Cemetery Girl (Cemetery Girl Trilogy, #1)

by Charlaine Harris and Christopher Golden

[Quirky Cat]

Summary:

What would you do if you were unceremoniously dumped in a cemetery and left for dead? That's the situation one girl finds herself in – and worse, she can't remember anything about her life before the attack. Not even her name.

Afraid of what might happen if she is found, the newly named Calexa Rose Dunhill makes a little life for herself in the cemetery where she was dumped. She knows that someday she'll have to leave and face the world, but that day is not today.

Review:

So, I've had the Cemetery Girl Trilogy on my list for FAR too long. I'm thrilled to finally be getting to it – because, thus far, I'm loving it. The Pretenders is a dark beginning to Calexa's tale, but it's hard not to get invested in it.

The Pretenders is an intricate and interesting blend of elements. It's a murder/mystery (with a couple twists), but it's also full of paranormal elements. Likewise, there's this supernatural-esque coming-of-age vibe to the overall story, though that may mostly be because of Cal's age.

While I find Cal's origin and overall story interesting...I do wish there was more of it? I know that the subsequent two volumes will likely explore this more, but I did find myself wishing we had been given more time to explore this part of Cal's life.

I enjoyed how The Pretenders combined multiple plots and arcs to create this volume. I also adore how it showed the best and worst of humanity all at once. Oddly enough, that helped ground the world, even while it was full of ghosts and the like.

Highlights:
Paranormal
Murder/Mystery
Ghosts/Hauntings

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