Member Reviews
This book was great! I hated Eva immediately, as the author planned! TikTok fame is so annoying and finally, a book that details why and how! Watching this story unfold and seeing how each character grew was a delight. I love a happy ending and I got one, even though Eva and Sophia still don't like each other...
#BuryingEvaFlores
#NetGalley
I really enjoyed the multiple narratives in this book, something which was presented well by the narrators of the audiobook. The story was fresh and kept me interested throughout. I found the narration really appropriate for this book and it is definitely a success in audiobook form
First, thank you to First off, thanks to NetGalley and the audiobook publisher, BooksGoSocial Audio, for letting me listen to an advance copy of Jennifer Alsever's novel, Burying Eva Flores. Narrators included Moira Todd, Gail Shalan, Michael Gallagher, Eleanor McCormick, Whitney Dykhouse, Amy McFadden, and Zac Aleman.
The story is told in jumps between the past, as the story unfolded from the perspective of Sophia and her friends, and interviews in the present of the parties involved. I loved all the different narrators. It was really nice being able to hear who's perspective it was for each portion, and I liked being able to hear how the characters "spoke" for their friends (or frenemies) in the retellings of conversations. I love being able to see the story unfold in the past in parallel as we learn about the investigation into Eva's disappearance.
The book is in the young adult/new adult age range and the characters in their final years of high school. The suspense and drama are intriguing and well built, though parts of the plot feel a little surreal/fantastical. Yes, I know it's also in the sci fi and fantasy categories, I mean surreal in the "this seems slightly out of place with everything," for example, character growth/opinion changes, though that can also be seen as the influence of the curse. I enjoyed being an outside observer to the story and seeing how the character's viewed each other.
I'd recommend reading the book if you a) were intrigued by this review, or b) enjoy mysteries/thrillers, YA, and SciFi/Fantasy.
#BuryingEvaFlores #NetGalley
I would probably rate this as 3.5 stars. I do think it would make a very 'bingeable' netflix show, along the lines of Do Revenge.
It was somewhat an easy storyline to follow with the exception of the magic notebook. Maybe this is where it would benefit from being something visual rather than audible. The rest of the audiobook was fine, it was a fun teenage storyline to follow, nothing too harsh or dark in consideration to some of the other YA books/audiobooks that are available.
Burying Eva Flores
"Everyone thinks I killed Eva Flores.
Sure, I hated how everyone was over the moon about Eva's TikTok fame. And I suppose I got a little bit carried away with vengeance after the girl tried to ruin my life.
This book was not at all what I expected but it had me on the edge of my seat from the start. I do sometimes struggle with magical realism but this was well done. I had a great time reading. The narration was very well done with a cast of voices.
Thank you to Netgalley, Booksgosocial Audio and Jennifer Alsever for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest Review
I listened to Burying Eva Flores over a weekend - trying to find household chores that I could undertake whilst listening, so that I could keep on with the story and find out just what did happen to Eva Flores. I originally requested this book an advance review copy from NetGalley when I read that it was perfect for fans of Karen McManus. I have to admit that I loved McManus' One of Us is Lying so decided on the strength of that recommendation that this book was worth a try. I can definitely see why the comparisons are made. The book is set in a small US town, the characters are all about 17 years old and like One of Us is Lying, this is a book which explores the petty (and not so petty) squabbles of teenagers, the faces that they portray to the outside world and the stories they may prefer to hide. This was again, a novel which had a mystery at its heart - what happened to Eva Flores? Where did she go? Is she dead? Did Sophia kill her? I'm not a fan of spoilers so I'm not going to say anything more - save that I thought this was a cracking audiobook and I would definitely recommend it to young adults/teens and adults who like One of Us is Lying
I loved this audiobook! The storyline was easy to follow, characters are well developed and interesting. There is enough suspense to keep the reader/listener fully engaged. Loved the conflict and twist. I will definitely recommend Burying Eva Flores to my students.
Thanks #netgalley for this book in exchange for an honest review. Nice twist ending. Better than I expected. Listened to the audiobook and enjoyed the narration. Highly recommend.
This book just wasn't the right fit for me. I typically like to go into a book blind, not doing too much digging into what the story is about. When I saw that it was labeled as a young adult, I was thinking more 'adult' like just past high school. This story is about characters in high school which left me feeling very disinterested from the beginning. That's just my personal preference.
The story itself was interesting, and I always enjoy stories with multiple points of view. If you read this book through audio, you will get a full cast which is great and makes it easy to follow along with who is who. Ultimately, you will be surprised at who killed Eva Flores and for what reasons.
This is a odd story about two girls and a journal that changed everything. I did like the style in which the story was written. The characters all seemed relatable and interesting. I would recommend to fans of the documentary style of writing and to those that enjoyed One of Us is Lying.
This was such a ride. The two main characters were both unlikeable which made this interesting. There's definitely some serious bullying going on by both Sophie and Eva. I enjoyed the audiobook format because the full-cast narration and style really told the story.
The ending wasn't predictable which I always look for when picking up a mystery/thriller and this one delivered. The only criticism I have is that it seemed a bit all over the place and sometimes I forgot what happened to who. I think because of that this is a 4 star read for me. I will give more of Jennifer Alsever's books a go in the future!
ᴮᵁᴿᵞᴵᴺᴳ ᴱᵛᴬ ᶠᴸᴼᴿᴱˢ
-jennιғer alѕever-
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5
ᴍʏsᴛᴇʀʏ & ᴛʜʀɪʟʟᴇʀs / ɴᴇᴡ ᴀᴅᴜʟᴛ / sᴄɪ ғɪ & ғᴀɴᴛᴀsʏ
I really enjoyed this one. Multiple POVs, and written in a really interesting style. The characters are all so flawed and human. A story on what it means to take things too far and what has to be done to make them right. I couldn’t put this down. There were so many twists and turns. If you are a fan of Holly Jackson’s GGGtM, I think you would enjoy this one if you don’t mind a bit of a paranormal edge.
This was such a fun young adult book to listen to. Something I definitely would have ate up in middle school or high school! I loved the whole storyline & the supernatural aspect of it & how everything comes down to friendship. There are even some spicy parts but nothing too crazy. It held my attention & I enjoyed it start to finish! Also-- that cover is perfection!
The story was intriguing, unique and kept you drawn in. A fast paced page turner. This is a YA paranormal, mystery, thriller. I enjoyed the variation in chapter styles switching between a podcast about a missing high school girl to interviews, text messages, evidence files, journal entries and the regular story. The storyline is also told in alternating timelines from multiple POV's. The MC's are complex and well developed and very much gave "Mean Girl" vibes. The novel gave an interesting look at the effects of social media's influence on teens as influencers and those influenced. And the way people react to being in a position of power. The magical realism was a wonderful addition to the storyline. There were so many twists and the ending was insane in the best way possible. I did not expect the story to come to that conclusion at all. The characters are all kind of unlikeable throughout the story but as we get to the end the MC's have all grown. There were many elements to this story but they all went together so well. I did a combination of the audiobook and hard copy. The audiobook was fantastic. I love an audiobook with a full cast. It made listening even more entertaining.
I really enjoyed this audiobook, though I did have to be in the mood for it - high school is a looooong time ago for me now and I’m not always that interested in all the melodrama of teenage life.
However, when I’m in the mood nothing can beat a good bit of angst from the younger generation.
The basic premise here is that a couple of girls each think the other dislikes them and end up as bitter rivals. The twist no-one could see coming is that one of them is given a magic journal in which the stories they write come true. From winning a lot of money to humiliating a rival, the journal delivers as promised.
Underneath there are some uncomfortable themes - bullying, of course, but also grooming and sexual abuse, the pressures of popularity and fame and the treatment of people with learning disabilities. The magical realism introduced by the journal and the intercutting of the main narrative with podcast interviews with characters at a later point allow the author to touch on more troubling areas in short, sharp bursts.
I’d have liked some resolution for the character with learning disabilities - their story felt like it was left unfinished - but otherwise I liked the way the author leant into some of the tropes of the YA genre but went against others.
This is an enjoyable teenage mystery with a supernatural twist. The characters were relatable and multifaceted, and I didn't foresee the outcome. The resolution was satisfying, and I finished hoping for the best for the main protagonists.
Eva Flores is infamous for her vivid blue hair and her Tiktok following. She is the queen bee of her high school and the attention she receives doesn't end when she goes missing. Sophia is thought by many to be Eva's stalker, and is deemed responsible for her disappearance. Did she have a role to play in the burying of Eva? If not then why did she pen such sinister fairy-tale-esque stories and why do they bear such a strong resemblance to real life occurrences, involving Eva?
I adored the format for this novel! The interview transcripts, jumping timelines, and different perspectives aided in the authenticity of each character's construction, as well to involve the reader in understanding and empathising with all viewpoints.
I begun the novel very much on Sophia's side before switching completely when other elements were unveiled in other perspectives. You truly never knows what goes on behind closed doors and this novel really emphasises how online friends, sky high likes, and social media fame does not indicate that reality is anything like the happy and calm existence that is portrayed. This novel became dark terrifyingly fast and the author did a stellar job of handling all scenes with sensetivity, in my opinion.
The potentially fantastical occurrences that was introduced was another intriguing inclusion in this novel. I had much fun discovering the truth behind both it and Eva's disappearance and whereas I usually prefer a definite ending, I liked how this left some elements to the reader's imagination, at its close.
I found this audiobook to be, unfortunately, a little slow-paced, and convoluted due to the various characters. I do, however, believe i would find it much more enjoyable as a physical book rather than an audio one.
Initially this audiobook really confused me. Burying Eva Flores is written from a bunch of different viewpoints in a bunch of different media forms including journal entries, police interviews, and social posts. The narration changed often, which helped but also hurt at first. But once I got the hang of who was who, I was hooked.
This reads like a ghost story or a fairytale- just on the cusp of unbelievable that basically anything can happen and lots and lots did.
Sophia was frustrating and selfish for most of the book. I felt bad for her family and friends. Eva was a mean girl tiktok star who straight up bullied Sophia, but I still didn’t think all the actions were justified.
Overall, this is a great YA thriller. Easy and quick to read and very entertaining.
Well that was not the plot I was expecting!
When I initially saw this book I was interested in the full cast narration, a mysterious disappearance, mixed media elements, & a revenge plot. What I was not expecting was a magical journal that makes everything your write down come to life. Literally writing the story of you’re life! Now imagine my shock when the book gets introduced & crazy things start happening. I can truly say I have never read anything like that before.
The audiobook is the way to go with this book! There is a different narrator for every character so it’s easy to keep track of who’s who since you get their own voice. I liked that the story wasn’t always focused on Sophia or Eva. The side characters got their moments as well, especially since there were so many people to keep up with.
This book also had some weird moments. I did see some reviewers mention “grooming” and “SA” so trigger warning for those! But I thought the plot points with Eva’s dad were just weird. Like I know she wrote in her journal that he would give her the house and the wheel but it was kinda creepy & no one, not even an adult said anything? And that they straight up made out in front of several witnesses and the guy didn’t go to jail right then? I mean she’s 17 and he was a grown ass man! Just a little plot hole/thing that bothered me.
Overall, I thought this was a very interesting concept for a book. My favorite part was definitely the multiple narrators and mixed media elements! Even though I have some concerns for the inappropriate relationship, I do think I’ll see what this author does next & I’ll decide if I will try again!