Guest Review: Graveminder by Melissa Marr

Prior to reading Graveminder, I’d already read Melissa Marr’s Wicked Lovely series, which I really enjoyed. She has a beautiful writing style, one that’s straightforward, yet compelling. Graveminder is set in a completely different world from Wicked Lovely. Where instead of faeries, they have to worry about the dead being put properly to rest....and you don’t really want to see what happens when they aren’t, but hey, without that...there wouldn’t be a story, would there? :P

I don’t read many books that could be categorized as horror, but with Graveminder, while it was a darker story, I never once categorized it as being “horrific.” It isn’t over-the-top or gratuitous, which “horror” often is in mind, although maybe that’s just the movies. :P Anyway, I think that even people who aren’t big fans of horror would still like this one. Personally, I prefer to watch my horror movies rather than read about them, but with Graveminder, I really didn’t mind reading about it. Not only is Graveminder full of action and darker aspects that intrigue the reader, it’s also got a complicated romance which keeps it from getting too dark.

I liked getting to read Bek’s story. She was a fantastic narrator, and I really liked her. She was strong, independent, and while she may have protested too much at times, I loved how dedicated she was to Maylene, especially since they weren’t actual blood relatives. I also loved Byron, the undertaker. ;) They had some amazing chemistry, and the way their past was revealed was convoluted and given to the reader in parts, which I actually really enjoyed. I liked that there was some mystery in their past, and it kept me compelled with the romance aspect. There was also an element of mystery surrounding the graveminding aspect. It took a while for the truth of it to be revealed, for Bek to figure out what she doing...and also to figure out how Maylene, her grandmother, was killed, and the most convoluted and mysterious part of it all...who was the one responsible for it.

The most fascinating aspect of the story for me, aside from the romance (which I’m always a sucker for), was the history of the Graveminders and Undertakers. I liked learning about them, Mr.D, and the tradition behind why they did their duties, and the intricacies that were involved between the Graveminders and Undertakers. I’d definitely read another book about Graveminders and Undertakers just so that I could learn some more. :P

Overall, Graveminder is a fabulous story that will keep you on your toes, and while it differs from Melissa Marr’s Wicked Lovely series, I think that fans that enjoyed the series will also enjoy this one. If you’re a fan of original supernatural and paranormal stories, you’ll love this one, and it will definitely pique your interest if you like reading about reinventions of the afterlife.


This book was reviewed by Ambur from Burning Impossibly Bright- you can check out more of her awesome book reviews here. Thanks Ambur, this sounds like a creepy and exciting story, and I'm always a sucker for a good romance too :)

Guest Review: Boys, Bears, and a Serious Pair of Hiking Boots by Abby McDonald

Boys, Bears, and a Serious Pair of Hiking Boots is about Jenna, a vegetarian with some extreme eco-ideals. To avoid being stuck in Florida with her mother and grandmother for the summer, as her parents planned, she concocts some plans of her own. These plans involve going to stay with her godmother, Susie, her new husband, and her stepdaughter in Canada. While there, Jenna learns how to deal with nature, unfriendly new acquaintances, and she finds a survival guide, which she applies to surviving the woes of being a teenager, as well as the wilderness.

This may seem like just a light summer read, but it is so much more than that. The characters are real, and pretty awesome...once they start to actually let Jenna in...at first, they were pretty mean to her. All in all though, I thought that Abby McDonald did an amazing job at making all of the characters so realistic. They had real problems, and they actually spoke like real people too. It’s always nice when characters don’t speak like robots...I hate when dialogue doesn’t seem natural, but with Boys, Bears, and a Serious Pair of Hiking Boots, Abby pulls of the dialogue perfectly. I especially liked that she didn’t try and make the kids have weird lingo just because Jenna went up to Canada...we aren’t that different you know. :P

I also loved the evolution of relationships. Fiona, Susie’s stepdaughter, was such a bag to her at first, but as the book went on, she started to open up, and she realized that if she kept treating everyone so poorly...she wouldn’t have any friends left. Jenna was the one to point that out to her, and I loved that, it showed Jenna’s growth, and I loved that she was also sticking up for her godmother, Susie. Fiona actually turned out to be an alright character...which kind of surprised me. Oh, and the boys...well, they were definitely jerks at first...jerks or just plain oblivious, but I liked how Jenna didn’t give up. She’s persistent if nothing else, and she made sure they gave her a chance to show that she wasn’t a snob who looked down upon the small-town hicks as they referred to themselves. I especially liked Ethan and Reeve, for two completely different reasons, but I don’t want you to be spoiled, so I’ll let you read it and see if you like them, too.

I really liked Boys, Bears, and a Serious Pair of Hiking Boots. I think it’s a great book to pick up for a summer read, or one to pick up when you’re feeling like you want something a bit different because Jenna isn’t your typical YA heroine, and this isn’t your typical light and fluffy read. It broaches on some serious topics, but it doesn’t really dwell on them, mostly it just reminds you that they’re there. This story also reminds you that you don’t have to always do everything to the extreme. Jenna learns that throughout this story. She sees that her extreme ideals don’t fit everywhere, and that sometimes you have to make adjustments to what you believe because not every situation is black and white. I think that people who enjoy contemporary stories, but prefer character development to romance, would love this one. There is romance, but I think this story is more about Jenna’s growth with a bit of romance thrown in. ;)

Release Date: April 13th, 2010
Pages: 304
Source: ARC From Publisher
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This book was reviewed by Ambur from Burning Impossibly Bright- you can check out more of her awesome book reviews here. Thanks Ambur, this sounds like a fun and spunky book that I look forward to reading someday!

Guest Review: Reality is Broken by Jane McGonigal

I would like to thank Patrick Murphy for taking the time to read and review Reality is Broken for In The Next Room.

On the one hand, Reality is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World is a book about games. It talks about a lot of different games, in a lot of different contexts, and even gives some explanations on how to play a few that the author has created as well as some of the more popular games of our day. Video games, board games, even Mary Poppins-style “Let’s clean up the nursery” games, all are touched on within in the pages of this book.

On the other, stronger, better developed and generally more handy of hands, Reality is Broken is about happiness. Specifically, it is a book about the psychology of human happiness. What we want, what makes us happy, and we might go about setting ourselves up for happiness both personally and globally.

Broken into three parts (“Why games make us happy”, “Reinventing reality”, and “How very big games can change the world”), Jane McGonigal takes us through a brief history of how games have impacted upon human happiness throughout the ages and shows us how we can use games to make real improvements in the real world that we all live in. From small things like cleaning the house to huge collaboration efforts like the various wikis online, McGonigal shows us the power that games can have in the real world. Improve your life, and have fun doing it!

I really liked this book. The writing is quick and accessible. The tone is light-hearted, but it still takes its subject matter seriously. Reality is Broken takes on some big issues, and reassures us that not only are the problems soluble, but we have the tools for finding solutions right at our fingertips today, in the form of the people that we pass in the street every day.

I especially appreciated the style of writing. You don’t have to be a gamer to enjoy McGonigal’s enthusiasm for the power of games, and while she does use some terms that are common in gamer-speak like “pwn” or “epic win”, she takes the time to explain both the context and the meaning of those words and phrases. This affords the book a great deal of accessibility to gamers and non-gamers alike, and gives us a clearer picture of how gamers see themselves and the world.

The pacing is also really good. There are a variety of quotes from famous personalities about the importance of games sprinkled throughout the text, and there is never really a dull spot in the book. While the author deals with a lot of studies and research, she is careful to spice things up with anecdotes about how these things have played out in her own life and the lives of people she knows. Stories of dealing with illness or conferences with leading game designers help give us a glimpse into the author’s world and make it easy to identify with what she is saying and why it is important.

I must admit, however, that the unwavering optimism and enthusiasm itself can be a bit draining at times, particularly towards the end where Dr. McGonigal deals with the real potential impact that games can have on our future. Maybe it is the cynic in me, but I have some difficulty in staying bright and chipper in light of the magnitude of some of the problems that she addresses.

That said, I would still enthusiastically recommend Reality is Broken to any and everyone. It is an interesting read with some fun ideas for gamer and non-gamer alike.

Patrick Murphy is a graduate student at Acadia University in Canada. He mostly studies, with the odd video or poker game thrown in to keep life interesting in between readings.

Release Date: January 20th, 2011
Pages: 400
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This review was a part of TLC Book Tours. Click here to read what other tour hosts thought. For the purpose of this review I was provided with a copy of the book which did not require a positive review. The opinions expressed in this post are completely my own.