You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.76 AVERAGE
3.76 AVERAGE
Three and a half stars. A really good historical mystery. Verity Boone is going back to her father in Catawissa to marry a local boy, Nate. She has lived with relatives most of her life after the death of her mother. She discovers her mother and aunt died amidst some controversy, which she knows little about. This book kept my attention and I was guessing until the end about who was behind all the mischief and what Verity would do.
It's 1867, and Verity Boone is leaving her home in busy Worcester, MA to go live with her father in rural Catawissa, Penn., where she will marry Nate, a neighboring farmer who won her heart through his letters and gifts of poetry. But when she arrives in the country, she doesn't find the romantic reunion she was expecting. Her father is distant and busy with farm work, and Nate is nothing like his letters - which he reveals were written based on the advice and suggestions from his sisters, and more interested in her father's farm than her. Worse, she finds herself the subject of town gossip and rumors. Some of it is based on jealousy - Nate was one of the few eligible men left after the destruction of the Civil War - but other nasty rumors reach her about her late mother and her family's mysterious past.
Then, as Verity walks through a local churchyard, she discovers the graves of her mother and aunt, buried outside the cemetery walls, and enclosed in iron cages. As Verity tries to discover the stories of her mother's life and death, and find the reason for the cages, she unearths more than she expected, with tales of witchcraft, strange deaths, and stolen Army gold. She also finds herself in a love triangle as she tries to deal with her complicated feelings about the semi-arranged marriage that she agreed to.
Salerni creates honest, relatable characters, especially Verity, a strong-willed girl with progressive ideas, who is not afraid to stand up for herself and for what she believes. And just as in life, most of the characters are more complicated than they appear at first, including Nate. A spooky, don't-put-it-down thriller.
Then, as Verity walks through a local churchyard, she discovers the graves of her mother and aunt, buried outside the cemetery walls, and enclosed in iron cages. As Verity tries to discover the stories of her mother's life and death, and find the reason for the cages, she unearths more than she expected, with tales of witchcraft, strange deaths, and stolen Army gold. She also finds herself in a love triangle as she tries to deal with her complicated feelings about the semi-arranged marriage that she agreed to.
Salerni creates honest, relatable characters, especially Verity, a strong-willed girl with progressive ideas, who is not afraid to stand up for herself and for what she believes. And just as in life, most of the characters are more complicated than they appear at first, including Nate. A spooky, don't-put-it-down thriller.
Official Rating: 3.5
What a great book! I was intrigued by the prologue and am overall satisfied with the book. Verity irritated me at times because she seemed kinda like a Mary Sue, but her bravery and sensibility made me love her in the end.
I loved how Verity became closer to her father, Nate and Beulah as the book progressed, although I wished for some more character development. I took off a few stars because a few spoilers were a bit too obvious for me, but the story was very interesting and even a little creepy at times!
.
Overall, the story was pretty interesting and though not one of my must-have books, I wouldn't mind reading it again sometime.
What a great book! I was intrigued by the prologue and am overall satisfied with the book. Verity irritated me at times because she seemed kinda like a Mary Sue, but her bravery and sensibility made me love her in the end.
I loved how Verity became closer to her father, Nate and Beulah as the book progressed, although I wished for some more character development. I took off a few stars because a few spoilers were a bit too obvious for me, but the story was very interesting and even a little creepy at times!
Spoiler
I was so mad in the beginning when I found out that there was a bloody LOVE TRIANGLE. It was really irritating having to read Verity go through the obligatory "I love him...but wait, I love HIM" deal. Luckily, the author resolved in a way that I was very happy with. As charming as Hadley Jones was, I loved Nate from the beginning when he clearly liked her and was so clumsy and how he recited the poem to her and how he was willing to let her go to make her happy! *tear*...obviously I'm a little crazy for Nate)Overall, the story was pretty interesting and though not one of my must-have books, I wouldn't mind reading it again sometime.
After agreeing to a semi-arranged marriage brought about by an epistolary courtship, Verity Boone returns to her home of Catawissa only to find that her mother's grave has a cage over it and that the townspeople still whisper about the secrets and scandals of years ago, and the rumor of buried treasure from the Revolutionary War. This is a superior historical novel with a wonderful atmosphere, a lovely heroine, and a love triangle that actually works. Salerni really captures the sense of history that permeates Catawissa, where the Revolutionary War is a fresh memory rather than a distant one and the hierarchy of families has been determined by who fought for what side. This is that rare kind of historical novel: one that actually feels accurate and one where the characters actually behave and react to events according to the mores of their time. Moreover, Verity is a resilient and caring heroine. She makes mistakes, but is always willing to admit to them, and never slips into becoming a damsel in distress. Even when she becomes caught up in the dreaded love triangle, she remains likable. Her confusion is realistic, as the two men she's torn between offer her different things, and she recognizes that her behavior towards them isn't always the best. Best of all, she chooses the right one. (I would rave about how caring and understanding and perfectly compatible with Verity he is, but I'm hoping to avoid spoilers.) Finally, the mystery is full of surprising twists and creepy details, and unfurls at a quick pace. Highly recommended for readers of historical fiction.
Set in Catawissa, Pennsylvania during the post Civil War era, The Caged Graves by Dianne K. Salerni is an intense historical fiction young adult read. With a spitfire main character, dark secrets, and a slow to develop romance, The Caged Graves hearkens back to the historical fiction of my childhood, similar in feel to The Witch Of Blackbird Pond, if not in eras. Salerni’s latest is utterly engrossing and exactly what I want to read in historical book. Mainly, it has a strong plot and fantastic characterization to recommend it. The book opens with murder and a man on the run during the Revolutionary War. This event doesn’t make sense at first, but will for the larger context of the story.
Read the rest of my review here
Read the rest of my review here
Could have been better, i mean...how girly can a girl get? But, she does have a few guts, so when she's forced into a cliched moment--she's good. Just don't let her make you throw down the book, slow...and hardly tumultuous, you'll have to eat your boredom and just sit through this one.
I could've done without the love triangle bits, but I thought the story was pretty decent even when it was meandering instead of moving forward at a good pace. It kept me guessing till the end and usually books don't do that so I found that refreshing.
A really fun historical fiction YA novel. Engaging story, likable characters. A little mystery, a little romance. Read it one day. Clean and fun.
Engaging historical fiction novel set after the Civil War in Pennsylvania. A little mystery, a little romance, a little social commentary.
I just don't even know what to think. (3:20am though...that should say something.)