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The Gone Dead
The Gone Dead: A Novel | Chanelle Benz
32 posts | 29 read | 45 to read
Billie James' inheritance isn't much: a little money and a shack in the Mississippi Delta. The house once belonged to her father, a renowned black poet who died unexpectedly when Billie was four years old. Though Billie was there when the accident happened, she has no memory of that dayand she hasn't been back to the South since. Thirty years later, Billie returns but her father's home is unnervingly secluded: her only neighbors are the McGees, the family whose history has been entangled with hers since the days of slavery. As Billie encounters the locals, she hears a strange rumor: that she herself went missing on the day her father died. As the mystery intensifies, she finds out that this forgotten piece of her past could put her in danger. Inventive, gritty, and openhearted, The Gone Dead is an astonishing debut novel about race, justice, and memory that lays bare the long-concealed wounds of a family and a country.
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review
Tera66
The Gone Dead: A Novel | Chanelle Benz
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Mehso-so

I love books set in the South and this takes place in the Mississippi Delta. I knew this was going to be part mystery and part a story of a woman going back to her late father's home and reconnecting. And both story lines were interesting, but I felt like something was missing. For a story with such deep themes I had no "feels". The MC felt cold to me. The writing is good, but both the mystery and the main plot left me wanting more.

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Tera66
The Gone Dead: A Novel | Chanelle Benz
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#BookspinBingo #Doublespin #June
@TheAromaofBooks 📚
Here is my Bingo Board for June. Hoping for a good reading month, I'm starting with the tagged book.

BkClubCare Very pretty 2y
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! Looks great!! 2y
26 likes3 comments
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Tera66
The Gone Dead: A Novel | Chanelle Benz
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#BookspinBingo #Doublespin
@TheAromaofBooks 🌷
I'm way late, but here is my bookspin list for June. Going to finish the tagged book and Queen of the Night, then focus on the bookspin and doublespin.

TheAromaofBooks Yay!!! Never too late to BookSpin!! 😁 2y
25 likes1 comment
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Tera66
The Gone Dead: A Novel | Chanelle Benz
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Sorry I disappeared for a bit, friends. Had some medical nonsense and then some adulting to catch up on.🙄 And really haven't read much the last month or so. But now that I cleared up some messes and handled some big girl stuff. I'm ready to get back with my Littens!📚
(also here is one of my perfect Columbines from my garden)

britt_brooke Gorgeous photo! Happy to see you back. 🤗 2y
bthegood Glad to see you back - 🌞 2y
DivineDiana Welcome back! 🙂 2y
See All 9 Comments
Suet624 Gorgeous! 2y
Chelsea.Poole So pretty! 2y
kspenmoll So beautiful! Glad things are looking up for you. 😀💙 2y
Kerrbearlib Gorgeous flowers! 2y
Tera66 @Chelsea.Poole @kspenmoll @Kerrbearlib Thank you, they make me so happy😊 2y
33 likes9 comments
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Tera66
The Gone Dead: A Novel | Chanelle Benz
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#FirstLineFridays @ShyBookOwl ?

"It is not exactly as she was picturing. The house where her father once lived. But she remembers it or feels like she does"

bthegood Just saying hi - haven't seen you for awhile on Litsy - (edited) 2y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Hey! How are you Tera? 💞 2y
Tera66 @bthegood and @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Thank you for checking on me 💗 and sorry for being absent. I'm getting back to life now. I had a med infusion at the end of April and took me awhile to get back on my feet and then when I got better, I felt better than I have felt in a year and a half and was trying to catch up on life and be active while i could. But I'm ready to be active again! And a better LitsyLove member. Thank you for caring💝 2y
bthegood So glad you are doing better - glad to have your back. 🙂 2y
30 likes4 comments
review
Hooked_on_books
The Gone Dead: A Novel | Chanelle Benz
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Mehso-so

Billie has returned to her childhood home in Mississippi after both her parents are gone, and she‘s searching for answers about her father‘s death. This starts out strong and I was riveted to it, but then it starts to get a little muddled and repetitive and the end was a little bit of a let down. I do love the cover, though.

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Jen2
The Gone Dead: A Novel | Chanelle Benz
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Pickpick

Loved this book!!!!

58 likes1 stack add
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Chelsea.Poole
The Gone Dead: A Novel | Chanelle Benz
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Pickpick

Beautiful writing, extremely well-developed setting in the Mississippi Delta, and fleshed-out characters are all reasons to read this novel. It feels even more pertinent in our current moment of examining racial injustice and police brutality.
A woman returns to her hometown as an adult to gain a better understanding of the mysteries death of her poet father. The #audiobook is read by Bahni Turpin so you know it's good! Also on #hoopla

92 likes2 stack adds
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LMJenkins
The Gone Dead: A Novel | Chanelle Benz
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Next up! I have four days before the e-book is due back at the library.

19 likes1 stack add
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Nitpickyabouttrains
The Gone Dead: A Novel | Chanelle Benz
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Pickpick

A women returns to her father‘s childhood home and learns about her family and their history in the south. There is a death to be looked into.

13 likes1 stack add
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aartichapati
The Gone Dead: A Novel | Chanelle Benz
Mehso-so

It is probably unfair to compare this author to Attica Locke, but I LOVE Locke‘s stories set in the rural Deep South, and it is hard for other authors to match her. I listened to this on audio, and it was so good at setting the scene, but the story was not quite there for me - too many POVs in the telling, I never felt like I knew the characters well enough to care a lot about them.

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Branwen
The Gone Dead: A Novel | Chanelle Benz
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Got some new library books, tea, popcorn, and my coziest blanket...a perfect Friday night! 😁📚💕 Happy weekend, litsy family! #librarybookhaul

Trashcanman Have a great weekend, 🤗🤗 5y
Branwen @Trashcanman Thanks so much, George! 🤗 I hope you have a great one too! 💕 5y
Meaw_catlady Happy weekend!!!!! 💕💕💕 5y
See All 7 Comments
Crazeedi Enjoy! 5y
Leftcoastzen Looks great! 5y
Alora Mmm enjoy! Popcorn is my weakness 😍 5y
Branwen @meaw_catlady @crazeedi @leftcoastzen Thanks so much, guys! I hope your weekends are equally fantastic! 💕 😊 @alora Thank you! Omg, it's my weakness too! I eat waaaaaaaay more of it than I probably should! 😁 5y
65 likes7 comments
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TheNerdyProfessor
The Gone Dead: A Novel | Chanelle Benz
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Pickpick

This is a short novel that focuses on the death of a Black poet in the deep South. I enjoyed the author's writing style - she did a great job keep suspense and mystery without relying too heavily on cryptic cues. While the mystery was well developed, the ending was a bit rushed. I wanted a greater sense of closure at the end but enjoyed the journey of reading this one. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

55 likes1 stack add
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Julsmarshall
The Gone Dead: A Novel | Chanelle Benz
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Pickpick

This powerful story transports the reader to a time and place so completely that you feel like the story is unfolding around you. It is filled with a cast of authentic and complex characters that will keep you turning the pages. Family, race, and injustice are the overriding themes that weave together this thoughtful story that shimmers with the heat of the Mississippi delta. I recommend this debut! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

58 likes2 stack adds
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Julsmarshall
The Gone Dead: A Novel | Chanelle Benz
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Giving this one a try, it‘s my irl book club book and I‘m behind in reading it! #currentread

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jamicuns
The Gone Dead: A Novel | Chanelle Benz
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Pickpick

3.5 stars. A 30 something black woman comes back to the place where her daddy died, 30 years earlier, searching for answers. Memory is a tricky thing bc you remember what you want to remember but that is all she has to work with, the memories of those who were there when her daddy died. She dives into the racist past and present of the Mississippi Delta, and reveals that we have a ways to go before we can claim victory over racial inequality.

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CaitlinR
The Gone Dead: A Novel | Chanelle Benz
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Pickpick

I could not put this down, reading it in a day. Benz‘s story of justice denied, and later sought is beautifully crafted through the eyes of the people marked by, and involved in the death of a young black poet.

Returning to the Mississippi Delta 30 years after the death of her father, Billie seeks truth. Her family, the police, and the white family that owned the land where her father died all reveal versions of her truth and perhaps justice.

16 likes2 stack adds
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Pamwurtzler
The Gone Dead: A Novel | Chanelle Benz
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Pickpick

A young woman returns to #Mississippi to uncover what happened the night her father was killed. It‘s a good read - it really draws you into the heat and humidity and the racism that was the Mississippi delta. #ReadingUSA2019

squirrelbrain Sounds like a great choice! 5y
Librarybelle This sounds good...stacking! 5y
49 likes3 stack adds2 comments
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Godpants
The Gone Dead: A Novel | Chanelle Benz
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Pickpick

This was a real slow burn, and the end had me all teared up. Really powerful.

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cathysaid
The Gone Dead: A Novel | Chanelle Benz
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Pickpick

So good. 4.5 ⭐️ Debut novel by Benz about resurrecting old ghosts to solve past mysteries, and setting is in The Mississippi Delta, where “place” becomes another character. “Inventive, gritty, and open hearted, The Gone Dead is an astonishing debut novel about race, justice, and memory that lays bare the long- concealed wounds of a family and a country.” (From AJC Book Festival website...Benz will be there this year!) #debut #decaturbookfestival

Trashcanman I want you to know I have mad respect for you and I care about you . You are a kind soul. Thank you for your support. Truly ,,🤗 5y
cathysaid @Trashcanman Respect is something I truly value, so a sincere thank you, my friend. And even though we‘ve not met (YET) in person, I know you are there. For me. For others. You show up. You always return. And many days, I know from experience, that is one hell of an effort. Well done you. 5y
57 likes2 comments
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Coleen_Nieto
The Gone Dead: A Novel | Chanelle Benz
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1. Candy
2. This is tough! I'm going to say new bands for my Fitbit
3. The Gone Dead
@eggs #wondrouswednesday
Hi!! @Jerdencon
 @howjessreads

Eggs Thanks for joining in ❤️👏🏻🤗 5y
12 likes1 comment
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jackilynn
The Gone Dead: A Novel | Chanelle Benz
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Pickpick

"Words have blood in them. They can make fate take shape when they pass from a mouth into a heart."

I am going to be thinking about this book for awhile. I can see why this is an important and powerful read. The events are still relevant in the world today and it just breaks my heart to think about it.

18 likes2 stack adds
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Godpants
The Gone Dead: A Novel | Chanelle Benz
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Does anyone else have a really hard time juggling your holds some months? I‘m probably not finishing that short story collection I started before tomorrow, so I better start this before it‘s due... on Saturday. Good thing it‘s a long weekend and I can maybe fudge that return date.

rretzler Oh, yes. I just had 5 ebooks that I had on hold come in. Most of the time I can schedule them if others are waiting - apparently I was the only one for some of them. Shouldn‘t be a problem since I have 3 weeks, but it may mean that i don‘t finish books I‘ve already started until I get the library books finished (edited) 5y
7 likes1 comment
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jackilynn
The Gone Dead: A Novel | Chanelle Benz
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Such a beautiful day I decided to walk up to the bank. This gives me the perfect opportunity to start my next audiobook.

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Coleen_Nieto
The Gone Dead: A Novel | Chanelle Benz
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Pelican71
The Gone Dead: A Novel | Chanelle Benz
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I sure hope Books a Million does the penny a page sale again!

SW-T That‘s a great sale! 😊 5y
Pelican71 @SW-T Yes! First time they‘ve done it! 5y
34 likes2 comments
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Redwritinghood
The Gone Dead: A Novel | Chanelle Benz
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Mehso-so

Just ok. I felt there were too many extraneous characters and the plot was not very original. 2.5⭐️ #Hoopla

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Mitch
The Gone Dead: A Novel | Chanelle Benz
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After reading that I‘ve clicked straight through to my Indie and clicked buy! Not the best example of self restraint!

https://us1.campaign-archive.com/?u=63307d521ef0e3221b32801ca&id=c100227075&e=dd...

Suet624 Stacked! 5y
Mitch @Suet624 sounds good doesn‘t it?👍🏼 5y
Suet624 YES!!! 5y
62 likes4 stack adds3 comments
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Liberty
The Gone Dead: A Novel | Chanelle Benz
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🎉IT‘S NEW BOOK DAY!🎉 Here are some of today‘s new books! There are several more out today that I am excited about, including Murder in the Crooked House by Soji Shimada, Wicked Fox by Kat Cho, Hexarchate Stories by Yoon Ha Lee, Emperors of the Deep by William McKeever, and The Lady's Guide to Celestial Mechanics by Olivia Waite
What are you excited to read? 📚❤️📚

jmtrivera Looking forward to Evvie Drake!@ 5y
120 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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Well-ReadNeck
The Gone Dead: A Novel | Chanelle Benz
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Mehso-so

Just so so for me.

kyraleseberg Same here 5y
Hazel0303 How disappointing to hear! 5y
85 likes1 stack add2 comments
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MidnightBookGirl
The Gone Dead: A Novel | Chanelle Benz
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Pickpick

Definitely recommending this one! Homecoming, legacies, racism and family, this a beautifully written novel about a young woman in search of answers.

57 likes2 stack adds
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MidnightBookGirl
The Gone Dead: A Novel | Chanelle Benz
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Started the audiobook tonight, narrated by the delightful Bahni Turpin. Liking it so far!

Eggbeater She is one of the best narrators! 6y
Uuchickinbrooklyn Just started this and liking it. It‘s a first novel so I was afraid she‘d be all rambly and workmanlike, but she‘s an assured writer. I think I‘m in good hands. 4y
51 likes1 stack add2 comments