I was sure I reviewed this - but I guess I didn't. At least I can't find even a draft of a review for this novel. Oops.
fantasy
2011
****
cover -I like this cover - it's pleasant. However, my overall impression is that a young woman is standing in a meadow - just a meadow. This book has a lot to do with graves, graveyards and the dead - so I wonder why there isn't a graveyard - except possibly it might be too cliche. Oh well. However, I did see another cover on Goodreads - and this one, though simple - comes across as a little spookier.
Even though Graveminder came out in 2011 - I didn't hear about it {at least I don't remember hearing about it} until I saw it recently as a trade paperback in the store. It was originally released as a hardback. I'm glad I found it in paperback price, though it's still a little more than I would have liked to spend. **There are three excerpts available on this page - under both covers and the name** While I enjoyed reading Graveminder, I don't think I feel like raving about it. It didn't quite reach out and smack me with excitement. However, once I began reading it, I didn't pick up another book until I finished reading. However, again, though the pace was steady, and just about every page interesting, not once did I feel suspenseful, or worried about the characters, or etc. I find this odd, since there are horrific things going on. People aren't quite staying dead, others are being attacked and bitten, there's a sense of urgency from the characters and yet I never felt this urgency myself.
I liked the style of Marr's writing, I was never bored, but I think it's odd that for such a gory plot with such dangerous and potentially horrific events, I never felt chilled - never felt like - "omg, she better watch behind her!". This could be because the book was as much about dead people not quite staying dead, finding themselve a bit peckish as relationships. There is a off and on again relationship between the two main characters, with the twist being the woman can't commit or even admit that she wants more than a quick booty call once in a while. And there is also the estranged bitter relationship between the main character and her stepfather's relatives. It's complicated, and comes out in bits and pieces. A good thing about this novel - NO info dumps.
Basically, there is this odd little town, where people rarely leave and it's only as you read on that you slowly come to realize just how odd this little town is, just what a price the townspeople pay for quiet prosperity, health and serenity.
Maylene is the grandmother of Rebekkah - by marriage, though she considers Rebekkah a granddaughter of the heart. Maylene also has a job, an unofficial job to do for the town, though the townspeople do not actually realize just how extensive her job is. They and Rebekkah, only know that Maylene regularly performs a ritual at all funerals...and visits all graves for a certain period of time - to make sure the dead stay dead.
Rebekkah's on and off again boyfriend is Byron, who along with Rebekkah has been kept innocent of the behind the scenes duties Maylene and his father, William (the undertaker) perform. Byron is totally in love with Maylene. Byron has come home after trying life on "the outside" and never feeling like he's at home until he returns home. Things begin to become strange when Maylene suddenly and unexpectedly dies. Byron is sure that there's more to her death than a simple death and can't understand why the sheriff is doing more to get to the bottom of her death. His suspicions might be because she's found in her kitchen in a pool of blood, obvious bites taken out of her...
That's just the beginning of the novel. There is discovery, rebellion and acceptance within all the pages. It's well written with good dialogue, evenly paced, with POV switching between a few characters - always easy to follow though. I was never bored while reading it, and yet at the end of the book I just felt kind of ...calm about it. I liked it. I didn't feel amazed by it, though. It's worth reading with a good plot, interesting scenarios, some quirky characters and some bitter characters rounding out the cast of townspeople. All in all - I would recommend this novel to those who like or need to read something a little different with paranormal twists. I didn't feel like there were any gross-out moments, though there were situations that another author might have exploited for the gore.
Most readers probably already know this - but just in case - Melissa Marr is the author or the Young Adult Wicked Lovely series, featuring the Fae; she is also releasing a new novel in September of 2012, titled Carnival of Souls.
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