Curdle Creek: A Novel

by Yvonne Battle-Felton

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.

“Curdle Creek is a thoughtful, sinister tour-de-force.”
―Tananarive Due, L.A. Times Book Prize-winning author of The Reformatory


Welcome to Curdle Creek, a place just dying to make you feel at home. Osira, a forty-five-year-old widow, is an obedient follower of the strict conventions of Curdle Creek, an all-Black town in rural America stuck in the past and governed by a tradition of ominous rituals. Osira is considered blessed, but her luck changes when her children flee, she comes second to last in the Running of the Widows and her father flees when his name is called in the annual Moving On ceremony.

Forced into a test of allegiance, Osira finds herself transported back in time, then into another realm where she must answer for crimes committed by Curdle Creek. Exile forces her to jump realms again, landing Osira even farther away from home, in rural England. Safe as long as she sticks to the rules, she quickly learns there are consequences for every kindness. Each jump could lead Osira anywhere but back home.

Curdle Creek is a unique, inventive novel exploring themes of home, belonging, motherhood and what we inherit from society. This American gothic offers a mash-up of the surreal and literary horror that will appeal to fans of Ring Shout, The Underground Railroad and Lovecraft Country. Yvonne Battle-Felton’s fever dream of a tale is enthralling, layered and quite unlike anything else.

Genres: Horror, Fiction, Gothic, Historical Fiction, Audiobook, Historical, Adult

291 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 15, 2024

About the author

I am an American writer living, loving, and learning in the UK. My writing has been published in literary journals and anthologies. My debut novel Remembered, was longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction (2019), The Not the Booker (2019), and shortlisted for the Jhalak Prize (2020). Curdle Creek, my second novel, will be published in October 2024 (Henry Holt/Macmillan US and Dialogue Books/Hachette UK).

In 2017, I won a Northern Writers Award in fiction. I was also shortlisted for the Words and Women Competition (2017), the Sunderland University Waterstones SunStory Award in 2018, and awarded a Society of Author’s Foundation Grant for Remembered in 2018. I also write for children. I was commended for children’s writing in the Faber Andlyn BAME (FAB) Prize (2017), have three titles in Penguin Random House’s Ladybird Tales of Superheroes and I have three titles in the Ladybird Tales of Crowns and Thorns (Sept. 2020).

I have a dual-concentration MA in Writing from Johns Hopkins University and moved my family from Maryland to the UK to pursue a PhD. I have a PhD in Creative Writing from Lancaster University. I love empowering other writers and am the Academic Director of Creative Writing at Cambridge University. have been a British Library Eccles Centre Fellow and a Kimbilio fellow.

I love writing and telling stories. Writing is a form of advocacy. Writing helps me to be a better person. My writing typically starts with a question. When I’m very lucky, a character comes along to help me answer it. I write to understand the past, to make sense of the future, and to help imagine a more equitable tomorrow. I write to figure out what’s next.

When I’m not momming, writing, reading, creating literary events, teaching, and attending events (especially now with so many of them online), I’m recording audio or writing scripts I can read because I’d love to voice a villain one day.

If you’ve read Remembered I hope you enjoyed it. More than that, I hope it touches you.

Reviews

[Dona's Books · Rating 2 out of 5]

Everyone loves a supple bride but loathes a supple widow. p7

Sadly, I did not enjoy my time in Curdle Creek, and for reasons beyond the fact that it is a patriarchal post-apocalyptic town full of horrible, self-interested people. I really struggle to stick with the plot, which for the first two-thirds moved miserably slowly, and the last third gave me narrative whiplash. Don't get me wrong, I actually liked the book after the turn at the 60% point. But then the author closed with an exceedingly ambiguous ending, which resolved no part of the book. I regretted finishing the book right there. Maybe this book was meant to be experimental? But I didn't get that vibe.

I recommend this book to readers who like really slow burns, ambiguous endings, dystopia societies, suprise magical realism, or unexpected time travel.

Three (or more) things I loved:

1. I actually love the mashup of anachronism and modernity, like this shimmering and delicious sounding cocktail: “A toast,” I say. I raise the jam jar full of raspberry martini and pretend to clink it against Mae’s raised glass. “May the dead find comfort in their graves. Book XIII.” p9

2. Wonderful dark humor in this one! He’s just right. Fullish head of hair, cold hands, good job, jolly laugh . . . dead wife. p36

3. I actually like the new direction after the turn at the two-thirds mark, but it's not well plotted.

Three (or less) things I didn't love:

This section isn't only for criticisms. It's merely for items that I felt something for other than "love" or some interpretation thereof.

1. I appreciate that the author delivers story details in a natural way, but I'm not clear on this society's traditions, which are central to the plot. *edit The rules do become clear at about the 20% mark. I really like it actually, because the setup, without the familiarity of knowing the rules, is dizzying, disorienting, and increases the stakes quite a lot.

2. I'm 20% in, and the premise is interesting, but I'm sorry to say it's lacking originality. This book reminds me of several books at once, like Shirley Jackson's The Lottery, Margaret Atwood's A Handmaid's Tale, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, and even The Grace Year by Kim Liggett, which is only a year or so old. I don't hate this premise, I just wish something about it jumped out at me, but it all has the vagueness of familiarity.

3. This book moves so slow. I think it's because the narrative spends so much time detailing the character's thoughts and feelings rather than their actions.

4. I don't really understand the setting. It's supposedly an extremely isolated place, with the end of the world going on around them. But they have rum? Martinis? It's just weird, and not in the good way.

5. There are some giant narrative turns in this book, but I don't know if I like the effect. The narrative isn't exactly well-plotted, so there's no seeing anything coming.

6. The narrator is totally unreliable, but again, I don't know if I like the effect.

7. The ending causes clarity issues and leaves too much unresolved, including the primary conflict.

Rating: 💧💧/5 drops from the well
Recommend? Not really, unless you like dystopian settings and narrative chaos.
Finished: Oct 17 '24
Format: Digital arc, NetGalley
Read this book if you like:
🕰 time travel
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 family stories, family drama
🏚 diatopian settings
📚 books clearly inspired by other books

Thank you to the author Yvonne Battle Felton, publishers Holt Books, and NetGalley for an advance digital copy of Curdle Creek. All views are mine.

[Nurse Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Where do I begin? This story drug me in from the first chapter. Took me back to a settlement-like colony-esque setting that were strict with traditions and rituals, barring all sense of reason. The town of Curdle Creek maintains their barbaric traditions by threats of violence outside the city lines. So when the “lottery” occurs and people of the population are offered up to die to maintain population, they go willingly. This gothic, folklore-like story hits all the marks for creepy stories that’ll make you question everything.

Thank you NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for this ALC!

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

I finished this yesterday, but I needed a while to digest it. I like to think of myself as an intelligent individual, but this book made me feel dumb af. The only good thing about this book is the cover. I'll leave it at that.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Many thanks to NetGalley for giving me an ARC copy of Curdle Creek to review.

Curdle Creek is a unique and intriguing horror story that carves out its own lane within the horror genre. It follows Osira, a widow living in the strange town of Curdle Creek. Her husband was killed, and her children escaped their town months before. leaving Osira to bear the repercussions. After coming in second to last in the Running of the Widows, Osira, who has lived as an outcast since her children escaped, finds herself traveling across time and space after enduring the latest humiliation that the petty and cultish leaders of Curdle Creek subject her to.

Reading Curdle Creek was a largely positive experience. I am a huge fan of genre-bending books that don't adhere to what's already been done, and create a story that is altogether new and immersive.


Having said that, Curdle Creek wasn't an easy read for me. Its flashback scenes weren't set up very well, and made me feel that I was just dropped into a past event without any sort of preamble or warning that I was about to go down Memory Lane with the main character. Further, there were too many details in these flashbacks, slowing down the story's pacing and serving as filler without much substance as we slowly marched toward Curdle Creek's focal point.

I understand the function of the flashbacks. They were there to further set up the story, and provide exposition at critical points, but there is such a thing as too much background, and Curdle Creek has that in spades. It strains under the weight of its own outsized history.

For example, there are side stories that don't relate to the plot, nor do they move it forward. The worst of these are introduced, and then abandoned without further explanation or exploration. This was very frustrating, as it detracted from the story that the author wanted to tell by repetitively filling out a background that was beautifully established in Curdle Creek's first two chapters.

The story regains its footing in the final chapters, but by then, its previous problems weighed heavily on my mind, and I couldn't fully enjoy what I was reading. And the ending really felt unfinished. I think it was designed to make the reader contemplate some of the points the author raised throughout the book, but I could have used a more satisfying finish.

In general, I enjoyed this one, and I hope that Yvonne Felton-Battle continues to write. Curdle Creek isn't a bad read at all, It might be better suited for life as a graphic novel.

[Brad Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Osira is a middle-aged widow living in the titular village of Curdle Creek under the thumb of her domineering mother: a village elder with machinations for power. Curdle Creek is steeped in tradition: the running of the widows, the culling of townsfolk by vote, and throwing undesirable elements down a well to prove themselves. Osira finds herself the subject of the latter, which ultimately transports her through time and space, revealing to her uncomfortable truths about her family, Curdle Creek, and the world outside.

This book is excellently written and a great introduction to a new-to-me author. I was really enthralled by the first two-thirds of this book--the portion of the story that takes place in Curdle Creek itself. I found the dynamic between Osira and her mother, Constance, and the ways in which the town function to be extremely compelling. I feel like it sort of loses the plot once Osira jumps in the well. We're first transported back in time to the Curdle Creek of her mother's childhood, and later across the ocean to England where she is reunited with her long-disappeared brother, Romulus, in another settlement that is equally bizarre in its own way.

Although things kind of come unraveled towards the end, I still really enjoyed reading this and would absolutely read from this author again.

For fans of...
The Lottery and Other Stories by Shirley Jackson
When the English Fall by David Williams
We Cast a Shadow by Maurice Carlos Ruffin

[Katie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wow. This book was certainly... published.

Look, dystopians are RIGHT up my alley. I love them. I grew up on the Hunger Games. I adore The Lottery. And you know what? The marketing team / publisher / who ever made the blurb really set the bar way too high. What made those books work was succinct, clear, and well-woven world building. Additionally, the characters were developed well and felt like real people. If you liked those things about those other books, do not read Curdle Creek.

One thing Curdle Creek did well was the creativity and ideas. The Widow's Race and Moving On were very interesting concepts however, the execution was poor.  60% into the book, suddenly time travel is introduced, which is only used to visit the town a few decades earlier. A lot of time is wasted here and suddenly we are transported to the underworld. Then to England (ireland?). It's so bizarre to cram all of these settings changes right at the end.

What makes it worse is that the main character, who is a 45 year old woman, acts like an impulsive teenager. She is difficult to root for because she is so immature. It's difficult to remember she is a mother until she reminds the reader because of how she acts. The supporting cast of characters are just completely unlikeable. They aren't villains, they just aren't good people.

Overall, this was a rough read and was no where close to the books it compares itself to in its own blurb. Maybe some more brainstorming and discussion with ARC readers would've improved this book. I'm not sure, but I can't recommend in good faith.

[Becky Spratford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review in the October 2024 issue of Library Journal

Three Words That Describe This Book: immersive, cults, thought provoking

Draft Review:
It’s 1960 in Curdle Creek, an all Black community surrounded by a world filled with violence and destruction. Since the late 1800s, it has been a safe haven for its residents, but that safety comes at a very steep price, complete belief in and obedience to a very complicated series rituals, the most notable of which is the “Moving On,” an annual each vote to sacrifice one townsperson for the prosperity of all. Osira, the reader’s only eyes into this world, is both an outsider and part of the establishment–45 years old, living alone since her husband was “Moved On and her children disappeared, while also the daughter of one of the matriarchs who rule Curdle Creek. Battle-Felton meticulously and compellingly builds the complex world and its unsettling but fascinating rules through Osria, whose access to limited information and life experience, intensely layers unease on every angle of the story. As Osira begins to more actively question whether the town and its vicious rules are worth it, she gets swept away on a journey into the past to look for answers. A thought-provoking, cautionary tale that not only refuses to provide easy answers, but also actively asks the reader to question their own complicity in our current world.

Verdict: Clearly inspired by Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” with a heavy nod toward Kindred by Butler, this compelling and immersive story is a great choice for readers who are interested in isolated cults featuring a female protagonist who begins to question the rules, such as The Year of the Witching by Henderson or Gather the Daughters by Melamed.


A thought-provoking, cautionary tale that not only refuses to provide easy answers, but also actively asks the reader to question their own complicity in our current world.

Verdict: Clearly inspired by Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” with a heavy nod toward Kindred by Butler*, this compelling and immersive story is a great choice for readers who are interested in isolated cults featuring a female protagonist who begins to question the rules, such as The Year of the Witching by Henderson or Gather the Daughters by Melamed.

[Anne (eggcatsreads) · Rating 3 out of 5]

With an ominous town with traditions that may be difficult to survive, Curdle Creek lives off the belief that these sacrifices make them safer than anywhere else. After all, you might not survive to become an elder, but at least the town doesn’t have riots throughout the streets, right? What else could you want? (But if you ask too many questions, you may be asked to leave. Permanently).

Told from the perspective of a 45-year old widow, Osiria Turner, struggling to keep her head down and follow all the rules of her town, this book slowly brings you into her world. With many traditions that we only get glimpses of throughout - Moving On, Warding Off, Running of the Widows - we slowly begin to see the cult-like beliefs held in this town, and that no matter how close to someone you are, you can never fully trust anyone here.

For the first 60% of this book, I was hooked on Osira’s struggle as she tried to appease her mother, the town, and make sure that her very own name would not be called for the Moving On ceremony. As she dealt with the disappearance of her children (Did they run away and survive, or are they dead somewhere? And with how dangerous the outside world is, would it be better if they didn’t survive?), to the death of her husband, and her failures to stop being a widow and to become a wife once again - bringing even more shame unto her family. I really liked the perspective of someone who believes the cult-like beliefs of her town, but isn’t a “true believer” and still has a few questions about the practices going on.

I will say that I fully believe I think this book should have been at least 100 pages shorter, or possibly a novella, instead of the current 300+ pages it is. Once we moved to the chapter at the 61%, this book took a rather strange turn that made the rest of my reading experience a bit more confusing and convoluted. Without giving too many spoilers, our main character somehow discovers a strange magic briefly described and insulted throughout the book beforehand, and uses it to travel to a few separate places. However, none of these places make a great deal of sense, or are smoothly taken from one scene to the other, which I thought was rather confusing. As well as the fact that this section suddenly moved what felt like a book fairly grounded in reality to one more in the magical/supernatural sense, which I personally didn’t feel fit the vibe of the rest of the novel.

The entire second 40% of the book felt strangely disconnected from the first 60%, and felt like an offshoot of what we had previously read before. I didn’t feel like how these last chapters ended the story to be satisfactory to the rest of the story, and I feel I would have enjoyed this book had they not been included. As well, there were a few times that I felt scenes could have been cut or shortened, which is why I think this book would have been a better read if the story was tightened to only about 150 pages instead. However, I do think this was an interesting read about being trapped in a cult-like town without anywhere else to turn, and I do recommend checking it out for yourself.

A huge thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Henry Holt and Company for providing this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Star Gater · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you Macmillan Audio for allowing me to read and review Curdle Creek by Yvonne Battle-Felton on NetGalley.

Narrator: Joniece Abbott-Pratt

Published: 10/15/24

Stars: 2.5

I was immediately drawn to the cover and the synopsis sealed the deal. Unfortunately, the story is not as clear as my path was to requesting the book. Marketed as layered -- I agree to a point. The dialogue was repetitive and by 40% it was old, and while not seeing the author's vision it was frustrating. At 60% I reread the synopsis and nothing changed.

The narrator was good. Her voice was easy to listen to. I felt as if she was performing and I was clearly missing out.

I found the ambiguous ending disappointing.

I still want to understand this book.

[The Bookish Elf · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Sinister Heart of Small-Town America

In the eerie landscape of American gothic literature, Yvonne Battle-Felton's "Curdle Creek" emerges as a haunting new voice. This fever dream of a novel plunges readers into a warped vision of small-town life, where age-old traditions mask unspeakable horrors. Battle-Felton weaves a mesmerizing tale that defies easy categorization, blending elements of historical fiction, magical realism, and psychological horror into a uniquely unsettling reading experience.

A Town Frozen in Time

At the heart of "Curdle Creek" lies its eponymous setting - an all-Black town seemingly trapped in a bygone era, governed by arcane rituals and an oppressive social order. Battle-Felton's vivid prose brings this insular community to life with chilling clarity:

"Welcome to Curdle Creek, Population 201, One in, one out"

This simple sign sets the tone for the nightmarish world we're about to enter. The author's keen eye for detail infuses every aspect of life in Curdle Creek with an air of wrongness - from the strict social hierarchies to the bizarre annual ceremonies that dominate the town's calendar.

Osira's Odyssey

Our guide through this twisted Americana is Osira, a 45-year-old widow struggling to maintain her place in Curdle Creek's rigid society. Battle-Felton crafts a deeply sympathetic protagonist in Osira, allowing readers to experience the suffocating weight of tradition through her eyes. As a woman who has internalized many of the town's oppressive beliefs, Osira's journey towards awakening forms the emotional core of the novel.

Key Moments in Osira's Arc:

The loss of her children, who flee Curdle Creek
Coming second in the grotesque "Running of the Widows" ceremony
Her father's escape during the annual "Moving On" ritual
Her fateful plunge into the well, launching her on a mind-bending odyssey

A Masterclass in Atmosphere

Battle-Felton's greatest strength lies in her ability to create an all-encompassing sense of dread. The author employs a variety of techniques to keep readers constantly on edge:

Ritualized Violence: The casual way characters discuss horrific acts normalizes the brutality.
Temporal Distortion: Curdle Creek's isolation from the outside world creates a timeless quality.
Unreliable Narration: Osira's indoctrination leaves readers questioning what's truly real.

Echoes of Literary Giants

While wholly original, "Curdle Creek" carries echoes of other landmark works in the American gothic tradition:

Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery": The town's blind adherence to brutal tradition.
Octavia Butler's "Kindred": A Black woman's surreal journey through time and oppression.
Toni Morrison's "Beloved": The lasting scars of generational trauma in Black communities.

A Tapestry of Timelines

As Osira is thrust out of Curdle Creek, the novel takes on an even more surreal quality. Battle-Felton expertly navigates multiple timelines and realities, each shedding new light on the twisted nature of Osira's home.

The Three Acts of Osira's Journey:

Curdle Creek: The suffocating present
The Underworld: A nightmarish purgatory where Osira must face judgment
Evanshire: A rural English town with its own set of sinister secrets

This structure allows Battle-Felton to explore themes of complicity, justice, and the cyclical nature of oppression from various angles. The transitions between these worlds are jarring by design, mirroring Osira's own disorientation and forcing readers to piece together the connections.

The Weight of History

While "Curdle Creek" operates primarily in the realm of the supernatural, Battle-Felton grounds her horrors in the very real traumas of American history. The town's isolation and paranoia stem directly from the very real threats faced by Black communities in the post-Reconstruction era. References to lynchings, racial massacres, and systemic oppression provide a sobering backdrop to the more fantastical elements of the story.

A Cast of Memorable Characters

Beyond Osira, Battle-Felton populates her novel with a rich tapestry of supporting characters:

Mother: A domineering presence whose influence haunts Osira across realities
Daddy: A complex figure torn between duty and love
Mae: Osira's friend turned rival, embodying the cutthroat nature of Curdle Creek society
Romulus: Osira's long-lost brother, offering a tenuous connection to the world beyond

Each character is crafted with depth and nuance, their actions shaped by the twisted logic of their environment.

The Horror of Complicity

One of the most disturbing aspects of "Curdle Creek" is how it forces readers to grapple with the concept of complicity in oppressive systems. Osira's internal struggle - her desire to protect her family warring with her growing awareness of Curdle Creek's evil - serves as a microcosm for larger societal debates about tradition, progress, and moral responsibility.

Battle-Felton's Prose: A Fever Dream in Words

The author's writing style is a perfect match for her subject matter. Battle-Felton employs a dreamlike, almost stream-of-consciousness approach that mirrors Osira's fractured journey:

"I'm crying and moaning 'I love you too, Daddy, I love you too.' He shushes me, hands rubbing my back. I don't want to see his film playing so I keep my eyes closed even when he pulls me back to see if I've grown since he's been away. Away. He doesn't call it dead or Moved On."

This lyrical quality enhances the novel's surreal atmosphere, blurring the lines between memory, reality, and nightmare.

Themes That Haunt

"Curdle Creek" grapples with a number of weighty themes:

The insidious nature of generational trauma
The conflict between individual desires and communal expectations
The power of storytelling to both oppress and liberate
The search for identity and belonging in a hostile world

Battle-Felton doesn't offer easy answers, instead inviting readers to sit with the discomfort these issues provoke.

A Worthy Successor

For readers of Battle-Felton's debut novel "Remembered," "Curdle Creek" represents a bold evolution of her style. While both works deal with the legacy of racism in America, "Curdle Creek" pushes into more experimental territory, showcasing the author's growing confidence and ambition.

Not for the Faint of Heart

It's important to note that "Curdle Creek" is not an easy read. The novel's unflinching depictions of violence, both physical and psychological, may be too much for some readers. Battle-Felton doesn't shy away from the darkest aspects of her world, and the result is a deeply unsettling experience.

A Lingering Chill

"Curdle Creek" is the rare novel that continues to haunt long after the final page is turned. Battle-Felton has crafted a work that defies easy categorization, blending genres to create something truly unique in the landscape of contemporary fiction. While it may not be for everyone, readers who brave its pages will find a richly rewarding, thought-provoking journey into the heart of American darkness.

[Becky · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @ 39%

I am having a tough run of books right now, and so I'm clearing the shelf and starting over. Which means several DNFs in a row. This is the first.

I have been struggling with this book for 5 days already. ON AUDIO. I didn't even make it to the 40% mark. Libby has provided me with some handy stats:
I have spent 2 hours and 38 minutes reading this book, over 5 days.
I am "on track" to finish in another 4 hours and 4 minutes... which might take me another 8 days.

NO THANK YOU.

This book is marketed as a "The Lottery" meets "Hunger Games" crossover, with race issues. Sounds great, even though I will admit to not being a big fan of The Lottery by Shirley Jackson when I read it years ago. I liked the CONCEPT of it, but didn't really enjoy the execution (heh, see what I did there?).

There's a solar system's worth of daylight between the marketing promise of this book, and the actual contents of this book.

I am nearly 40% into this, and I have zero understanding of what any of these rituals and practices actually mean or are for. Osira knows how to talk in circles around something, but never actually provide any useful info on it. Except when she's describing literally EVERY OTHER SINGLE USELESS AND MUNDANE DETAIL THAT EXISTS.

The narration is my real problem with this book. Osira is a maddening narrator lens. This is written in first person present tense. Which means that we, the reader, are "treated" to a description of every single thought, action, event, discovery, emotion, etc... as it happens. In detail. Osira won't tell us what the Running of the Widows IS or why it is important (other than being a tradition and Mama's expectation), but she will certainly regales us with every single thing there's no possible way she had time to notice as she was running it.

And this made me contemplate the nature of narrative. How are we supposed to understand first person present narratives? And I admit that I'm stumped. This book, with its painfully tedious narrative, has stumped me for how I'm supposed to understand the perspective of this narrative.

Is Osira TELLING me all of this? Because that's never going to work. Nobody would ever TELL a story like this. (Not if they wanted to keep their friends... friends.) Nobody COULD tell a story with this much detail. There's no way that you could be running a race, with apparently dire consequences if lost, and track and record and relate not only every step you take, but the conditions around you, obstacles, hazards, etc, PLUS the actions of every one of your competitors, AND your thoughts and emotions. All at the same time.

Maybe you could track the big things - Mary Sue grabbed at you and you tripped, but righted yourself - but not every minute detail of how Mary Sue grabbed your shoulder, her fingers tugging against the fabric of your white wedding dress, getting caught on the lace trim, which caused enough sideways force to cause a stutter in your next step, your foot catching on a tuft of grass that hadn't yet been trampled down by other feet, causing you to stumble forward and nearly fall, but you managed to lift your dress up a bit, to free your legs for better movement, and that allowed you to get your feet back under you, and continue running. And that's just describing the ACTIONS - I didn't even include the emotions or racing thoughts.

It was just so much DETAIL.

Nah, she couldn't TELL us this. So then, are we supposed to be in her head? But even that doesn't quite fit or work for me, because 1) the question still remains: WHO NOTICES this level of detail? And 2) If we're in her head, we should know what she knows, and we don't. The info around these rituals, her history, her family's secrets, etc are all… hinted at, obliquely referenced, but never examined with the clarity and directness with which she describes everything (AND I DO MEAN EVERYTHING) else.

Maybe THIS is why people hate first person present POV so much. I get it now.

UGH, and on top of this, the audiobook reader made me want to stick a couple of icepicks in my ears.

Every. Single. Sentence. Was read with this overwrought dramatic voice, like she was on the verge of tears, or a mental breakdown. Even the "background" stuff, things like "The Running of the Widows is coming up in 3 days and I've been practicing."

That's a straightforward sentence. I read that with my eyeballs, and it's a statement of fact. I listen to this reader read it, and it's a soap opera "secret twin in a coma" storyline drama.

Just… why? Every choice this book makes is too much. And apparently I didn't even get to the TIME TRAVEL??? MULTIDIMENSIONAL TRAVEL???

WHAT.

I can't even. We're done here.

[♡Heather✩Brown♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review needs to be written still

[Jen · Rating 2 out of 5]

2🌟
I skim read the last quarter because I just wanted it done.
Indulgent and incredibly slow. The first two-thirds of the book were tough going. I'm not really in the mood for pitiless dystopia at the minute, so that has a lot to do with my rating. Horrible characters, a joyless setting with the threat of unrelenting violence - not for me, I'm afraid.

[Jenny Mauro · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was just not for me. I struggled to stay engaged with it.

[Dee · Rating 1 out of 5]

Idk man, the first two chapters is confusing and I cant grasp what the book is all about. DNF

[sophie · Rating 3 out of 5]

should have dnf’ed this because it really wasn’t my thing, but i was posessed by insanity (needing to hit my goodreads goal) so here we are. if you like rivers solomon’s sorrowland and/or character-driven dystopias you might like this!

[Bbecca_marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Curdle Creek
by Yvonne Battle-Felton
Narrated by Joniece Abbott-Pratt

Thank you so much partner @henryholtbooks @macmillan.audio for the gifted ARC and ALC.

About the book 👇🏽

Welcome to Curdle Creek, a place just dying to make you feel at home. Osira, a forty-five-year-old widow, is an obedient follower of the strict conventions of Curdle Creek, an all-Black town in rural America stuck in the past and governed by a tradition of ominous rituals. Osira is considered blessed, but her luck changes when her children flee, she comes second to last in the Running of the Widows and her father flees when his name is called in the annual Moving On ceremony.

Forced into a test of allegiance, Osira finds herself transported back in time, then into another realm where she must answer for crimes committed by Curdle Creek. Exile forces her to jump realms again, landing Osira even farther away from home, in rural England. Safe as long as she sticks to the rules, she quickly learns there are consequences for every kindness. Each jump could lead Osira anywhere but back home.

📖 My thoughts:

I was not expecting that! It’s sinister, unique, and perfect for spooky season! Whether that’s October or all year ‘round… it’s a spooky must read. It really gave me a dark and twisted Hunger Games vibe and I loved it. The audiobook narrator did a fantastic job encompassing and projecting this chilling story. There were moments I had to go back to reread paragraphs because I’d get lost. That could just have been a me thing but it did happen a few times. Although I didn’t have the same experience with the audiobook. Overall it was an intriguing read and listen and it’s a story with a solid premise, so I’ll be recommending it! Curdle Creek is out Tuesday, 10/15/24!

Happy reading 📖

[Andrea- The Shelf Life Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

First and foremost, I want to thank NetGalley, Macmillian Audio and Yvonne Battle-Felton for this wonderful ARC.

Curdle Creek has long been a sanctuary for its residents, an all-Black community seemingly frozen in time since the late 1800s. This quiet, isolated world offers safety and stability, especially when compared to the unpredictable, racially charged 1960s that rage beyond its borders. Yet, this peace comes at a cost that they are all willing to pay.

Osira is a 45-year-old widow, who has lived her entire life in Curdle Creek, a town bound by tradition where adherence to strict rituals is the price of survival. One such ritual, the annual "Moving On". This demands that the community votes for one of the resident to be sacrifice each year in exchange for collective well-being. It's a harsh and unquestioned reality, especially for Osira, whose mother is one of the town’s ruling matriarchs.

Despite spending her life within these rigid confines, Osira begins to see cracks in the surface of this supposed utopia. Her husband was "moved on" years ago, and now her children have mysteriously vanished. With her world slowly unraveling, Osira begins questioning the traditions she’s lived by and whether life in Curdle Creek is worth the pain staking price. As doubt stirs within her, Osira takes on a journey into the past, seeking the truth about her community and the rules that have governed it for so long.

[Kimberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Curdle Creek" by Yvonne Battle-Felton is a great read for fans of the Hunger Games and of M. Night Shyamalan's twisty movie plots. Set in a remote all-Black village, the residents of Curdle Creek will do anything it takes to keep themselves safe, including implementing harsh rules and, if effect, ritual sacrifice. Though it is a quick read, I read it all in just two sittings, this novel is atmospheric and foreboding. The plot is multilayered and kept me turning pages in interest.

However, I found the ending confusing and very unsatisfying; I don't like books that end on a cliffhanger, leaving major plot points unresolved. I suppose the author may be setting up a sequel, but it didn't really feel that way to me. The ending really left me wanting more, and not in a good way.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of "Curdle Creek."

[Heather Bair · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think sometimes readers try to analyze too deeply a book and cannot just sit and read a story for pure enjoyments sake. Was this amazing? No. Was it enjoyable? Yes. If you take it as someone sitting around campfire, telling you a story of events that seem so impossible they must be true, then this will be much more enjoyable than trying to analyze every little thing and understand every little thing. We, as readers, don’t need to understand every little detail to enjoy a story. If you pay attention, you’ll know exactly what is going on in it.

[Dana K · Rating 3 out of 5]

{3.5 stars}

Thanks to Henry Holt for the gifted copy. All opinions below are my own.

This one is a bit hard to describe it's got Handmaid's Tale vibes for sure. Osira is a middle-aged widow who is entering her last chance to be married via the ritual competition mandated by the elders of their village. The village is isolated and population controlled so marriages and deaths are arranged in a very convoluted way that is not clear to the average villager. Osira is suspicious of the process as her father is on the chopping block for death just as her mother is interested in another man. As she starts to unravel the truth behind the town her life is more and more at risk. This one takes an interesting turn at the end that I wasn't expecting.

If you're a fan of dystopian stories, check this one out.

[Lit_Vibrations · Rating 4 out of 5]

Special thanks to the author, @henryholtbooks for my gifted copy & @macmillan.audio for my ALC‼️

Drawing readers into a world where murder is a means for control and disagreeing can get you killed the author’s imagination went wild with this one. This book was weirdly interesting I was left confused and intrigued at the same time. I still have so many unanswered questions like why did they choose to live like this. In the beginning it wasn’t made clear what “Moving On” meant but after a few chapters I realized what they were doing.

This town did some odd things like women competing in foot races for marriage. Being punished to the well and nearly beaten to death. But the Moving On was their craziest ceremony which was a purge type of event and Osira was against all of the towns customs. When her father’s name is called to move on but he runs away she begins snooping and searching for forbidden knowledge surrounding Curdle Creek’s sinister history. Soon Osira finds herself punished to the well and transported into the past.

The town was like a dictatorship society stripped of all common sense and everyone was in purgatory. The author was very detailed except when it came to world building. I wanted more when Orisa time traveled to the past, into the Underworld for judgement, and England before time traveling again. The author did great capturing the emotions of all the characters but I still wanted more of an understanding of what was happening and why.

Overall, the book was okay idk about that ending but if you’re a fan of Hunger Games, Kindred, or LoveCraft Country you’ll enjoy this book‼️

Rating: 3.5/5⭐️

[Lata · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reminiscent of Shirley Jackson's The Lottery, Yvonne Battle-Felton's Curdle Creek is a disturbing, somewhat horrifying read.

The isolated town of Curdle creek has bizarre traditions and rituals, such as widows competing in a race to acquire a new husband, and people called to “move on” once they no longer have a use, or have offended or broken rules….

An extremely rare person raised in Curdle Creek every questions things, but they're either dead or have run off. Osira is a widow and though part of an important family in the town, she's seen as having bad luck, as her two grown children have run away, and she repeatedly loses in the Running of the Widows competition. Her father is subsequently called to move on, and Osira's allegiance is tested. She ends up accidentally going back in time to when her mother was young, when she jumps into a well. Things fail again for her, and she jumps again, and ends up in rural England. With each jump, she learns more, unravelling the secrets that are bound up in Curdle Creek, and about her ability.

This was a challenging read, not because of the quality of the writing, but rather because of the horrifying setup and behaviours of the people of Curdle Creek. The various ideas and rituals of the town grew out of a way to maintain the population, and protect everyone from the outside world.

The story is dark, deeply uncomfortable, and is an intriguing mix of horror and gothic, and though I found parts of the novel dragged, and the ending a bit abrupt, I would be open to reading more by this author.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Rounding Up!!

So unique feeling from start to finish. For most of the book we follow Osira, a widow living in Curdle Creek, as she goes along with the daily life and traditions of her strange cult-like town. She isn’t satisfied with the way the town handles a lot of things but still believes in a lot of their ways. She is struggling between wanting to break free and being scared of what is beyond her town’s borders.

The story starts off feeling a little disjointed in parts (perhaps intentionally) and that worked out fine for me. It is the last maybe 40% ish that really upped the disjointedness and maybe suffered for that a bit. We start moving around a lot outside of Curdle Creek and nothing is very clear. Again, this was probably intentional but I didn’t enjoy this extreme almost hazy quality where the reader is just dropped in with no explanation.

Super cool idea, I liked the writing, and would definitely try something by this author again!

I received an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[NaTaya Hastings · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunately, I just couldn't get into this book. It was a slow slog to nowhere all the way through.

Billing it as a book for "fans of “The Lottery” and The Hunger Games" was just not accurate. I can see the correlation between them both -- especially "The Lottery," but it just didn't reach the heights of either. (And it only marginally resembles The Hunger Games in any way.)

I listened to the audio book, and I constantly had to return and re-listen to parts I'd zoned out on.

Maybe it just wasn't for me.

It wasn't the worst book I've ever read -- or even the worst book I've read this year. But I can't give it more than 2 stars, either.

[Erin Al-Mehairi · Rating 3 out of 5]

As always, a reminder that three star reads are solid average reads for me but with some challenges. This was a unique read that certainly lived up to being compared in some ways to ideas and inspirations within the novel The Hunger Games by Collins (a fave!) and the short story “The Lottery” by Jackson (a top fave of all time), and also the movie The Village by M. Night Shyamalan (also a fave film!). As well, it was an allegory in some ways to the Underground Railroad system and all roads leading to the same type of people, no matter time, place, or race. I enjoyed reading it for the most part and appreciated it.

It was fantasy, sci-fi, folklore, humanity horror all wrapped up into one surreal story that’s as fluid as the creek itself. Maybe a bit too fluid, as at times it was hard to keep up. I enjoyed the first half immensely, and the storytelling reminded me of ancestral tales passed down, but by the last half too many plots were popping up, it was going so quickly, but also felt monotonous for a bit, and after she jumped into the well, and time travel began, for me, it was too late into the book and it took a crazy turn that was hard to keep grounded. Where I thought it might go, it didn’t, and I was a bit disappointed. I love time travel, and that drew me into reading this book in the first place (the synopsis was a bit misleading with things happening way later than I assumed), so I wish it had been better executed and the ending more wrapped up. or maybe that was the point and her story is unfinished.

I did love the surreal, fantastical, and dystopian feel of it. A southern gothic story but with an in depth look at slavery and the political and religious rules we impose on others to “keep the peace.” A look at religion, politics, families, parenthood, friendships, and loss and how we keep them especially under duress or the guise of peace but under duress. I could feel what she was trying to say, I think. And searching for a home, and a place, a belonging when you feel you never belong anywhere.

[Ethan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Curdle Creek has long been a sanctuary for its residents, an all-Black community seemingly frozen in time since the late 1800s. This quiet, isolated world offers safety and stability, especially when compared to the volatile, racially charged 1960s that rage beyond its borders. Yet, this peace comes at a cost. Osira, a 45-year-old widow, has lived her entire life in Curdle Creek, a town bound by tradition where adherence to strict rituals is the price of survival. One such ritual, the annual "Moving On," demands that the community votes for one resident to sacrifice each year in exchange for collective well-being. It's a harsh and unquestioned reality, especially for Osira, whose mother is one of the town’s ruling matriarchs.

Despite spending her life within these rigid confines, Osira begins to see cracks in the veneer of this supposed utopia. Her own husband was "moved on" years ago, and her children have mysteriously vanished. With her world slowly unraveling, Osira begins questioning the traditions she’s lived by and whether life in Curdle Creek is worth the price. As doubt stirs within her, Osira embarks on a journey into the past, seeking the truth about her community and the rules that have governed it for so long.

I’ll admit, the striking cover first drew me to Yvonne Battle-Felton’s Curdle Creek. Its gothic mystery vibe was impossible to resist, and when the publisher offered me the audiobook, it felt like the ideal pick for spooky season. But this isn’t horror in the conventional sense—the cover only hints at the deeper, more intricate narrative inside. Battle-Felton has created a fever dream of a novel, delving into themes of race, motherhood, and tradition. The questions the story raises aren’t easily answered, which may shape your overall impression of it.

Osira, the protagonist, is trapped in a dilemma, torn between the life she’s always known and the possibility of something different. The first three-quarters of the novel delves into this internal conflict, delivering thought-provoking drama. However, in the final act, Osira embarks on a time-travel journey that pushes the narrative in a direction that left me more confused than intrigued. Complex themes like those in Curdle Creek are often best conveyed through straightforward storytelling, which the book largely does well. Despite an overwrought ending, it remains a compelling exploration of the allure of utopia and the harsh costs often hidden beneath its surface.

[ThatBookish_deviant · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75/5

[Sophie Leigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

gothic lottery of a small settlement - lovely atmospheric gothic folk horror story 👏📚

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

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!