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3.76 AVERAGE
3.76 AVERAGE
I heartily enjoyed this book. It has a strong female character, an entertaining mystery, and a hint of romance. I think it's really neat that the author was inspired to write this after seeing real life caged graves and wrote a story to fit her experience. Very enjoyable :)
It's 1867 and Verity Boone (what a great name!) is coming home to Catawissa, Pennsylvania after spending most of her childhood back East being raised by relatives following the death of her mother. She is looking forward to reconnecting with her father and getting to know the fiance whose proposal she accepted after a courtship conducted entirely by mail. (Yes teenagers that is a thing that used to happen. It's the 19th century precursor to online dating.)
However when she gets there, all is not as expected. She finds it hard to reconnect to her father and even harder to reconcile the charming man in the letters with the somewhat stiff young farmer she meets. A handsome young doctor tries to claim her attention. Amidst all this relationship drama, she finds that the graves of her mother and aunt are outside the consecrated church yard and encased in iron cages. Trying to sort out rumor, malicious townsfolk, conflicting feelings, and hints of a long lost treasure will make her return more than a little problematic.
Bottom Line: Highly recommended for all libraries. Will appeal to teens who enjoyed last year's The Wicked and the Just or historical fiction/light romance in general.
This is one of those books that I stayed up late to finish. The caged graves aren't about what you think they're about. The rival suitors aren't what you think either though I am happy to say I got that one right. Salerni perfectly manages those hints that could lead you on multiple paths without so littering the ground with red herrings that you get disgusted with the entire effort. It's a beautifully crafted plot.
Post-Civil War life in America is richly portrayed here. The book is sprinkled with lovely little details (such as the lingering resentment of some townspeople over the richer citizens who were able to pay another to go to war in their place) that bring the time to life without drowning you in the author's research.
Sometimes in books, especially those aimed at teen girls, if there is a love triangle (and isn't there always?), the only characters that are fully developed are the triangular three. That is not the case here. There are complexities and surprising depth to many of the secondary characters. And that is what distinguishes this from being a good book into a great book.
I received a free ebook advanced copy of this title for the purposes of review. Review also published here
However when she gets there, all is not as expected. She finds it hard to reconnect to her father and even harder to reconcile the charming man in the letters with the somewhat stiff young farmer she meets. A handsome young doctor tries to claim her attention. Amidst all this relationship drama, she finds that the graves of her mother and aunt are outside the consecrated church yard and encased in iron cages. Trying to sort out rumor, malicious townsfolk, conflicting feelings, and hints of a long lost treasure will make her return more than a little problematic.
Bottom Line: Highly recommended for all libraries. Will appeal to teens who enjoyed last year's The Wicked and the Just or historical fiction/light romance in general.
This is one of those books that I stayed up late to finish. The caged graves aren't about what you think they're about. The rival suitors aren't what you think either though I am happy to say I got that one right. Salerni perfectly manages those hints that could lead you on multiple paths without so littering the ground with red herrings that you get disgusted with the entire effort. It's a beautifully crafted plot.
Post-Civil War life in America is richly portrayed here. The book is sprinkled with lovely little details (such as the lingering resentment of some townspeople over the richer citizens who were able to pay another to go to war in their place) that bring the time to life without drowning you in the author's research.
Sometimes in books, especially those aimed at teen girls, if there is a love triangle (and isn't there always?), the only characters that are fully developed are the triangular three. That is not the case here. There are complexities and surprising depth to many of the secondary characters. And that is what distinguishes this from being a good book into a great book.
I received a free ebook advanced copy of this title for the purposes of review. Review also published here
The usual complaints for historical fiction - modern/feminist mindset of the characters. However, it wasn't terribly distracting and shouldn't keep readers away. In fact, it was a pretty enjoyable book overall. I liked the characters and found the climax interesting. A casual, interesting read.
Good mystery in a historical setting, really like the romantic outcome.
A bit predictable but great fun! Romance, mystery, a bit of the supernatural... I really enjoyed it.
mysterious
medium-paced
I really enjoyed the mystery and honestly didn't want to stop reading once I started. Very enjoyable!
Verity is returning to her father's house to marry a man she has never met. She discovers that her mother and aunt are buried outside the church's consecrated ground in caged graves. No one is willing to tell her what happened. As she gets to know her fiance she continues to ask questions about her mother's and aunt's deaths.
This is a very interesting book of historical fiction that takes place in Pennsylvania in 1867. The author wrote the story after discovering two caged graves. This book is highly recommended for readers who want a mystery in their historical fiction.
This is a very interesting book of historical fiction that takes place in Pennsylvania in 1867. The author wrote the story after discovering two caged graves. This book is highly recommended for readers who want a mystery in their historical fiction.
The Caged Graves was an excellent gothic, historical mystery that was beautifully written. Set in 1867 Pennsylvania, seventeen-year-old Verity Boone returns to home to Catawissa after being sent to live with her aunt following the death of her mother. Verity has returned home to marry her prosperous neighbour, Nate McClure, after a courtship based on letters. However, Verity’s homecoming is not all that she expected. Her father is a stranger to her, only visiting her in the city a few times over the years. Her first meeting with her suitor leaves much to be desired. And to complicate matter’s Verity learns some disturbing tales about her late mother and the reason her grave is covered by a cage.
I loved The Caged Graves! This one had everything a historical mystery should have: a great setting and characters, an intriguing death and missing gold, and a love triangle. I loved the rich, historical detail that was evident in the story and it’s characters, and the writing brought the landscape into vivid detail without overshadowing the mystery that was being unfolded. And the mystery! The gothic feeling surrounding Verity’s mother’s death was well done; we got hints of a greater conspiracy and the unraveling of the truth brought forth a truly satisfying conclusion to the chilling motivation that brought death to Catawissa.
Verity Boone was also a great character and I loved how conflicted she was about her return home, her impending marriage, her relationship with her father and the animosity she encountered from the other villagers. While Verity was a city girl, it didn’t stop her from stepping up to the challenge of living in the country and the danger she was confronted with due to the circumstances of her mother's death.
Ultimately, if you’re looking for a highly atmospheric young adult historical mystery I would recommend The Caged Graves. I’m so glad to have discovered Salerni’s work and I can’t wait to read her other historical young adult book, [b:We Hear the Dead|7295062|We Hear the Dead|Dianne Salerni|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1347445250s/7295062.jpg|8618003].
Review copy was provided by the publisher via NetGalley.
Similar Titles: [b:The Sweetest Spell|12988004|The Sweetest Spell|Suzanne Selfors|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320865927s/12988004.jpg|18147783]; [b:Born Of Illusion|13000748|Born Of Illusion|Teri Brown|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1351059808s/13000748.jpg|18161645]; [b:Folly|6783133|Folly|Marthe Jocelyn|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320550961s/6783133.jpg|6985338]; [b:A Spy in the House|6698199|A Spy in the House (The Agency, #1)|Y.S. Lee|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320552293s/6698199.jpg|6502621].
I loved The Caged Graves! This one had everything a historical mystery should have: a great setting and characters, an intriguing death and missing gold, and a love triangle. I loved the rich, historical detail that was evident in the story and it’s characters, and the writing brought the landscape into vivid detail without overshadowing the mystery that was being unfolded. And the mystery! The gothic feeling surrounding Verity’s mother’s death was well done; we got hints of a greater conspiracy and the unraveling of the truth brought forth a truly satisfying conclusion to the chilling motivation that brought death to Catawissa.
Verity Boone was also a great character and I loved how conflicted she was about her return home, her impending marriage, her relationship with her father and the animosity she encountered from the other villagers. While Verity was a city girl, it didn’t stop her from stepping up to the challenge of living in the country and the danger she was confronted with due to the circumstances of her mother's death.
Ultimately, if you’re looking for a highly atmospheric young adult historical mystery I would recommend The Caged Graves. I’m so glad to have discovered Salerni’s work and I can’t wait to read her other historical young adult book, [b:We Hear the Dead|7295062|We Hear the Dead|Dianne Salerni|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1347445250s/7295062.jpg|8618003].
Review copy was provided by the publisher via NetGalley.
Similar Titles: [b:The Sweetest Spell|12988004|The Sweetest Spell|Suzanne Selfors|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320865927s/12988004.jpg|18147783]; [b:Born Of Illusion|13000748|Born Of Illusion|Teri Brown|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1351059808s/13000748.jpg|18161645]; [b:Folly|6783133|Folly|Marthe Jocelyn|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320550961s/6783133.jpg|6985338]; [b:A Spy in the House|6698199|A Spy in the House (The Agency, #1)|Y.S. Lee|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320552293s/6698199.jpg|6502621].
This book got me out of a reading slump. It was a fabulous read that just sucked you in. I wish it wasn't a stand alone.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No