Graveminder

Graveminder is a 2011 Gothic mystery novel by Melissa Marr. The novel was released on May 17, 2011 by William Morrow and Company and follows a young woman that returns to her hometown to discover that she is expected to fill the supernatural shoes of her now deceased grandmother.[1] In 2011 Graveminder won the 2011 Goodreads Readers Choice Award for "Best Horror".[2]

Graveminder
First edition US cover for Graveminder
AuthorMelissa Marr
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
GenreFantasy, Mystery, Gothic
PublisherWilliam Morrow and Company
Publication date
May 17, 2011
Media typePrint
Pages336 pages
ISBN0061826871

Synopsis

The book follows Rebekkah Barrow, a woman that returns to the small town of Claysville in order to attend the funeral of her grandmother Maylene. She remembers that Maylene always attended the funerals of each townsperson, always taking three sips from a flask and telling the dead to "sleep well and stay where I put you". Once back in Claysville, Rebekkah meets up with her old love interest Byron Montgomery and discovers that she is expected to perform the same ritual that her grandmother did for each funeral, as she is the new Graveminder. Not only is Rebekkah the new Graveminder, but Byron is her Undertaker and her helper in placing the dead back in their grave if the ritual is not performed exactly right. When performed incorrectly or not at all, the dead will walk the earth in an attempt to fulfill their hungers, which is exactly what happens. Rebekkah is soon drawn into a web of secrets, bargains, secret worlds, and murder that threatens to ruin the peace of those in Claysville.

Characters
  • Rebekkah Barrow
  • Byron Montgomery
  • William Montgomery
  • Elaine
  • Amity Blue
  • Cecilia "Cissy" Barrow
  • Troy
  • Daisha
  • Maylene Barrow
  • Chris the Sheriff
  • Bonnie Jean Blue
  • Nicolas Whittaker
  • Mr. D or Charlie or Charles
  • Alicia Barrow
  • Ward

Reception

Critical reception for Graveminder was mostly positive,[3][4] garnering positive reviews from NPR and Publishers Weekly.[5][6] A reviewer for the Independent remarked that the book was "lifeless" while the Journal Gazette remarked that the book had "repetitive conversations [that] suck some of the energy out of the plot" but gave an overall positive review.[7][8] USA Today and Kirkus Reviews both praised the entry, with USA Today calling it "a creatively creepy gothic tale for grown-ups".[9][10]

Awards

References
  1. "June 2011 • Issue 605 • Vol. 66 No. 6". Locus Magazine. Retrieved 30 October 2012.
  2. "Goodreads users select the best books of 2011". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 27 November 2012.
  3. Lytle, Betty. "Ghosts, zombies and suspense fill 'Graveminder'". News OK. Retrieved 30 October 2012.
  4. "Graveminder Melissa Marr". SF Site. Retrieved 30 October 2012.
  5. "Fiction Review: Graveminder". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 30 October 2012.
  6. Weldon, Glen. "Mind-Bending Sci-Fi Books For A Fantastical Summer". NPR. Retrieved 30 October 2012.
  7. Evans, David (19 February 2012). "Graveminder, By Melissa Marr". London: Independent. Retrieved 30 October 2012.
  8. "'Cozy horror story' an enchanting read". Journal Gazette. Retrieved 30 October 2012.
  9. Memmott, Carol (28 May 2011). "The undead walk in 'Graveminder'". USA Today. Retrieved 30 October 2012.
  10. "Review: Graveminder". Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved 30 October 2012.


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