nerdymaeve's review against another edition
Too many other books became available during Spooky Season. I’d have to re-read if I picked it back up later.
afelder's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
bestdressedbookworm's review
4.0
I really enjoyed this. Not what I thought the story was going to be like at all. It was better, the characters where amazing and quite well developed in a small amount of time. 3.75 stars :)
sunshine169's review
5.0
When Lacy wakes up dead in Westminster Cemetery, final resting place of Edgar Allan Poe, she's confused. It's the job of Sam, a young soldier who died in 1865, to teach her the rules of the afterlife and to warn her about Suppression--a punishment worse than death.
Lacy desperately wants to leave the cemetery and find out how she died, but every soul is obligated to perform a job. Given the task of providing entertainment, Lacy proposes an open mic, which becomes a chance for the cemetery's residents to express themselves. But Lacy is in for another shock when surprising and long-buried truths begin to emerge.
All I have to say is who knew the dead were so emotional! The afterlife in this book is full of self doubt, cowardice, vindictiveness, sadness, anger, love, you name it they feel it! Lacy is a "modern" buried in an old cemetery full of really old souls. She is the first to join their ranks since 1913. Her appearance is seen as a threat by the rule enforcer Mrs. Steele who follows Lacy looking for any reason to grant her three strikes so Lacy can be suppressed. Until Lacy woke up dead, everything in the cemetery ran on a boring routine. Mrs. Steele's assumptions about the newcomer are correct but will she be able to stop the progressive momentum or be able to silence her forever? Oh my how I loved this book!
Lacy desperately wants to leave the cemetery and find out how she died, but every soul is obligated to perform a job. Given the task of providing entertainment, Lacy proposes an open mic, which becomes a chance for the cemetery's residents to express themselves. But Lacy is in for another shock when surprising and long-buried truths begin to emerge.
All I have to say is who knew the dead were so emotional! The afterlife in this book is full of self doubt, cowardice, vindictiveness, sadness, anger, love, you name it they feel it! Lacy is a "modern" buried in an old cemetery full of really old souls. She is the first to join their ranks since 1913. Her appearance is seen as a threat by the rule enforcer Mrs. Steele who follows Lacy looking for any reason to grant her three strikes so Lacy can be suppressed. Until Lacy woke up dead, everything in the cemetery ran on a boring routine. Mrs. Steele's assumptions about the newcomer are correct but will she be able to stop the progressive momentum or be able to silence her forever? Oh my how I loved this book!
stiricide's review
DNF p. 10. Sometimes it's just realize nice to realize "nope, not for me."
sirensaria's review
5.0
How do I even go about this? This book had all the feels, from silliness and humor, to sadness and heartbreak. The characters were amazing and felt so real. The world building with how the afterlife worked was unique. And the character development! You saw each character grow in their own way. Not gonna lie, this left me with a rather teary smile. Also not gonna lie, loved Poe in this! And Poe's Raven was a perfect touch to keep the two worlds together, with some awesome humor.
mikaelarose's review
4.75
My only problem with this book is the male gaze that sometimes pops up other than that is a great and truly unique story
_justagremlin_'s review
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Transphobia, Domestic abuse, Suicide, Alcoholism, Car accident, Drug abuse, and Physical abuse
Minor: Incest
bookish_nel's review
4.0
Well that was weird and delightful!! There were two iffy references to the homeless and mentally ill, but other than that, a fabulous little read. The omniscient narrator had me feeling seeeeeen so much of the time. They even called out to teachers, librarians, and booksellers reading the book who weren’t young adults 😂The mc said the F bomb a lot, which I appreciate because I do too. Also, why the hell didn’t I know Poe married his 13 y/o cousin????