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Scavengers
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A cautious daughter and her eccentric, estranged mother venture west in search of buried treasure—and a way back to each other—before they run out of patience, money, and options.
After being fired for taking an uncharacteristic risk at her commodities trading job, Bea Macon sublets her New York apartment and books a one-way ticket to stay with her mother, Christy, a free spirit who's been living in Salt Lake City on Bea's dime.
Usually the responsible one, Bea isn't about to admit exactly why she's suddenly decided to visit, but she isn’t the only one keeping secrets: Christy has a boyfriend. She has a map. She has a username on a forum devoted to unearthing $1 million in buried treasure that an antiquities dealer claims to have hidden somewhere in the western U.S...?
Bea is convinced this is just another one of her mother’s wild larks, an elaborate way to refuse, as she has for Bea’s entire life, to finally grow up. But Christy believes she’s on to something—and she’s arranged a rendezvous in a rural town called Mercy with the guy she’s been obsessively trading theories with online to prove it. Out in the desert that one woman views as a promised land, the other a wasteland, they find themselves barreling toward a more high-stakes, transformative escapade than either of them could have imagined.
After being fired for taking an uncharacteristic risk at her commodities trading job, Bea Macon sublets her New York apartment and books a one-way ticket to stay with her mother, Christy, a free spirit who's been living in Salt Lake City on Bea's dime.
Usually the responsible one, Bea isn't about to admit exactly why she's suddenly decided to visit, but she isn’t the only one keeping secrets: Christy has a boyfriend. She has a map. She has a username on a forum devoted to unearthing $1 million in buried treasure that an antiquities dealer claims to have hidden somewhere in the western U.S...?
Bea is convinced this is just another one of her mother’s wild larks, an elaborate way to refuse, as she has for Bea’s entire life, to finally grow up. But Christy believes she’s on to something—and she’s arranged a rendezvous in a rural town called Mercy with the guy she’s been obsessively trading theories with online to prove it. Out in the desert that one woman views as a promised land, the other a wasteland, they find themselves barreling toward a more high-stakes, transformative escapade than either of them could have imagined.
304 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication January 13, 2026
9435 people want to read
About the author
Kathleen Boland
1 book39 followersKathleen Boland is the author of the novel Scavengers. Her fiction has appeared in Tin House, Conjunctions, and Gulf Coast, among other places, and she has received support from the Tin House Summer Workshop, the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference, and the Vermont Studio Center. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her family.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
⭐⭐.5
Pre-Read Notes:
Love this publishing house, so it was an easy choice. Besides that, I'm a sucker for a good topographical map, so this cover undid me.
"She has spent the majority of her life without a cell phone, never needing one until ten or so years ago, and even then, she never thought she needed it. But now, seeing her daughter’s belongings without her daughter, she needs it, desperately." p158
Final Review
(thoughts & recs) Some 300 page books, I can read in an afternoon or maybe over two of them. And some 300 page books feel like they take *forever* usually as a matter of form or style. This is one of the latter.
For me, it's an issue of irregular pacing and a thin plot. Together with clarity issues, these problems really affected my enjoyment. For most of the book I needed higher stakes, and then once at least emotional stakes were worth investing in, the book was three quarters of the way done, and I was wondering how the writer had the space to fit in everything the story needed.
Also-- and this is such a weird quibble-- Boland doesn't seem comfortable here with her pronoun use, particularly in paragraphs in which the daughter (Bea) describes thoughts and beliefs belonging to the mom (Christy). I found it both horribly confusing and sometimes a real challenge to figure out who is doing what with the verb in any given sentence.
Don't expect resolution for any aspects of the story here, because it doesn't come. I've never read a book that used so many words to say "This is all you get."
I think this book will be a win for some readers, since most of my complaints are a matter of style. I recommend it to fans of
My Favorite Things:
✔️ "Look, people make shit up all the time. We’re all a bunch of filthy liars. White lies, big lies, anonymous sources, self-checkout, dating profiles, cover letters, orgasms, calories, taxes. We can lie about everything and we do." p9 Don't miss the preface. These are the opening sentences. This section works well as a work-in to a very unique style. "People make shit up all the time, but sooner or later, the storm comes. It always does." p15
✔️ "Bea considered what it would mean to tell Christy about her job, her finances. Their finances. Her mother might wave her off, tell her they’d be burritos in the meantime, it was no big deal. But it was. It was her career. It was her life. Their life. And her mother seemed happy. A bit delusional, sure , but aren’t all happy people deluded?" p47 A lot of casual ableism in this book, but that's not that surprising, given the character details.
✔️ Boland is quite gifted with the long metaphor, like the one you'll find on nuclear fallout on the first 5 pages of Section 2. They aren't always clearly anchored to the story, so their subtext isn't always immediately clear.
Notes Content: financial ruin, fraud, credit cards, bankruptcy, stalking, mother-daughter conflict, gender bias, being lost, missing loved one, political rally, guns,
Thank you to Kathleen Boland, Viking, and NetGalley for an accessible digital arc of SCAVENGERS. All views are mine.
Pre-Read Notes:
Love this publishing house, so it was an easy choice. Besides that, I'm a sucker for a good topographical map, so this cover undid me.
"She has spent the majority of her life without a cell phone, never needing one until ten or so years ago, and even then, she never thought she needed it. But now, seeing her daughter’s belongings without her daughter, she needs it, desperately." p158
Final Review
(thoughts & recs) Some 300 page books, I can read in an afternoon or maybe over two of them. And some 300 page books feel like they take *forever* usually as a matter of form or style. This is one of the latter.
For me, it's an issue of irregular pacing and a thin plot. Together with clarity issues, these problems really affected my enjoyment. For most of the book I needed higher stakes, and then once at least emotional stakes were worth investing in, the book was three quarters of the way done, and I was wondering how the writer had the space to fit in everything the story needed.
Also-- and this is such a weird quibble-- Boland doesn't seem comfortable here with her pronoun use, particularly in paragraphs in which the daughter (Bea) describes thoughts and beliefs belonging to the mom (Christy). I found it both horribly confusing and sometimes a real challenge to figure out who is doing what with the verb in any given sentence.
Don't expect resolution for any aspects of the story here, because it doesn't come. I've never read a book that used so many words to say "This is all you get."
I think this book will be a win for some readers, since most of my complaints are a matter of style. I recommend it to fans of
My Favorite Things:
✔️ "Look, people make shit up all the time. We’re all a bunch of filthy liars. White lies, big lies, anonymous sources, self-checkout, dating profiles, cover letters, orgasms, calories, taxes. We can lie about everything and we do." p9 Don't miss the preface. These are the opening sentences. This section works well as a work-in to a very unique style. "People make shit up all the time, but sooner or later, the storm comes. It always does." p15
✔️ "Bea considered what it would mean to tell Christy about her job, her finances. Their finances. Her mother might wave her off, tell her they’d be burritos in the meantime, it was no big deal. But it was. It was her career. It was her life. Their life. And her mother seemed happy. A bit delusional, sure , but aren’t all happy people deluded?" p47 A lot of casual ableism in this book, but that's not that surprising, given the character details.
✔️ Boland is quite gifted with the long metaphor, like the one you'll find on nuclear fallout on the first 5 pages of Section 2. They aren't always clearly anchored to the story, so their subtext isn't always immediately clear.
Notes Content: financial ruin, fraud, credit cards, bankruptcy, stalking, mother-daughter conflict, gender bias, being lost, missing loved one, political rally, guns,
Thank you to Kathleen Boland, Viking, and NetGalley for an accessible digital arc of SCAVENGERS. All views are mine.
May 23, 2025
*** 5/23/25 *** Thank you, NetGalley and Viking, for the opportunity to preview this January 2026 novel by Kathleen Boland.
After reading Scavengers, I imagine author Kathleen Boland has spent vacations in the Utah hills, hiking and staying in a cabin or small town, or possibly she studied anthropologic history in college, as the descriptions of the *places* were lengthy and vivid. There is a lot of historic detail about how the locations were settled, and while this may be compelling narratives for some, they were the least interesting parts of the book for me.
The main character of Scavengers is Bea, a young single 30-something woman working in a NYC finance-bro environment, but without the benefit of educated or even really involved parents from which to drive her ambition and life goals past the point of being thrilled to have enough money to live independently and even support her mother, Christie, as well as her grandmother for a while. Bea is a person hoping to find her people and figure out what her relationship with her mother should be and what her life should be.
The story has a "before" arc based in NYC where Bea struggles to connect to others, taking scraps from a booty-call man who she thinks of as a boyfriend despite all contrary evidence. Bea finds herself socializing with a group far beyond her social comfort zone, and she misreads cues professionally and personally, finding herself alone and adrift.
Circumstances lead to the "after" arc in which Bea joins her mother in Utah to visit, and then to join her in what she sees as a hair-brained scheme to find a million dollar buried treasure with the only clue being a poorly written poem with a message board full of fanatics trying to decipher it.
I came to this book for the personal journey aspect of Bea, as well as some 'adventure' reading as they sought the treasure. I was frustrated in the actual reading by the mostly super naive and highly worrisome behavior of Bea and her mother, drinking and partying with strangers - some very creepy ones - routinely. There is a lot of drinking in this book. I couldn't understand Bea's inability to speak even a little directly to her mother, or her ongoing support of her mother when she herself was running out of money.
I expected (hoped for) Bea's weather expertise to combine with Christie's map and notes on the treasure to take the book in a very different direction that had them both use their core skills to work together to accomplish something. But the side stories of Christie's weird boyfriend and the town hall meeting and the history of the locations seemed to dilute the core themes for me. The reader is given a resolution for Bea and Christie, but it was a little subtle for me versus expectations. I wanted a stronger outcome for Bea to allow her to rise victorious professionally, personally, and socially, and I got a little of that, but hoped for more. Despite these thoughts, I did empathize with Bea and felt her character was well written - I could feel her struggle quite viscerally.
I believe this is the author's first book, so kudos for that, and I give it 3.5* rounded up, and would read her next book to see how she evolves as an author.
After reading Scavengers, I imagine author Kathleen Boland has spent vacations in the Utah hills, hiking and staying in a cabin or small town, or possibly she studied anthropologic history in college, as the descriptions of the *places* were lengthy and vivid. There is a lot of historic detail about how the locations were settled, and while this may be compelling narratives for some, they were the least interesting parts of the book for me.
The main character of Scavengers is Bea, a young single 30-something woman working in a NYC finance-bro environment, but without the benefit of educated or even really involved parents from which to drive her ambition and life goals past the point of being thrilled to have enough money to live independently and even support her mother, Christie, as well as her grandmother for a while. Bea is a person hoping to find her people and figure out what her relationship with her mother should be and what her life should be.
The story has a "before" arc based in NYC where Bea struggles to connect to others, taking scraps from a booty-call man who she thinks of as a boyfriend despite all contrary evidence. Bea finds herself socializing with a group far beyond her social comfort zone, and she misreads cues professionally and personally, finding herself alone and adrift.
Circumstances lead to the "after" arc in which Bea joins her mother in Utah to visit, and then to join her in what she sees as a hair-brained scheme to find a million dollar buried treasure with the only clue being a poorly written poem with a message board full of fanatics trying to decipher it.
I came to this book for the personal journey aspect of Bea, as well as some 'adventure' reading as they sought the treasure. I was frustrated in the actual reading by the mostly super naive and highly worrisome behavior of Bea and her mother, drinking and partying with strangers - some very creepy ones - routinely. There is a lot of drinking in this book. I couldn't understand Bea's inability to speak even a little directly to her mother, or her ongoing support of her mother when she herself was running out of money.
I expected (hoped for) Bea's weather expertise to combine with Christie's map and notes on the treasure to take the book in a very different direction that had them both use their core skills to work together to accomplish something. But the side stories of Christie's weird boyfriend and the town hall meeting and the history of the locations seemed to dilute the core themes for me. The reader is given a resolution for Bea and Christie, but it was a little subtle for me versus expectations. I wanted a stronger outcome for Bea to allow her to rise victorious professionally, personally, and socially, and I got a little of that, but hoped for more. Despite these thoughts, I did empathize with Bea and felt her character was well written - I could feel her struggle quite viscerally.
I believe this is the author's first book, so kudos for that, and I give it 3.5* rounded up, and would read her next book to see how she evolves as an author.
April 27, 2025
I loved this novel. It tells the story of Bea, a young woman recently fired from her NYC position in the commodities market, and her visit with her largely absentee, free-spirit mother (Christy), who has been living in a Utah rental home thanks to funding from Bea. Bea is broke and her mothers on the edge of being evicted from her home. But her ever-optimistic mother has a plan. She has been obsessively frequenting a chat room for people hunting for a mysterious buried treasure. The clues to find the treasure are embedded in an odd poem. Christy has spent months (years?) making an odd map of where she thinks the treasure is. She has been working in Tandem with a mystery man from the forum ("Bob") and they have planned a long weekend together in a small Utah tow=n to zero in on the treasure. Bea's arrival jostles those plans, as she accompanies her mother on the weekend getaway. What ensures is mesmerizing. The characters in the novel are fascinating, and the novel had me staying up late at night reading well beyond my bedtime. The backdrom of the Utah desert was also wonderfully rendered--so much so that the desert was almost a character in the novel. Highly recommended!
October 2, 2025
4.5 stars
Engrossing and singular.
If you gave me one-thousand years to come up with as many literary fiction plots as possible, I don’t think I would ever come close to the plot of Scavengers by Kathleen Boland. It’s not particularly outlandish, but it is unlike anything I’ve read before. It follows a woman named Bea (short for “Beautiful”) who loses her commodities trading job in New York City. She decides to visit her unemployed mother, who lives on Bea’s dime in Salt Lake City. Their already contentious relationship faces a new test as Christy decides to take off for Mercy, Utah with a strange man named Bob in pursuit of buried treasure.
Scavengers contains some of the most infuriating-yet-lovable characters I’ve ever encountered. Boland has a gift for creating messy characters with an uncomfortable level of realism. Their reckless irresponsibility makes it seem like disaster is just around the corner, but Boland never lets narrative foreshadowing make the plot predictable. I never knew what was going to happen next, and this improbable story had me completely engrossed until the end. I strongly recommend Scavengers—the less you know going in the better.
Thank you to NetGalley and Viking Penguin for providing me with an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Engrossing and singular.
If you gave me one-thousand years to come up with as many literary fiction plots as possible, I don’t think I would ever come close to the plot of Scavengers by Kathleen Boland. It’s not particularly outlandish, but it is unlike anything I’ve read before. It follows a woman named Bea (short for “Beautiful”) who loses her commodities trading job in New York City. She decides to visit her unemployed mother, who lives on Bea’s dime in Salt Lake City. Their already contentious relationship faces a new test as Christy decides to take off for Mercy, Utah with a strange man named Bob in pursuit of buried treasure.
Scavengers contains some of the most infuriating-yet-lovable characters I’ve ever encountered. Boland has a gift for creating messy characters with an uncomfortable level of realism. Their reckless irresponsibility makes it seem like disaster is just around the corner, but Boland never lets narrative foreshadowing make the plot predictable. I never knew what was going to happen next, and this improbable story had me completely engrossed until the end. I strongly recommend Scavengers—the less you know going in the better.
Thank you to NetGalley and Viking Penguin for providing me with an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
December 10, 2025
I loved this contemporary, adult fiction novel. The plot of "Scavengers" by Kathleen Boland is unique, interesting, and entertaining. The well-developed, and sometimes completely infuriating, characters are so realistic that they come alive from the pages.; their often irresponsible and sometimes erratic actions make it impossible to predict what will happen next, keeping the reader engaged and turning the pages. Part coming-of-age story, part family drama. and part adventure tale (it is about a treasure hunt, after all), this book is a fun read that will also touch a reader's heart. You can't help but want everything to turn out okay in the end for both Christy and Bea.
What a great book to start off a new year of reading! Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this fabulous book.
What a great book to start off a new year of reading! Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this fabulous book.
June 27, 2025
Scavengers by Kathleen Boland is a novel about a mother and daughter who take a trip into the desert of Utah. It’s less that they set out to take a trip together in order to find a way back to themselves and each other and more that circumstances and their inability or unwillingness to communicate leads them along a path that neither seem willing to protest. And maybe there’s treasure?
Although the possibility of a treasure hunt looms large throughout the novel, I would say that it is more driven by character development than this particular plot device, which is most useful in transplanting Bea (daughter) and Christy (mother) into unfamiliar terrain. I love a good character-focused story, but this one was not the most enjoyable for me. Perhaps this is because there is a lot of time spent on backstory instead of moving the plot forward, especially in the first 15-20% of the book, or maybe this is because both characters are so frustrating and desperate at times that they just weren’t all that fun to hang out with for me. Or it could simply be that I came into the book with incorrect expectations about a mother-daughter road trip/treasure hunt, which I don’t think it is. But if you’re looking for an exploration of a mother-daughter relationship with well-developed and interesting character arcs, this book might be for you.
Another feature of this novel that caught me off guard was the frequent shift in perspective. While it predictably shifts between Bea and Christy, which enriches the mother-daughter arc of the book, it also throws in other perspectives, such as a dog, the town itself, or the sweeping omniscience of history, which occasionally threw me off balance. But other than these perspective shifts, it was an easy read, and despite not being fully enchanted with it, I didn’t have a problem finishing it.
Big thanks to NetGalley and Viking Penguin for my ARC of this novel!
Although the possibility of a treasure hunt looms large throughout the novel, I would say that it is more driven by character development than this particular plot device, which is most useful in transplanting Bea (daughter) and Christy (mother) into unfamiliar terrain. I love a good character-focused story, but this one was not the most enjoyable for me. Perhaps this is because there is a lot of time spent on backstory instead of moving the plot forward, especially in the first 15-20% of the book, or maybe this is because both characters are so frustrating and desperate at times that they just weren’t all that fun to hang out with for me. Or it could simply be that I came into the book with incorrect expectations about a mother-daughter road trip/treasure hunt, which I don’t think it is. But if you’re looking for an exploration of a mother-daughter relationship with well-developed and interesting character arcs, this book might be for you.
Another feature of this novel that caught me off guard was the frequent shift in perspective. While it predictably shifts between Bea and Christy, which enriches the mother-daughter arc of the book, it also throws in other perspectives, such as a dog, the town itself, or the sweeping omniscience of history, which occasionally threw me off balance. But other than these perspective shifts, it was an easy read, and despite not being fully enchanted with it, I didn’t have a problem finishing it.
Big thanks to NetGalley and Viking Penguin for my ARC of this novel!
May 5, 2025
Thank you Viking Penguin for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own! 🤠
This book has everything a girl could want:
- Someone leaving their job and heading into the unknown
- Characters with questionable decision-making skills
- A treasure hunt with a cult-like following
- General Utah beauty and weirdness
Bea has just been fired from her high-stakes job in NYC after making a huge mistake. Burned out after being overlooked for promotions (and by the man she’s interested in), she heads west to visit her eccentric mother, Christy, in Utah. Christy’s favorite hobby is obsessively following a forum dedicated to finding a mysterious treasure that once belonged to the “Poet.” When Bea arrives, she keeps her job loss a secret, not wanting to burden her mother (since she’s paying Christy’s rent). But when she finds out Christy is planning to meet a fellow treasure hunter in a small town to do some research, Bea decides to tag along.
The author’s writing is vivid, bringing each scene to life in a way that feels immersive but never drags. I especially appreciated how well-rounded the characters were, how they were introduced, and how bits of their backstories and motivations were revealed at just the right moments. The story balances strong character development with an engaging plot, and I found myself eagerly trying to piece things together. It made me feel like I was scrolling the forum myself, trying to figure out who I could trust and where the treasure might be.
This was a five-star read for me, and I’m excited for its official release. I highly recommend it to readers who enjoy light mysteries, a bit of adventure, humor, eccentric characters, and the American West. 🤠🌄🐴
This book has everything a girl could want:
- Someone leaving their job and heading into the unknown
- Characters with questionable decision-making skills
- A treasure hunt with a cult-like following
- General Utah beauty and weirdness
Bea has just been fired from her high-stakes job in NYC after making a huge mistake. Burned out after being overlooked for promotions (and by the man she’s interested in), she heads west to visit her eccentric mother, Christy, in Utah. Christy’s favorite hobby is obsessively following a forum dedicated to finding a mysterious treasure that once belonged to the “Poet.” When Bea arrives, she keeps her job loss a secret, not wanting to burden her mother (since she’s paying Christy’s rent). But when she finds out Christy is planning to meet a fellow treasure hunter in a small town to do some research, Bea decides to tag along.
The author’s writing is vivid, bringing each scene to life in a way that feels immersive but never drags. I especially appreciated how well-rounded the characters were, how they were introduced, and how bits of their backstories and motivations were revealed at just the right moments. The story balances strong character development with an engaging plot, and I found myself eagerly trying to piece things together. It made me feel like I was scrolling the forum myself, trying to figure out who I could trust and where the treasure might be.
This was a five-star read for me, and I’m excited for its official release. I highly recommend it to readers who enjoy light mysteries, a bit of adventure, humor, eccentric characters, and the American West. 🤠🌄🐴
July 2, 2025
Scavengers by Kathleen Boland is so clever and beautifully written, and I can't stop thinking about it. The layered mother-daughter dynamics add depth without ever feeling heavy-handed, and Boland’s voice is sharp, fresh, and totally original. It’s the kind of novel you want to talk about immediately after finishing. Highly recommend for readers who love smart, emotionally rich storytelling. 4.5 stars
December 9, 2025
Book Report: The Scavengers by Kathleen Boland
In this wildly charming debut Bea…normally the responsible one finds herself jobless…restless and headed to Salt Lake City to crash with her eccentric secret keeping mother Christy. What’s supposed to be a low key reset turns into a full blown treasure hunt when Bea discovers Christy has a map…a mystery man and a deep obsession with an online forum chasing down $1 million supposedly buried somewhere in the western desert🗺️💰Before they know it…the two are road tripping toward a tiny town called Mercy…unraveling clues meeting delightfully odd characters and confronting the messy tender history between them.
It’s equal parts adventure…mystery and heartfelt mother daughter chaos. With a sweltering Utah backdrop that feels absolutely cinematic🌵🚙✨I cannot wait for this debut to hit shelves because I want to talk about it with EVERYONE. If you were entranced by the Netflix series Gold and Greed (I was fully hooked 🙋♀️)this has that same thrill but with Carl Hiaasen-esque shenanigans… just make it Utah. And yes… a shout-out to Tacoma 🙌🏻
Thank you Viking for the advanced ecopy!
Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Lyon.brit.A...
In this wildly charming debut Bea…normally the responsible one finds herself jobless…restless and headed to Salt Lake City to crash with her eccentric secret keeping mother Christy. What’s supposed to be a low key reset turns into a full blown treasure hunt when Bea discovers Christy has a map…a mystery man and a deep obsession with an online forum chasing down $1 million supposedly buried somewhere in the western desert🗺️💰Before they know it…the two are road tripping toward a tiny town called Mercy…unraveling clues meeting delightfully odd characters and confronting the messy tender history between them.
It’s equal parts adventure…mystery and heartfelt mother daughter chaos. With a sweltering Utah backdrop that feels absolutely cinematic🌵🚙✨I cannot wait for this debut to hit shelves because I want to talk about it with EVERYONE. If you were entranced by the Netflix series Gold and Greed (I was fully hooked 🙋♀️)this has that same thrill but with Carl Hiaasen-esque shenanigans… just make it Utah. And yes… a shout-out to Tacoma 🙌🏻
Thank you Viking for the advanced ecopy!
Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Lyon.brit.A...
December 17, 2025
Literary fiction can be pretty hit or miss for me, but I did enjoy this book, even though I'm not sure if I can explain why. None of the characters are particularly likable, but I was also still charmed by and rooting for them? The plot was kind of strange and outrageous, but fun at the same time? After getting fired from her job, Bea heads to Salt Lake City to see her mom, Christy, and they end up traveling to the desert in search for the hidden treasure that her mom discusses with strangers on a message board called the Conversation. Mild chaos ensues. Ultimately I do think this is a story about the relationship between Bea and Christy and how it changes over the course of their time together on this adventure - things are tense, but there is hope that they will be alright in the end. I don't think this book will be for everyone, but it's definitely worth a shot if you ask me. Thank you to Viking Penguin and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy!
November 6, 2025
BEA-UTIFUL! I loved this book! The relationship between Christy and Bea was very believable. The supporting characters were an entertaining bonus.
I would read this book again…and maybe again!
I would read this book again…and maybe again!
June 8, 2025
I don't have any strong feelings about this book, it was just...okay. It was about Bea, an analyst of some sort who recently lost her job after taking a risk with weather predictions, and her mother Christie, who Bea financially supports.
I had a very difficult time rooting for either woman, let alone their relationship. Christie was fully financially dependent on Bea and continuously made terrible choices that Bea had to deal with the consequences of (for example, pouring essential oils into her radiator in order to make it smell better). Bea let her mother do all these *unique* things and didn't stand up for herself at all or ask her mother to take any responsibility or initiative.
Once we got to the treasure hunt part, I thought the story would pick up. The Utah setting was well-done, I enjoyed picturing the landscape and the nature aspect of the treasure hunt. But, I feel like we spent more time trying to find Christie or watching the women party than actually treasure hunting. I could excuse this if the story developed the Bea/Christie relationship more, but wasn't a huge part, so I expected more from the treasure hunt plot line. Also stranger danger?? Why are these women so trusting of random men from the internet or from a bar.
I didn't mind the ending of this book, I thought it worked and wrapped it up pretty solidly, while leaving some space for a follow-up book. It wasn't a shocking ending, but it was fine.
For a debut novel, this was a solid start as the premise was interesting and the writing was good. With a little more development it could have easily been a 4 or 5-star read.
Thank you to NetGalley + Viking Penguin for the ARC
I had a very difficult time rooting for either woman, let alone their relationship. Christie was fully financially dependent on Bea and continuously made terrible choices that Bea had to deal with the consequences of (for example, pouring essential oils into her radiator in order to make it smell better). Bea let her mother do all these *unique* things and didn't stand up for herself at all or ask her mother to take any responsibility or initiative.
Once we got to the treasure hunt part, I thought the story would pick up. The Utah setting was well-done, I enjoyed picturing the landscape and the nature aspect of the treasure hunt. But, I feel like we spent more time trying to find Christie or watching the women party than actually treasure hunting. I could excuse this if the story developed the Bea/Christie relationship more, but wasn't a huge part, so I expected more from the treasure hunt plot line. Also stranger danger?? Why are these women so trusting of random men from the internet or from a bar.
I didn't mind the ending of this book, I thought it worked and wrapped it up pretty solidly, while leaving some space for a follow-up book. It wasn't a shocking ending, but it was fine.
For a debut novel, this was a solid start as the premise was interesting and the writing was good. With a little more development it could have easily been a 4 or 5-star read.
Thank you to NetGalley + Viking Penguin for the ARC
May 12, 2025
A million-dollar treasure. A mother with a map. A daughter with nothing left to lose. This mother-daughter treasure hunt is everything—funny, raw, and unexpectedly healing. Scavengers took me on a wild ride through the desert and straight into my heart. Five stars for this unforgettable journey.
June 19, 2025
3.5 rounded up. Tightly wound daughter joins her free spirited mother on a treasure hunt. I enjoyed reading about a complicated mother/daughter relationship without it being too heavy or too dark. Would make a fun movie.
May 13, 2025
This was a slow build but after the half way point I was hooked and glad I stayed with it.
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December 19, 2025Bea, a weather analyst for a financial firm in New York city, loses her job after making a risky disaster prediction while her boss is out sick and gets both fired from her job, blacklisted in the industry, and under investigation by the Feds. Bea sublets her apartment and goes out to Utah to stay with her mom, Christy, to regroup while hoping to hear from a recruiter.
Christy meanwhile has never been a great Mom: in a constant churn of failed romantic relationships and having abandoned Bea to her grandmother’s care as a teen while off on a Canadian jaunt that started with her seeking divorce papers from Bea’s Dad and ended up with her staying for all of Bea’s middle and high school years. While Bea has been covering Christy’s rent which she no longer can without her job, her Mom supplements what she needs by prolific shoplifting. Christy’s a dreamer and romantic, and her current obsessions are a treasure hunt for a reported million dollars’ worth of antiques buried somewhere in the West by a dead poet and an online relationship with Bob who she met on a forum for treasure seekers. Christy has made a plan to meet up with Bob in the small rural Utah town of Mercy where she thinks the treasure may be located and she’s brining along a complex map she’s constructed filled with clues.
After years of separation, Bea and Christy barely know each other. Christy offers up maternal support, a new thing between them, as Bea wrestles with the disappointment that she failed to build a meaningful life in New York- not just in her work but also in failed friendships and finding a relationship with a man. Lacking anything else to do, Bea decides to accompany her Mom to Mercy.
Suddenly things get intense: Bob is not who he seems and has partnered with a young violent man who lives in Mercy, and Christy may be in danger. Bea connects with two local young men, Tag and Hank, who rescue her and Bea while lost hiking in the mountains after they arrive in town. Danger lurks everywhere.
Besides the thrill of the hunt, the true treasure of the book lies in the forging of intimate new bonds between daughter and mother, Bea’s metamorphosis into a life more suited to her happiness, and her Mom’s romantic needs shimmering with a happy ending.
Thanks to Viking Penguin and NetGalley for an advanced reader’s copy.
Christy meanwhile has never been a great Mom: in a constant churn of failed romantic relationships and having abandoned Bea to her grandmother’s care as a teen while off on a Canadian jaunt that started with her seeking divorce papers from Bea’s Dad and ended up with her staying for all of Bea’s middle and high school years. While Bea has been covering Christy’s rent which she no longer can without her job, her Mom supplements what she needs by prolific shoplifting. Christy’s a dreamer and romantic, and her current obsessions are a treasure hunt for a reported million dollars’ worth of antiques buried somewhere in the West by a dead poet and an online relationship with Bob who she met on a forum for treasure seekers. Christy has made a plan to meet up with Bob in the small rural Utah town of Mercy where she thinks the treasure may be located and she’s brining along a complex map she’s constructed filled with clues.
After years of separation, Bea and Christy barely know each other. Christy offers up maternal support, a new thing between them, as Bea wrestles with the disappointment that she failed to build a meaningful life in New York- not just in her work but also in failed friendships and finding a relationship with a man. Lacking anything else to do, Bea decides to accompany her Mom to Mercy.
Suddenly things get intense: Bob is not who he seems and has partnered with a young violent man who lives in Mercy, and Christy may be in danger. Bea connects with two local young men, Tag and Hank, who rescue her and Bea while lost hiking in the mountains after they arrive in town. Danger lurks everywhere.
Besides the thrill of the hunt, the true treasure of the book lies in the forging of intimate new bonds between daughter and mother, Bea’s metamorphosis into a life more suited to her happiness, and her Mom’s romantic needs shimmering with a happy ending.
Thanks to Viking Penguin and NetGalley for an advanced reader’s copy.
July 15, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
In Scavengers, the relationship between a mother and daughter plays out over a backdrop of Utah wilderness, small towns, creepy men, futility, hope, and realization. Bea, the daughter, craves normalcy: a successful job, a nice apartment, a boyfriend, good friends, the finer things in life, but she’s never quite able to attain it. After a setback, she goes to visit her mother, Christy, who lives in Salt Lake City. Christy is flighty and reckless, and we see from flashbacks that these behaviors manifest because of her deep need to be loved along with her inability to properly love anyone else. Christy has planned a weekend with a man she’s only known online, and Bea decides to join her. While they interact with the inhabitants of a small town called Mercy, the reader gets background information about both characters, as well as insight into how they view their relationship.
The book is an easy, quick read, but is ultimately frustrating. Both Christy and Bea make terrible decisions throughout the book and absolutely refuse to demand any answers from anyone, including each other and themselves. They’re near constantly inebriated around strange men who act super creepy. They never speak up for themselves in situations, they never ask the questions of others that they should, and they never talk about how the actions of the other have affected them. Bea obsesses over her so called ‘friends,’ who obviously did not care one way or another about her, but never really sees the ‘perfect’ vagueness of their social media as anything more than jealousy-inducing. Her need to take care of her mother seems to stem from the desire to do what her mother never did (take care of her), but I feel there’s only so many times a daughter would want to do that, especially with a mother that constantly incommunicado.
Boland has created an interesting, quirky little world and interesting, quirky characters, and the undercurrent of sadness in both Bea and Christy connects to the title: just people looking for crumbs of love, of attention, of hope. I just wish there was a little more to the growth of Bea and Christy, as well as more about the Conversation!
In Scavengers, the relationship between a mother and daughter plays out over a backdrop of Utah wilderness, small towns, creepy men, futility, hope, and realization. Bea, the daughter, craves normalcy: a successful job, a nice apartment, a boyfriend, good friends, the finer things in life, but she’s never quite able to attain it. After a setback, she goes to visit her mother, Christy, who lives in Salt Lake City. Christy is flighty and reckless, and we see from flashbacks that these behaviors manifest because of her deep need to be loved along with her inability to properly love anyone else. Christy has planned a weekend with a man she’s only known online, and Bea decides to join her. While they interact with the inhabitants of a small town called Mercy, the reader gets background information about both characters, as well as insight into how they view their relationship.
The book is an easy, quick read, but is ultimately frustrating. Both Christy and Bea make terrible decisions throughout the book and absolutely refuse to demand any answers from anyone, including each other and themselves. They’re near constantly inebriated around strange men who act super creepy. They never speak up for themselves in situations, they never ask the questions of others that they should, and they never talk about how the actions of the other have affected them. Bea obsesses over her so called ‘friends,’ who obviously did not care one way or another about her, but never really sees the ‘perfect’ vagueness of their social media as anything more than jealousy-inducing. Her need to take care of her mother seems to stem from the desire to do what her mother never did (take care of her), but I feel there’s only so many times a daughter would want to do that, especially with a mother that constantly incommunicado.
Boland has created an interesting, quirky little world and interesting, quirky characters, and the undercurrent of sadness in both Bea and Christy connects to the title: just people looking for crumbs of love, of attention, of hope. I just wish there was a little more to the growth of Bea and Christy, as well as more about the Conversation!
October 27, 2025
Bea's life was a mess. She got canned from her junior financial analyst job when she boldly predicted a major storm that would bring farming to its knees. It started a buying/selling frenzy that came to a crashing halt when the storm never materialized and the SEC got involved. Oooops. Now she was financial poison, colleagues wouldn't return her calls, and headhunters were just not interested. It didn't help that her sometime boyfriend wouldn't return her messages either, and she started seeing Instagram pics of him strolling through sunlit fields with their mutual friend. How was she going to pay the mortgage on her Brooklyn apartment, let alone on her hippy dippy Mom's house rental in Utah. She hasn't seen her mom, Christy, since her grandmother died six months ago, and her impetuous mom took off for Salt Lake City because the vibes were better in the desert. She should go visit as long as she has time on her hands.
After a depressing dinner of uncooked eggs, Christy tells Bea that she is going away this weekend to hike the desert with a Facebook friend named Bob who got them a motel room and will pay all of her expenses. Seems that they are members of an online group called The Conversation. An eccentric pilot who collected artifacts buried a million dollars worth of them somewhere in the Utah desert and wrote a poem that offered clues to where it was. Members of the Conversation helped, hindered and discussed with the others ways to find it. Christy had studied the clues very closely and had made a map of where she thought she could find the treasure and she and Bob are going this weekend to see. Bea thought the whole thing was ridiculous but decided to go too to check out this Bob character.
The novel is the mother/daughter road trip from hell where both are going to be surprised, disappointed, and hopeful, and they will finally learn about each other in ways that they never had before. The descriptions of the open Utah desert are beautiful, and a lot of the dialogue is laugh-out-loud funny. Boland really has a way with words and I would recommend the audiobook to get the full flavor of her writing. If you want to get away from it all then this is the book for you.
After a depressing dinner of uncooked eggs, Christy tells Bea that she is going away this weekend to hike the desert with a Facebook friend named Bob who got them a motel room and will pay all of her expenses. Seems that they are members of an online group called The Conversation. An eccentric pilot who collected artifacts buried a million dollars worth of them somewhere in the Utah desert and wrote a poem that offered clues to where it was. Members of the Conversation helped, hindered and discussed with the others ways to find it. Christy had studied the clues very closely and had made a map of where she thought she could find the treasure and she and Bob are going this weekend to see. Bea thought the whole thing was ridiculous but decided to go too to check out this Bob character.
The novel is the mother/daughter road trip from hell where both are going to be surprised, disappointed, and hopeful, and they will finally learn about each other in ways that they never had before. The descriptions of the open Utah desert are beautiful, and a lot of the dialogue is laugh-out-loud funny. Boland really has a way with words and I would recommend the audiobook to get the full flavor of her writing. If you want to get away from it all then this is the book for you.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Anyone who knows me knows I'll leap at the chance to read anything about the deserts of Utah, so I was thrilled to receive and ARC of Scavengers. So much of this novel spoke to me. In fact, I had a friend who became obsessed with finding Forrest Fenn's treasure, on which the treasure in this novel is based.
There are passages--especially those in second person, or those that diverge from the main plot of the story--where Boland writes beautifully and I can hear her unique voice. It's clear she's spent time in the west, and I especially loved the way she described weather patterns and floods. There's an appreciation for the land and the strange people who populate it, an attention to detail, and a compassion for characters who have more than a few fatal flaws.
My issue with this novel is there's just a little too much in it. By trying to bring her characters to life, Boland overloads them with backstory and conflict and unnecessary details. Bea is a disgraced commodities trader and she was in a situationship with someone back in New York who is fully irrelevant to the plot and he's getting engaged and it's to Bea's former roommate who peed in jars? Christy is flighty and she's a shoplifter and she once followed her husband to Montreal and she babysat for his illegitimate child and she's obsessed with fake plants and and and and... You get the picture. There's just... so much. It almost feels like Boland is nervous to let her plots and her writing stand on their own.
Still, the plot of this novel is compelling, as are its characters. I read the last few chapters without looking up from the book. I am very excited to see what Boland does next!
3.5 stars, rounded up. My thanks to NetGalley, Viking, and the author for an ARC of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.
There are passages--especially those in second person, or those that diverge from the main plot of the story--where Boland writes beautifully and I can hear her unique voice. It's clear she's spent time in the west, and I especially loved the way she described weather patterns and floods. There's an appreciation for the land and the strange people who populate it, an attention to detail, and a compassion for characters who have more than a few fatal flaws.
My issue with this novel is there's just a little too much in it. By trying to bring her characters to life, Boland overloads them with backstory and conflict and unnecessary details. Bea is a disgraced commodities trader and she was in a situationship with someone back in New York who is fully irrelevant to the plot and he's getting engaged and it's to Bea's former roommate who peed in jars? Christy is flighty and she's a shoplifter and she once followed her husband to Montreal and she babysat for his illegitimate child and she's obsessed with fake plants and and and and... You get the picture. There's just... so much. It almost feels like Boland is nervous to let her plots and her writing stand on their own.
Still, the plot of this novel is compelling, as are its characters. I read the last few chapters without looking up from the book. I am very excited to see what Boland does next!
3.5 stars, rounded up. My thanks to NetGalley, Viking, and the author for an ARC of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
3.5 stars rounded down.
Though Bea and her mother, Christy, are searching for treasure, this is only a metaphor for what they’re really searching for in this appealing novel about the mother-daughter relationship. Of course, as Larkin would have it, your mum (and dad, but everyone knows it’s really your mum) fuck you up, but this also looks at the way a child can fuck up her mother.
After Bea crashes and burns at her analyst job, she decides to go visit her mother who has moved to Utah, apparently on a whim. But it turns out it wasn’t a whim, Christy is deeply involved in the online fortune hunt forum in which there’s a poem which purportedly gives clues to the burial place of treasure. She has also become involved with Bob, another seeker, and has organized a weekend in Mercy, UT, as they think they’ve finally worked out where X marks the spot.
But the week in Mercy peels back both Bea’s and Christy’s lives and exposes what they have been hiding and avoiding. The fractured relationship between the two is the heart of the story and they are driven to their bare bones by the conditions, copious amounts of alcohol and subsequent hangovers, and being out in the unknown. It’s only in this condition that they can start genuine communication and connection.
The resolution, during a storm which cleverly loops back to both their younger selves and to Bea’s job loss, while satisfying, also feels a little contrived and pat. As Bea rejects what her life has become and Christy drifts happily along with it, there’s a nifty little twist in the tale.
While there’s plenty of novels about mothers and daughters, this has an unusual setting and plot. If you like novels about people flailing to find their way and/or ones set in remote locations, you might want to take a look at this.
Thanks to Viking and Netgalley for the digital review copy.
Though Bea and her mother, Christy, are searching for treasure, this is only a metaphor for what they’re really searching for in this appealing novel about the mother-daughter relationship. Of course, as Larkin would have it, your mum (and dad, but everyone knows it’s really your mum) fuck you up, but this also looks at the way a child can fuck up her mother.
After Bea crashes and burns at her analyst job, she decides to go visit her mother who has moved to Utah, apparently on a whim. But it turns out it wasn’t a whim, Christy is deeply involved in the online fortune hunt forum in which there’s a poem which purportedly gives clues to the burial place of treasure. She has also become involved with Bob, another seeker, and has organized a weekend in Mercy, UT, as they think they’ve finally worked out where X marks the spot.
But the week in Mercy peels back both Bea’s and Christy’s lives and exposes what they have been hiding and avoiding. The fractured relationship between the two is the heart of the story and they are driven to their bare bones by the conditions, copious amounts of alcohol and subsequent hangovers, and being out in the unknown. It’s only in this condition that they can start genuine communication and connection.
The resolution, during a storm which cleverly loops back to both their younger selves and to Bea’s job loss, while satisfying, also feels a little contrived and pat. As Bea rejects what her life has become and Christy drifts happily along with it, there’s a nifty little twist in the tale.
While there’s plenty of novels about mothers and daughters, this has an unusual setting and plot. If you like novels about people flailing to find their way and/or ones set in remote locations, you might want to take a look at this.
Thanks to Viking and Netgalley for the digital review copy.
June 20, 2025
** Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review **
Scavengers by Kathleen Boland proved to be a thoroughly engaging and thought-provoking read for me. Boland masterfully crafts a compelling narrative that delves into the intricacies of survival, relationships, and the moral ambiguities that arise when humanity is pushed to its limits. What immediately drew me in was the realistic portrayal of the post-apocalyptic setting; it felt gritty and believable, making the characters' struggles feel incredibly authentic. The story truly shines in its exploration of human nature under duress, prompting reflection on what we prioritize when stripped of societal norms.
I found myself deeply invested in the characters' journeys, particularly their evolving dynamics as they navigate a harsh, unforgiving world. Boland's writing is clear and unsparing, painting vivid pictures of the landscape and the emotional tolls faced by the survivors. While the premise might lean into familiar post-apocalyptic tropes, the execution feels fresh and intensely personal, focusing on the individual stories within the larger collapse. This isn't just a tale of survival; it's a poignant examination of hope, desperation, and the enduring human spirit. For anyone who appreciates a well-developed dystopian world coupled with rich character studies, Scavengers is definitely a book to add to your list.
Scavengers by Kathleen Boland proved to be a thoroughly engaging and thought-provoking read for me. Boland masterfully crafts a compelling narrative that delves into the intricacies of survival, relationships, and the moral ambiguities that arise when humanity is pushed to its limits. What immediately drew me in was the realistic portrayal of the post-apocalyptic setting; it felt gritty and believable, making the characters' struggles feel incredibly authentic. The story truly shines in its exploration of human nature under duress, prompting reflection on what we prioritize when stripped of societal norms.
I found myself deeply invested in the characters' journeys, particularly their evolving dynamics as they navigate a harsh, unforgiving world. Boland's writing is clear and unsparing, painting vivid pictures of the landscape and the emotional tolls faced by the survivors. While the premise might lean into familiar post-apocalyptic tropes, the execution feels fresh and intensely personal, focusing on the individual stories within the larger collapse. This isn't just a tale of survival; it's a poignant examination of hope, desperation, and the enduring human spirit. For anyone who appreciates a well-developed dystopian world coupled with rich character studies, Scavengers is definitely a book to add to your list.
July 19, 2025
After being fired for taking an uncharacteristic risk at her commodities trading job, Bea Macon sublets her New York apartment and books a one-way ticket to stay with her mother, Christy, a free spirit who has been living in Salt Lake City on Bea's dime.
Usually the responsible one, Bea isn't about to admit exactly why she's suddenly decided to visit, but she isn’t the only one keeping secrets: Christy has a man. She has a map. She has . . . a username on a forum devoted to unearthing $1 million in buried treasure that an antiquities dealer claims to have hidden somewhere in the western U.S.?
Bea is convinced this is just another one of her mother’s wild larks, an elaborate way to refuse, as she has for Bea’s entire life, to finally grow up. But Christy believes she’s onto something—and she’s arranged a rendezvous in a rural town called Mercy with the guy she’s been obsessively trading theories with online to prove it. Out in the desert that one woman believes to be a promised land, the other a wasteland, they find themselves barreling toward a more high-stakes, transformative escapade than either of them could have imagined.
Populated with unforgettable characters and set against one of the world’s most oddly enrapturing landscapes, Scavengers is a funny and heartbreaking novel about old injuries, new beginnings, and the lengths to which we’ll go to find, escape, and reinvent ourselves.
Usually the responsible one, Bea isn't about to admit exactly why she's suddenly decided to visit, but she isn’t the only one keeping secrets: Christy has a man. She has a map. She has . . . a username on a forum devoted to unearthing $1 million in buried treasure that an antiquities dealer claims to have hidden somewhere in the western U.S.?
Bea is convinced this is just another one of her mother’s wild larks, an elaborate way to refuse, as she has for Bea’s entire life, to finally grow up. But Christy believes she’s onto something—and she’s arranged a rendezvous in a rural town called Mercy with the guy she’s been obsessively trading theories with online to prove it. Out in the desert that one woman believes to be a promised land, the other a wasteland, they find themselves barreling toward a more high-stakes, transformative escapade than either of them could have imagined.
Populated with unforgettable characters and set against one of the world’s most oddly enrapturing landscapes, Scavengers is a funny and heartbreaking novel about old injuries, new beginnings, and the lengths to which we’ll go to find, escape, and reinvent ourselves.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thanks to NetGalley, Viking Penguin, and Kathleen Boland for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
Scavengers, Kathleen Boland’s debut novel, promises a “a rollicking mother-daughter treasure hunt story” and has been mentioned in more than one list of must-read 2026 books.
Bea (short for Beautiful) Macon is a financial meteorologist, predicting how weather will impact commodities. She’s fired after making a risky and inaccurate prediction. As her severance package nears its end, Bea leaves New York City to - unbeknownst to Christy, her mom - live with her mom in Utah. It doesn’t take long for Bea to realize that Christy has become obsessed with an online forum about a hidden treasure of $1 million. Bea and Christy travel to Mercy, Utah, where Christy meets up with her online boyfriend, Bob, to search for hidden treasure.
Scavengers was medium-paced and plot-propelled. The most endearing part of the novel was a subplot about Gertie, Christy’s mom and Bea’s grandma, who Christy and Bea are both mourning. For me, Bea was an unlikeable main character and her relationship with Christy fell flat. Christy was eccentric but in a way that read as irresponsible rather than endearing. While I enjoyed the quirky aspects of Scavengers - including the treasure hunt based on a poem and geography - Boland’s debut read is a three-star read.
Scavengers, Kathleen Boland’s debut novel, promises a “a rollicking mother-daughter treasure hunt story” and has been mentioned in more than one list of must-read 2026 books.
Bea (short for Beautiful) Macon is a financial meteorologist, predicting how weather will impact commodities. She’s fired after making a risky and inaccurate prediction. As her severance package nears its end, Bea leaves New York City to - unbeknownst to Christy, her mom - live with her mom in Utah. It doesn’t take long for Bea to realize that Christy has become obsessed with an online forum about a hidden treasure of $1 million. Bea and Christy travel to Mercy, Utah, where Christy meets up with her online boyfriend, Bob, to search for hidden treasure.
Scavengers was medium-paced and plot-propelled. The most endearing part of the novel was a subplot about Gertie, Christy’s mom and Bea’s grandma, who Christy and Bea are both mourning. For me, Bea was an unlikeable main character and her relationship with Christy fell flat. Christy was eccentric but in a way that read as irresponsible rather than endearing. While I enjoyed the quirky aspects of Scavengers - including the treasure hunt based on a poem and geography - Boland’s debut read is a three-star read.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Bea’s incredibly unstable childhood led her to a career in finance/trading. After unexpectedly losing her job, she hops on a plane to visit her eccentric mother, who has other plans. Christy, Bea’s gullible and seemingly manic mother, drags her on a treasure hunt with an internet friend that they’ve never met.
While Scavengers is predictably chaotic, the chaos that ensues is as unpredictable as the weather. I never knew which way the story was going to go. Bea and Christy are both sort of unlikeable, but yet you’re somehow still finding yourself rooting for them. Some people genuinely are out there raw-dogging life, driven by impulse instead of logic, like Christy. Christy has a childlike innocence, blindly trusts people, and is full of optimism. Unfortunately her choices leave a path of trauma and destruction in Bea’s path. Bea has spent her life dutifully supporting her mother, and now is on the verge of losing everything. The dynamic between mother and daughter is loving, but strained. The story was hilarious, entertaining, and triggering all at once. I know a “Christy”. It was hard for me to read at times because while the story is so wildly outlandish, I could see the “Christy” in my life following the exact same destructive path with the hopes of finding her next windfall.
Thank you NetGalley & Viking for the ARC for review.
While Scavengers is predictably chaotic, the chaos that ensues is as unpredictable as the weather. I never knew which way the story was going to go. Bea and Christy are both sort of unlikeable, but yet you’re somehow still finding yourself rooting for them. Some people genuinely are out there raw-dogging life, driven by impulse instead of logic, like Christy. Christy has a childlike innocence, blindly trusts people, and is full of optimism. Unfortunately her choices leave a path of trauma and destruction in Bea’s path. Bea has spent her life dutifully supporting her mother, and now is on the verge of losing everything. The dynamic between mother and daughter is loving, but strained. The story was hilarious, entertaining, and triggering all at once. I know a “Christy”. It was hard for me to read at times because while the story is so wildly outlandish, I could see the “Christy” in my life following the exact same destructive path with the hopes of finding her next windfall.
Thank you NetGalley & Viking for the ARC for review.
November 18, 2025
The premise of "Scavengers" sounded quirky and intriguing, but this book fell short for me. Weather plays a role in many ways, and Kathleen Boland writes vivid, poetic descriptions of the Utah desert but I found the character development lacked depth and transformation. Christy and Bea, the mother and daughter protagonists, are irresponsible, self-serving, and not very likable—not that protagonists have to be—but I couldn't find any empathy for them. The stakes for each weren't quite high enough to justify their actions, and I felt indifferent to how things turned out.
Bea is sullen and, at times, hateful toward her mother, while Christy tries her best to please both Bea and the string of creepy men that cross her path. While Bea maxes out her credit cards, Christy shoplifts and follows a treasure hunt forum to solve their self-created financial problems. Complacency abounds, blaming life rather than their ongoing poor choices. The few scenes of awkward tenderness between mother and daughter point to a potential happy ending, but I won't give any spoilers.
Thank you to NetGalley and Viking for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Bea is sullen and, at times, hateful toward her mother, while Christy tries her best to please both Bea and the string of creepy men that cross her path. While Bea maxes out her credit cards, Christy shoplifts and follows a treasure hunt forum to solve their self-created financial problems. Complacency abounds, blaming life rather than their ongoing poor choices. The few scenes of awkward tenderness between mother and daughter point to a potential happy ending, but I won't give any spoilers.
Thank you to NetGalley and Viking for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I loved Scavengers! It’s hard to summarize it in a few words because there are so many fun elements to this book. In the simplest sense it’s a book about a homecoming that turns into a road trip. I love the latter aspect, and the vivid pictures it paints of southern Utah reminds me of my time living in and traveling through the desert southwest.
On top of the overarching plot are many engaging vignettes—free burritos, derechos, financial markets, a crash course in artificial plants. Both the small-town setting and the online forum present an opportunity to develop a colorful cast of characters. Tag’s history in particular was a hilarious story within a story.
On a deeper level it’s a book about relationships, forgiveness, and self-discovery. I liked the inversion of the parent-child relationship with Bea and Christy. I also enjoyed how the main characters are forced out of their comfort zones and have to face difficult truths. And all the while is the looming mystery of buried treasure. But in the end, maybe the real treasure was the friends we made along the way.
Thank you for an opportunity to read an advanced copy!
On top of the overarching plot are many engaging vignettes—free burritos, derechos, financial markets, a crash course in artificial plants. Both the small-town setting and the online forum present an opportunity to develop a colorful cast of characters. Tag’s history in particular was a hilarious story within a story.
On a deeper level it’s a book about relationships, forgiveness, and self-discovery. I liked the inversion of the parent-child relationship with Bea and Christy. I also enjoyed how the main characters are forced out of their comfort zones and have to face difficult truths. And all the while is the looming mystery of buried treasure. But in the end, maybe the real treasure was the friends we made along the way.
Thank you for an opportunity to read an advanced copy!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
3.5 stars rounded up
Thank you to Viking Penguin and Netgalley for the advance digital copy of this book and Penguin Random House Audio for the gifted audiobook in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
This story has such an interesting and unique premise. Daughter Bea, a perfectionist and overachiever, is fired from her job and goes visit her mother Christy, an eccentric free spirit who never really settled into adulthood the way Bea wanted. Recently relocated to Utah, Christy is convinced she, and a mystery man on the internet, have discovered something big. And thus the two women get pulled into an adventure that is at times hilarious, insane, and endearing.
Both the characters of Bea and Christy were well-developed, thanks to a lot of back story at the beginning of the book to establish their relationship and how they had come into the roles they play. They both made some incredibly frustrating and at times infuriating decisions as this story unfolded, but I couldn't help wanting everything to work out for both of them. I also found the descriptions of the desert scenery to be immersive and easy to imagine as I read.
Thank you to Viking Penguin and Netgalley for the advance digital copy of this book and Penguin Random House Audio for the gifted audiobook in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
This story has such an interesting and unique premise. Daughter Bea, a perfectionist and overachiever, is fired from her job and goes visit her mother Christy, an eccentric free spirit who never really settled into adulthood the way Bea wanted. Recently relocated to Utah, Christy is convinced she, and a mystery man on the internet, have discovered something big. And thus the two women get pulled into an adventure that is at times hilarious, insane, and endearing.
Both the characters of Bea and Christy were well-developed, thanks to a lot of back story at the beginning of the book to establish their relationship and how they had come into the roles they play. They both made some incredibly frustrating and at times infuriating decisions as this story unfolded, but I couldn't help wanting everything to work out for both of them. I also found the descriptions of the desert scenery to be immersive and easy to imagine as I read.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I picked up Scavengers expecting a lighthearted treasure hunt, but there's a lot more to the book than that. This book is about Bea, a careful, risk-averse analyst who loses her job and reluctantly flies to Utah to stay with her mother Christy—the kind of mother who's always been more of a burden than a support. When Bea arrives, she discovers her mother is obsessed with finding a million-dollar treasure hidden somewhere in the western U.S., convinced she's cracked the code.
Boland has this gift for creating messy characters with an uncomfortable level of realism. This isn't just a fun adventure story. It's about what happens when you've spent your whole life defining yourself in opposition to someone, and then suddenly have to see them—really see them—as a full person. An enjoyable and thought-provoking read.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Boland has this gift for creating messy characters with an uncomfortable level of realism. This isn't just a fun adventure story. It's about what happens when you've spent your whole life defining yourself in opposition to someone, and then suddenly have to see them—really see them—as a full person. An enjoyable and thought-provoking read.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
June 3, 2025
I really enjoyed getting the opportunity to read an ARC of this book. I found this book to be a really interesting in the way it looks at the relationship between mother and daughter. I loved the way Katherleen Boland wrote Christy and Bea could both see each other clearly, but also have no idea who each other are at the same time. It really highlighted how complicated your relationship with your mother can be. Bea's character was a little passive for me, and I did think her knowledge of weather would eventually play into them finding the treausre. I do understand why she was written the way she was. I was entertained by how the story played out and thought Boland's writing style suited the story she was telling. I also enjoyed the open ending of the book, its fun to debate if they ended up finding the treasure after everything that happened.
December 26, 2025
ARC. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review!
Quick, witty, stupid, and heartwarming! I loved the banter between Bea and her mother. This is the kind of feel good book you need to refresh your love for reading. The writing was poetic and insightful while also lending a silly tone and levity of the atmosphere. I also enjoyed the allusion to Forrest Fenn and his treasure. I felt like this story was original but also had some familiar characters and themes to keep things cozy. Boland’s prose is light and airy and I felt like being carried lovingly by the scent of a pie sitting out to cool down. I’m thankful to have had the experience to read this ARC!
Quick, witty, stupid, and heartwarming! I loved the banter between Bea and her mother. This is the kind of feel good book you need to refresh your love for reading. The writing was poetic and insightful while also lending a silly tone and levity of the atmosphere. I also enjoyed the allusion to Forrest Fenn and his treasure. I felt like this story was original but also had some familiar characters and themes to keep things cozy. Boland’s prose is light and airy and I felt like being carried lovingly by the scent of a pie sitting out to cool down. I’m thankful to have had the experience to read this ARC!
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