Jennifer Donnelly

A young woman in nineteenth-century New York City must struggle against gender and class boundaries when her father is found dead of a supposed suicide, and she believes there is more than meets the eye, so in order to uncover the truth she will have to decide how much she is willing to risk and lose.

These Shallow Graves

Melissa Palmer

Book #131 Read in 2015
These Shallow Graves by Jennifer Donnelly

This was a great mystery/historical fiction read. Jo is an intelligent young woman of a well-to-do family. She dreams of having the freedom to choose her path in life--whether it is to become a journalist, to marry who her family wants her to marry or to not marry at all. Then her world is rocked when her father dies, of an apparent suicide...or was it? Jo begins an investigation into what really happened to her father, with the help of dashing newspaperman Eddie. Of course, she falls for him even though they are not a socially acceptable match. Close to 500 pages, this book flew and will keep readers engaged from the first page to the last. The characters, most of whom are flawed, are intriguing and well written. I highly recommend this book.

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kaitlan

Rachel Kanyid

So many cliches but I didn't care! This was a super fun, light and sweet, captivating mystery!

Julie Janis

** spoiler alert **
           This was a fun ride. I liked the historical setting, the mystery, the characters, the romance. I enjoyed myself so much throughout it! I enjoyed it so much I thought this would be a new favorite. 

But that ending?!?! What?? Why didn't Jo and Eddie make their relationship work?? It just turned into them pursuing their own careers and not relationship? And it happened A YEAR LATER?? Come on!! What's the point of having a romance when they don't even end up together in the end??

I enjoyed this up until the end. I'm struggling even giving this a four star, but I've got to be honest with myself. I did like this but that ending DEFINITELY ruined this from becoming a favorite.

Brianna Rose Madden 

This book was not only a set of pages in between covers. It was a story, a truth, a tale. It not only told the story of a daydreaming girl, and a handsome reporter. It's a story of suspense, love, lost, and crime. One that not only tells the story of a girl, but a story of her heart. Jennifer Donelly has written a brilliant masterpiece, that keeps you on pins and needles all the way through. Her characters were emotional, real, developed, and relateable. it wasn't a fantasy, but she introduced us to the dark part of our world, and it seemed impossibly true. This story shows two sides of our world the wealthy, and the poor. People who are waited on and taken care of throughout their lives are shown the part of their city that thrives on the people who fight for their lives. Jennifer Donelly takes life and weaves it into a fantastic, eye-opening tale. One that rings with real life and it's hardships. It shows you to appreciate what you have, because there are people who are worse off. Donelly is a strong writer, that subtly teaches a moral within the tale of a determined lady, a brave man, and the evil that lurks within people. She not only makes you love the main character, grieve over her experiences, and feel every one of their emotions like it's yours. Donelly creates a world where every character is as important as the next, as developed as the next, and as strong as the next. This story is a masterpiece, a painting created with words. It is a heart that beats and thrives through every hardship, emotion, and twist. It is a heart that is bound to secure a special place in yours.

"Originally published in hardcover in the United States by Delcorte Press, an imprint of Random House Children's Books, New York, in 2015."--Title page verso.

Christian Huss

Becky

4/4.5 stars

This was such an absorbing read and even though I had a lot of things sussed by about halfway through I still couldn't put the hook down until I reached the end and had my suspicions confirmed.

It may be one of the best YA mystery/thrillers I've read. Especially with its historical setting.

Paige Green

Rating: 4.5/5

Genre: YA Mystery/Historical Fiction

Recommended Age: 14+ (sexual references, violence, gore, suicide trigger warning)

Pages: 488

Author Website

Amazon Link

Disclaimer: None, I got this on my own accord!

Synopsis: Jo Montfort is beautiful and rich, and soon—like all the girls in her class—she’ll graduate from finishing school and be married off to a wealthy bachelor. Which is the last thing she wants. Jo secretly dreams of becoming a writer—a newspaper reporter like the trailblazing Nellie Bly.
Wild aspirations aside, Jo’s life seems perfect until tragedy strikes: her father is found dead. Charles Montfort accidentally shot himself while cleaning his revolver. One of New York City’s wealthiest men, he owned a newspaper and was partner in a massive shipping firm, and Jo knows he was far too smart to clean a loaded gun.
The more Jo uncovers about her father’s death, the more her suspicions grow. There are too many secrets. And they all seem to be buried in plain sight. Then she meets Eddie—a young, brash, infuriatingly handsome reporter at her father’s newspaper—and it becomes all too clear how much she stands to lose if she keeps searching for the truth. Only now it might be too late to stop.
The past never stays buried forever. Life is dirtier than Jo Montfort could ever have imagined, and the truth is the dirtiest part of all.

Funny story about this book: I was on my book crawl for my husband and mine’s first wedding anniversary and I saw this book in a small book store. I saw the cover and grabbed it, not even reading what the book was about. What was I thinking when I grabbed it? “Hmmm…. graves is in the title… a hand reaching up from the ground… looks dark and eerie… MUST BE ABOUT ZOMBIES!” Imagine my disappointment when this book did not include zombies. BUT this book was absolutely wonderful in its own accord. The characters were developed and engaging, the plot was well developed and intriguing, and the pacing wasn’t slow like it usually is in mystery books. This swiftly became one of my favorite mysteries over 6 hours it took me to read it. This book was also a favorite historical fiction of mine. The book spends a lot of time narrating what life looks like from Jo’s perspective and while it can be trivial and a bit boring to some, I found it quite fascinating to learn about life from her point of view and then what life looked like for others in different social and class circles.

However, I did think that the book focused a lot on Jo’s personal struggles and not a lot on the mystery itself. When the conclusion came it was bittersweet in that we didn’t get the full trial. It’s like those law and order episodes that either all focus in the courtroom or all focus on the police work and crime. I like both aspects and to have one missing is a little bit of a bummer for me. The writing is also a little bit weird. The first paragraph or two of each chapter either focuses on a flashback or sets the stage for Jo retelling the audience what happened prior. There’s no page breaks or italics to offset this from the rest of the novel, so it’s a bit weird to recognize that as a reader.

Verdict: If you like your mysteries historical and your main characters Victorian, then you’ll love this book!

Anastaciya

I don't know what I expected, but this one was so good! Great characters, lots of action, some humor, some absolutely heartbreaking moments... I believe I guessed some three plot points / twists, one at the very beginning of the story, but still it was a great read.

Lisa ✩ @lifeinlit

First of all… THIS COVER!! Yes, I’m a bit obsessed with it. It’s beyond gorgeous and I can’t help myself… I just want to stare at it for days and days. So much love for this creepy, beautiful, eye-catching cover!!

These Shallow Graves ended up on my doorstep, and with that gorgeous cover, how could I say no to reading it?! It just so happened I also had received the audiobook version from the publisher right before that, so that’s double the reason to read it! I was able to flip back and forth between the hardcover and audiobook depending on which I wanted to read at the current time. I love being able to do that!

Historicals were never my thing before this year… but since I started venturing out into this genre a few months ago, I’ve found quite a few books that I’ve really enjoyed! These Shallow Graves was a bit aggravating at times simply because it IS a historical and the way they used to treat women and look down on them was tough to swallow. I can’t imagine what women that lived in the 19th century had to go through, but reading about it makes it sound pretty darn horrific. And that’s what makes Jo’s character even more appealing. Back when women were supposed to be meek and mild and basically speechless, we get to read about a character who’s feisty, has spunk, and isn’t afraid to break a few rules. I loved it!

“Why is it, she wondered now, that boys get to do things and be things and girls only get to watch?”

I loved the Victorian New York setting and this incredible cast of characters. I was so pleasantly surprised by this book. Yes, it’s on the longer side… but it never dragged on or felt extremely long. The pacing was pretty perfect and the story was engaging throughout. Another great historical read to add to my list for this year!! This is definitely one worth the read if you’re interested in a YA mystery set in older times with a very interesting story that will have you hooked. It wasn’t quite as creepy as I had expected, but it was still quite enjoyable. This is my first Jennifer Donnelly read, but it won’t be my last!

Audiobook Impressions:
I’ve found that when it comes to YA Historical, I really enjoy listening to the audio. Since this is a newer genre to me, hearing the characters brought to life brings this story to another level. With this one, I did switch back and forth between the audio and the hardcover. I found though that I preferred the audio over reading it myself, since Kim Bubbs, a fantastic narrator, took it all up a notch. I would definitely recommend going the audiobook route with this one!

(Thanks to Random House Delacorte & Listening Library for the review copies!)

Find this review and others like it at Lost in Literature!

Kate

4.5* This was fantastic!! I was gripped instantly simply from the prologue. Brilliant characters, an immersive setting and a page turning plot. I enjoyed this a lot. Definitely recommended!! 

Read my full review on my blog ~ http://girlreading.co.uk/bookreviews/...

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Illeana

Josephine Monfort is from one of New York's oldest, most respected, and wealthiest families. Like most well-off girls of the Gilded Age, her future looks set - after a finishing school education, she will be favourably married off to a handsome gentleman, after which she'll want for nothing. But Jo has other dreams and desires that make her long for a very different kind of future. She wants a more meaningful and exciting life: she wants to be an investigative journalist like her heroine Nellie Bly. But when Jo's father is found dead in his study after an alleged accident, her life becomes far more exciting than even Jo would wish. Unable to accept that her father could have been so careless, she begins to investigate his death with the help of a young reporter, Eddie Gallagher.

These Shallow Graves

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