Rowena’s review of Graveminder by Melissa Marr.
Hero: Byron Montgomery
Heroine: Rebekkah Barrows
Three sips to mind the dead . . .
Rebekkah Barrow never forgot the attention her grandmother Maylene bestowed upon the dead of Claysville, the small town where Bek spent her adolescence. There wasn’t a funeral that Maylene didn’t attend, and at each one Rebekkah watched as Maylene performed the same unusual ritual: She took three sips from a silver flask and spoke the words “Sleep well, and stay where I put you.”Now Maylene is dead, and Bek must go back to the place she left a decade earlier. She soon discovers that Claysville is not just the sleepy town she remembers, and that Maylene had good reason for her odd traditions. It turns out that in Claysville the worlds of the living and the dead are dangerously connected; beneath the town lies a shadowy, lawless land ruled by the enigmatic Charles, aka Mr. D. If the dead are not properly cared for, they will come back to satiate themselves with food, drink, and stories from the land of the living. Only the Graveminder, by tradition a Barrow woman, and her Undertaker—in this case Byron Montgomery, with whom Bek shares a complicated past—can set things right once the dead begin to walk.Although she is still grieving for Maylene, Rebekkah will soon find that she has more than a funeral to attend to in Claysville, and that what awaits her may be far worse: dark secrets, a centuries-old bargain, a romance that still haunts her, and a frightening new responsibility—to stop a monster and put the dead to rest where they belong.
Melissa Marr is an author that I’ve been itching to try but haven’t ever gotten around to it. When this book came up for review, I had to have it and I had to read it. I’m not at all unhappy with my decision.
This book is about two people with a shared history, coming together after years apart to take on the jobs that they were both destined for. Byron Montgomery is back in Claysville to take over the job of Undertaker for his Dad. Rebekkah Barrow is back in town because her grandmother is dead. Things work a lot differently in Claysville than they do anywhere else on the globe. If you’re born in Claysville, you stay in Claysville. Byron and Rebekkah are linked together through the jobs that they took over for Rebekkah’s grandmother and Byron’s Dad.
Back when they were younger, Byron dated Rebekkah’s cousin. Byron developed feelings for Rebekkah (and she for him) but after the cousin dies, Rebekkah’s guilt keeps her far away from Byron. Byron has loved Rebekkah for most of his life and knows that he won’t ever love any other woman the way he loves her. When they’re back in Claysville together, Byron does his best to be there for Rebekkah because she has no one left, the only family that claimed her was Maylene and with Maylene gone now, it’s up to Rebekkah to take over the task of being Claysville Graveminder.
The job of Graveminder is passed on generation after generation to a Barrow’s woman and Rebekkah’s next up in line. Every Graveminder has an Undertaker that stays by their side through thick and thin and Rebekkah’s Undertaker is none other than Byron Montgomery. The only man she’s ever loved and the only man she’ll never allow herself to love because of the memory of her cousin (which to my dismay, I have forgotten her name).
The story was an interesting story and while it is a romance, it’ s not a romance that I usually read. The story does revolve around Bekkah and Byron but for the most part, the story revolves around the Graveminders, the Undertakers and the mystery surrounding who’s killing the good citizens of Claysville. While I did enjoy the book, I found myself wanting more from the romance building between Byron and Bekkah. I also found that Bekkah’s stubbornness at not wanting to be with Byron because of this, that and the other had me frustrated throughout most of the book because goodness, get over yourself and get with him already. The way that she stringed him along made me want to smack some damn sense into her.
The ending for this book came about quickly as well and that’s a testament to how well Melissa Marr is with weaving a story. The world she created for Claysville was dark and gritty but still enjoyable to get acquainted with. The people were interesting and I really enjoyed getting to know Byron. Rebekkah ended up being a strong heroine that I came to admire and the story leaves off, dangling the possibility of a second book so I’m mighty intrigued to see what happens next.
Overall, it was an enjoyable way to spend a few hours but the romance left me wanting more.
Grade: 3.5 out of 5
This book is available from Harper Collins. You can buy it here or here in e-format.
“Graveminder” is one of those books that I wanted to love because the concept was so interesting, but didn’t. First, the good. Melissa Marr does an excellent job building the dark, creepy atmosphere. It’s almost as if every scene has a shadow cast over it, muting any potential levity and creating an aura of menace. The town of Claysville, on the surface, seems so wholesome and innocent: it’s a safe place where people live healthy, uneventful lives. But the price of this safety is the creation of Graveminder and Undertaker, and the evil forces they must keep tamped down at all times. It’s a perfectly promising premise for a horror novel.