Graveminder

Brilliant adult fantasy debut

There are some books that are so good that you can't put them down and read them until your eyelids close on you. There are books that you try to read fast because it grips you so tight that you wanna get to the end and then when it ends you wished you'd read slower just to draw it out. This is one of those books. I woke up this morning with 40 pages left and it killed me all morning to sit at work. Thank the gods for lunchtime. Now I'm wishing that I hadn't devoured it so quickly because I wasn't ready to say goodbye to the world. Guess that means I'm gonna have to re-read it.

I loved Melissa's YA series, Wicked Lovely, and had been looking forward to this book for months. It did not disappoint. The world she has created is unique, the characters are brilliantly written, the romance between Rebekkah, the Graveminder and Byron, the Undertaker, was hauntingly beautiful and I really hope this is only the beginning.

Way to go, Melissa! Your first adult fantasy novel was spec-frakkin-tacular!

22 out of 23 people found this review helpful.

A love story with mystery and magic - a captivating and engrossing read!

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.

12 out of 12 people found this review helpful.

An exhilarating horror fantasy

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 willl 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

4 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

Great read!

I really liked this book. It brought the paranormal novel to an adult audience in a really smart way. I had incredible difficulty putting this book down. Marr's characters are well fleshed out and have great chemistry as characters, in addition to a great paranormal twist to the storyline. I definitely recommend this book.

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

A Bit of a LetDown

I was attracted to this book for weeks before I finally bought it. I started off really into the story and the main character. Then it went from I couldn't put it down to totally predictable. I have to disagree with most of the reviews. It wasn't that it was a bad story it just wasn't as captivating as I thought it was going to be. It' an ok read.

2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

scariest book of the season!

by chapeter one you will be looking over your shoulder noticing no one there, and yet....
Keeps you racing to find out what happens to Bek, Boyd and others... will they survive or can the graveminder stop this "thing" before it rips the city apart...your going to need to keep the lights on, even in the middle of the day!

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

LOVE THIS AUTHOR !!!!!

MELISSA MARR IS GREAT! I LOVED HER WICKED LOVELY SERIES.

AS FAR AS ONE OF OUR FELLOW BARNES AND NOBLE READERS IS CONCERNED, REGARDING THE PRICE, SHE IS RIGHT. WE WERE PROMISED 9.99, AND SOMEONE SEEMS TO BE GETTING GREEDY. WETHER YOU AGREE WITH THEM OR NOT, ISN'T THERE SOMETHING CALLED FREEDOM OF SPEECH? THEY CAN SAY WHAT THEY LIKE REGARDING THE MATERIAL. JUST AS YOU GUYS CAN. I WAS SURPRISED AT HOW RUDE ALOT OF THE RESPONSES ARE. EVERYONE HAS THE RIGHT TO THERE OWN OPINION FOLKS. AND TELL ME WHERE ELSE EXACTLY ARE THEY SUPPOSED TO VOICE THEIR GRIEVENCE OVER THE PRICE.

IT WOULD BE AS IF I SAID "IF YOU DON'T LIKE WHAT THE REVIEWERS ARE WRITING, THEN DON'T READ THE REVIEW!!!!! HUFF AND PUFF" GET ALL INDIGNANT. SERIOUSLY. WHY DON'T YOU GO AND READ LIBRARY BOOKS, SO YOU AREN'T SO OFFENDED BY THE REVIEWERS! NOW HOW STUPID DOES THAT SOUND? EXACTLY.

NOT ONLY ARE THEY RIGHT ABOUT THE PRICE OF THE D-I-G-I-T-A-L BOOKS, BUT YOU GUYS ARE BULLIES. NICE WORK PEOPLE.... :(

2 out of 6 people found this review helpful.

A book to bring to the GRAVE

melissa brings everything she's known for and added a whole lot more......

2 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

Highly Recommended

Another great Melissa Marr novel!

2 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

Loved it!

My review: It was the first Melissa Marr’s book for me. I have not read her YA books, so I did not have expectations to Graveminder either. I found the book in the book store and decided to read it. I enjoyed it. Graveminder was a spooky and fun book to read; it was well-written, the settings were good. Regarding the plot: The story starts with the death of Maylene, who is a caretaker of Claysville graveyard. After her death Rebekkah, the main character is moving into the house what Maylene left behind. Bek meets with a guy who she loved, with Byron, who works at his father’s funeral house. Strange things start to happen in Claysville and also with Bek who sees a dead girl. People in Claysville are dying in macabre ways and both Bek and Byron are trying to find out what is happening. Maylene’s family is also drawn into the story, where one of the family members is very envious and angry with Bek for reasons that Bek has no ideas about. Step by step Bek and Byronare getting closer to the reasons behind the deaths and clarifications who they really are – Undertaker and Graveminder. The idea behind the story was interesting and different from what I have read before. Melissa Marr created a world which was special and filled with captivating characters and interesting turns. Regarding the characters: I was sometimes little bit confused with Bek who seemed indecisive and weak in some situations. Otherwise she was well written, she was smart, intuitive. She had a broken heart which needs to be protected. She had difficulties of letting go with her past and trust issues – so very complex character. I liked Byron. He was like an anchor and light house for Bek – very supportive and patient with her. The supportive characters were good, too and some of them were better written than the main characters. Claysville with its history was an interesting place – no people got ill or diseases, people lived peacefully and yet, it was creepy to read about. There is something about the town which you cannot point out in the beginning of the story but as the story goes, the reader finds out about the deal with the Death. Daisha was an interesting character – dead, but still alive. I liked her – touched by evil and yet does the good deed. Generally: I really enjoyed Graveminder by Melissa Marr and I will definitely keep an eye on her future books, too. Graveminder had unique settings, a world which was fanciful and creepy. It was easy to read and it was real page turner!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Extremely disappointing!

I was extremely disappointed in this book. I had to force myself to finish reading it.

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

An original premise w/awesome writing!

Rebekkah has itchy feet and can't seem to settle down anywhere. She moves from place to place, as she never quite feels at home in any one location. The only home she really has is with her grandmother, who she visits periodically. Unbeknownst to Rebekkah, her grandmother is a Graveminder, tasked with keeping the dead at rest and their town safe. Rebekkah is her heir, but her grandmother wanted her to have a taste of freedom and kept postponing telling Rebekkah of her destiny. Suddenly, her grandmother is gone and Rebekkah faces the strangest on-the-job training anyone has ever known!

Helping the Graveminder with their duties is the Undertaker. Like Rebekkah, Byron wasn't told of his destiny until it was almost too late. They learn that the Graveminder and Undertaker are tied together, which may explain their lifelong attraction to each other. With no time to figure out their feelings for each other, Rebekkah and Byron must work together to deal with the threat to their town and figure out why the dead are suddenly so restless.

There are actually two mysteries in this book: why are the dead suddenly so restless, and what exactly are Rebekkah and Byron supposed to do to help? Unfortunately, the Graveminder's journals that her grandmother promised would answer Rebekkah's questions are missing, but at least they have the Undertaker's books. They are running out of time, as more and more residents are being attacked. I loved that I got so caught up in the story that I worried about what would happen next!

This was a great read! Haven't read anything similar to the graveminder/undertaker premise, and I really liked how Melissa kept us guessing. I enjoyed the relationship between Rebekkah and Byron, and understood her confusion even though I didn't agree with her hesitation (who wouldn't want a guy like Byron!?). Gave this a 4/5 as it was a great read, kept me guessing, and introduced me to something original, which I love! Melissa is a very talented author, and now I want to read more of her books!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Totally enjoyed this book and keep checking for a next!

Totally enjoyed this book and keep checking for a next!

Great read!

I really loved this book! I read it after having read the "Wicked Lovely" series and was not disappointed. Hoping for a sequel!

Wasnt quite what i expected but an overall entertaining read.

This started off well..i couldnt put it down but by the end it does get a little slow., and easy to figure out what will happen next. I was a little disappointed with the villain and thought a little less time could be spent on byron and rebekkah's relationship and more on the actual story. Overall though, a unique and entertaining booj.

Another good read by Melissa Marr

"Sleep well, and stay where I put you." Are you intrigued yet? This sentence is what sold me on this book. Melissa Marr has a fantastic way of sucking you into her stories. She is a phenomenal wordsmith. If you've been reading my reviews for awhile you'd know that I'm not a huge fan of anything to do with zombies. I loved Marr's Wicked Lovely series so I thought I'd take a chance on Graveminder. Once again Melissa Marr weaves a tale that you can't look away from.
Rebekkah Barrow or Bek left the town of Claysville hoping to make a life for herself anywhere else. She left her grandmother, torn relationships, and family drama behind her. However she never can seem to settle down. After the death of her beloved grandmother she returns to Claysville to take over her grandmother's unusual job as the town's graveminder. Bek is an interesting character. She has several internal struggles that hold her back in life.
What is a graveminder you ask? Basically it's Bek's job to keep the dead from rising. (It's a little more complicated than that but I don't want to spoil anything.) Which leads me to the zombies. The zombies in this book are a little different from the brainless zombies that are so popular. These zombies have the ability to think although they are still driven by their zombie instincts. Marr also plays up the mystery in the novel. There is a lot of mystery concerning not only the towns history but also the residents of Claysville. This element of the story is what kept me captivated. As far as the gruesome factor is concerned, there is some. However Marr doesn't go to far down that road.
Overall this book is a titillating story that grabs your attention from the start. I think this is a great book for people who don't like the gore of traditional zombie books. Melissa Marr has once again put out an entertaining read. Graveminder is written as an adult novel but I think it would be appeal to older teens as well.

Loved it!

Great read, very original!

Unfortunately it just isn't quite as fantastic as I was hoping it would be.

Claysville is a small town that keeps itself to itself. Very few people leave and those that do always find their way back.

Byron Montgomery thought he could leave Claysville behind but nowhere else is quite the same. Nowhere else is home. So he comes back to work with his father, the local undertaker.

Rebekkah Barrow only lived in Claysville for a few years but it's the closest thing she has to a home. When her grandmother Maylene is killed, Bek knows it's time to go home. Even if nothing about Claysville should feel like home without Maylene.

Seeing each other for the first time in years Rebekkah and Byron learn together that Claysville isn't a normal small town, Byron's father is more than the local undertaker, and Maylene may have had her reasons for attending every town funeral--reasons that had nothing to do with being eccentric and everything to do with keeping Claysville safe.

Maylene told Rebekkah everything she needs to know. Byron is ready to follow in his father's footsteps. Together will they be able to put everything right in Claysville before it's too late in Graveminder (2011) by Melissa Marr.

This is Melissa Marr's first novel that is not young adult. She is also the author of the Wicked Lovely series.

I should preface my thoughts by saying I haven't read any of Marr's other books. I am also not a fan of zombies (I'm on Team Unicorn).

Graveminder has all the makings of a really great story: a generations old curse, a small town, lots of secrets. The idea is clever and intriguing. The characters are varied and interesting. But all of that never gels together to make a cohesive book.

First and foremost, the story is too slow to get to the point. Marr throws readers right into the action with a promising prologue. Only to leave readers hanging until page 100 (of the Advanced Reader's Copy I read) to receive any kind of explanation about what is going on in Claysville and what role the Barrow and Montgomery families play in it. There is a fine balance between informing a reader and keeping a character in the dark until a key moment. Graveminder did not achieve that balance.

The other, bigger, problem with Graveminder is that Rebekkah is the protagonist of the story (the narrative viewpoint shifts between different characters with the bulk belonging to Byron and Rebekkah). She is important and vital and she is in many ways a hero in the plot. But she never feels real. Instead she comes across as one dimensional as if some important piece is missing. Byron is slightly better as a character (to be fair he is not bogged down with grief the way Rebekkah is at the beginning) but his unfailing devotion to Bek never feels quite realistic between her constantly pushing him away and his even more constant devotion.

Graveminder is an interesting addition to the world of American Gothics. Marr offers a unique premise and an original take on death, among other things. Unfortunately it just isn't quite as fantastic as I was hoping it would be.

Possible Pairings: Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris, Zombies Vs. Unicorns edited by Justine Larbalestier and Holly Black, Rot and Ruin by Jonathan Maberry, The Demon Trapper's Daughter by Jana Oliver, Generation Dead by Daniel Waters

Very Original - Highly Recommended

I was delighted by the characters and the storyline in this unusual and very original book. To think of generations of men and women tied to a town and it's cemeteries conjured up memories of people from my childhood who easily could have been the graveminders!

Was okay - not what I had expected

This book was just okay. I had read the first book of her Wicked Lovely series and felt the same way. I am not sure if I am just not connecting with the characters or the worlds that she creates, or if its something else. If this is a series I will not be continuing with it, it just didn't hold my interest enough.