If the Dead Belong Here – Carson Faust
Carson Faust’s debut is heavy with atmosphere and intention — a gothic-inspired story of grief and spirituality — but it moves so deliberately that even the most patient reader will grow restless.
The story opens in 1996 in Jordan, Wisconsin, where six-year-old Laurel Taylor vanishes without a trace. Her mother, Ayita, is drunk and inconsolable; her teenage sister, Nadine, holds the family together while keeping Laurel’s case alive in the minds of neighbors and police.
From there, Faust winds backward through decades of family trauma, beginning in the South Carolina low country and tracing how generations of women have carried both literal and spiritual hauntings. This is more a story about the ghosts that live in bloodlines, not basements.
Faust writes with the mournful lyricism of Jesmyn Ward, but the novel requires deep focus. I had to replay a few chapters to ensure I understood how the flashbacks connected to the 1996 timeline. Downloading the family tree that came with the audiobook was essential, which says a lot about how many characters are introduced.
I usually enjoy a slow build, but too many chapters are devoted to filler scenes while the more compelling mysticism of the flashbacks is relegated to the background until the last third. The gothic elements, rooted in Indigenous spirituality, are the novel’s strongest asset.
The “Little People,” shadowy figures who inhabit the space between life and death, give the story texture and originality. I just wish Faust had trusted that world more instead of burying it under so much mundane detail.
[spoilers ahead]
The book finds a pulse around the 30% mark as its eerie tone takes hold, but by the time we reach the truth of Laurel’s disappearance — think “Poltergeist,” except the girl decides to stay with the ghosts and her mother follows — the story collapses under its own weight. It’s haunting and sad, yes, but also frustratingly incoherent if you think about it too much.
After hearing Faust discuss the novel, I understood that he wanted it to remain deliberately nebulous about what actually happens to Laurel and Ayita. My interpretation is that Laurel was taken by the “Little People” after asking them to help her escape her unhappy home, and that Ayita tried to kill herself but was rescued by the now–“Little Person” Laurel — but that’s just my read.
[spoilers ended]
The audiobook cast did their best. Charley Flyte, Shaun Taylor-Corbett, Amy Hall, Erin Tripp and Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers all deliver strong performances that lend warmth and rhythm to Faust’s heavy prose. Their work is what kept me listening when I might have otherwise DNF’d.
I admire what “Here” wants to be: a reclamation of the gothic through an Indigenous (and queer) lens. But admiration alone doesn’t equal enjoyment. It’s beautifully intentioned but ultimately exhausting.
This is a story about ghosts and horrors — especially the ones we inflict on ourselves — so it’s not going to be to everyone’s taste. Ultimately, my opinion softened after hearing Faust speak. He’s clearly talented and an interesting voice to watch, but as he admitted himself, he still needs to learn how to be more direct in his storytelling without losing the beauty of his language.
Rating (story): 3/5 stars
Rating (narration): 4/5 stars
Format: Audiobook (personal library)
Dates read: October 8 – October 13, 2025
Multi-tasking: Absolutely not. This is difficult to follow even while doing light activities like walking and stretching, so I can’t imagine how someone could understand even a fraction of the story if they were trying more complex tasks like cooking or cleaning (sarcasm).
