Search This Blog

2024 Bookish Books Reading Challenge (Hosted by Yours Truly)

2024 Challenge Sign-Up Post

January Reviews Link-Up

February Reviews Link-Up

March Reviews Link-Up

April Reviews Link-Up

May Reviews Link-Up

June Reviews Link-Up

July Reviews Link-Up

August Reviews Link-Up

September Reviews Link-Up

October Reviews Link-Up

November Reviews Link-Up

December Reviews Link-Up

My Progress:


9 / 30 books. 30% done!

2024 Literary Escapes Challenge

- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California (3)
- Colorado (1)
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho (2)
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana (1)
- Maine (1)
- Maryland
- Massachusetts (1)
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York (1)
- North Carolina (1)
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon (2)
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee (1)
- Texas (1)
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia (1)
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
- Washington, D.C.*

International:
- Australia (1)
- Canada (1)
- England (5)
- France (1)
- Ireland (1)
- Scotland (1)
- The Netherlands (1)

My Progress:


12 / 51 states. 24% done!

2024 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge

My Progress:


10 / 50 words. 20% done!

2024 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge


15 / 50 books. 30% done!

Booklist Queen's 2024 Reading Challenge

My Progress:


32 / 50 books. 64% done!

2024 52 Club Reading Challenge

My Progress:


27 / 52 books. 52% done!

2024 Build Your Library Reading Challenge

My Progress:


21 / 40 books. 53% done!

2024 Pioneer Book Reading Challenge


13 / 40 books. 33% done!

2024 Craving for Cozies Reading Challenge

My Progress:


5 / 25 books. 20% done!

2024 Medical Examiner's Mystery Reading Challenge

2024 Mystery Marathon Reading Challenge

My Progress


17 / 26.2 miles. 65% done!

Mount TBR Reading Challenge

My Progress


15 / 100 books. 15% done!

2024 Pick Your Poison Reading Challenge

My Progress:


34 / 104 books. 33% done!

Around the Year in 52 Books Reading Challenge

My Progress


31 / 52 books. 60% done!

Disney Animated Movies Reading Challenge

My Progress


32 / 165 books. 19% done!
Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Why Cage a Grave? The Possibilities Are Endlessly Creepy ...

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

Verity Boone hasn't been back to the small mountain town of Catawissa, Pennsylvania, since she left it behind as a toddler.  Raised by an aunt in Boston after her mother's death, Verity barely remembers "home."  Still, the 17-year-old is excited to return.  In Catawissa, she'll finally be able to meet her fiancee who, judging by his romantic letters, is absolutely perfect.  

Verity is confused by the cool reception she receives in Catawissa—not just from the father she barely knows, but also from his housekeeper, Verity's intended, and pretty much everyone else in town—until she discovers the source of their apprehension.  Outside the village's cemetery gates are two graves, one belonging to Verity's mother, the other to her mother's sister.  Unlike those inside the cemetery, these are caged.  The sight sends shivers down Verity's spine.  No one in town will explain the cages except to say that, sometimes, Catawissa's dead refuse to stay put.  Verity can't believe the town gossip—that her mother and aunt were dangerous witches who needed to be imprisoned even in death—but she's still unnerved by the idea.  What is the real reason for the caged graves?  Who was Verity's mother, really?  And is it true, what the townsfolk say about restless spirits?  In between trying to understand her confounding fiancee, ignoring her growing feelings for another man, and getting to know her distant father, Verity intends to find out the answers to the town's deepest, darkest mysteries.

The Caged Graves, a haunting historical mystery by Dianne K. Salerni, was inspired by the intriguing existence of two caged graves in present-day Catawissa.  No one knows the reason for the cages, but the possibilities are spooky indeed.  Salerni's imagined story definitely provides a few chills, although it's more of a mystery than a horror show.  While the tale is predictable in some ways, it's surprising in others, making it on-the-whole, a very compelling novel.  The ending did disappoint a bit—still, I enjoyed this one.

(Readalikes:  Reminded me a little of The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare)

Grade:


If this were a movie, it would be rated:


for brief, mild language (no F-bombs), violence, scary images, and mild sexual innuendo

To the FTC, with love:  Another library fine find

2 comments:

  1. Ooooo! I'm very intrigued. If I saw these caged graves I'd definitely be thinking of novel ideas! I shall have to read this one now.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I read this book earlier this year ( 2014) and liked it. I also read her book The Eighth Day, liked it too.

    ReplyDelete

Comments make me feel special, so go crazy! Just keep it clean and civil. Feel free to speak your mind (I always do), but be aware that I will delete any offensive comments.

P.S.: Don't panic if your comment doesn't show up right away. I have to approve each one before it posts to prevent spam. It's annoying, but it works!

Blog Widget by LinkWithin


Reading

<i>Reading</i>
End of Story by A.J. Finn

Listening

<i>Listening</i>
My Contrary Mary by Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand, and Jodi Meadows



Followin' with Bloglovin'

Follow

Followin' with Feedly

follow us in feedly



Grab my Button!


Blog Design by:


Blog Archive



2024 Reading Challenge

2024 Reading Challenge
Susan has read 0 books toward her goal of 200 books.
hide

2023 - Middle Grade Fiction

2023 - Middle Grade Fiction

2022 - Middle Grade Fiction

2022 - Middle Grade Fiction

2021 - Middle Grade Fiction

2021 - Middle Grade Fiction

2020 - Middle Grade Fiction

2020 - Middle Grade Fiction