The Suffering Tree by Elle Cosimano
Review by Lauren
source: copy from The Fantastic Flying Book Club; all opinions are my own
Official Summary: “It’s dark magic brings him back.”
Tori Burns and her family left D.C. for claustrophobic Chaptico, Maryland, after suddenly inheriting a house under mysterious circumstances. That inheritance puts her at odds with the entire town, especially Jesse Slaughter and his family-it’s their generations-old land the Burns have “stolen.” As the suspicious looks and muttered accusations of her neighbors build, so does the pressure inside her, and Tori returns to the pattern of self-harm that landed her in a hospital back in D.C. It all comes to a head one night when, to Tori’s shock, she witnesses a young man claw his way out of a grave under the gnarled oak in her new backyard.
Nathaniel Bishop may not understand what brought him back, but it’s clear to Tori that he hates the Slaughters for what they did to him centuries ago. Wary yet drawn to him by a shared sense of loss, she gives him shelter. But in the wake of his arrival comes a string of troubling events-including the disappearance of Jesse Slaughter’s cousin-that seem to point back to Nathaniel.
As Tori digs for the truth-and slowly begins to fall for Nathaniel-she uncovers something much darker in the tangled branches of the Slaughter family tree. In order to break the curse that binds Nathaniel there and discover the true nature of her inheritance, Tori must unravel the Slaughter family’s oldest and most guarded secrets. But the Slaughters want to keep them buried at any cost.
Review: I suppose you would call The Suffering Tree paranormal, though it’s definitely rooted in a realistic setting. Tori Burns, her mother, and her younger brother, are given a house in Chaptico, Maryland – left to them by the previous owner – and since they can’t afford their current home after Tori’s father died, they decide to move. This decision affects the Burns in a lot of different ways. First, the Slaughter family that used to own the home, and still own most of the land around them, are not happy that the Burns are there. When things start to go wrong – like a big fire – the Slaughter family blames the Burns even more.
Not long after moving in, Tori sees a young man named Nathaniel Bishop pull himself out of a grave by the old tree one night. She assumes it was all a dream or hallucination but it soon becomes clear that Nathaniel is very much alive, if not completely human. For example, he bleeds sap instead of blood. What I loved about The Suffering Tree is that the book goes back and forth (not every chapter but throughout the whole book) between the present with Tori and the past with Nathaniel, who was a servant under the Slaughter family after being kidnapped back in his home country of England.
The past and present are definitely coming together in this book and it’s fascinating to see how it all plays out. I found Tori’s search intriguing and I desperately wanted some sort of justice for all Nathaniel had endured. There isn’t a whole lot to say about this book that wouldn’t possibly be a spoiler, so I’ll simply say that I really loved this one. It was a quick, interesting read, and I’d be happy to read more by the author.
Now, I read a Goodreads review that mentioned Tori’s cutting – which she does through most of the book. They didn’t feel it was handled well, and I can see where they are coming from. I do think Tori eventually got the help she needed, but the cutting was certainly a necessity for certain aspects of the book and that might not bode well with people. I don’t think cutting or anything related to self-harm should be glorified in any way, but I don’t think that happened in The Suffering Tree. It was very obvious that this was something she shouldn’t be doing and could hurt not only herself but the people who loved her too. At any rate, I wanted to mention this in case it’s something you’d like to avoid reading about!
Other than that, I do hope you’ll enjoy this book! I found it very exciting!
Giveaway Time!!
Win a Suffering Tree Prize Pack that includes – a finished copy of The Suffering Tree, a sticker, a bookmark, and Witch Bottle!
Yes, I noticed there are two Twitter entries at the end that lead nowhere. That was a mistake – so please just ignore them!
I love the sound of this story. Thanks for sharing. Great review. #getsocial17
Totally Addicted to Reading
I really do like the take on this story, I’m not sure whether it would be my sort of read, but I’m glad that you were able to enjoy it! Great review! 🙂
I’m not big into paranormal so I don’t think this is for me.
I don’t usually read too much paranormal, but I have to admit that this one sounds pretty intriguing, especially once Nathaniel enters the picture.
Oh very great giveaway
xx
http://www.sakuranko.com
This one sounds intriguing – I like the fact that cutting is a topic that’s presented as it’s such an important issue.
xx
I normally don’t like paranormal but this sounds intriguing! Thank you for sharing your review!
Jill
Doused In Pink
The name along sounds amazing!
Im not a paranormal kinda reader but this sounds kinda interesting to me. Thanks for sharing and helping me expand my reading genres 🙂
This sounds really interesting!
Sounds like an interesting read. I have read only one other book where the MC cut herself and eventually got help. It sounds like in this book it is handled in the same way. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
This book definitely sounds like something that would be right up my alley! The synopsis is really intriguing, and I appreciated your review! Thanks so much for the giveaway!
This isn’t something I’d typically read, but your review makes it sound super interesting!
I’m definitely intrigued by this book—thanks for the comment about the cutting. It’s always good to see multiple perspectives on that sort of thing.
Just as an FYI, your last two giveaway entries just say “Follow @ on Twitter” with no indication of who you’re supposed to be following. 🙂
Interesting storyline and set up. Thanks for the heads up about the cutting elements.
Thanks for sharing sounds like a great prize.
Pulling himself out of a grave?! Now that is an original plot line. The cutting sounds a little much, it can be so horrible for family members and the person doing it, but I am glad they don’t glorify it and make it sound like something to be proud of.
This sounds interesting!! I like these kind of paranormal books that are still mostly realistic. Great review!
Wow, this one definitely sounds different. I had to read that line about bleeding sap several times before it sunk in. 🙂 Great review, Lauren!