Book Shelf: Graveminder by Melissa Marr

Rebekkah Barrow never forgot the tender attention her grandmother, Maylene, bestowed upon the dead of Claysville, the town where Bek spent her adolescence. There wasn’t a funeral that Maylene didn’t attend, and at each Rebekkah watched as Maylene performed the same unusual ritual: three sips from a small silver flask followed by the words “Sleep well, and stay where I put you.”

Now Maylene is dead and Bek must go back to the place—and the man—she left a decade ago. But what she soon discovers is that Maylene was murdered and that there was good reason for her odd traditions. It turns out that in placid Claysville, the worlds of the living and the dead are dangerously connected. Beneath the town lies a shadowy, lawless land ruled by the enigmatic Charles, aka Mr. D—a place from which the dead will return if their graves are not properly minded. Only the Graveminder, a Barrow woman, and the current Undertaker, Byron, can set things to right once the dead begin to walk.

Blurb from Goodreads......



Review:

I both enjoyed and disliked this book. There were things about it I both adored and things I hated. I can’t deny that Melissa Marr is a fantastic writer; she writes dark, gritty tales, full of depth and despair, but I found it hard to connect with the characters of this book. And that, in turn, is what let it down for me.

In the beginning of this book I really didn’t like the main characters. Rebekkah was tormented and had been through a lot, but I couldn’t help feeling like she seemed selfish and unyielding at times. I disliked how she treated Byron and in turn I disliked him for letting her treat him that way. I mean, I understand loving someone and that sometimes they can hurt you because of this, but time and time again Byron let Rebekkah into his life knowing full well that she would hurt him. It’s hard to like a character and feel sorry for them in that kind of situation. It’s hard to respect someone when they don’t respect themselves.
I guess in time though I did warm up to the characters a little bit. I began to like them more and emphasise with them and their plight as the story unfolded, but I never really loved them. There was never a moment when they appealed to me completely and even the “love” they shared and had for each other fell flat for me. I just didn’t feel it how I hoped I would.

The best part about this book for me and what actually made it worth reading was the world within it! I loved the mythology behind this book and the actual idea itself was brilliant. This is a unique twist on the living dead that seem to be floating around out there in the book world right now and I haven’t seen anything like this. The dead in this world were murders and killers and yet getting a glimpse into the mind of one at times made it hard to hate them. I felt sorry for the young woman in this book, but I warred with myself over the horrible things she’d done.
It was all woven together so beautifully, that even though I didn’t love the main characters, the way their lives were interwoven and the history their two lines shared kept me reading.

This book may have not been for me, but I think the excellent storyline and mystery that surrounds it will appeal to Marr fans and readers who love a great mystery tale or want a unique zombie story!


Rating:
Source: Sent from Harper Collins Australia (Thanks guys!)
Format: Paperback
AU Release Date: 1st July 2011
Expected AU Price: $27.99
Recommend: Fans of Melissa Marr and Nora Roberts should love it
Recommend borrow or buy: Borrow
Cover: I actually really like the cover. It's simple, but eye catching.
Read sequel/continue with series: This is a stand alone novel