I feel like with this book I was confused the entire time. I found it hard to get into the story and so many characters and craziness. I did really like the setting and the feeling that came with that.

Thank you Netgalley and Grove Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Quan Barry’s “The Unveiling” is an unsettling, disorienting, and deeply layered novel that plunges readers into the icy desolation of the Antarctic—and the even colder landscape of isolation, identity, and hidden trauma. If you’re looking for a straightforward survival thriller, this isn’t it. Instead, Barry offers a challenging blend of Arctic horror, social commentary, unreliable narration, and existential dread that will either haunt you or leave you baffled—or possibly both.

The story follows Striker, a film scout on a work trip scouting Antarctic locations for an upcoming movie. As the only Black woman among a largely white group, she already feels isolated before a kayaking accident strands her and a handful of others on a remote island. But survival against the elements quickly takes a backseat to stranger, more haunting dangers—some external, some disturbingly internal.

Barry's writing is consistently strong, with breathtaking descriptions of the frozen landscape and a relentless undercurrent of dread. The plot plays expertly with reality, hallucination, and memory, often blurring them until neither Striker nor the reader can be certain what’s real. Blackout sequences, striking visual formatting (including blackout poetry), and fragmented memories immerse the reader in Striker’s increasingly unstable perspective.

However, the book is also deeply confusing. Narratively, it becomes a labyrinth of contradictions, where time, space, and even life and death feel fluid. Striker frequently loses consciousness, the story hops between past and present, and moments that seem supernatural could just as easily be attributed to madness. If you crave clarity in your reading, you may find yourself frustrated.

One of the most powerful elements of “The Unveiling" is its searing exploration of racial isolation and microaggressions, even (and especially) during extreme survival situations. Barry captures the subtle and not-so-subtle racism Striker faces, highlighting how systemic inequities persist even when humanity is stripped down to its barest, most desperate instincts. Some of the continued focus on racial tensions, even in life-or-death moments, to feel strained or out of place amidst the survival story.

Overall, “The Unveiling” is a bold, experimental novel that demands patience and a willingness to sit with uncertainty. It’s less about plot resolution and more about experience—being lost, both literally and metaphorically, and confronting the truths that surface when everything else is stripped away. A surreal, chilling journey into the heart of isolation, identity, and survival—but be warned: “The Unveiling” doesn't hand you a map. It drops you into the blizzard and asks if you’re ready to find your own way out.

This book was very well-written, and I absolutely loved the setting. Barry did a great job putting the reader in Antarctica and the feeling of impending doom that she set up. The book's frequent conversations on societal issues were at first a bit jarring, but then weaved into the story and became something I looked forward to. It made the interpersonal relations richer and added layers to the storyline. Although I enjoyed the novel, the stylistic choice not to have chapter breaks made the book difficult to follow when reading it over several days.

The premise of this book is amazing and drew me in immediately, the cover too.
The idea of a group of people stranded in the Antarctic and having to find a way to survive is so intriguing, and a perfect setting for some suspense and horror.

However the narrative and writing style were not at all what I expected.
I didn’t particularly like any of the characters, and I kept getting confused about what was happening.

I feel like the underlying message here is that sometimes the worst horrors come from within, and it was a journey for the characters to reach this revelation.

What I did love was the descriptions, I think the author did a great job of building the imagery for us. She set a really good creepy scene.

Thank you Netgalley and Grove Atlantic for the ARC.

"It was amazing what water could make you believe. Water was the original trickster"

I am still unsure what was creepier, this book or the bloke beside me while I read it on the train to Bratislava. Having read Barry's other writings I was super excited to dive into the freezing waters of this book and I was not disappointed!
This book is eerie and unsettling in a way that perfectly fitted the Antarctic setting, with a perfect mix of characters and a relatable yet mysterious protagonist and a little spoonful of gore, it was my perfect mix for a horror novel.

on goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7482082792

The Unveiling promises to be a thought-provoking addition to Barry's oeuvre, appealing to readers who appreciate literary fiction that challenges conventional storytelling. With its rich thematic content and evocative prose, the novel is poised to resonate with those interested in narratives that explore the depths of human experience.

Full transparency, If I hadn’t requested this from NetGalley and felt obligated to finish this book to leave an honest review this would have been a DNF for me.

I personally found it really hard to connect with the characters in this story and felt like they lacked any depth. The names for some of the characters like Billy Bob and Bobbie Sue from Texas were a bit on the nose and uninspired in my opinion.

A big reason requested this was for the plot being pitched as a horror/mystery that took place in the Arctic and although the location was there there was very little reference or tie to this throughout the horror elements of the story. If the Arctic wasnt referenced this story could have literally taken place anywhere.

Overall not a great read.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Artic horror is usually my favorite but it surprisingly felt like it was barely part of the plot. I didn't particularly care for any of the characters, especially the MC. There was a lot of social commentary that took the writing in a different direction than I was expecting.

Then I was confused. I had no idea what was happening, then it was over.

I think I get what the author was trying to do? But it just didn't work for me.

This book is incredibly difficult to rate and review, because I truly have no idea what happened. I can't begin to guess what was real and what wasn't. We get a hundred explanations, and none. There are some strong horror elements, including violence and gore, but then again... maybe not?

Needless to say, unreliable narrators and the whole 'insanity or the supernatural?' is not really my cup of tea. I prefer things to be a bit more concrete.

However, the writing is good and the descriptions of the landscape were fantastic. Even the characters were interesting and well created.

Thanks to Grove Atlantic/Grove and NetGalley for this ARC of 'The Unveiling' by Quan Barry.

This is an intriguing and unsettling novel where you're never quite sure what's going on but at the same time is rooted very firmly in contemporary social, cultural, political, and racial realities.

A group of mostly wealthy, mostly white individuals are on a Russian-led tourist adventure trip to the Antarctic. The main character is Striker, a Black location scout, who's out of place now in the same way she's felt out of place her entire life, as a Black woman adopted into a white upper-class American family. The others include a doctor and her gender-fluid and precocious teenaged child, a female tech-titan and her husband on a trip to save their marriage, a family of three gay men (one of color) and their otherworldly young child, as well as some interesting crew members.

On their first kayaking outing, something (unexplained) occurs and they find themselves on a deserted island which, they discover, was once the abode of a shipwrecked expedition crew a hundred years previously and the trip turns into an unveiling of each character's history and present and a haunting of the island, the people, and possibly the planet. While all of the characters are developed to some extent, we learn more and more about Striker and her sister as the novel progresses and, as you'd imagine, all is not what it might seem.

It's a horror story, a haunted 'house' story, and it's very good in those aspects and reminds me of Margaret Atwood's 'MaddAddam' series and Jeff Vandermeer 'Southern Reach' novels in that you're never quite sure where or when this is taking place but it's also - as mentioned above - a deep dive into the 2oth and 21st century racism and the post-George Floyd and post- and intra-Trump presidency.

Excellent.

I usually love horror stories that take place in cold settings, but The Unveiling didn’t quite work for me sadly! We follow film scout Striker on an excursion to the Antarctic alongside some travelers with very deep pockets. I was really enjoying the story and setting and was looking forward to the horror kicking off, which happens when the kayaking expedition goes wrong and the group end up stranded. But unfortunately that’s where the story started to lose me.

Many of the characters decisions in this deadly situation were baffling to me and I started struggling to even understand what exactly was going on. I know Striker was an unreliable narrator, but I just felt confused. I think this story will absolutely work for anyone who’s happy to be lost inside the main character’s head; I was just hoping for a more straightforward survival story.

Very eeiry but slightly lost it in the middle.

Loved the parallel between the awareness of being the only black person in the room and the feeling of being watched by something spectral,

I really enjoyed the writing so though this may not have been the book for me, I will read more by the author.

Started off intriguing and the setting was top notch. Then things just became confusing and didn't make much sense and I didn't enjoy the book.

The Unveiling is about a film scout, named Striker, who goes on a kayaking tour in the Antarctic to photograph potential spots for an upcoming movie. Out of nowhere she and a few others get separated from the rest of the group, and things go terribly wrong.

I’ll admit this was a little confusing to read due to the main character losing consciousness quite a bit throughout the book, as well as the fact that the story bounces around a lot from past to present. However, I do love a good unreliable narrator and told myself to trust the process. I really liked the visual of the thick black lines to symbolize when Striker lost consciousness, and sometimes there would be bits of blackout poetry which was a lot of fun.

The story was well-written and had some good social commentary. I felt a constant state of dread the entire time while reading, and the characters feel so realistic.

Word of advice, be fully prepared to read this in one sitting.

The Unveiling comes out in October 14, and a big thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the copy!

I think the author broke my brain.

I was with this in the beginning, 110%. I loved the setting and, since I was reading this while Black (this is a thing, trust me), I totally understood Striker's discomfort of being the only one in the room...or in this case, the only one in a kayak stranded in the Antarctic waters while bad things go boo at you.

Eventually, though, the story got weirder and weirder and I think I found myself lost in the various characters' madness and despair and I had no clue what was happening.

Reader, I was confused.

If you ask me how this book ended, I think I'd just mumble something about revelations and trauma and acknowledgement of truth and I would give you absolutely nothing concrete. I didn't know who was alive or dead, just that they were all talking and I have no clue what happened to our MC.

Readers of a certain background may find themselves a bit overwhelmed with talk of racism and how even well meaning people 'of a certain background' may come across as hella racist. If that bothers you, you probably don't want to read this. Our main character's background (and present) make this a theme.

I liked a lot of this. The rest was certainly an experience that I'm not sure I totally enjoyed.

* ARC via Publisher

This book is a very thought-provoking read dealing with spirituality, race, and the human condition in general. I really enjoyed Striker's character.

1.4 stars

Striker is enjoying her first class work trip to the Antarctic region, scouting locations for an upcoming film, other events Han the usual complications of being the only Black woman stuck with a bunch of white people. However, when a kayaking expedition goes horribly wrong she and a group of survivors are stranded on an island with plenty of environmental and other horrors to face…some of which Striker brought with her.

There is something very off about Striker so it’s hard to empathize. Plus these people are stranded on an island near Antarctica with all the, I don’t know, millions of problems that creates and they still manage to keep getting into fights about race? Look, if it’s me, I’m willing to declare anyone Queen of All They Survey and will make them a lovely crown out of penguin guano, but I will fight to my last breath for that package of Slim Jims someone stuck in the first aid kit and I could give two shits what color anybody is. Are these people (meaning the author) insane?

There’s more stuff, but yo go into it would be spoilerish. I’m not going to come out and say it was a BAD book, because it’s not poorly written, but I guess I’ll just say it might be and I didn’t get it if there’s some sort of deeper meaning to it all.

I went into this book hoping for isolation vibes and it gives those for sure, but also so much more. This books is a hypnotic look at morality, class, race, and just the human condition in general when people find themselves in a desperate situation. All of the characters are very well drawn, but Striker is an especially wonderful and fascinating character. This is just a bleak, fascinating gem.

If you want to read a book that sounds good in theory but alternates between being incredibly obvious and making absolutely no sense, this is the book for you.

I just finished The Unveiling by Quan Barry, and it was an incredibly thought-provoking read. The novel follows a group of women in a cloistered convent as they struggle with the limitations and expectations placed on them by both society and their faith. When one of the nuns begins to experience strange visions and unsettling events, the entire community is thrown into turmoil, and they must confront their deepest fears and secrets.

What struck me most about this book was how it blended psychological suspense with elements of spirituality and self-discovery. The atmosphere was tense and immersive, and Barry’s writing really made me feel the weight of the isolation and inner turmoil the characters were experiencing. The pacing was excellent, and I found myself eager to see how each character would evolve as the story progressed.

The characters themselves were fascinating. Each woman had her own unique journey, filled with personal conflict, and I appreciated how Barry took the time to delve into their complex emotions and backgrounds. The story’s exploration of faith, doubt, and the struggle for personal freedom resonated deeply, and I found myself reflecting on it long after I’d finished the book.