We Don't Talk About Carol

I believe it will be an underrated gem. The story delves deep into mental health, family problems, secrets, and, most notably, the lack of police involvement and care when it was needed.
Bell drags up emotions and memories so well described. I thought I was there at times. Building a story that moves back and forth from the 1960s to the 2020s while also including great character development that wasn't easily ignored.
I really liked it, I enjoyed reading the clues and where they might connect, while also learning that what happens at home doesn't always have to stay there. It's ok to build yourself a community that you can thrive in.

Thank you to Kristen L. Bell, Random House Publishing, and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Now this is how you write a book! I was shouting and in disbelief when things started to come together. 5 ⭐️

The description does not do it justice. Yes, it’s about missing black girls and the main character potentially losing herself in the investigation but it is so much more. I got lost in this book like Sydney got lost in the case.

I can’t believe this is a debut novel. Kristen Berry, get back in the lab. We need you!

This was emotional, complex, and well written. It is a “family secret” type suspense novel with aspects that read like a thriller. Every detail was important and I loved how deliberate she was in chasing after justice for these missing Black girls. Berry handles childhood trauma and C-PTSD so well.

It’s also not just about a missing aunt. It’s the family ties, secrets, lies, shame, and the “keep this in the family” mentality that plagues so many families.

If you like true crime podcasts, family secrets, and a focus on underreported stories, this is for you. So good. Thank you NetGalley and Random House for providing this advanced reader copy! Will be buying a copy of my own 💙

Overall, I had a good time with this one. There was a great hook right from the start. The journey Sydney goes on is believable and I felt like I was right along side her trying to discover what happened. There were page-turning moments and the ending tied up all of the loose ends nicely leaving me satisfied with the conclusion.

The first third of the book was a bit slow and it was hard to get into initially. I realize this was to set the scene and develop the characters but it was a lot of family drama that I didn’t care much about. It wasn’t until about a third of the way through that the story took off and had me invested.

This was an easy read and definitely something to pick up if you’re at all into true crime. I also appreciated the emphasis on the fact that cases involving black people are much less publicized and more likely to go unsolved.

This was such a good book! It had a lot of twists and turns and it was truly a gripping book. It has secrets, missing info found out from the past, etc. And without giving too much away, it is a wild ride! It was not what I was expecting, and I really enjoyed reading this book!!

Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, and to the publisher for this complementary ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!