, it's a second loss after their initial death. Above all, What Stays Buried is a story about revenge and justice. It's about the pain of knowledge. Because while we may think we want the answers, what if they only bring us more pain? Questions we can never answer?

This title was a good choice for anyone who loves scary stories. This is both a coming-of-age story as well as a meditation on grief. The main character is relatable and engaging.