Graveminder

Graveminder by Melissa Marr
Review copy provided by William Morrow
Description from Goodreads:

Three sips to mind the dead . . .

The New York Times and internationally bestselling author of the Wicked Lovely series delivers her first novel for adult audiences-a captivating story of the living, the dead, and the curse that binds them indelibly to two special families, the Barrows and the Montgomerys:

Maylene Barrow bears a special responsibility in the town of Claysville, a duty to the newly departed that keeps all she knows and loves safe.

Rebekkah Barrow, Maylene's granddaughter, left Claysville a decade ago, trying to put painful memories behind her.

William Montogomery has been Claysville's Undertaker and Maylene's best friend for a lifetime.

Byron Montgomery, following in his father's footsteps as the town's new undertaker, is tied to the Barrow women-first Rebekkah's dead sister Ella and now Rebekkah--in ways he is only beginning to understand.

But evil has been let loose in Claysville and now Maylene is dead. It falls to Rebekkah to return to the town--and the man--she left behind to stop a monster and keep the dead in their place.. .

My take:
I was so pleasantly surprised at how much I loved this book. I have only read one other book by Melissa Marr, and while I liked the book, it wasn't my favorite.  Graveminder, however, was so intriguing, that I could barely make myself stop reading to attend to life matters.

I loved the setting, the quiet little town, the fact that Rebekkah and Byron feel a pull back home every time they leave. Rebekkah knows her grandmother plays a special role for the town, but she isn't aware of just how special and that it is an inherited role - until it becomes her role.   The premise of this book is just very interesting - I was fascinated as the story unfolded. The concept behind why Maylene had to mind the dead to keep them where she put them is very original - not at all what I would consider a regular zombie story.

The world building was well done and the characters are either appealing or you love to hate them. The story is tense and dark and so wonderfully gothic.

I hate to get too specific about storyline for those who haven't read the book yet. This is one book that you will want experience for yourself without extra information. I loved the way the story unfolded, slowly revealing the role the graveminder and undertaker play in the town.  This is one of my favorite southern gothic novels now.

From what I've read, I think this is a stand alone book, but I would love to read more about this world and the stories of previous Graveminders and Undertakers. There is just enough of their story explained or hinted at to make me really want to read more. I was quite satisfied by the plot, characters and ending of the book, but I wouldn't say no to another book. (hint)

Beautiful Creatures

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
Summary from Goodreads:
Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she’s struggling to conceal her power and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps, and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.

Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town’s oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them.

In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything

My take:
I've been procrastinating writing this review - not because I didn't like the book -- I really really loved this book. I was just afraid that I would either not write what I meant or start gushing over it. I think that Beautiful Creatures really stands out among other books in this genre.  I loved that I had just read To Kill a Mockingbird and I still had all the Southern Gothic imagery in my head. There are numerous references to TKAM throughout Beautiful Creatures -- Macon Ravenwood, the town recluse, is referred to as Gatlin's Boo Radley and later he is compared to Atticus Finch to name just two such references. And, my favorite TKAM reference, Macon names his dog Boo Radley, perhaps his way of laughing at his reputation with the citizens of Gatlin.

The atmosphere in the book is so southern -- I could almost feel the humidity while reading it. There is a Civil War storyline, of course, which ties directly into the modern story of Ethan and Lena.  There is a bit of magic in addition to the mysterious Ravenwood family and their "abilities" and the amazing house Macon and Lena live in.

The story is fast-paced and I was completely caught up in the storyline of Ethan and Lena's growing relationship, their trying to cope with Lena's powers and all the ways the towns people found to blame Lena for everything. And then there is the issue of her family - this tale certainly makes for a page turner. I am pretty certain there is much more to be learned about Ethan's mother as well as possibly the librarian. I am anxiously awaiting my chance to read Beautiful Darkness.