Name: Velveteen
ISBN: 9780385742245

Daniel Marks

Velveteen was murdered at age 16, but that's not her real problem--life in purgatory is hard work when your side job is haunting the serial killer who took your life.

Velveteen

Briar's Reviews

Velveteen was a book that I've been eying since it came out. The title is unique, the cover is gorgeous, and the synopsis sounded so intriguing. Unfortunately, the book wasn't a hit with me.

Velveteen is a sixteen year old girl who was murdered by a madman named Bonesaw. She's got some serious hate towards this man and wants to make him pay. But, she has ended up in purgatory and there's bigger issues going on. Something is jeopardizing the stability (or what stability there is) in purgatory, and Velveteen is going to help fix it.

The story itself sounds so intriguing but the writing style didn't match with me. There was lots of world building and characters talking but not a lot of plot movement. It also sounded like there was going to be some kind of revenge towards Bonesaw (which is the most intriguing part of the whole book) but it fell flat. There was so much going on. If the book had been more focused, I think it would have worked so much better. Also, Velveteen and the way she narrates... it seems so off for a woman who has been killed as a teenager. It just felt so off. 

Overall, the book didn't do it for me. I'm sad because I really wanted it to! Alas, not all books will.

One out of five stars.

Jessica Nottingham

Let's get this out right at the beginning. I love Velveteen Monroe. She's strong, borderline inappropriate the majority of the time, and has a mouth on her that made me crack up laughing. Trust me, this is not a girl you want to mess with. Velveteen was my favorite part of this book, hands down. From the very first page I fell in total love with her tough demeanor and her ability to think outside of herself. Velveteen is cool. There's no other way to say it.

Now in case you're going into this book thinking that you'll be hearing about her ultimate revenge against Bonesaw, let me set you straight. The synopsis is definitely misleading. Velveteen does touch on this a little bit (and it's really gory), but mostly focuses on what Purgatory is really like. Honestly? It's a pretty amazing place. Daniel Marks creates a world where the dead go when they aren't ready to move on. A world filled with mismatched clothing and buildings. A world where souls can rest when they're not taking care of important business. It is Purgatory that is really the center of the book.

What I really loved about this book was the interaction between the living at the dead. Watching Velveteen and her "Salvagers" do their work was really interesting, and made for a fun read. Add in a fast moving plot that pits the people in Purgatory against one another, and you have a book that kept me reading. Velveteen may not have been what I was expecting, but it was definitely still a really great read. Best of all (at least in my mind) is that the romance is not over the top mushy. No spoilers, but what exists between Velveteen and Nick is fabulous. That's all you'll get from me.

There are some very graphic scenes in this book, you've been warned. This is not for the faint of heart. However if you are willing to snicker at a few inappropriately morbid jokes, and suspend disbelief in favor of hanging with Velveteen and her crew, this will be a book that you'll enjoy. Go into it with an open mind. I'm certain that you'll find something to love about Daniel Marks' Purgatory.

Velveteen

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