This intensive psychological thriller with untrustworthy narrators will keep readers on the edge of their seats throughout.
From the blurb;
'Police are asking for anyone with information about the Brewers' whereabouts to contact local authorities.
'Siblings Liv and Jory Brewer have grown up resenting each other. Liv - former pageant queen and reality TV star - was groomed for a life in the spotlight. Jory, who was born with a partial facial paralysis, was left in the shadows. The only thing they have in common is contempt for their parents.
'Now Liv is suing her mom and dad for emancipation, and Jory views the whole thing as yet another attention-seeking spectacle. But on the day of the hearing, their parents mysteriously vanish. Liv feels certain she knows where they are and suspects that Jory knows more than he's telling... which is true.
'What starts as a simple overnight road trip soon takes a turn for the dangerous and bizarre. As the due speeds through the deserts of Nevada, brother and sister will unearth deep family secrets that force them to relive their pasts as they try to retain a grip on the present.'
Switching perspectives throughout between Liv and Jory give not so much of a broader perspective on the story but a confused and conflicted time-line.
Boorman wants readers to feel the confusion that these characters are going through, and does this by jumping us between perspectives and timelines. As we're trying to piece together the memories of Jory and Liv's pasts we're also trying to keep pace with the present as what was meant to be a simple road trip twists and turns into a conflicting journey.
As we attempt to grasp our footing within the story Jory and Liv also begin to piece together parts of their pasts that they didn't know about each other. Through this understanding their bond steadily grows and, with their understanding for one another, a new path emerges for their shared future.
What We Buried is a mind-bending novel that deserves a second read to appreciate all of it's convoluted nuance and shows Boormans' skill at creating strong characters with untrustworthy narration.
We give What We Buried Four Stars
ISBN - 978-1-250-19167-0 First published in 2019 by Henry Holt and Company