Reviewed by Kelly on
I'm not the biggest fan of historical fiction, let's face it, it's quite often boring and like watching paint dry. But These Shallow Graves? Phenomenal. I loved it from cover to cover. I may have even licked the pages a little. It follows the storyline of Josephine, a society girl born into wealth in an era where girls are trophies, lovely to look at but not held in high regard. She dabbles with investigative articles for her school's whimsical newspaper, but craves more and dreams of being able to report from the slums of New York's underbelly. I adored how Jennifer Donnelly highlighted how restricted females were in 1890, trained as doting wives and not allowed independent thoughts. None more prevalent than when Jo walks into Eddie's life.
Eddie is a knockabout larrikin. He's a reporter who wants to investigate real stories, not just the society pages he's forced to write. He's never met anyone like Jo, determined as she is beautiful and not at all like the well polished girl from the society pages. As the two follow the leads to find her father's killer, Jo and Eddie form a tense and tentative friendship. Their attraction is undeniable, but Jo is from a wealthy family who would never accept a lowly writer as her companion, especially not now she's betrothed to one of New York's most eligible bachelors. The forbidden romance was intense, seeing the bond forming between Jo and Eddie was so incredibly lovely as Eddie struggled to keep her safe. In an era where women of substance are well bred and demure, Jo refuses to conform. I adored her character as an individual and within her budding relationship with Eddie. She doesn't lose perspective or is willing to play the damsel in distress, which is often the issue I find with young adult historical fiction.
The only issue I found was that the big reveal was predictable. But then again, when it comes to mysteries, I'm suspicious of most characters. I would have loved to have seen this turn into a series. With Jo's conclusion, readers could follow her story beyond the final page and I for one would buy the shit outta that.
These Shallow Graves is nothing short of lovely. Telling the story of an oppressed girl in an era where women are treated as breakable, demure and incompetent of independent thought. Josephine's dry sarcasm and her ability to discover a world so far removed from her own was incredibly charming. An intense and slow burning romance, mystery and intrigue, These Shallow Graves is a phenomenal read from a fresh voice in young adult historical fiction.
Reading updates
- Started reading
- 23 November, 2015: Finished reading
- 23 November, 2015: Reviewed