Graveminder - Review

Graveminder
• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks (January 17, 2012)

Rebekkah Barrow never forgot the tender attention her grandmother, Maylene, bestowed upon the dead of Claysville. While growing up, Rebekkah watched as Maylene performed the same unusual ritual at every funeral: three sips from a small silver flask followed by the words, “Sleep well, and stay where I put you.”

Now Maylene is gone and Bek must return to the hometown—and the man—she abandoned a decade ago, only to discover that Maylene’s death was not natural . . . and there was good reason for her odd traditions. In Claysville, the worlds of the living and the dead are dangerously connected—and beneath the town lies a shadowy, lawless land ruled by the enigmatic Charles, aka Mr. D. From this dark place the deceased will return if their graves are not properly minded. And only the Graveminder, a Barrow woman, and the current Undertaker, Byron, can set things to right once the dead begin to walk.

Melissa Marr grew up believing in faeries, ghosts, and various other creatures. After teaching college literature for a decade, she applied her fascination with folklore to writing. Wicked Lovely was her first novel. Currently, Marr lives in the Washington, D.C., area, writes full-time, and still believes in faeries and ghosts.

My Thoughts
You know that little tingle that you get down your spine when you're alone at night and hear a noise? Well that's the tingle that I got as I began to read Graveminder. This is a creepy little tale set in the town of Claysville, a town with a very strange secret.

The two main characters are Rebekkah and Byron, destined by fate to be the next Graveminder and Undertaker. the only two people who can contain the dead of Claysville. But when we first meet these two they are completely unaware of their destiny. What they do know is that years ago they had a relationship, one that Byron would like to rekindle but Bek is hesitant to allow.

Graveminder is a great mix of mystery, romance and zombies. Which brings us to the character of Daisha, a lost soul who has come back from the grave and has no idea what has happened. Even when she satisfies her hunger it's hard not to feel sympathy for her. One of my favorite characters in the book is Charlie, or Mr. D, who controls the land of the dead underneath Claysville. Both he and the land beneath the town are fascinating. I'm kind of hoping Melissa has a sequel planned which explores this area a little more.

All in all Graveminder is a fun read. I totally enjoyed the story and will be checking out more books by Melissa Marr. If you like a good spine tickling (and tingling) book this one is for you.





I received an advance reading copy of this book from the publisher. I was not financially compensated, all opinions are my own.