Item: Graveminder
Rating: 3.00
Author: e_rodz_leb

by Melissa Marr

When Rebekkah returns to her small-town home for her beloved Grandmother's funeral, little does she suspect that she is about to inherit a darkly dangerous family duty on behalf of Claysville's most demanding residents -- the dead. Everyone in Claysville knows that the Barrows are no ordinary family, but no one can really explain why. When respected matriarch Maylene Barrow dies suddenly her granddaughter Rebekkah returns to the small town she grew up in, where she must face the demons of her past -- the suicide of her half-sister Ella, the person she was closest to in the world, and the subsequent break-up of her parents' marriage. And she also re-encounters Byron, Ella's old boyfriend, someone to whom she has always felt a deep and mysterious connection. But the demons of the past are nothing compared with what the future has in store for Rebekkah. Her grandmother has left her an inheritance both wonderful and terrible. An onerous responsibility now rests on her shoulders -- one for which she is ill-prepared to say the least. For behind Claysville's community-spirited, small-town facade lies a dark secret.
One that ties Rebekkah and Byron together in an inextricable bond, and that will require them both to sacrifice everything to keep their friends and neighbours from harm.

Rating is actually 3.5 stars.

Hmm… I’m not quite sure how to explain this book, but I will try my best. It was different in an interestingly-creepy sort of way.

Probably my biggest ‘issue’ is that I didn’t care much for Rebekkah. She is supposed to be mature adult (she’s about 28) and most of the time acted like an insecure teenager, for some reason this bugged me. I know that at some degree, the graveminder heritage was of a ‘paranormal’ nature, but she was skeptical and actually acting quite dumb about it and the next minute she was acting like she was born to be the graveminder. I did like Byron, he seemed more realistic about things and tried to do his duty to the best of his ability. I also enjoyed Amity’s character and other minor characters in the story. Daisha was another interesting case; because she is essentially a ‘bad’ character turned ‘good’ (I’m using very relative terms here).

The plot was interesting and intriguing, but it felt a little fragmented to me. Let me explain, I did like the overall story, but I don’t think we have all the background information we need to really understand and also it seems like different stories running parallel to the main one. The story is told in the third person from different points of view, which is very refreshing after reading so much YA lately. The writing is lyrical and well-paced. This book was written as a stand-alone, but it seems like there is potential for series since there are a few loose ends at the end.

Overall Graveminder is a good try for the author of the Wicked Lovely series into the realm of adult novels. If you like mystery / paranormal you will enjoy Graveminder.

About the cover: I don’t think the cover has anything to do with the story, but it is creepy though.

Graveminder

by Melissa Marr

Reviewed by e_rodz_leb on Apr 7, 2012

Reading updates