Charlaine Harris has been a published writer for over forty years. Her first two books were standalones, followed by a long sabbatical when she was having children. Then she began the Aurora Teagarden book, mysteries featuring a short librarian (eventually adapted for Hallmark movies). The darker Lily Bard books came next, about a house cleaner with a dark past and considerable fighting skills.
Tired of abiding by the mystery rules, Harris wrote a novel about a telepathic barmaid that took at least two years to sell. When the book was published, it turned into a best seller, and DEAD UNTIL DARK and the subsequent Sookie books were adapted in Alan Ball's "True Blood" series. At the same time, Harris began the Harper Connelly books. Harper can find the bones of the dead and see their last minute.
When those two series wound to a close, the next three books were about a mysterious town in Texas, called Midnight.
A change in publisher and editor led to Harris's novels about a female gunslinger in an alternate America, Lizbeth Rose. The Gunnie Rose books concluded with the sixth novel.
This volume wasn't nearly as compelling as the first, mostly because it seemed to be retreading the same ground, only just more of it. Calexa witnesses a murder, gets possessed/inhabited by the spirit of the victim, feels compelled to solve the murder but nearly gets killed herself, the police arrive in the nick of time but are totally incompetent and fail to secure the scene or search the area. Rinse and repeat.
The mystery of who Calexa is and why she was left for dead also only inches forward in this story, though at least we have a face if not a name for her attacker. She has found and lost more than more ally in this story though, and hopefully things will be resolved in the final volume, but it feels like there is too much heavy lifting left to do.
Last year Jo Fletcher Book released their first graphic novel, The Pretenders by Charlaine Harris and Christopher Golden. This first book was marketed as the new Buffy and in many ways it lived up to it's expectations there was also something new in it. The concept of a young girl featuring as a talksperson for ghosts to talk to their living friend and family. The Inheritance is the second book in the series and once again doesn't hesitate to throw you into a pacing story.
The Pretenders introduced us to Calexa Rose Dunhill, also better know as The Cemetery Girl. In the first book she was left for dead in the Dunhill Cemetery and uncovered some new powers that she had gotten. At the end of the first book Calexa made a new friend, that of the old women living across the streets, Lucinda. There bond has grown so much that Lucinda has invited her to come sleep in her house. But it seems that it doesn't take long for trouble to find Calexa once more. On a terrible night someone sneaks into Lucinda's home and brutally murders here, Calexa who has gotten streetsmart when she lived on her own fends of the burglar. But now Calexa is once again on her own...
Perhaps both as a blessing and a curse, the ghost of Lucinda returns and enters Calexa, there is unfinished business. Because who killed Lucinda and why? There are multiple persons that could have interest. But what is the actual motive? Calexa has to risk her own life to get to the bottom of this. And it doesn't get made any easier now that other friends that she made also have their lives hanging in the balance. I do wonder if this is all just coincidence or that there is something bigger at play here. When you look at what happens in the end you can only just think and wonder what will happen next and why Calexa was chosen and more over. With what she was injected in the first book and why she was left to die.
As for the character transformation, the beginning of Inheritance really shows a happy Calexa, she has someone to rely on and to help here. Something completely different from the beginning of the first book. I liked this Calexa and was actually shocked when I read that Lucinda got murdered. She falls back into her old pattern becoming the angsty Calexa, but she has learned and soon build up enough courage to once again approach the living that can help here. A very nice transformation.
Inheritance opens up a way full of possibilities. I am very curious to see how Calexa's story will unfold. I hope to see more of that man...
Full-color YA contemporary/supernatural graphic novel. This second installment of this trilogy reads very much like the first book, except that the person murdered is not a stranger this time. Art is above average and the story is interesting, especially if you like cemeteries, but the characterization is slight and the motive for the murder is pretty lame. At the end of this second book, the protagonist still has no idea who murdered her and left her for dead in the cemetery. Though she experiences brief flashes of her own memories, she still doesn't know who she is.
It's certainly not the most intelligent thing I could be reading, and the plot was very similar to that of a TV murder mystery series, but the illustrations were well-done and the comic was easy to follow, even for someone who hadn't read the previous book in the series.
I think I liked this better than the first one. I'm really interested in seeing where this story goes, especially since it doesn't appear to be wrapping up terribly soon.
hmmm, Book One made me sad. Book Two made me mad. The art is still a little disappointing, but the story is good. The final book was just published on June 29th so I'm going to have to wait for the library to get it.
Fun quick read. Like most middle books in a trilogy this one is redirecting us from the first books story to the last books story. The woman Calaxa befriends in the first book is a central character in this one. The Cemetery hoodlums in the first book are also here and we learn more about them. Nice graphics.
(Review of the Graphic Audio: Audiobook adaptation)
Short but very good work. 3.5
No memories, no identity and no place to call home. That's where she starts: right in the middle of a cemetery, without a clue who she is or how she got there. Now in the second volume Calexa slowly regains her memory, and bit by bit makes new friends. But still the dead tug on 'The Ghost of dunhill Cemetery'.
That's all the premise I'm willing to give, far better to experience it for yourself. The story though not all that original is superbly portrayed by the Graphic Audio team. This is a audiobook adaptation of a graphic novel (comic), and it shouldn't work, but absolutely does. The soundeffect and voice acting makes this more than just your average book. It makes it an experience. And on just that basis worth listening to. Greatest plus in my opinion is the atmosphere this book creates. Just hearing the leaves rustle, of the chatter of people in the background make up any visual clues you'd ever need.
Another so-so second book in a series. I liked the first one, but this one felt a bit unnecessary. Someone else dies, the main character loses some of the footing she's gained, and we learn who the bad guy is but she doesn't. I feel like she should have learned more in this one, especially since it's a trilogy. Too bad the third one isn't out yet. At least I'm making progress on my reading goals for this year!
This was a fun quick read, but I thought it suffered a little from the famous middle-book-of-a-trilogy syndrome; it seemed to re-cover a lot of ground from the first book and didn't do enough to set up the conclusion awaited in the third. The art didn't strike me as being as well polished as in the previous volume. It's still a nicely written ghost story with some clever twists and turns, and I'm anxious to find out how it all winds up in the final volume.
I listened to this as an audiobook. I had the same issues with it as I did with the first book in the series--there were important pieces of information I missed because I couldn't hear them, usually because Calixa was eavesdropping on them and my hearing isn't as sharp as hers. I found the sound effects less distracting this time, although loud noises caused by slamming doors and dropping things still made me jump.
I'm not sure why they split the story into 3 parts, although I'm assuming it's because of the expense of the production. This part was 1 hour long, which meant I had barely gotten involved in the story and it was finished. This was handy because I got the book at a time when I wasn't driving very much (which is when I listen to audiobooks), so I had lots of time to finish it before I had to return it to the library. And fortunately, the last section arrived just before I finished this one, so I was able to continue with the story without a gap (which would have been really annoying).
I enjoy The Who-dun-it aspect of these books. I can say with complete honesty I never expected the victims death or the killer to be who it was. Not sure I am all that taken by the motivations behind the killing but whatever it’s fine. It’s hard to believe this is only a trilogy, are we really going to learn all about what happened to Calexa in the next book? Have these last two books actually been setting up this reveal? I’m glad Calexa finally reached out to someone for help and if the detective does end up being who tried to kill her, her instinct not to turn herself in was spot on. Looking forward to the last book!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Though I didn't enjoy this one, as much as I enjoyed the first one, it was still interesting and it was good. Bit of a quick jump that suddenly the old lady was dead. But maybe that's because it's a short story so we have to just move things along. But it was interesting and most of this was her running from herself. I don't know that she knows enough about her past that. She should have been so scared. Unknown yes but not that somebody wants me dead so I don't want to come forward. Especially since she was using somebody else's name. But I certainly did enjoy it. It's a fast read so it's worth picking up and reading through this series.
Calexa still doesn't know who she is, why someone tried to kill her and dumped her at the cemetery. She is starting to feel comfortable with the old lady across from the cemetery and the cemetery caretaker. Then there's another murder, and she's trying to solve it and stay alive.
I was looking forward to this after reading the first book of the series. I'm pretty hooked on the story and cannot wait for the next edition.
Art/cover: The cover isn't very eye catching to be honest, but I already knew that inside was a quality plot. The art is very Buffy the Vampire Slayer admittedly.
Plot/Story: This is what I'm here for, let's be honest here. Even though I love beautiful art as much as the next person, but I'm a book worm and I like a fantastic plot and storyline. Cemetery Girl keeps you hooked until the last page.
Calexa has started to venture out into the world so of course the one friend she’s made is brutally murdered. At least this time Calexa actually solves the crime instead of witnessing the crime and then taking credit for solving it. Lucinda deserved better, instead she lost everyone and was betrayed by her neighbor and her great-niece. They both got their just deserts. Though it beggars belief that it’s been months and Calexa’s not actively trying to solve her own case. Sure teenager, young, logically doesn’t trust anyone, but still… MONTHS! Let’s hope volume three ties this up nicely.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Book Two of The Cemetery Girl Trilogy, Inheritance, hits the ground running and doesn't stop even at the end. Another murder sends Calexa scrambling once more into hiding, and until she finds out who did it, there will be no rest. Old friends return in this volume, and new ones are found.
It's a pretty quick read and definitely keeps you turning pages until the end. If you read and enjoyed the first volume, you won't be disappointed by this second entry in the series.
I listened to this while on a plane, I caught the beginning and the end and I do not feel like I missed anything in the middle while I was sleeping! This one was slower paced. Calexa ends up living with a woman she initially tried to steal from. The woman is murdered so she spends the whole book trying to figure out what happened to her. And surprise, this woman she barely knew, decided to leave her everything in her will.
Dude. Listen to the GraphicAudiobooks if you can. Soooo worth it. This one was only 1hr 15 min & I literally inhaled it. Only one more to go & I’m in that sad but excited mode a reader gets in when they love what they are reading & can’t wait to read more but also know it’s the last of the series so it’s bittersweet. Yep, I’m there.