Graveminder

I have never wanted two fictional characters to get eaten by zombies so much in my life. Unfortunately the two main characters totally weigh this story down. The "will they or won't they" is forced and redundant to the point where you really just don't care. I really liked this idea, and I was looking forward to it. In fact, if this book had less Rebekkah and Byron I probably would have read past chapter 35. I'm so close to the end I feel like I should finish but I finally had my breaking point after having to read the same, "I love you, I don't love you, I'm scared to love" argument between these characters for the 25th time.

I'm giving this book a star because, A)I think I have to anyway & B) because the other characters in the book at least kept things moving. Seriously, the most interesting character in this book is a zombie.

I have had Melissa Marr's Wicked Lovely series on my to-be-read list forever, but for some reason, I never start it. Wanting to read something by Melissa before I committed to a full series, I grabbed a copy of Graveminder and settled in for what I thought would be a quick evening. Fast forward two weeks. I still had only made it past a few chapters and was waffling on whether or not I wanted to finish it. I hemmed...I hawed...and then I grabbed the book and dove in.

And thank goodness I did.

First, let me get this out of the way. Graveminder is creepy. Like really creepy. There's something not-quite-right about the town of Claysville...something that will make your hair stand on end and your eyes keep drifting to that dark window you're sitting a tad too close to. There's odd occurrences, women performing rituals in graveyards and dead things walking around.

See? Creepy.

The two main characters are Rebekkah and Byron. They have so much history together - it's as if there is a wall of baggage and pain standing in between them. Rebekkah handled the difficulties of her life by running away, though she returns to town (albeit temporarily) when her grandmother dies. This brings her back into contact with Byron, who I fell in love with almost instantly. Of course when the two of them end up "on page" together, that's when the sparks...and the creepiness...really begin to fly.

There were times in the book when I wasn't the biggest fan of Rebekkah. I'm more of a "pull yourself up by your bootstraps and get a move on" kind of gal while Rebekkah seems to be using the death of her sister to keep her emotionally stuck. She's a bit immature and unfocused but you kind of gloss over that because of, you know, the dead people walking around that she's now forced to deal with for the rest of her life.

Total bummer.

In the end, I rated this book five stars. It was a tough one for me to get into, and I happen to think it should be categorized as YA/NA instead of Adult. By the time I reached the final page, I had fallen in love with Byron and even began feeling supportive of Rebekkah. Melissa's writing is so vivid, she doesn't write a scene, she paints one. Beautiful, beautiful words. I was lucky enough to meet her (and get my copy of Graveminder signed) last year, and was completely smitten with her. A wonderful lady writing pretty words...what more could I ask for? Maybe one of these days I'll actually start that Wicked Lovely series.

Ten Likes/Dislikes:

1. (+) Protagonist(s ?) - I put this as a question because sometimes it felt like Byron was also a protagonist, though the story begins once Bek's grandmother is murdered... Still, both Bek and Byron are worthy characters, chalk-full of flaws but likable nonetheless for their strength, courage, and loyalty.

2. (+) the Writing - As in the Wicked Lovely series, Marr wrote in multiple viewpoints, which not only helped build the suspense towards the end but also allowed for great insight into the lives of the protagonist(s) and other characters. (And there also weren't too many viewpoints, just a few extras besides the main characters). Her writing was seamless, allowing me as a reader to slip easily into Bek and Byron's world.

3. (+) World Building - Since both Byron and Bek are unaware of their destinies, we as readers learn with them what being the Undertaker and Graveminder really mean... and because of this, the fantasy world in Claysville is developed slowly and fully. Marr made sure to flesh out the details of the weird compact Claysville made and the ensuing consequences.

4. (+) Character Development - As I noted earlier, having multiple viewpoints allowed for the characters to be fully developed. Even characters whose tale we weren't directly following had small sections devoted to them, which made them more compelling and also spiked my intrigue regarding the roles of each person in Claysville.

5. (+) Emotional Realism - Marr did a wonderful job making Bek and Byron's emotions feel palpable. I never once doubted the grief, confusion, or frustration that the two of them felt.

6. (+) the Romance - Marr didn't take the easy way out. She created a messy, complicated relationship that took Bek and Byron the whole book to resolve but felt real all the while, given their confusing past and the town's secrets. Had the romance been any other way (i.e. lots of gratuitous sex), it would've felt cheap in the midst of the grief, but it wasn't at all. Also, Byron caught my heart; he's just so sweet to Bek and feels like a man any woman would desire.

7. (+) the Villains - Since there are multiple viewpoints in this book, we sometimes get introduced into the mind of a 'villian.' The quotes there are well deserved, because the perspective of the villain we know makes us sympathize with her and her circumstances (only occasionally for the latter, that is). Even though I knew she was a villain, I liked her as a character. The other villain was more surprising and harder to understand, though.

8. (+) Death (character) - I liked the idea of the two worlds, one with Death at its head, and the fact that the Graveminder and Undertaker saw things differently. And Death, as a character, was sort of funny (Charles? The 1930s?) but still had the cunning touch you'd normally associate with him.

9. (-) Pacing - One consequence of having multiple viewpoints is that the pacing sometimes suffered. Marr did the best she could to minimize the repetitions of reading from many perspectives, but it still took me a bit longer than normal to really get into the novel.

10. (+) The Cover - Not sure I know which house that's supposed to be--the scene at the end? or ? But regardless, I think the cover still has a sort of Gothic element to it that's representative of the book. I particularly like the blurred effect of the photo and the contrasting blue cursive of the title.

Graveminder may be for an older audience, but readers of YA will definitely still enjoy this book. Marr has created compelling characters whose journey you'll want to follow till the very last page.

Review Courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: A darkly imaginative world and excellent storytelling but too many points of view make the story a little confusing at times.

Opening Sentence: Maylene put one hand atop the stone for support; pulling herself up from the soil got harder every year.

The Review:

The town of Claysville holds a dangerous secret over their dead. For many generations Graveminders and Undertakers have taken care of the dead, either by minding their graves or returning them back to the land of the dead if they don't rest properly. The town is under a strange spell/pact with Charles or Mr. D. as he likes to be called. The town is happily ignorant over the contract but the townsfolk have some nice protections. If you were born there you never want to leave or you always feel the pull to bring you back. If you do manage to leave town, you must consent to have your body brought back to be buried if you die. You are also protected from diseases until eighty years of age.

Rebekkah's grandmother Maylene is murdered before she tells her of the heritage that has been thrust upon her. Rebekkah spent a few years following Maylene and her strange habits not realizing that she was being taught to be a Graveminder. Bek must return to town quickly to attend her grandmother's funeral but as soon as the funeral is over she wants to leave town, her grandmother was the only reason she would come back to Claysville. Bek would never come back for Byron, her teenage crush and sometimes lover.

Byron is an Undertaker, in name and in trade. His father was Maylene's Undertaker and just like Rebekkah, Byron doesn't know about his heritage until after Maylene dies. They have a tragic history that Bek just can't get over. She blames herself and Byron for her step-sisters suicide so she will not allow herself any happiness with him.

The world Melissa Marr creates is darkly imaginative. The dead don't always stay dead in the town of Claysville. In order for the dead to stay in the ground a Graveminder must follow a ritual with drink, food and words. If someone rises from the dead, the Undertaker helps the Graveminder lure them into the land of the dead for only he can lead the way. The land of the dead is another unique place that has its own rules. Byron sees it as a drab, colorless world while for Rebekkah it is vibrant and beautiful, the food she eats there is better than in the live world.

Marr's writing is easy to follow and the short chapters make Graveminder flow effortlessly. There were a few concerns that I had. Graveminders and Undertakers are naturally attracted to each other. Bek and Byron don't know this, Bek is always trying to fight off her attraction to Byron even when it seems like she gives in to it. When Byron finds out that their attraction isn't exactly fate, he is pissed at first but then he quickly gets over it and it is never an issue again. Graveminder has many points of view, many townspeople just had one chapter, some added to the story, others didn't, it was a little hard to follow all the characters introduced and what part they played in the story. I felt like the bulk of the book followed Byron which was fine because I thought he was the most level headed of the people in the book. I liked Byron way better than Bek, I felt she was a little too whiney at times, especially as she kept trying to push Byron away but would then send him mixed signals.

Overall, Graveminder is an intriguing new look at death, the dead and those who take care of them. If there is ever a sequel planned, I would like to see more of Mr. D., the land where the dead live and more about the history of exactly what happened to make a Gravefinder necessary.

FTC Advisory: The author provided me with a copy of Graveminder. No goody bags, sponsorships, "material connections," or bribes were exchanged for my review.

Following her grandmother's death Rebekkah, or Bek, returns to Claysville to pay her respects to Maylene. She remembers her grandmother as a loving person who had many traditions that involved lovingly taken care of the dead. However, Bek soon realizes that these rituals are more than traditions and they will now affect her in ways she never imagined. Byron, the undertaker's son, has lived in Claysville almost all his life, and while he is accustomed to hearing that things are done a certain way because of traditions, he becomes tired of these explanations and wants some answers. When he finally gets the answers he's been looking for, he finds that it comes at a very high price. Both Byron and Bek find that their lives drastically changed and they try to navigate their new roles in the midst of a crisis.

On the story...
I absolutely loved this story. I was hooked from the very beginning. The story is told from various points of views of residents of Claysville. This worked really well in this particular story because everything was so strange that I was dying to know what was going on in everyone else's head. I love that this premise is unique and refreshing. I initially thought that the story was primarily about Byron and Bek finding out and navigating their new role but I soon found there was more to everything. That surprise really put the book over the top for me. The ending was well done but everything isn't quite wrapped in a pretty little bow. There a few things left to the reader's imagination and a few unanswered questions. Overall, this was a wonderful book.

On the narrator...
The narrator brings the enjoyment of this book down just a tad for me. Ms. Galvin has soothing voice and it is very much a storytelling voice. I found that I was able to get lost into the story very easily. The only downside to this audio is that Ms. Galvin has very little, if any, voice changes for the different characters. This wouldn't be a problem except there are different points of views throughout the book. Some people we only hear from once, but others, like Bek and Byron, we return time and time again. Therefore, it made it very difficult to follow the point of view switches. At times, I was well into the section before I figured it out. While I was still able to enjoy the book, I found myself a tad frustrated at times.

Overall, I would recommend this book in both paper form and audio form. Ms. Marr has a way of putting together a story so that it unfolds in the most entertaining way possible. I enjoyed this one from start to finish.

I have never read any previous releases from this author, but I could tell she was coming off a younger audience from the get go.

While this novel is adult orientated the romance between characters in the book felt more teen than anything else.
Aside from that and a little bit of cursing that felt off kilter or just didn't seem like the character was the type to drop those kinds of words, I enjoyed this book.
In no way am I against cursing or anything like that at all, I am simply stating that the characters in this book didn't feel like they were the type to be saying some of the things they said. In turn this left me with a little bit of a disconnection from the main character.

Sometimes I find it hard to review a book and say some of what I would really like to because doing so will give away something that should be revealed in reading so I will shy away from a few things here.

Suffice to say that I did enjoy this book in the end, and aside from a slight immaturity to the romance and characters I couldn't fully connect with, I did finish it easily and never had any of those moments when thinking of picking it back up that tell me to find some other book. I think most readers know what I mean when I say that. Sometimes you have a lot of books going and when you go to grab one from your shelf you find you avoid some more than others. This book didn't have me doing that and I finished it pretty quickly.

If she is an author you already like, then you probably won't be disappointed.
If you've never read her before and the genre is your thing, then this will be a good in between novel. (For when you've read all your favorite authors books.)

Originally published on my blog, My Urban Fantasies.
(myurbanfantasies.blogspot)

This was supposed to be Melissa Marr's first adult novel and she missed the mark. It reads like a bizarre mix of a YA novel and a New Adult novel. Rebekkah Barrow starts the book with the emotional maturity of a teenager. Byron Montgomery, eventually Rebekkah joins him, is still transitioning between who he was when he left home and who he is expected to become. I noticed that some people consider this a horror novel. If you are very easily scared then this might be true otherwise no. I didn't even get the goosebumps.

The prologue was full of suspense and was cryptic enough that I devoured page after page to see what would happen next. Maylene Barrow was by far my favorite character, unfortunately she does not live to see chapter one. The chapters between the prologue and when Byron officially becomes the Undertaker and Rebekkah finds out she is the Graveminder, which is about halfway through, are slow. It was well written but the suspense is gone and the plot became a little predictable. Things were remarkably better in the last half of the book. The predictability is almost gone and the suspense is back though it does not reach the same intensity it had in the prologue.

I found Rebekkah highly annoying, unsympathetic and slightly distracting. She has a history with Byron, and gives a whole new meaning to love them and leave them. Rebekkah is constantly avoiding her feelings about Byron. She hooks up with him when it's convenient for her and then leaves, sometimes in the middle of the night. Whenever Byron approaches the subject of their relationship, or lack of one, Rebekkah uses sex as a distraction. Eventually she tells Byron to stay out of her life forever and he did until Maylene was murdered. I know I'm complaining a lot about Rebekkah. Byron does bear a little of the blame, he has this whipped, kicked puppy feel to him. But, I'm so tired of heroines who can deal with anything supernatural without blinking an eye, but dealing with their emotions is too scary and must be avoided at all costs.

This book barely made it to 3 Moons. Conceptually it was a brilliant story and I really enjoyed the last half of the book.

Graveminder is Melissa Marr's first adult fiction book. She best known for her Wicked Lovely series that ended in 2011 with the last book Darkest Mercy. Unlike her previous series, this book is not about the fae and their court intrigues. Instead, Graveminder is about a small rural town with a zombie problem. This town is under a curse of sorts and only 2 people from every generation can keep the dead from rising. Rebekkah Barrow must return to town due to her grandmother's unexpected death. Upon her return, Rebekkah must face zombies, Byron (her ex), and the mysteries of after life.

One thing that I really liked about this book is that it is stand alone. While I don't mind a series, sometimes a single story is very refreshing to read. About two-thirds of this book was really creepy...in a good way. I'm a pretty big scaredy cat when it comes to the things that go bump in the night. Graveminder had just the right amount of creepiness while still giving the reader a good story.

I love the zombie mythology in this book. Being the Graveminder, Rebekkah must preform certain rites 3 times when someone dies. Once immediately after death, another time at the funeral and the last time would be 3 months after they die. At the funeral she pours a mysterious liquid on the grave to "feed" the dead so they don't rise. She ends the rite with "Sleep well, and stay where I put you." If she were to not perform these rites, the dead would rise and search for food. The zombies in this book are more sentient than the beings you see in tv shows like The Walking Dead and that adds a big creepiness factor. I thought this was a really fantastic concept.

I didn't like the fact that the relationship between Rebekkah and Byron felt a bit forced. Despite their magical quality to their attraction, I would like to have seen more of an emotional build up. The relationship felt forced and a bit unsatisfying. But, I thought the Graveminder/Undertaker relationship dynamic was really intriguing. I would love to read another book in this series if it was set forward in time with another Graveminder/Undertaker. I just don't care for Rebekkah and Byron.

While this isn't my favorite book by Melissa Marr, I really enjoyed it!

When I first heard about this book I initially thought this was a Young Adult novel and it read like one too. Then I realized the main characters were actually adults, and this was Melissa Marr's first attempt at Adult Fiction. This was the first book I've read by her so I cannot compare it to her Young Adult novels; however I do feel as if this should have been a Young Adult novel and the characters were only aged in order to make it an Adult novel.

The story starts in the small town of Claysville with Maylene; it has the reader guessing about what's happening from the very first page. As the story progresses the mystery starts to slowly unfold. It was a little too slow if you ask me. I was very close to marking this as a DNF, but once the truth finally gets out, is when it really gets interesting and it had me hanging just by a small thread.

The characters Rebekkah and Byron had plenty of history yet not enough depth. They just were not interesting, likable or mature enough. I couldn't emotionally connect with them. I found myself not caring about the characters storyline, especially the romantic relationship. That was a huge disappointment.

My favorite part of the book was the world. Melissa Marr created not one but two beautifully crafted worlds in this book. There was the small town of Claysville and there was also the underworld -- the place where time is blended together and the dead can walk peacefully. I wish she would have explored the underworld more. I had so many questions about it and not enough answers.

Overall--it was an okay read. Though it was a slow start and the characters could have been better the world Melissa Marr created was absolutely beautiful.

Melissa Marr has created a rich and captivating world in Graveminder that is well-worth exploring.

Melissa Marr is known for her Wicked Lovely series, but this is the first of her books that I have read. I was very impressed with the world that she has created in Graveminder. It is rich and nuanced - urging you to dive in and explore it. Graveminder is currently a stand alone book, but I would love to see Marr explore this world more closely - there are so many elements to it that it would be a shame not to. The story progresses at a relatively slow pace, and while it does let you soak up the atmosphere that Marr has created, I would have liked to see some more action to create a more dynamic story.

There are several great characters in Graveminder and Melissa Marr manages to inject them all with life and individuality. I love that in a book. The two main characters are Rebekkah and Byron and the relationship between the two is complex even before any of their new responsibilities. I liked that they had history with each other and a backstory that played well into the plot. It took me a while to warm to Rebekkah, although I understood her motivations and decisions from the start. She came across as quite shut-off and a bit selfish, but as the story progressed she lost some of this hardness and I ended up liking her. Byron is a great character - down-to-earth and dependable, but with a vulnerability about him that softens his personality. Rebekkah and Byron's personalities fit beautifully with the roles of Graveminder and Undertaker that they inherit. Maylene, Rebekkah's grandmother, is only in the first part of the story, but she is such a strong presence that I immediately liked her. Then there is the mysterious Mr D with his own agenda - he is neither entirely a villain nor a hero and I enjoyed that about him. The characters in Graveminder are integral to the story and Melissa Marr has done a great job with them.

Graveminder introduces you to a richly detailed world populated by real characters. I expected more from the plot itself, but I would definitely return to this setting if Melissa Marr chooses to write a sequel.

Graveminder is Melissa Marr's foray into adult literature after the conclusion of her successful young adult series Wicked Lovely. Marr has great ideas, and I couldn't wait to sink my teeth into juicy, complex story lines.

The story opens with a creepy scene that's so riveting I couldn't read it fast enough. Maylene Barrow, Claysville's graveminder, meets a very disturbing seventeen-year-old girl in town and invites her home. Maylene is later found dead. Her granddaughter Rebekkah returns to Claysville for the funeral with plans to leave as soon as possible, but she finds out she's the next graveminder. Claysville is suddenly like Hotel California: she can check out any time she likes, but she can never leave.

I wanted to like this story because conceptually it sounded interesting, but Rebekkah is an annoying character. She's manipulative and immature, and her long history of using Byron makes her unsympathetic. She contradicts herself (with internal dialogue) entirely too much, to the point of reader distraction. Byron appears weak, pining for a woman that continually does him wrong.

Although Marr does a good job of revving up suspense, I kept getting jerked out of the story by deep point of view italics, poor editing and unbelievable behavior. Since I wasn't lost in the story, I began analyzing everything and therefore became much less forgiving of things I'd otherwise overlook.

Marr overuses the technique of showing her characters thoughts with italics. It's essential for readers to get this character insight, but Rebekkah questions and contradicts herself so much she appears mental.

I go all fussy britches with weird names or strange spelling variations. It's fine if they fit the story setting, but doing this just to be creative annoys me. (When Harry Potter first came out, I wouldn't read it because I didn't know how to pronounce Hermione. Stupid, I know but I can't help it). I've never seen the name Rebekkah spelled this way, and it's often shortened to Beks in the story. Don't love it, but I'll go with it. Byron is shortened to B, Alicia becomes Lish (shoot me), and Charles is Mr. D. I mustn't forget Daisha and Amity Blue.

Marr's narrative can sometimes be messy, and the overuse of fragmented sentences was irritating. Character's behave like adolescents and the story reads very much like a young adult novel. I was disappointed in the simplicity of it. The ending felt rushed with information awkwardly crammed into the last few chapters. The best part of the story is the initial scene, and Marr's concept of the underworld.

For the concept of the underworld, and maintaining suspense, I'll be generous with my rating: Okay, but didn't blow up my skirt

Don't let me discourage you from reading this book. Many people liked it, and it's been optioned for a television series. If it comes to fruition, I'll definitely check out the television series because the underworld is intriguing, and much more interesting than what goes on above ground. I'm sure the television series will be popular with fans of AMCs The Walking Dead.

I admit I am fairly addicted to certain ghost shows on TV. When I received Graveminder last year, I was intrigued. A novel about a woman whose job is to keep the dead dead seemed all right to me. I really wanted to like this. It was spooky enough, scary enough but I draw the line at zombies. And the walking dead eat people. That's just creepy.

There were some things I couldn't ignore. Overall, the novel lacked something. I think the writing was a bit elementary. The premise was interesting, but the execution could have used some work. In defense to Ms. Marr, I received an ARC of Graveminder. I'm sure the finished novel was better. I know the dead and zombie's are no laughing matter but this novel definitely needed a dose of laughter. Something, anything, to lighten it up.

I liked how Bek embraced her role as Graveminder. She knew it was her destiny. I thought she was a strong character. She knew what needed to be done and didn't shy away from her responsibility. My issues lay with Byron. I didn't like that Byron's rose-colored love for Bek made him blind to everything else. Maybe I'm just a cynic, but seriously, the guy needed to settle down. Yes, I know as her Undertaker they are forever linked and he's supposed to protect her, but still. It was nauseating to watch someone that clingy. It was creepy.

My favorite character was William, Byron's father and Maylene's Undertaker. Of all the characters, he was the most real to me. Ms. Marr portrayed his grief beautifully. Although his role was limited, there was such grace about him. I wish Graveminder was about him and Maylene instead of Byron and Rebekka.

I have several questions, especially about Mr. D (Charles). I like Rebekka, but can't really stomach Byron. My opinion of the novel changed frequently during the reading. Sometimes I liked it, sometimes I didn't. Although in the end, I felt a glimmer of like but it might have been joy that it was finally over. I do believe if you are a fan of this genre, you will enjoy this novel. Me, not so much.

Graveminder is told from multiple point of views, so I was able to get a good insight into each of the major characters. I loved the mystery and build up to each of the story's secrets' revelation, fascinated with the land of the dead, the dimension below the quaint Claysville and it's many mysteries and inhabitants but the romance between Rebekkah and Byron was emotional exhausting. Byron was the bleeding heart for Rebekkah, while Rebekkah seemed take from Byron selfishly and then run repeatedly, this left me feeling more than a bit annoyed with Rebekkah. Those actions showed me a cowardly characteristic for Rebekkah that put a pall over my enthusiasm for her.

There are several secondary characters who added much to story especially Maylene and Mr. D, who I felt drawn to more so than Rebekkah or Byron. Even though Maylene has died early in the book, her soulful presence is felt throughout it. Mr. D is a huge mystery in himself that I was hugely curious about him and who he really might be under his clever quips.

For those who are like me and generally steer away from stories of the undead aka zombies, I'd like to mention the undead found in Graveminder aren't the typical rotting, mindless, flesh eating corpses and were easier on the stomach than you'd expect.

Overall, I enjoyed Graveminder with a few reservations about Rebekkah and Byron's relationship but Marr's creation of the land of the dead was the high point for me in this story, that I really would like to read more about. Since Melissa Marr's signed a two adult book deal, the first being Graveminder, I can only hope the next book will be set in the same world with more time spent in the land of the dead and delving into it's many mysteries. My final thought on Graveminder is it reads like a romance that's been crossbreed between an American Gothic and the Twilight Zone.

In 1712, Abigail Barrows unknowingly opens a gateway into the land of the dead. With no other choice, she unwittingly signs a contract with Death in order to bring the deceased back to where they belong. Abigail was the first Graveminder who ensured the dead were taken care of, and if they should rise, it was her responsibility to escort them back to the land of the dead.

The Undertaker helps the Graveminder to bring the dead back while protecting her at all times. Through the years, the position of Graveminder and/or Undertaker has been passed down to someone in either the Barrows or Montgomerry families.

Due to their important positions as Graveminder and Undertaker, the townspeople of Claysville have also agreed to the contract with Death. Because of this, they have been granted longevity and near perfect health. Since the contract was agreed so many years ago, no one is quite sure what it says, but they do know that anyone who is born in Claysville can leave, but they will always return. And should they die outside the town they will rise from the dead.

Rebekkah Barrow has just become the newest Graveminder after the passing of her beloved grandmother Maylene. She has recently returned to Claysville after being away for some time and has just reunited with her long lost love, Byron Montgomerry - whom surprisingly has just acquired the position of Undertaker. When one of the dead begins to wreak havoc in the town, it will be up to them to save not only themselves, but the townspeople.

This is Ms. Marr's attempt at adult fiction - or urban fantasy as I like to call it. I found it a little disconcerting that it is a third person narrative - and, to make it worse, there were varying points of view chapters too. Once I got over the confusion though, I did not have a hard time grasping who was who and what was what.

For some reason, I had trouble liking most of the characters in this novel. I especially did not see eye to eye with Rebekkah - she fit in more in one of Ms. Marr's young adult novels than she did in this one. Byron was okay - yet forgettable. Although he was more likeable then Rebekkah, he was still nothing to write home about.

I found the story very predictable. While I enjoyed the parts that took place in the land of the dead - these areas were much more vivid and the characters were superbly interesting, yet these good moments were not enough to overlook the others that weren't so good. The "rising dead" had a zombie feel to them - they rose from their graves and bit people - yet they specifically note that they are not zombies. Since I was always a step ahead of the characters and the mystery the story felt long and uninteresting.

The best part of all, it (so far) seems to be a stand-alone. We don't get many of these lately - so that gives it extra kudos in my book. All in all, I found this one to be more on the weird side than anything else. It was okay - but not something I'd recommend (at least, not in the foreseeable future).

The book jacket pulled me in...just enough information to whet my appetite and want to read more. A fellow author referred to Marr as "Deliciously Creepy." What a great quote! So I was quite excited to read Graveminder, and I was not disappointed. Since I had to squeeze in reading time, it took me about a week to read it, but if I were given the chance, I would have devoured it in just a couple of days.

I am not a big horror reader, so I am typically not drawn to books with zombies. Yet in this novel, Marr creates an environment where the creatures who are killing townspeople evoked pity in the reader's eyes, not rage. Once we learn who is behind a string of murders, we can almost have compassion for the ones on a killing spree.

This book contains some ideas I have not seen before. There is a place dead people can go, but it is not heaven or hell. Some stay, some leave. This place is run by 'Mr D' an enigmatic character who is both appealing and repulsive. We are introduced to a concept of someone, the graveminder, tending to those who have died and are buried, as well as the undertaker, who takes care of those who recently died. Their dependence on one another in romance and within their roles, both scares and excites these two characters, as they do not know what to do with their feelings. Are they real or part of a plan of which they have no control?

Elements of the story are vague at times, and I think that was intentional. Too many answers would make it too real and therefore, less of an escape. Though I like details and answers, too much would ruin the premise. We have to be able to suspend reality a bit. Some other reviewers disliked the book, citing repetition and lack of character development. I disagree. We learned what we needed to about some side characters so they supported, not stole thunder, from the main characters. There were some loose ends but nothing for the main story, so there is just enough for a sequel. The two main characters, Bek and Byron, have a relationship that is very drawn out and sometimes not convincing. Overall though, I have already told friends about the book b/c I think it is a good, easy read and one that anyone who likes vampire, zombie or werewolf stories with some romance and suspense will enjoy.

Graveminder by Melissa Marr
Grade: B

"Part of being strong is knowing when to hide your weakness, and when to admit them. When it's just us, you can cry. In front of the world, you keep your chin up."

Claysville is not your normal town. People are born in Claysville, the raise their kids in Claysville and they die in Claysville. Children don't get sick and most residents live until eighty all because of a deal the towns founders made in 1712. Three hundred years later that deal will change the lives of Rebekkah Barrow and Byron Montgomery and force the former lovers back to the town and the relationship they both ran from. Rebekkah's grandmother, Maylene, has died and has left her the Barrow's women family legacy as the Graveminder, the woman who helps keep the graves of Claysville properly kept and the dead in them. Rebekkah and Byron must work together to learn their new roles and to depend on each other because the dead are rising in Claysville.

This book is amazing and from the very first page I was hooked and couldn't put it down. Melissa Marr is so good at creating worlds that are addictive, hard to leave and filled with complex characters that you love but also make you want to pull your hair out. Graveminder kept me on my toes the entire time and was such a mind tease that I found myself thinking about it every time I had to leave and put it down. As I write this review I don't want to give anything away but at the same time there was so many great things in this book that I don't even know where to start.

Rebekkah and Byron have a very long, complex and heartbreaking relationship. Byron has always loved Rebekkah and Rebekkah has always ran away from the relationship Byron has wanted with her. Now in their new roles, her as the Graveminder and his as the Undertaker, they are forced to confront the feelings they both have for each other and try to find a balance to their new relationships. As the Undertaker, Byron's main job is to protect Rebekkah and help her keep the dead in their graves and help put them back if they get out. I found the Undertaker/Gravemind relationship fascinating and I wanted to learn more about all the others who came before Rebekkah and Byron.

As I mentioned before there are so many characters and so much going on in the town of Claysville and beneath it. I am under the impression by how the book ended that it is a stand alone but I would love to learn more about Claysville and it's inhabitants. I would love to have an entire book take place in the world underneath Claysville involving Abigail and Charles. I loved the scenes that take place in the underworld and found that would even more interesting then Claysville.

I think the only problem that I had with the book, and it only really bothered me at the end, was how long it takes Rebekkah to face her relationship with Byron. After a while it got very annoying that she would just constantly run away again and again. Other then that I loved this book and I love the world that Marr has created. Once again Marr has proved that she is a must read author who can suck a reader in with just the first paragraph and not let them go until she has told her story.

GRAVEMINDER is the adult debut for YA Paranormal queen Melissa Marr, a very slow building gothic/horror mystery, almost like the movie The Village. There is a small, quaint town populated with mysterious characters most of whom seem to be in on a Big Secret: the dead don't always stay dead. A legacy, passed down from generation to generation, binds two families to the town in order to magically protect the rest.

The main idea in GRAVEMINDER is fantastic with a big nod to the Hades and Persephone myth. But Marr takes it a step further and creates her own very unique folklore by imagining two complimentary roles: The Graveminder and the Undertaker. Both mythologies work well and really serve to inject the story with a fresh yet seemingly historical context. It was easily my favorite thing about the book.

I did get impatient with the pace and the fact that Rebekkah and Bryan had only one conversation that they just repeated throughout the book (Him: Admit you love me! Her: I can't, I'm still hung up on my sisters/your ex girlfriend's death). It made their relationship feel very stale to me. We learn throughout the story exactly what brought them together and then drove them apart, but unfortunately, it felt more like an obligatory romantic obstacle rather that a real emotional feat that I could invest in, and given their situation, it could have been.

Another miss for me was the `shadowy, lawless land ruled by the enigmatic Charles, aka Mr. D.' It was kinda cheesy and felt almost like a different story. There was all this build up about the mystery and the town curse that when that part of it was revealed, I was disappointed. It didn't have the same gothic horror vibe as the rest of the story and I couldn't wait to get back to Claysville. Fortunately, that's what happened and the story finished strong.

Overall, GRAVEMINDER is a big departure for Melissa Marr that is mostly successful. The gothic mystery along with Marr's easy writing style hooked me and pulled me into to this cursed town, but the romance was repetitive and the reveal was a bit of a let down. Marr fans will want to check it out as well as anyone who enjoys small town mysteries with a supernatural twist. So what's next for this world? GRAVEMINDER has already been optioned for a television show by Ken Olin (Alias and Brothers & Sisters), and Melissa has confirmed that she's working on a sequel.

Sexual Content:
Vague references to rape. A scene of sensuality.

(This review was originally published at VampireBookClub.net)

There is something to be said for a purposeful slow build, and Melissa Marr does it masterfully in Graveminder.

The small town of Claysville has special rules and almost all of them involve the dead. Everyone born in Claysville is required to be buried within the city. No one is to be embalmed and must be interred within 48 hours of death. And one woman, Maylene Barrow, attends every funeral. She's the last to leave the graveyard, always whispering and pouring drink over the fresh grave.

But that's not the only thing different about Claysville. The citizens have accepted they can't ever leave. Those born within its limits who attempt to move elsewhere will fall ill, and even those who only lived in the town for a short time are stricken with a wanderlust that leaves them never feeling at home anywhere but Claysville. Rebekkah falls into that latter category. She's always run from commitment. She ran from the boy she loved back in Claysville, she ran from her crazy mom and each new city still doesn't feel right. When her grandmother Maylene dies, she has to rush back to Claysville. The moment she crosses the town border, she feels home. And she doesn't like it.

To make matters more complicated, Byron is back, too. She ran from him years ago, but as one of the undertakers, he's there to help her though it all. Plus, he's still in love with her. She wants to run, but being near him makes the whole ordeal of her grandmother's death more manageable. Unfortunately with Maylene gone, there is no one to mind the graves in Claysville. Rebekkah knows the basics without realizing it's to keep the dead in the ground, but no one told her she was tapped as the new Graveminder. They didn't tell her it's now her job to make sure the dead stay that way, and to lead the Hungry Dead to the land of the dead.

And no one told Byron it was his job to protect her, to save her. He just did it on instinct. Quickly these two try to learn their new roles, but with everyone else forbidden from knowing the details of the pact that keeps Claysville free of disease and death, they're on their own.

And that's what makes the slow build work in Graveminder. We know a bit more about what's going on in Claysville than either Byron or Rebekkah do, because we get peeks into other points-of-view. However, for the most part, we're learning along with them. We're along for the journey as they stumble onto the reasons why the dead rise, why people are tied to the town and just how the Graveminder and Undertaker are expected to interact with the dead. Additionally, the two main characters are struggling with their feelings for one another, which can only become more complicated as they discover their new role as a team ushering the dead.

Marr created rich characters and a fascinating mythology in Graveminder. There's a bit of dealing with the past to accept your future happening, and you'll be happy to watch as Rebekkah and Byron come to accept their roles. (Though, Byron is of the mind his job as always been to protect Rebekkah, now it just includes keeping her from becoming too enamored with the dead.) The novel is a beautiful blend of self-discovery, family drama, light romance and the supernatural.

Sexual content: Kissing, references to sex

Graveminder is a dark, deliciously creepy tale that begins with a death in the small town of Claysville. As soon as Rebekkah hears of her grandmother Maylene's death, she realizes that she will need to return to the town where Maylene lived and died. But Claysville isn't your typical town and has many of its' own secrets; just like Maylene wasn't your typical grandmother and had secrets of her own. Before Rebekkah knows it she is caught up within the secrets of both the town and her grandmother and what results is something that she never could have imagined.

So let's just start off with saying that I loved this book! Seriously, I couldn't put this book down and stayed up way too late reading it. In fact, there was a huge storm going on one night while I was reading it (with possible tornado activity) and what do you think I was doing?? Reading...I could have cared less about the weather except it fit in with the atmosphere of the book so perfectly! With Graveminder, Marr has created a world where the dead walk and nothing is as it seems. I loved the creepy atmosphere that was present throughout this book. In the book, Rebekkah has to learn to tend the dead as she begins to fill in for her late grandmother. The world that Rebekkah begins to learn about and explore is more eerie than she can imagine and fits in perfectly with the atmosphere. This was just one of those books that I couldn't get enough of. Rebekkah was an interesting main character with lots of family and relationship issues that come into play throughout the story. One of those main relationship issues is with her ex-love interest Byron. Byron and Rebekkah find themselves intertwined with the secrets of the town and each other. And there lies my only complaint with this book...Byron and Rebekkah's relationship could be a bit much at times. But it honestly didn't affect my enjoyment of this book and this was a book that I couldn't get enough of!

All in all, I absolutely adored this book and can't recommend it enough! The author did an amazing job of creating a world where the dead live and secrets abound. The book was dark, creepy, intense, and suspenseful....a perfect mix that made this novel really stand out for me. Highly recommended!

Disclosure: I checked this one out from my local library....I'm going to need my own copy at some point though :)

GRAVEMINDER
By Melissa Marr
Paranormal
May 2011
William Morrow
ISBN: 978-0061826870

Rebekkah has spent most of her young life running away from the town where she lived briefly as a teen. The years weren't many but they were filled with love from her stepfather and grandmother. Then her mom split with her stepdad and she's pretty much been on the move ever since.

Until she receives a late-night call that Maylene, the woman who became her grandmother, has died. Rebekkah heads right back to Clayville, noticing that her ever-present feelings of anxiety disappear when she crosses the city line. Even though she's with Byron, the boy she kissed once, betraying her late stepsister, and even though she and Byron have the biggest "oh we shouldn't" but you know they're lying thoughts. The anxiety even stays away when she discovers Maylene was murdered.

Instead of falling apart, Rebekkah steps into her heritage handed down by Maylene, and Byron steps into the legacy his father will soon leave him, in Melissa Marr's debut adult novel. She takes it in stride that she is now the town's Graveminder, charged with the duty of making sure the dead stay in their place, and Byron is the town's Undertaker with the duty of protecting her. She handles that and a visit to a city of the dead, overseen by Charlie, or Mr. D (as in "Death") better than she handles still being attracted to Byron.

Perhaps that's a bit understandable, though, because it appears that once her stepsister learned about the Graveminder job and met Charlie, she killed herself to stay in Charlie's town. After that, Bek and Byron were destined for each other, according to the contract Charlie signed with the town's fathers generations ago.

Staying with the demands of today's paranormal action novels, Bek and Byron get right to work taking care of the raised dead who are killing people, including Maylene.

Although it makes for a stronger storyline that there is a reason the dead are up and at it, all the world-building plus romance plus solving this mystery make for a novel that's overloaded on plot. That's a pity because Marr shows in her prologue that she could have written a much stronger character-driven story without giving in to the demands of today's plot-driven genre conventions. Now that the world is built, more Graveminder stories will be welcome. One is coming in this summer's Naked City: Tales of Urban Fantasy, edited by Ellen Datlow. I'm going to get a copy.

In Melissa Marr's first adult novel, Graveminder, the quiet, small town of Claysville is not what it seems. When her beloved but quirky grandmother is found dead, Rebekkah returns to the place and the man, Byron, she's been keeping at arm's length for nearly a decade. Very soon, Bek and Byron learn that secrets have been kept from them and that a shadowy world of the dead exists under their feet. Pulled into centuries-old roles as the Graveminder and the Undertaker - those responsible for keeping the dead from walking - the two must combat growing threats to their community while coming to terms with their rocky past.

Having read Marr's Wicked Lovely (Wicked Lovely (Quality)) series for young adults, I was eager to see how she would do with her adult debut. Similar to her past work, the author's greatest strength lies in her ability to create an imaginative world and mythos in which to immerse her characters. The responsibilities and roles of the Graveminder and Undertaker were original, and her world of the dead was highly creative. The prologue drew me in with the palpable sense of dread and mystery it created. Those of the dead, like Mr. D., Alicia, and Daisha, were fascinating characters about whom I wanted to read more. The novel also finished in a conclusive place, though it could be expanded into a series.

With this strong opening and unique mythos, I was hoping for a great read. Unfortunately, that didn't happen. The most interesting part of the book's created world lies in the land of the dead and its characters, but little time is spent there. Instead, much of the story focuses on the relationship struggles and haunted past between Rebekkah and Bryon. While I love a good romance with some challenges, their story felt tedious and slow due to the constant repetition of plot points about why Bek couldn't let herself be with Byron and about all of the information that has been withheld from the two of them. Both characters acted much less mature than expected for well-travelled adults in their mid to late 20s. Due to this, pacing dragged until the later portions of the book. Some of the characterizations used to develop her characters also felt too similar to Marr's other books, and many small plot threads and side characters were introduced but never explored.

GRAVEMINDER will appeal to those looking for an American Gothic tale with a heavy dose of romantic angst and some action from the undead. If Marr continues writing in this universe, I hope she picks up the pacing and focuses more on the world of the dead she's created and the apparently complicated characters that inhabit it.

Note: This review refers to an advance reader's copy.

First Line: Maylene put one hand atop the stone for support; pulling herself up from the soil got harder every year.

Rebekkah Barrow must return to the small town of Claysville-- the town she's been trying to escape most of her life-- to attend her beloved grandmother's funeral. Many times as a child Bek would accompany Maylene, and she never forgot the peculiar ritual her grandmother would always perform: she would take three sips from a silver flask and say, "Sleep well, and stay where I put you."

As Bek stays in her grandmother's home, she discovers that there is more than meets the eye in Claysville's strange funeral rituals. The worlds of the living and the dead are dangerously connected in this town, and if the dead are not properly cared for, they will return to the land of the living to sate themselves with food, drink, and stories. Only the Graveminder-- a role that Bek has inherited-- and the Undertaker--Byron Montgomery, a man with whom Bek shares a complicated past-- can set things right once the dead begin to walk.

I was sent this book by the publicist unsolicited, which can be a very dangerous thing. I am under no obligation to read or review books I haven't requested. To add to the mix, fantasy is not a genre that I care for. But something about this book caught my eye, and the book did hold my interest throughout.

Bek and Byron are both well-drawn characters, and I sympathized with their previous attempts to avoid what they didn't realize was their destiny. The descriptions of the land of the dead and the people who live there were creepy and made me uneasy, and the dead walking in Claysville actually gave me the shivers.

Only two things marred this book for me. The person behind all the evil doings was easily deduced, which took away some of the suspense. Also, even though Bek and Byron were new to their roles, by the end when they were surrounded by a group of the "bad guys", they dispatched them very easily off stage. I feel the suspense would have been ratcheted up even more if everything had been kept on stage and if they'd had more problems in trying to set things right.

Am I now hooked on the fantasy genre? No. But I did enjoy reading this book. I would imagine that fans of this type of book will enjoy it even more than I did.

"Graveminder" is the first book I have read by Ms. Marr, but will not be my last. She's come up in my recommendations several times, but I just hadn't gotten to her yet.

The story takes places in a small town called Claysville. Rebekkah Barrow has come home to bury her Grandmother. She's the lady's sole heir despite objections from an aunt. What Bek doesn't know is the deadly scope of her inheritance. She is the town's Graveminder and must undertake rituals to keep the dead of Claysville from walking.

You see, some past residents of the town made a deal with "Mr. D" or "Charlie" to keep the town safe. Their bodies are not embalmed and they have a graveminder to keep the dead from walking. Unfortunately, one of the dead has gotten loose. She's killed the old Graveminder and Undertaker and left the folks to fill the roles completely confused and clueless as to what to do. Now, Bek and Byron (the undertaker) have got to get up to speed fast before the walking dead kill the town.

The setup for the story was long and occasionally left me having to read back to figure out exactly what was happening. I'm not a reader who is overly fond of romantic angst, but Bek and Bryon have it in spades (bad graveyard pun intended) But when the story got rolling around page 200 I could not put the book down. While the pacing felt initially off, I ended up grateful for the frenzied build-up.

Rebecca Kyle, April 2011

Why read: Received for review

What impressed me: Graveminder went places I never even considered until we were in the thick of things. It was a story that made sense piece by piece, but you never figured out what was coming beforehand. I loved the town and its rules and secrets. I absolutely loved the otherworldly aspects of the book and wish we could have experienced even more of it. This was a zombie novel that is nothing like any before it. I truly thought I wasn't going to enjoy it and found myself very excited by it in the end.

What disappointed me: Rebekkah rubbed me the wrong way most of the time. She was so back and forth with Byron, not from denial of her feelings, but rather from misplaced guilt over something that happened so many years before. She was strong one moment and weak the next. She wanted out of Claysville as soon as possible, but agrees to stay with almost no prodding. She was a tough character to care about because she was so hard to figure out what she actually wanted.

Recommended: Not the conventional bloody mayhem zombie novel, but I think most will find themselves pleasantly surprised by Graveminder.

Graveminder is the story of a strange little town that has strict and eerie restrictions, particularly about their dead. Despite this it is a peaceful and harmonious place to live. The main character, Rebekah, inherits the post of Graveminder after the death of her grandmother. She learns this position has the unique task of keeping the dead peaceful. This is a challenge since the town has begun to be plagued by a hungry living-dead woman. Rebekah is also a restless spirit who rebels against the idea of settling down, whether it is to the local man she has always loved or a job. During the process of bereavement she becomes part of the manifestation of the magic of her little hometown which alters her perceptions of her life forever.

Marr has created an absorbing world, one filled with an enchanting charm and tranquility. Her protagonists are realistic and likeable characters. This novel has a unique storyline that thrills and enthralls the reader. Recommended!

Rebekkah Barrow returns home to Claysville to attend the funeral of her beloved grandmother, Maylene who was murdered just like Beks' stepsister Ella. However, Beks is unaware that she has been chosen to replace her grandma who attended all funerals and told the dead to "sleep well and stay where I put you" as the town Graveminder. The function requires the person to provide food to the deceased so they remain in the Land of the Dead and not that of the living.

At the same time her former lover Byron Montgomery has become the Undertaker replacing his father William. The Undertaker works closely with the Graveminder as they have for centuries. As the pair diligently hunt for Daisha the teen who may have been murdered and has joined the Hungry Dead because they will assault the living of Claysville.

With a great spin to the zombie mythos, this haunting dark thriller hooks the reader once Beks comes home from San Diego as the new Graveminder accompanied by the new Undertaker Byron struggle in their new unwanted positions. Two rookies with limited mentoring available must make everything right before the Hungry Dead begin to leave town in this exhilarating horror fantasy.

Harriet Klausner

Melissa Marr has a true talent for writing darkly rich stories. Graveminder is no exception: the first half of the book is tense with ominous atmosphere; the second half - after we have a bit more idea what is going on - flows with gothic beauty.

The world that Marr builds here is also very rich. Even after we learn what is really going on in Claysville we clearly have no idea what's really going on - and we desperately want to know.

Next to the first class world-building and atmopshere, the plot and characterization come across looking a little pallid. While there is a spark between the lead characters, neither of them feels quite deep enough to grow that spark into a true romance.

In addition, the story bogs down a bit in the middle and the Hungry Dead mystery resolves a little too simply at the end. I suspect, looking back, that I missed a good bit of the foreshadowing - interpreting it as atmosphere when I should have been paying more attention to the details.

I am fascinated to see what the next Graveminder book brings. If nothing else, I look forward to dipping back into the dark beauty of Marr's writing.

[Originally posted at DarkUrbanFantasy.]

"Sleep well, and stay where I put you." caught my eye right away when reading the book description. Melissa Marr is the author of 17 books including the Wicked Lovely young adult series. Although I have never read any of Ms. Marr's books I liked the description of this book. Rebekkah Barrow comes back to her hometown of Claysville to continue the ritual, as the 'Graveminder' that the Barrow women have been doing for a very long time. Byron Montgomery, a former lover, is next in line to be the 'Undertaker'. Each male member of the Montgomery family has been the Undertaker also for a very long time. It seems that the dead will walk if the graveminder does not perform the ritual. A very unusual story to say the least. It was a page turner and the paranormal aspect was very suspenseful especialy with one of the dead creating havoc in Claysville. I found myself engrossed in the relationship between Byron and Rebekkah although I have to say that I found the underworld to be a bit unsettling. A very creepy story but I did enjoy it. I can definitely see that this could be a series if the author so choses to write more. I recommend this book for fans of Melissa Marr and her other books.

I have read Marr's Wicked Lovely series and really liked the first couple of books in the series, but not so much the latter ones. While Wicked Lovely is aimed towards teenagers, Graveminder is an adult book. It is about a woman, who inherits the "job" of making sure the dead stay dead due to an agreement the town's founders made with who they thought, at the time, was the devil. If she does not follow the rituals after somebody dies, the dead will come back.
Marr did a wonderful job of bringing the town to life and setting an eerie mood. The story could have moved a little quicker, and the main characters were not bad, but at the same time, they were not anything special. I did not find myself sympathizing with them or really caring too much about them. The land of the dead was portrayed very interestingly, and the characters that reside there were more mysterious and exciting than the main ones.
All in all, she did a great job with the setting and a somewhat mediocre one with the characters. Still, it's a good book and worth reading.

This was an excellent summer read- truly gothic, being chilling without gore or too much horror. I love the mythology and world that Melissa Marr set up, which she did gracefully. Her use of language and her imaginative concepts were charming. Of all the elements in her book, I disliked the central romance the most. It didn't have much tension, as the setup allowed it to be a foregone conclusion.

The primary tension of the book, and thus the enjoyable part, was centered around the task/challenge of the main character, Rebekkah. And because of that, as soon as it ended I wanted to read more. Not about the character, per se, but about the world. I'd love to see prequels, following the stories of Rebekkah's predecessors. Marr dropped some tantalizing hints about these characters, and my interest is definitely piqued.

I'd recommend this for fans of traditional gothic, supernatural, and the like. Also anyone looking for a fun read (especially while camping).

When dead things start walking (and eating) again, the task falls on Byron and Rebekkah to put things right. Having inhereited their posts from their successors (Byron's father and Rebekkah's grandmother), they struggle to figure out which end is up when they realize the rules for their little hometown are unlike any other. And when things heat up (and then cool off) between them, things just keep on getting weirder around town.

I loved the premise of this book, which was a welcome relief from the vampire/witch/werewolf/paranormal sagas. In Graveminder, I think Melissa Marr has made a successful jump from YA to adult writing, and I'd be interested in reading a sequel. It feels as if the ending made way for that possibility, so I'm looking forward to it. Sure, the writing could be a little more adult, and yeah, maybe we don't need everything reiterated to us, and perhaps Rebekkah's irrational refusals of Byron's love are a little overdone--but it's still a good story with a lot of promise and I enjoyed it.

I very much enjoyed Graveminder. There's a definite mystery behind Maylene's actions and her role as Graveminder.

Maylene's murder at the start of the novel alerts us to the dangers and unusual culture at Claysville as well as to Byron Montgomery. Byron has recently returned to Claysville after a successful career in law enforcement in the outside world. He approaches Maylene's death with the professional skills that he'd developed over the years and finds the town's secrecy and approach to Mayelene's death frustrating and disconcerting.

When Rebekkah returns, Bryon finds that he is as much in love with her now as when they were teens. Fortunately, Rebekkah seems to welcome him back into her life. They work together and as they search for who caused Maylene's death.

Graveminder combines a love story with mystery and magic. It's a captivating and engrossing read.

ISBN-10: 0061826871 - Hardcover
Publisher: William Morrow (May 17, 2011) 336 pages.
Review cover courtesy of the publisher.

This is a unique story with a paranormal viewpoint I haven't encountered before. The creatures aren't quite ghosts, and aren't quite zombies, but something in between.

Something else that stood out were all the old fashioned names. It helped to draw attention to the fact that the entire town was slightly set apart from the rest of the world. It is not often that you encounter such older names and spellings, and to meet several of them in one place made them stand out.

Upon finishing the book, I immediately thought this could be the start of a fun series. Rebekkah and Byron have just taken their roles, and are sure to face some exciting adventures in the future. I'd love to read more of those adventures.

Overall, this was a fun book that I would definitely recommend. There was some annoying repetition in the first part of the story, but once the action starts, it's quite the ride.

I enjoyed the Twilight and Wicked Lovely series, but when both of the authors moved to the adult genre, I found myself adoring their new works all the more. The Host and Graveminder really showcased the ability of the authors to fluctuate between Teen and Adult. Actually I enjoyed Graveminder more than her Wicked Lovely series because of the content and dark plotline.

The premise of the book is that there is a town called Claysville. Every citizen born in Claysville stays there, baring accidents and murders, grows to 80 healthily, oh and sometimes the dead come back as the Hungry Dead. It's this last weird trait of the town that causes the need for a Graveminder and an Undertaker. It's also what drives the story forward and is the cause of a great many problems. I won't rehash to plotline, but I will tell you that it is indeed convoluted, twisted and I absolutely love it. This is an adult novel, so you can't expect some of the more straightforward Young Adult/Teen plotlines. In Marr's new novel there are worlds within worlds, the Graveminder is half of the dead, half alive, the intricate ways Charles/Mr. D's own world works, then the shocker at the end that his is a new world and there were many others. I loved that I had to think through the book. I loved how the characters reacted. I really hope that Marr chooses to continue this story line, because frankly I really want to see more of the dead and Rebekkah's own struggle between her desire for life and death.

I recommend this read to anyone who enjoys darker fiction novels. Marr has moved to a new genre, and has done a fantastic job of standing out from others as well as her previous series. Enjoy!

Graveminder, written by the talented Melissa Marr, author of the Wicked Lovely Series, brings a new and engaging tale of a woman whose destiny is to mind the dead, "Sleep well, and stay where I put you" is what Maylene Barrow would whisper to the recently deceased. When she dies suddenly, her reluctant granddaughter, Rebekkah Barrow, returns home and learns that she is to take her place as the town graveminder, with the help of her ex-lover, Byron, the town's new undertaker. Although still greiving the loss of their loved ones, Rebekkah and Byron will discover the truth behind her grandmother's death and just who kept the walking dead from being minded.

This story had everything I love in a book; engaging well-fleshed out characters, a dark and engrossing story, a little angst and romance. It was a great book that kept me enthralled from start to finish. This book was simply brilliant and I could not put this one down.

Unusual and enjoyable. Wasn't sure what to expect, but there was an unexpected twist. I would read a sequel or "continuing adventures" in this world. The main, and several supporting characters have room to grow. Interesting too of an iceberg.

This book sounds more interesting than it really is. The beginning is slow and doesn't pick up for a few chapters. The book starts off explaining about a murder of Rebekkah's grandmother and it goes on to explain all the things she has done for Rebekkah. The book goes on about the murder a few times, and meeting old friends. Rebekkah learns how the living and the dead are connected in ways unimaginable. This book does have some good parts but it kept slowing down alot so I barely managed to finish this book and its difficult as I am a fan of Melissa Marr's other books. So I gave this book 3 stars.

This was truly an entertaining and different read. Being a big fan of urban fantasy, I had no problem getting into the heart of the story and it was definitely worth it. The story takes place in a small town called Claysville where a young Rebekkah has returned after the death of her grandmother. There she discovers that things are not what they seem and that her grandmother had an important role in the town. Now, Rebekkah must take her place and in doing so, discovers another world that she was not aware existed.
This is not your run of the mill urban fantasy heroine; Rebekkah does have special powers, but she does not have the fighting abilities that are apparent in other fantasy fiction. The story seemed a bit more realistic and spookier because of it. Also unlike other fantasy fiction, it is not habitated by vampires, werewolves and the usual fare. One of the only supernatural creatures is the dead and they are represented in an interesting manner. Not having read Melissa Marr's young adult fiction, I had no expectations when I read this book, but I found it to be an easy read and very creative in its approach. Fans of fantasy fiction, zombie novels and out of the ordinary books might find this book enjoyable.

Claysville is a town with an ancient secret and a bargain which has given them much, but costs so much more. Now it's Rebekkah's turn to come home and take up the mantle of the Graveminder. The one person, along with her Undertaker, who can lay the dead properly to rest. Can Rebekkah learn what she was born to do before the Hungry Dead take over the town?

Graveminder is an eerie American Gothic-style novel. A departure from her young-adult novels, Graveminder is in a class of its' own. Beautifully written prose creating a unique world with intriguing characters, Graveminder is a book which will worm its' way into your heart and mind. I hope to see more books set in Claysville, I've greatly enjoyed Ms. Marr's young adult books and I am most definitely in love with Graveminder!

"Graveminder" is about Rebekkah Barrow, who returns to her hometown of Claysville after the murder of her grandmother. Bek grew up helping her grandmother tend graves and watching as she performed an odd ritual at funerals, complete with the words "Sleep well, and stay where I put you." It turns out that these words have special meaning in Claysville as the dead in this town are somehow connected to the living. Rebekkah must learn to fill the role that her grandmother left behind, complete with the help of the current undertaker and her long-ago childhood love, Bryon.

This book was good but not great. I loved the setting and the world-building. The description of the town and the land of the dead were vivid and well done, especially contrasting the way that Bek and Byron viewed them. I liked Daisha's parts too--Marr did a good job of making you care about a character that would be easy to hate.

Overall, the characterization left something to be desired. I felt as if some of the minor characters like Amity or Bek's cousins had a lot of potential to be more interesting, but were rushed. The love story between Byron and Bek left a lot to be desired--it seemed as if there was never any true conflict besides Rebekkah being melodramatic. Plus any scene with Charlie/Mr. D (who really ought to be the most interesting character in the book!) was just kind of slow and didn't tie into the rest of the book very well.

Graveminder is Marr's debut for adults. This book flows in the same way YA does, as it never gets bogged down in prose.

Rebekkah Barrow doesn't like to be tied down. She moves from place to place and never gets involved in romantic entanglements. It would seem she is fated to live the life of a nomad. However, Rebekkah is called back to the one town, Claysville, that feels like home for her when step-grandmother Maylene is brutally murdered. Waiting for Rebekkah is old flame, Byron Montgomery.However, Claysville is hiding a secret and it is up to Byron and Rebekkah to take on roles of Undertaker and Graveminder and set things to rights.

Ya'll this book is completely absorbing. I find myself utterly engaged by southern Gothic novels, and Graveminder is no different. I love the small town feel. I love reading about places where people take care of their own. I loved the dark paranormal elements and the way they were woven in, so the elements felt natural and real. Plus when you stir in the tempestuous relationship between Rebekkah and Byron, you have got a winner.

The chapters are brief, with only a handful of pages. I found that made Graveminder easy to set down before sleeping and easy to pick up with my morning coffee.

I highly recommend Graveminder if you are a YA fan looking for an adult read, or if you've grown tired of navel gazing and especially for those of us who love a good down home read served with a side of paranormal mystery.