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Review Graveminder by Melissa Marr
Rebekkah Barrow never forgot the tender attention her grandmother, Maylene, bestowed upon the dead of Claysville, the town where Bek spent her adolescence. There wasn’t a funeral that Maylene didn’t attend, and at each Rebekkah watched as Maylene performed the same unusual ritual: three sips from a small silver flask followed by the words “Sleep well, and stay where I put you.” Now Maylene is dead and Bek must go back to the place–and the man–she left a decade ago. But what she soon discovers is that Maylene was murdered and that there was good reason for her odd traditions. It turns out that in placid 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–a place from which the dead will return if their graves are not properly minded. Only the Graveminder, a Barrow woman, and the current Undertaker, Byron, can set things to right once the dead begin to walk.
Graveminder is a different kind of paranormal novel. Its not polished. And I don’t mean that in a bad way, its more honest for its grittyness. Let me try to explain. Graveminders characters are deeply flawed. Resentful, blind to well most things, pissed off, frustrated, human. They’re achingly human which makes this a great and horrible story to read. Often we want our hero’s golden, wise accepting of their duties, we want them to have human qualities yes, but we want them to be better than we are. Bek and Byron are not.
They are as human as we are. Their parents lied, kept the most fundamental things about them hidden for their entire lives then dropped these issues on them and walked away essentially, (well they died but thats so not the point). Bek and Byron are pissed off, they’re dropped in this world they don’t understand, with this duty they have to carry out with no clue how to do it, and all Bek wants to do is run. Thats is a supremely human emotion. You tell me there’s a zombie coming after me, I’m out. I’m running faster than Ussain Bolt tripping you so he gets to you first.
So as much as I like Bek as a character due to her human nature, i also want her to be more typical, which is what makes Graveminder so great. Its messy. Byron loves Bek, but he also loved Ella. And for reasons you read in the book they fight it, they fight this pull and thats before they find out that it was pre-ordained, so then Bek fights more. And you understand why. Who wants to have their life decided for them, and the entire town of Claysville is decided that way. Bek’s honesty with her emotions, or should I say Ms. Marr’s honesty with Beks emotions, making her a hero that doesn’t want to be, making her grudgingly go along with what she has to do, not because she wants to, or is even resolved to, but simply because if she doesn’t, flesh eating evil zombie dead people will run over her town, well it rings true.
Byron wants to love Bek, he’s loved her since they were teenagers, and has made many many mistakes in their relationship, pushing when Bek rabbits, pushing again when they find each other in various cities around the US, as they both have moved bunches of times in attempts to out run their fate. Byron is pissed, angry that he was lied to , angry that he was manipulated, but he accepts again because he has to and really because he realizes that this was what was meant for him. He accepts everything faster than Bek, but he is not as accepting of the world that he is thrust into, he doesn’t crave it.
One of the best parts of Graveminder is the alternate world, the world of the dead and the characters therein. Alicia, Mr. D, Abigail, all so beautifully described as the dead and undead who remain in that world instead of moving on, in order to do….something. To have some glimmer of life in a world that has no time, where all of time simply exists together, and 1850′s saloons and pre-revolutionary war exist together. Mr. D, perhaps one of the most enigmatic characters I’ve read all year, kept reminding me of a lacivious Mr. Miagi, giving you just enough information to make you dangerous, yet constantly pissing you off with his “wax on wax off grasshopper” approach to information sharing in difficult circumstances. Alicia’s 1850 barkeep type of attitude, the old timey bartender/trader who would help you with one hand while demanding payment and at the same time negotiating with your competition, well her interactions with Byron kept me rapt.
Graveminder is an adult paranormal novel. Its urban fantasy NOT romance. Let me get that clear. it has romance elements but in NO way should you buy this thinking there’s going to be a hot sex scene or two thrown in for good measure. Nope. Its straight emotional angst, turmoil, pissivity, manipulation and death. Its clarity of purpose is brilliant. This book is to make you think about what you would do, who you are, and what your place is, it makes you wander if your town is programmed to. Graveminder is a fantastic novel if you want to be haunted by thoughts about family, destiny, and place. Its dark gritty, dirty, messy and beautifully written.
Overall Rating: A-
