I have to say that I absolutely enjoyed this Lottery-esque novel about a small-town housing only black people that has some deep-rooted traditions. The novel follows Osira and her struggles as she endures obstacles from the town ceremonies, motherhood, and life. This is a good book for spooky season.

If you are a fan of dystopian fiction and ambiguous endings, pick up a copy of Curdle Creek, a novel named for the black community in which most of it is set. Focusing on Osira, a 40-something woman, Yvonne Battle-Felton was almost certainly inspired by Shirley Jackson’s most famous short story, “The Lottery.” Curdle Creek’s Running of the Widows, Calling, Moving On, and Warding Off are long-practiced traditions believed to ensure a good harvest and protect the townspeople from epidemics, wars, racism, and lynchings rampant elsewhere.

Osira has already lost a grandfather, brother, and husband to the Moving On and failed twice in winning a new husband in the Running of the Widows. Another brother and her three children have not been seen since fleeing Curdle Creek. Life is about to get worse.

Although readers receive hints of racial violence outside the community, racism never comes to the forefront despite closeup looks at life in other times and places. I was left feeling that Battle-Felton had missed an opportunity, but perhaps she did not want to go there. Whatever the case, she seems to convey the message that whatever their good intentions, people are incapable of creating a good society.

Or are they? What lies ahead? Does Osira survive? If so, will she find her long-lost children? The abrupt, ambiguous ending prevents us from knowing. Does Battle-Felton plan a sequel?

Thanks to NetGalley and Henry Holt & Co. for an advance reader egalley. Although Curdle Creek did not meet my expectations, readers who gravitate toward dystopian fantasy may love it.

What in the world did I just read? I can't even describe the ending. It is so amazing. This is a wonderful depiction of a toxic small town environment but like worse. I was really hoping our girl, and her daddy, got away.
Just read this crazy amazing book.

Curdle Creek is loosely based on Shirley Jackson’s short story, “The Lottery.” Curdle Creek is an all-Black town, dependent on rituals such as Calling, Running of the Widows, Moving On, and Warding Off to keep the town prosperous and, in theory, a safe place to live.
As the story unfolds, it becomes clear that Curdle Creek isn’t a bulwark against the violent world around them, but far more dangerous to its citizens than any other place that exists. But nothing is questioned by the residents of Curdle Creek, and anyone suspected of being less than a true believer is subject to the Moving On. Osira Turner finds herself in that precarious position. She is determined to survive and find the children that escaped the town years ago, but the town may have other plans for her future.

I have mixed emotions about this novel. While the similarities between “The Lottery” and Curdle Creek are there, Curdle Creek needs more context for its rituals and the roles people hold. It’s also a matriarchal society, buy why is never explained, just hinted at. Two women in particular, Osira’s mother, a nasty woman, and her life-long friend Mother Opal seem to be the ones in charge. There are also Charter Mothers, but the roles they occupy and the power they may or may not have isn’t clear. Well Walkers is another term that isn’t explained well. It’s a derogatory term for specific people, but why? And what is up with the rocks they collect? The time travel/shifting timelines are confusing, and I think it’s because for me it isn’t clear exactly how they fit into the novel overall. While I don’t need a happily-ever-after ending, the wide-open ending of this novel left way more questions (on top of a lot of questions already) than answers.

While I really liked the premised of the book, Curdle Creek wasn’t for me, but that doesn’t mean it may not be for you.
3/5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and Henry Holt & Company for a free e-copy of the book. All opinions are my own.

Everyone should have traditions….the kind passed down from generation to generation, beliefs, customs. Sometimes, whether you want them or not, it’s something that we should keep. After reading Curdle Creek, maybe not. The traditions there include, Moving On, a Calling, Warding Off. Just try to get out of one of those generational traditions like Osira (main character) did. You might end up…..no, she didn’t die. Or did she? Creepily suspenseful.

This literary piece evoked a profoundly unsettling sensation. It adeptly penetrated my psyche and induced a sense of claustrophobia, a sentiment I never imagined I would experience from a book. While initially challenged by the author's prose, the narrative was exceptionally captivating. The premise and substance were undeniably intriguing, leaving me eagerly anticipating future works from this talented author.

The premise of this book sounded right up my alley but it was too slow to really hold my attention. I don’t feel like it ever really fully grabbed my attention. I like a slow burn but this one was just too slow for me :(

I really wanted to like this book better than I did. It has an interesting premise but I found it confusing as there were so many traditions to understand (Moving On, Warding Off, Running of the Widows....). Protagonist Osira is in a difficult position and is not sure where to turn. The novel has gothic vibes and is clearly a dystopia but I ended up skimming the last half as I got so lost in all of the "rites" that my brain hurt.
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

This is like a cross between The Lottery by Shirley Jackson (love, but also creepy) and the movie The Village by M. Night Shyamalan (definitely creepy). I was definitely here for it. Ultimately, there are holes and it was quite long for what it was. It sort of fizzles out in the middle somewhere. She went somewhere unusual with it, but that part wasn't as well executed as the beginning.

Recommended for people that like creepy horror stories that focus on the worst parts of human nature.

I have mixed feelings about this book. I loved the first seventy percent of the novel, but the ending felt very separate to the story and left me feeling confused. I did like the history of the fictional town and the worldbuilding. However, when the story diverged from the present into the past and back again, the timeline had me a little confused. That being said, I would read more from this author, and the idea behind this story was very unique,

Review of Uncorrected Digital Galley

In the small town of Curdle Creek, Osira Turner awaits anther Moving On day. Who has received the most nominations? Who will be Moving On?

In this isolated town, almost all of the residents are loyal to its ominous rules, traditions, and regulations. But a few have fled, including Osira’s children and brother. Presumably, they’ve escaped; Osira has not heard from them in years, but it is possible they did not survive their escape attempt . . . she has no way to know. Osira struggles a bit with her beliefs; she is not her manipulative mother’s favorite, perhaps because the town blames her in part for her children and brother escaping Curdle Creek.

Mother Opal, the Head Charter Mother, is the one who oversees everything in the little town; she decides the fate of the chosen ones. What will she decide? And how will it affect Osira?

=========

With its sinister undertones and mysterious rituals, “Curdle Creek” pulls in readers who enjoy dystopian tales. Strong world-building brings the town to life, but the characters . . . other than the well-drawn Osira . . . are less defined.

More of a mystery than a chilling horror tale, the telling of this tale takes some surprising turns that keep readers guessing. However, several intriguing points remain unexplained: most importantly, how Curdle Creek became captive to these nightmarish rituals. Readers know exactly what the rituals are, but the reasons behind them remain elusive.

Osira’s time-travels take the story in an unexpected direction, but with its sudden and abrupt denouement, readers are left wondering. Perhaps, in its truest sense, “Curdle Creek” is meant as a warning against embracing the “this is the way things have always been done” mindset.

I received a free copy of this book from Henry Holt & Company / Henry Holt and Co. and NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
#CurdleCreek #NetGalley

This book was just downright creepy. It knew just how to get under my skin. I never thought I'd say this, but this book made me feel claustrophobic?! The storytelling was just amazing though at first I kind of struggled with the writing style. The premise and the content was simply fascinating. I can't wait to read more from this author!

Sadly, not a match for me, though the premise seemed so promising. For me, this read like a fever dream... it's intriguing, but sometimes hard to follow and the plot always seemed to jig when I wanted it to jag. Also, it's more mysterious than scary (which seemed like bad marketing with that cover and title.)

The book draws you in with strange rituals undertaken in the town of Curdle Creek to "keep things in balance," but we hear more about these rituals than live through them. The first chapter discusses all of them obliquely and whet's your interest, but when in other books you'd shift to seeing these things play out, it was mostly followed by more talk. (I'm still not sure what the "Warding Off" actually IS.)

Perhaps this is a problem with narrative lens. I really liked Osira and wanted to know more about her, but much of the ritual action effects a family member, not her directly. This particularly is true of the "Moving On" scene.) The rest of the characters in the book don't seem nearly as fleshed out as Osira. I have no idea why her sisters are so creepy. I have no idea why her friends treated her that way. Most importantly I have no idea how this community became so extreme. That frustrated me.

This wasn't helped by the fact that the book takes a huge left turn about 2/3 of the way through. Since I was already having a hard time staying engaged, this shift made that problem worse. I finished the book (which has an abrupt cliffhanger--also not my fav) but overall it just didn't land for me, however I'm sure it'll be a match for someone else.

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for granting me the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.

I received this book from netgalley for an honest review. My expectation was a Hunger Games dystopian story but, the plot veered q quickly from that premise. Curdle Creek is a village that operated using religious rituals and rigid rules that resulted in frequent deaths of its residents. The protagonist was a true believer but she also had some doubts. Her brother and children escaped the community and she was judged and had to pay the price for their escape. She followed most of the rules of her community while grieving because she only wanted to be a happy wife and mother. The plot was interesting and the characters fascinating, but she never reached her ideal dream. Instead, she traveled back in time to the past. I kept hoping this would cause significant impact but she moved on quickly into another dystopian community. At one point I became confused because the storyline seemed to leave more questions than answers. The ending was abrupt and open ended without the concrete happy ending that I wanted. Possibly this is the first book in a series. However, because I don’t know that to be a fact, , the ending left me wanting more. Maybe that was the writer’s intention.

So I want to start by saying I love a good horror/ family drama style novel. The time traveling was a lot to get use to in this story but in the end it made sense. I felt so bad for her living in a town that truly didnt want to accept her or let her live. I kind of wish I had saved this for a few months later in "spooky" season but I read it for "summerween" and I really enjoyed it. I do feel like some of the plot questions weren't fully answered in the end but its ok because it was still a solid story. I enjoyed myself

I received an advance copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

The thought behind this book was good. The creativity was amazing. But I am so confused.

From beginning to end, I had a really hard time understanding what was even happening in this book. For the first 60% or so, I understood that it was a dystopian society. I couldn't really understand about the rules and rituals, but I thought I'd figure it out.

Then there was time travel. Then there was skipping to another country altogether. The main character went from dystopian village to dystopian village. I found the entire thing very confusing.

The end of the book was very abrupt and didn't tie up any loose ends. I was left wondering what on earth I had just read.

It was difficult for me to read, the repetitiveness of the wording became daunting at times. I really liked the idea of the premise but it did not pull me in. This is probably preference and not based on the quality of the overall work/writing. My opinion shouldn't hold you back if you're interested!

I was pulled in by the publisher’s synopsis and recommendations “for fans of The Lottery and The Hunger Games, this novel set in a small town with a sinister tradition is chilling in the best possible way,” and “fans of Ring Shout, The Underground Railroad and Lovecraft Country.” Having truly enjoyed those novels, I was excited to dive in.

Its premise and opening were good – the protagonist, Osira, is a middle-aged widow and lifelong resident of the rural, isolated, all-Black town of Curdle Creek whose residents abide by cult-like blind allegiance to unquestionable rules, traditions, and ordinances. Disobedience is met with harsh punishment, shunning, or worse yet, the Moving On, in which townsfolk nominate their neighbors to sacrifice their lives for the town’s prosperity and population control. Osira is a “believer” who has doubts and is indirectly blamed for her brothers’ and children’s rejection and flight from the town. She hasn’t seen or heard from them in years and is unsure if they survived their escape.

Osira is not favored by her manipulative and conniving mother (I never understood why) and seemingly has the worst luck in town. A series of events forces her into a supernatural situation that involves time travel and teleportation, which is fine considering the genre. However, I was a bit lost and frustrated with the fever dream courtroom sequence I think was supposed to provide the reader answers – it just caused me to ask more questions that were never answered. I enjoyed the world-building and the rules that governed the town in the early part of the book – the author spent a great deal of time with this aspect only to curtail the novel with an abrupt and open ending — leaving me very disappointed and wanting more. Perhaps that was the intent, and a sequel is forthcoming. Overall, I will admit my expectations were extremely high based on the publisher’s blurb and in my opinion, it doesn’t deliver at that level.

Thanks to the publisher, Henry Holt and Company, and NetGalley for an opportunity to review.

Absolutely haunting and unforgetable.

Curdle Creek is a rural all black town that has very, very strict rules. Besides how you speak to elders and what jobs you might take, there is a population cap. Osira is our hero, and after she runs the widow race she finds her in the unique position of leaving town and seeing what else is out there. A truly beguiling and memorable story - I wish there was a bit more to Osira's back story, but that's an opportunity for another book!
#curdlecreek #yvonnebattlefelton
#henryholt&co

Looking for a new town? I can highly recommend not choosing Curdle Creek. The town runs on extremely strict customs and rules. Your best friend today, might be the person nominating you for the moving on (people basically vote on who is going to die) tomorrow. It’s a brutal practice that turns neighbor against neighbor. But the residents believe that it is necessary to keep their town safe.
The story is told by Osira, a middle-aged woman who has lost her husband, her children have fled, and her own mother treats her with disdain. She now must run for her life when the town folk decide it’s time for her moving on. She winds up in another time, but her bad luck seems to follow her, and well, I’ll just say that to me, the ending was certainly open to individual interpretation. I won’t go into how this happens since I think that would lead to major spoiler territory.
I enjoyed everything about this book, except how it ended. That, however, is probably a me issue. Lately, I seem to rarely like how a book ends. I was so engrossed in learning about this town and what the heck made it like this. It isn’t a stretch to imagine people blindly following something they know is wrong.A very uniquely told story, and one that I could sadly see playing out in the world we currently live in.