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!