We Don't Talk About Carol: A Novel

We Don’t Talk About Carol x @kristenlberry When Sydney Singleton finds her long-lost aunt’s photograph and diary, tucked away in her grandmother’s house, what unfolds is much more than a mystery. It’s a portal into a six-decade-old void—a silence that swallowed Carol and five other Black teenage girls in 1960s North Carolina. As someone from North Carolina now in California, I was pulled into the narrative viscerally. The dual timelines drew me in: the hush around Carol’s disappearance felt like a living thing, pressing on Sydney—her grief, her yearning to know, her professional instincts—all woven into this somber, emotional tapestry. What made the story resonate for me was the subtle balance between suspense and emotional honesty. Berry doesn’t lean on sensationalism; instead, she threads tension throughout quiet moments—blinks, lingering shadows, the emotional weight of what isn’t said. Even with those undercurrents of unease, the story never became overwhelming—it felt absolutely necessary, vital. Adding another dimension, Sydney’s struggle with infertility deepened her quest into something urgent and tender. It wasn’t just about solving a mystery—it became about legacy, lineage, and the yearning to reclaim what was lost while building toward a future. What really stayed with me was how the story shines a light on systemic silence—how missing Black girls are too often erased from memory. It never spoils or lectures, but that awareness pulses through every scene. This debut made me feel seen, challenged, and emotionally engaged. All the threads tied together just right—and even after turning the final page, I carried the story with me. I’m already looking forward to what Kristen L. Berry writes.

It was an okay book, but I felt like it dragged on.

I absolutely loved this book from start to finish! It grabbed my attention from the very first page and held it all the way through. Although a work of fiction, the story explores themes and topics that are often underreported, underinvestigated, and overlooked by the media issues that deserve far more attention..."black women." Sydney Singleton begins investigating the strange disappearance of her paternal aunt, a relative she only learns about after her grandmother’s passing. As Sydney digs deeper, she discovers that five other Black girls went missing around the same timenone ever found, dead or alive. The book masterfully uncovers layers of family secrets and long-held silence echoing something my mother repeated "what happens in this house stays in this house." The plot twist left my mouth wide open. I give this ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Throughly enjoyed this!

This book is multi-layered, touches on a multitude of topics unaddressed and often overlooked. The book is speaking on topics that exist throughout generations and exist today. Most read!