Author: Jennifer Donnelly
Series: -
Genres: YA, History Fiction, Mystery
Publisher: Random House
Source: ARC
Pages: 496
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SYNOPSIS: Set in gilded age New York, These Shallow Graves follows the story of Josephine Montfort, an American aristocrat. Jo lives a life of old-money ease. Not much is expected of her other than to look good and marry well. But when her father dies due to an accidental gunshot, the gilding on Jo’s world starts to tarnish. With the help of a handsome and brash reporter, and a young medical student who moonlights in the city morgue, Jo uncovers the truth behind her father’s death and learns that if you’re going to bury the past, you’d better bury it deep.
THE WORLD: The story is set around 1890th, the society is divided into working class and aristocracy. The place of women in it is also divided, some try to be themselves and do something in life aka gain some specialty and aristocratic ones are there to look nice and marry into a good family. I am not sure how much actual history this book represents but it was definitely a nice thing to read about different world after all dystopian ones.
CHARACTERS: The main character in this book is called Jo, short for Josephine. She is 17 years old aristocratic young lady who must marry another aristocrat and have cute little babies. But that is not what Jo wants. She wants to be a reporter, she wants to be herself, she wants to tell the world about injustice and not write about flowers or puppies. I have to admit, the line of Jo growing in this book...it is just beautiful. In the beginning she knows nothing of the world outside her pretty mansion but then her father dies and he overhears a reporter saying it was not a suicide but a murder. Therefore, Jo is determined to find her fathers killer and in the processs she finds out about the world outside her golden cage. Jo's companion in this book is Eddie - a small reporter who helps Jo to uncover the secrets of her father's murder. I admit, I liked Eddie, but then again he was very easy to like. Additional to two main characters there are of course others but the one that I liked best was Fay...the orphan raised by thieves leader who uses her as a slave.
However, I have to admit, I did love the characters but I was not in love with any of them. Sure, Grandmama was annoying and made me so so happy such women are long under ground and forgotten but when you look deeper...I missed that one character who makes you shiver.
However, I have to admit, I did love the characters but I was not in love with any of them. Sure, Grandmama was annoying and made me so so happy such women are long under ground and forgotten but when you look deeper...I missed that one character who makes you shiver.
LOVE: It is not a love triangle that is present in this book. It is simply a choice between love and the good of the family. Jo is in love with Eddie but he is a poor reporter. Her family has arranged her to marry Bram - a very rich and respected young aristocrat Jo has known all her life. None of them men are bad really, in the end of the book Bram actually was revealed as a true friend. But what I liked most was that there were no whinny moments really, sure Jo's heart got broken, sure she did not want to disappoint her family, but all this love was presented in the book as a secondary thing and I really am grateful for that. It was not tiring, it was refreshing!
MINUS: I am not sure if it was because I have read many books with twists in them or it was just my ability to see things but I knew the answers to the secrets basically the moment they were questioned. I knew what was on the ship, I knew who was behind the murders. It was just too clear for me.
PLUS: On the other hand, even I was able to see things the moments the questions were made I was still excited to read the book till the end. Maybe it was because I was a confirmation, which I got. Or because I just enjoyed this different type of book, but this book has kept me till 3 a.m. just because I was eager to read it to the end.
PLUS: On the other hand, even I was able to see things the moments the questions were made I was still excited to read the book till the end. Maybe it was because I was a confirmation, which I got. Or because I just enjoyed this different type of book, but this book has kept me till 3 a.m. just because I was eager to read it to the end.
HAPPY BOOK RELEASE TO THESE SHALLOW GRAVES!
What do you guys think about THESE SHALLOW GRAVES?
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