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susani_'s review
3.0
Arc provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
I was actually really surprised by how much I tended up liking this book. I am actually surprised that more people have not read/talked about this one. The Graveyard Girl and The Boneyard Boy by Martin Matthews is about 16-year-old albino Drake Stevenson lives a life alone in his world of video games and comic books, dreaming of one day saving a real princess. But fantasy becomes reality when his lawyer father suffers a heart attack, and the Stevensons are forced to move to flyover country in order to take up the family business: Stewardship of the oldest and largest cemetery in the state.
In the cemetery, Drake meets Scarlet, an unusual girl who needs his help to find her killer. Drake now has to survive a new high school, make sure his mentally unstable sister bent on high school domination at any cost doesn't end up trying to kill him and find out the truth about a murder no one will speak of, to help a girl no one can see.
I really enjoyed this book, I found myself laughing out loud and actually cared about Drake. I found Drake as a character hilarious and really enjoyed his references to Lord of the Rings and other pop culture. I really liked his I "Mirror Me" concept, that was actually pretty hilarious. This is YA book that I think both teens and adults would like. Drake is a witty and smart individual who has to deal with real life issues such as bullying, family drama, his crazy sister, his crazy mother and the pressure of meeting his fathers expectation, However, this is teenager boy we are talking about and there will be teenager angst which is understandable.
I wasn't a huge fan insta-love, I mean Drake met Scarlet like twice and was "in love" but then was flirting with kissing Sasha. It was an odd love triangle-ish moment in the book that I didn't care for. However, that is because I personally cannot stand insta-love or love triangles. I am sure for those who do like this trope they would enjoy it.
Overall, I really liked this book and I am kicking myself for not reading it earlier!
3 stars
I was actually really surprised by how much I tended up liking this book. I am actually surprised that more people have not read/talked about this one. The Graveyard Girl and The Boneyard Boy by Martin Matthews is about 16-year-old albino Drake Stevenson lives a life alone in his world of video games and comic books, dreaming of one day saving a real princess. But fantasy becomes reality when his lawyer father suffers a heart attack, and the Stevensons are forced to move to flyover country in order to take up the family business: Stewardship of the oldest and largest cemetery in the state.
In the cemetery, Drake meets Scarlet, an unusual girl who needs his help to find her killer. Drake now has to survive a new high school, make sure his mentally unstable sister bent on high school domination at any cost doesn't end up trying to kill him and find out the truth about a murder no one will speak of, to help a girl no one can see.
I really enjoyed this book, I found myself laughing out loud and actually cared about Drake. I found Drake as a character hilarious and really enjoyed his references to Lord of the Rings and other pop culture. I really liked his I "Mirror Me" concept, that was actually pretty hilarious. This is YA book that I think both teens and adults would like. Drake is a witty and smart individual who has to deal with real life issues such as bullying, family drama, his crazy sister, his crazy mother and the pressure of meeting his fathers expectation, However, this is teenager boy we are talking about and there will be teenager angst which is understandable.
I wasn't a huge fan insta-love, I mean Drake met Scarlet like twice and was "in love" but then was flirting with kissing Sasha. It was an odd love triangle-ish moment in the book that I didn't care for. However, that is because I personally cannot stand insta-love or love triangles. I am sure for those who do like this trope they would enjoy it.
Overall, I really liked this book and I am kicking myself for not reading it earlier!
3 stars
ruby_roo's review against another edition
2.0
I don't really know how to feel about this book. It was a great story, atmospheric and quirky. I liked some of the characters, hated the villains. Where it loses points for me is the absolute abundance of insensitivity. It is disgusting to have a character dress up as a sexualized school massacre victim. It is disgusting to include two sexual assaults with little to no discussion. It is disgusting to treat mental illness or congenital disorders as the punchline to a joke. I'm am so disappointed that this story was so badly let down by those decisions, there was great potential in it. I'm going to boycott this author in future, that's how badly I feel those issues were handled.
arispooks_'s review against another edition
5.0
Wow!!! The details in this graphic novel was what really captured my attention. It draws you in and makes you feel like you’re apart of the story. Love it!!!!
hal2499's review against another edition
2.0
Okay so I sorta dnf’d the book. I seem to do this a lot now. I read half of it and I didn’t know where it was going. It felt like we were still getting to know the characters half way through and nothing was happening. I could see the potential of what the book could be but it is not up my ally of genre. Although I did try to read it and that is a check mark for me.
ticktockcrocky's review against another edition
3.0
I received an arc copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
I'll say straight off the bat - the second half of this book is INFINITELY better than the first. It took far too long for me to actually engage with this one, which I can chalk up to one glaring issue: the main character.
Drake Stevenson is quite possibly the most irritating young adult protagonist I've ever read. I think the main problem is his voice - he sounds like a love-struck twelve year old throughout the entire book. Considering that he's supposed to be sixteen, this is a major setback.
He really doesn't develop that much either, he stays a 2D cutout boy with albinism that is into technology and games...and that's about it. I'm all for character flaws, but he just seems to whinge on and on and on.
Now that that's out of the way - the rest of the cast is actually quite good. Sasha is appealling and likeable, Ajay (bless this kid) actually managed to elicit a few chuckles from me, Calvin is a sinister creep, and then we have Chase. Chase is my favourite character by far; he definitely has the most development out of them all. One thing I did enjoy, despite my eye-rolling at how constant it was, were the pop-culture and gaming references. Obviously I didn't understand every single one of them, but there's a particular scene where Drake quotes Gollum that made me laugh.
The main plot line, the mystery, is by far the strength of this book. It is well-paced, and easy enough to follow, with a few plot twists that succeeded in taking me by surprise. There is plenty of action, and a decently satisfying payoff at the end. The climax of the book is good, with a final plot twist to seal everything in. In that respect, this book is worth the read.
The other plot lines leave a lot to be desired. The subplots about Drake's family were cliché. The romantic subplot was kinda ridiculous (Drake decides he's in love with a girl after speaking to her approximately twice. Also, from the difference in their voices, it really does feel like he's twelve and she's about seventeen).
There was also a weird relationship between Drake and his sister Brie that I'm not 100% on board with, as it borders on incest. The girl is clearly mentally unstable and frequently mentions the idea of him eyeing her up; there are a couple of times when she actually bites him, and it's just really uncomfortable to read. There are passages of Drake describing in detail what his sister is wearing (not much, in case your were wondering) and it's just straight up bizarre.
That's a lot of complaining, but I'm a nitpicker, especially when it comes to characters. The book itself is well worth the read, if only for the surprises, and I wound up enjoying it far more than I anticipated in Chapter One.
Voice-wise, I'd recommend it to middle-grade readers, but there are a couple of more explicit scenes that are perhaps unsuitable depending on the reader.
(TW: Attempted rape; TW: Car crash)
I'll say straight off the bat - the second half of this book is INFINITELY better than the first. It took far too long for me to actually engage with this one, which I can chalk up to one glaring issue: the main character.
Drake Stevenson is quite possibly the most irritating young adult protagonist I've ever read. I think the main problem is his voice - he sounds like a love-struck twelve year old throughout the entire book. Considering that he's supposed to be sixteen, this is a major setback.
He really doesn't develop that much either, he stays a 2D cutout boy with albinism that is into technology and games...and that's about it. I'm all for character flaws, but he just seems to whinge on and on and on.
Now that that's out of the way - the rest of the cast is actually quite good. Sasha is appealling and likeable, Ajay (bless this kid) actually managed to elicit a few chuckles from me, Calvin is a sinister creep, and then we have Chase. Chase is my favourite character by far; he definitely has the most development out of them all. One thing I did enjoy, despite my eye-rolling at how constant it was, were the pop-culture and gaming references. Obviously I didn't understand every single one of them, but there's a particular scene where Drake quotes Gollum that made me laugh.
The main plot line, the mystery, is by far the strength of this book. It is well-paced, and easy enough to follow, with a few plot twists that succeeded in taking me by surprise. There is plenty of action, and a decently satisfying payoff at the end. The climax of the book is good, with a final plot twist to seal everything in. In that respect, this book is worth the read.
The other plot lines leave a lot to be desired. The subplots about Drake's family were cliché. The romantic subplot was kinda ridiculous (Drake decides he's in love with a girl after speaking to her approximately twice. Also, from the difference in their voices, it really does feel like he's twelve and she's about seventeen).
There was also a weird relationship between Drake and his sister Brie that I'm not 100% on board with, as it borders on incest. The girl is clearly mentally unstable and frequently mentions the idea of him eyeing her up; there are a couple of times when she actually bites him, and it's just really uncomfortable to read. There are passages of Drake describing in detail what his sister is wearing (not much, in case your were wondering) and it's just straight up bizarre.
That's a lot of complaining, but I'm a nitpicker, especially when it comes to characters. The book itself is well worth the read, if only for the surprises, and I wound up enjoying it far more than I anticipated in Chapter One.
Voice-wise, I'd recommend it to middle-grade readers, but there are a couple of more explicit scenes that are perhaps unsuitable depending on the reader.
(TW: Attempted rape; TW: Car crash)
ebees's review against another edition
4.0
I have a lot of thoughts and feelings about this book. First, I'll start by saying that I received this book through NetGalley and am providing my honest review. I chose to review this book because of its intriguing title and blurb.
Drake, a teenager with albinism, suffers from loneliness, a broken family, jock bullies, and a love triangle. On top of this, he has a new nighttime job in a graveyard and had started at a new school. So, life sort of sucks for Drake.
As for Drake's personality, he is a teenager and I don't exactly have to say more. Whiny and filled with angst, feeling that nobody could possibly understand him. He feels that everyone is out to get him and his family is the worst. Also, he's very judgmental for a kid with albinism who dresses like Neo from the Matrix daily. Obviously, not all teenagers are like this, but I feel that these are traits that are, in general, honest to the teenage experience. They were for me. And I think this is why he annoyed me at first. As I continued through the book though, I realized that I totally would have had a huge crush on this freakazoid if I were his age. He's just so adorkable. And Mirror Me? I wanted to cry from sadness and the adorableness.
His sister, Brie, should be locked up for attempted manslaughter on countless occasions, but this is just a running joke? Like, she's legitimately crazy and Drake could have died because of her, again, countless attempts at his life, but nobody does anything? Unless he's just being dramatic, which could very well be the case. But I also felt super weird when she was around. Her scenes just made me very uncomfortable. Maybe that was the author's goal though.
This book is definitely unlike any I've read. There are some tropes which we've seen often in YA, like the love triangle and the jock bullies, but it's different in this case.
Drake, a teenager with albinism, suffers from loneliness, a broken family, jock bullies, and a love triangle. On top of this, he has a new nighttime job in a graveyard and had started at a new school. So, life sort of sucks for Drake.
As for Drake's personality, he is a teenager and I don't exactly have to say more. Whiny and filled with angst, feeling that nobody could possibly understand him. He feels that everyone is out to get him and his family is the worst. Also, he's very judgmental for a kid with albinism who dresses like Neo from the Matrix daily. Obviously, not all teenagers are like this, but I feel that these are traits that are, in general, honest to the teenage experience. They were for me. And I think this is why he annoyed me at first. As I continued through the book though, I realized that I totally would have had a huge crush on this freakazoid if I were his age. He's just so adorkable. And Mirror Me? I wanted to cry from sadness and the adorableness.
His sister, Brie, should be locked up for attempted manslaughter on countless occasions, but this is just a running joke? Like, she's legitimately crazy and Drake could have died because of her, again, countless attempts at his life, but nobody does anything? Unless he's just being dramatic, which could very well be the case. But I also felt super weird when she was around. Her scenes just made me very uncomfortable. Maybe that was the author's goal though.
Spoiler
But, I mean, there seem to be hints at her incestual feelings for her brother, which he sometimes seems to share? Sometimes the author will go into detail about this teenager's body and her sex appeal, but the book is first-person through Drake and it's just terribly creepy and uncomfortable. I just ignored the paragraphs of description about her scantily-clad body and her hotness. Don't get me wrong, I am totally into girls and would normally be fine with this. I'm bi. But she's just a teenager with serious psychological issues... I don't need (nor do I want) to know every detail of her body and outfit.This book is definitely unlike any I've read. There are some tropes which we've seen often in YA, like the love triangle and the jock bullies, but it's different in this case.
Spoiler
Also, there are twists. Some I saw coming and some I didn't. For the ones which I did see coming, it was refreshing and interesting when they finally came.shellshellyshellshell's review against another edition
5.0
I received a copy of this book via NetGalley.
16 year old Drake has albinism. His skin is bone white, his hair the colour of snow, and he is extremely sensitive to all light, especially sunlight. To protect himself from the harmful rays of the sun Drake is forced to wear a long coat and a large hat. He wears wrap around sunglasses all the time, even after the sun has gone down. Many people see Drake as a freak because of his light colouring and unusual attire, and so he is somewhat of a loner and, unfortunately, a prime target for bullies and generally ignorant people. So Drake doesn't have friends, spending most of his time alone, immersed in video games, comic books, movies...
Following a move to a small town after his father's illness and semi-retirement, Drake finds himself working evenings at the old family business. A cemetery. And his life will never be the same again.
I really enjoyed this book. Drake is a fantastic character. He narrates the whole story and is so witty, even when things are going wrong for and around him. He has so much to put up with in his life, what with the albinism and people generally being horrible to him. As to his family... ugh. His parents don't really get on and his sister, Brie, is awful, evil and definitely psychotic. I like her a lot. Though perhaps she should be looked after somewhere for her own and everyone else's safety.
This is a supernatural romance with a mystery to solve. Hilarious at times, but also heartbreaking on occasion. Never having had any luck with girls in the past, Drake suddenly has two vying for his attention. Some of the romance is a tiny bit on the sappy side, veering in to YA territory, but the teen angst is not overdone. The romance is the only thing that made this feel like a YA novel for me but, to be fair, romance isn't the biggest part of the story. There are several very 'grown up' issues going on in this story (mental illness, sexual abuse and death), and with all the wonderfully amusing pop culture references there is more than enough to ensure adult readers enjoy it too. I freaking loved it!
16 year old Drake has albinism. His skin is bone white, his hair the colour of snow, and he is extremely sensitive to all light, especially sunlight. To protect himself from the harmful rays of the sun Drake is forced to wear a long coat and a large hat. He wears wrap around sunglasses all the time, even after the sun has gone down. Many people see Drake as a freak because of his light colouring and unusual attire, and so he is somewhat of a loner and, unfortunately, a prime target for bullies and generally ignorant people. So Drake doesn't have friends, spending most of his time alone, immersed in video games, comic books, movies...
Following a move to a small town after his father's illness and semi-retirement, Drake finds himself working evenings at the old family business. A cemetery. And his life will never be the same again.
I really enjoyed this book. Drake is a fantastic character. He narrates the whole story and is so witty, even when things are going wrong for and around him. He has so much to put up with in his life, what with the albinism and people generally being horrible to him. As to his family... ugh. His parents don't really get on and his sister, Brie, is awful, evil and definitely psychotic. I like her a lot. Though perhaps she should be looked after somewhere for her own and everyone else's safety.
This is a supernatural romance with a mystery to solve. Hilarious at times, but also heartbreaking on occasion. Never having had any luck with girls in the past, Drake suddenly has two vying for his attention. Some of the romance is a tiny bit on the sappy side, veering in to YA territory, but the teen angst is not overdone. The romance is the only thing that made this feel like a YA novel for me but, to be fair, romance isn't the biggest part of the story. There are several very 'grown up' issues going on in this story (mental illness, sexual abuse and death), and with all the wonderfully amusing pop culture references there is more than enough to ensure adult readers enjoy it too. I freaking loved it!
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