Graveminder

By: Melissa Marr

Narrated by: Emma Galvin

Length: 10 hrs and 25 mins

Publisher's summary

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.

©2011 Melissa Marr (P)2011 HarperCollins Publishers

Most original book theme!

What made the experience of listening to Graveminder the most enjoyable?

While listening to this book, I often wondered how Melissa Marr came up with the premise of this novel. Of course, the narrator was so awful that there was many moments of speculation...The entire concept of a Graveminder who minds the dead and lives in two worlds was so original. The hesitation of the main character to admit her feelings toward the male protagonist was frustrating but otherwise this was one of the most unique books I've read in a while. Try it but maybe in print or with a different narrator.

What did you like best about this story?

The idea of the world of the dead versus the town of the living.

How could the performance have been better?

Change the narrator. She was terrible. All the characters sounded like they were 17 years old.

A must read!

I read that Jeaniene Frost recommended this book & being that she's one of my favorite authors I got the audiobook. It didn't disappoint. It has intrigue, without continuous twists and turn some stories have that just drag out the plots only to end as one would guess away. It's a great book with a great storyline and characters. For anyone who loves a mystery or just loves a good book.

More Please!

What did you love best about Graveminder?

The storyline is excellent. Detailed and fascinating. Believable characters and dialog.

What about Emma Galvin’s performance did you like?

excellent performance by Emma... but, I'm a die hard fan of the reader.

Any additional comments?

I would encourage Ms. Marr to continue weaving this story as it has enormous possibilities and an originality that is sorely needed in this genre.

Hard to get into...

Is there anything you would change about this book?

Well, I found it really hard to connect with the characters. There were also so many characters named that I lost track of who was related to whom. Eventually, it just got to boring and I couldn't finish it :(

What do you think your next listen will be?

No idea!

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

I like Emma Galvin. She's a pretty good narrator. She doesn't really change her voice for each person though, that's not a deal breaker for me, it's the only thing that I didn't care for. Especially since the characters in this story are so one dimensional, changing voices might have made it a more interesting listen.

Did Graveminder inspire you to do anything?

Listen to a different book. haha. That's mean ;) but true.

Any additional comments?

Melissa Marr's "Made for you" was a lot better and she's known for her Firelight series so if anything I would say, maybe pass on this one, but there ARE better reads of her out there.

Another Under Taking

A nice twist on what it takes to get the not so gently departed (dead) to depart from this world and go under. Well worth a credit.

Great narrator and storyline

What did you love best about Graveminder?

The most interesting yet not so far fetched storyline and plot ....tho he you wonder about and yet rather taboo.....amazing book I want a sequel

What other book might you compare Graveminder to and why?

None first book with this sort of plot I have read

What about Emma Galvin’s performance did you like?

..I loved how Emma galvin changes her pitch so can tell which character is speaking....

Any additional comments?

I rally want a sequel....and I enjoyed the accent felt throughout the book

A very enjoyable story!

The kind you want to just keep listening, and not turn off to talk to someone. It has good closeure without being too lovey dovey, sealed with a kiss.

Not my kind of story

This book reaffirmed why I don't like "dead people" books. I thought Rebekkah was a whiner and Byron was way too clingy. Their relationship was tedious and silly. The whole Mr. D and Alicia bit in the other world just didn't make sense. And what was with the last minute throw in with the Cissy character. It was like Marr's editor said to hurry up and wrap up the story and so she threw in that plot twist, just to be done with this overly long, boring story. I suppose if vampire/zombie stories are you thing then you might like this one - I did not.
The narrator did a fairly decent job. She made it possible for me to finish the book.

Not scary at all

So I ordered this one because it sounds super creepy, but not so much. There's way too much melodrama between two characters I care nothing about and not enough zombies. The narrator is pretty good though, so I won't complain about the performance, but the story is boring.

Skip this book

Would you try another book from Melissa Marr and/or Emma Galvin?

No

Would you ever listen to anything by Melissa Marr again?

No

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

I would have liked greater differentiation between characters

Any additional comments?

Gave up on this book at about Chapter 18. Main characters that I never really cared about. Emo Bek whining and moaning about missing her dead grandmother. By Chapter 18, I was rooting for the dead girl to eat more people because I was just so tired of reading about them. I was tired of shouting (in my head) at the characters to STFU and get on with the story. That's when I knew I should walk away from this book. The premise was interesting, but the execution was definitely less than compelling.