2-2.5 Stars.
Honestly I can't say I loved this book. I haven't read Melissa Marr's YA series but when I read the premise for this book I was intrigued. I think I was expecting something more eerie, darker, more of a ghost story than what I actually got. It started out well with a murder and ghostly presence that's unexplained, but the author just took way too much time flipping between various character perspectives, some of whom didn't even matter and who before their scene readers had never met before. There was was too much setup and buildup that didn't justify itself once everything was ultimately revealed.
Over half way through the story was just, just barely beginning to really pick up and readers were only then starting to discover the truth behind the towns weird burial rituals - which in a way weren't all that odd except for the fact that anyone born in the town had to be buries in the town. Otherwise, things like no embalming and the need for bodies to be buried within two days (3 at the very outside) of their deaths wasn't weird at all. Many cultures have this practice and for very good reason.
Aside from that I guess the story was supposed to be a love story. I can't say I was all that invested in Rebekkah and Byron's relationship or their history. Usually I'm a fan of following reunited lovers and seeing their past collide with their attempts at a future. In this book though it all just seemed forced and cliche in some ways.
warning of possible spoiler Basically the secret of the town involves the need for an undertaker and a woman they call the graveminder who essentially - minds the graves. The graveminder and undertaker are naturally drawn to one another in a written in the stars sort of way. So this sort of cancelled out any real affection Byron and Rebekkah had for one another. Because of who they are it seemed like their feelings were overridden and if some other man or some other woman would have been chosen for these roles, the feelings Byron and Rebekkah had for one another would have been transferred to them. I don't think this is what Marr really meant for their relationship, but nonetheless it's how it came across. end of possible spoilers
Regardless, I just wasn't invested, in the story of the characters.
It could have been really good, but just read sort of flattley and without much intrigue or intensity to keep me going.
An okay read at best.
Over half way through the story was just, just barely beginning to really pick up and readers were only then starting to discover the truth behind the towns weird burial rituals - which in a way weren't all that odd except for the fact that anyone born in the town had to be buries in the town. Otherwise, things like no embalming and the need for bodies to be buried within two days (3 at the very outside) of their deaths wasn't weird at all. Many cultures have this practice and for very good reason.
Aside from that I guess the story was supposed to be a love story. I can't say I was all that invested in Rebekkah and Byron's relationship or their history. Usually I'm a fan of following reunited lovers and seeing their past collide with their attempts at a future. In this book though it all just seemed forced and cliche in some ways.
warning of possible spoiler Basically the secret of the town involves the need for an undertaker and a woman they call the graveminder who essentially - minds the graves. The graveminder and undertaker are naturally drawn to one another in a written in the stars sort of way. So this sort of cancelled out any real affection Byron and Rebekkah had for one another. Because of who they are it seemed like their feelings were overridden and if some other man or some other woman would have been chosen for these roles, the feelings Byron and Rebekkah had for one another would have been transferred to them. I don't think this is what Marr really meant for their relationship, but nonetheless it's how it came across. end of possible spoilers
Regardless, I just wasn't invested, in the story of the characters.
It could have been really good, but just read sort of flattley and without much intrigue or intensity to keep me going.
An okay read at best.
No comments:
Post a Comment