Graveminder

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, garnering positive reviews from NPR and Publishers Weekly. 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. USA Today and Kirkus Reviews both praised the entry, with USA Today calling it "a creatively creepy gothic tale for grown-ups".