Graveminder

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. (description from Amazon.com)

This was one of those books that stands just perfectly on its own. Though I loved the worldbuilding and could absolutely immerse myself again and again into Rebbekah's world, I am also completely satisfied with this book and where it ended.

The characters were intriguing, deep, and balanced each other perfectly. The world was mysterious, thought-provoking, and enthralling. The writing was engaging. All around, this was a fantastic book.

I am a huge fan of Melissa Marr's Wicked Lovely series and I had feared that her attempt to do something different would be disappointing...I could not have been more wrong! I loved that this adult book drew me just as strongly as her YA ones. I cannot wait to see what she does next.

2011 Zombie Reading Challenge