Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.98 AVERAGE
3.98 AVERAGE
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Dumb. Hard to keep everything straight on audio. Did Hollis even cash the check? I guess we will NEVER KNOW.
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Make this your next southern gothic mystery! Also great for those who enjoy a splash of romance in their mostly atmospheric, slightly horror books. The audiobook is fantastic.
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I’m not a big horror fan due to my overactive imagination and the ensuing nightmares, but I love a good dark and atmospheric read and this is more like horror-light. I saw another reviewer (Paige - TheBookandtheBoston) call for a subgenre of horror called cozy horror, I and I have to say I agree that Elmendorf’s books would suit that description perfectly.
I really enjoyed In the Hour of Crows and was so excited for Grave Birds. It did not disappoint. It was haunting and eerie in all the best ways. The twists were so good and kept me guessing. I loved the dash of romance, though I wouldn’t have said no to a bit more of it because Cain was ticking all my boxes!
I loved the concept of grave birds as the dead’s biggest regret manifested in the ghostly form of a bird. The other paranormal elements throughout lent a spooky quality to the story and the atmospheric writing brought it all to life.
If you enjoy slightly spooky paranormal stories that give you all the creepy vibes but don’t give you nightmares, or if you read In the Hour of Crows and liked it, you’ll enjoy this.
Thank you to Mira and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Strong Southern Gothic Tale. Perfect for those who love to start “spooky season” on July 5th (with no other major (decorative, at least) holidays in the US before Halloween), yet also has a strong small town mystery and even a touch of romance, this is one book that checks a lot of boxes – yet manages to do them all quite well.
Even as a native of the South, specifically the borderlands between southern Appalachia and exurban Atlanta, I had never heard of the concept of a “grave bird”, yet Elemndorf both (quickly) explains it well… and then uses it particularly well throughout the novel whose title notes that it is all about these creatures. 😉
But seriously, the titular grave birds give this tale a magical realism/ fantasy tone that is exactly what one would expect in a Southern Gothic tale, but really the core of this book is one woman’s dreams and the depths she will go through to achieve them – even if it means unravelling a decades old town mystery so well hidden that virtually no one even actually knows there is a mystery to solve!
Truly a strong and stirring sophomore effort (for adult audiences, at least), this really is a strong tale told particularly well, and one that is both familiar enough to be understood and even relatable, yet innovative enough so that the reader will still be caught quite breathless at times.
Very much recommended.
This gorgeous Southern Gothic novel reminds me of the perfect, unexpected blend of The Sixth Sense and The Princess and the Frog. It’s equal parts chilling and charming, and absolutely perfect for upcoming spooky season!
After clinically dying and being brought back to life as a child, Hollis Sutherland can see “grave birds,” which represent the unfinished business of the dead. She tries to mostly ignore their pleas for resolution, while working hard to get her dream event-planning business off the ground. Meanwhile, a dark and mysterious man with a grave bird on his shoulder turns up in town, and all hell starts to break loose. Flowers dropping blood, flocks of birds tandem-dive-bombing a wall of windows, and more supernatural signs point to the fact that something has gone horribly, horribly wrong - and Hollis must get to the bottom of it, both to appease the dead, and to save the town.
This was my first Southern Gothic book, so I can’t speak to the genre as a whole, but I loved this book! I was really impressed by Hollis’ determination and persistence in the face of repeated setbacks. I also loved her foul-mouthed parrot - the perfect pet, I’m convinced.
The interplay between the expectations, roles and stereotypes of both the church and the devil was really compelling, as well. Where should suspicion be aimed, who is truly helping, and who is out to help themselves - and what’s the deal with the grave birds? These are the mysteries Hollis wrestles with, and the answers turn out to be more shocking than someone turning down a Sugarboo! 🧁
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
A southern gothic horror novel full of interesting, mysterious characters, beautiful settings, and the singularly fascinating premise of grave birds - a bird that is physically bound to the earth by an invisible tether holding them here as a representative of a soul with unfinished business.
Our main character, Hollis, drowned and was revived when she was eleven and since then she can see grave birds. It's a haunting and beautiful concept and one that plagues her as the birds cannot be freed until she's understood what their message is. (And this whole wonderfully, gorgeously tragic idea now has me obsessing about the nature of the birds. Different species appear for different people, there's no one type: cardinal, sparrow, chickadee, etc. So I keep wondering if the species is geographically specific, or more a representation of the person's personality? Would you get a shima enaga or a kakapo in South Carolina...? How about a penguin? 🤔)
Now in her mid-20s, she's been noticing some strange things happening in her South Carolina town: a stranger arrives, natural disasters frequent the area, mysterious accidents befall the local residents and a decades old mystery starts to resurface.
Elmendorf's writing is perfectly on point for a southern gothic tale, full of lush settings, quirky characters, haunting family secrets and unsettling tragic ghosts. She crafts a murder mystery that is complex and compelling and the main character is easily relatable. The overall feel of this was strongly reminiscent of a cross with Midnight In the Garden of Good and Evil and the 2000 movie The Gift to give you an idea of tone and style.
My only criticism is that the 'big reveal' felt a bit rushed and confusing, a little out of sync with the pacing of the novel as a whole.
Otherwise, a great book!
My thanks to NetGalley and MIRABooks for the complimentary Advanced Reader Copy.
Our main character, Hollis, drowned and was revived when she was eleven and since then she can see grave birds. It's a haunting and beautiful concept and one that plagues her as the birds cannot be freed until she's understood what their message is. (And this whole wonderfully, gorgeously tragic idea now has me obsessing about the nature of the birds. Different species appear for different people, there's no one type: cardinal, sparrow, chickadee, etc. So I keep wondering if the species is geographically specific, or more a representation of the person's personality? Would you get a shima enaga or a kakapo in South Carolina...? How about a penguin? 🤔)
Now in her mid-20s, she's been noticing some strange things happening in her South Carolina town: a stranger arrives, natural disasters frequent the area, mysterious accidents befall the local residents and a decades old mystery starts to resurface.
Elmendorf's writing is perfectly on point for a southern gothic tale, full of lush settings, quirky characters, haunting family secrets and unsettling tragic ghosts. She crafts a murder mystery that is complex and compelling and the main character is easily relatable. The overall feel of this was strongly reminiscent of a cross with Midnight In the Garden of Good and Evil and the 2000 movie The Gift to give you an idea of tone and style.
My only criticism is that the 'big reveal' felt a bit rushed and confusing, a little out of sync with the pacing of the novel as a whole.
Otherwise, a great book!
My thanks to NetGalley and MIRABooks for the complimentary Advanced Reader Copy.