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The Restorer
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Elishia, Leslie and Vi ~ Reading The Restorer
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Jenne
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Apr 01, 2013 06:21AM
Elishia, Leslie and Vi ~ Reading The Restorer
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Hi do you have a date you want to start?
Hi Elishia! I was just about to post.. I was thinking 16 or 17. Does that work with you both?
yes that's fine with me gives me time to finish my group reads
That works for me. I just need to go check on the book at the library and make sure it's still there!
Hiya do you two still want to start this today or tomorrow? I don't mind waiting if you're not ready.
Hi Elishia - I think Leslie has got something going on at her end. Do you mind waiting till end of this week?
No Vi thats fine with me just let me know when you're ready.
Hi Everyone - I am back home and ready to start this today. Thanks for waiting for me!!
No problem Leslie. I'll start later as well, i'm going to listen to this one until I scare myself anyway.
I scare so easily, that's why I'm glad to buddy read. I need to hold hands while I read!
Great! I just need to get this from my library then. Thank god for ebooks! I'll start today evening around 5 which should work for you both as well.
I started this morning. Love the writing. Very creepy and the story so far is very intriguing.I have a thing for old cemeteries, which is one of the reasons I wanted to read this. I am from Louisiana and my husband's family has lived in New Orleans since 1699. They have a family plot in St. Louis #1, which is the oldest cemetery in the city. There are probably 20 family members buried in this tomb. The family has owned it since 1815. So very creepy!! Here's a picture
Anybody else have cemetery stories? I have several!
Sorry ladies - I was supposed to start it tonight but I got side-tracked. I will start it tomorrow. Leslie - did you read the prequel?
ETA: I will start it tomorrow morning. Off to bed now.
Leslie wrote: "I started this morning. Love the writing. Very creepy and the story so far is very intriguing.I have a thing for old cemeteries, which is one of the reasons I wanted to read this. I am from Louis..."
Wow thats some history, I don't know anything like that about my family. I don't know if we have tombs like that over here. Although I am petrified of cemeteries so when i've had to go I don't look anywhere apart from where i'm going. I don't want to see anything I shouldn't.
Weirdly though when I was younger we had an old cemetery near our house http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tower_Ha... we used to go in there a lot or cut through there, this was the only one I wasn't scared to go in (not on my own ☺) I would never go in there now though i'm to chicken.
Vi wrote: "Sorry ladies - I was supposed to start it tonight but I got side-tracked. I will start it tomorrow. Leslie - did you read the prequel?
ETA: I will start it tomorrow morning. Off to bed now."
No worries Vi, i'm not that far in either. BTW what country are you in? I started last night about 9pm but then got scared and thought I better wait for day time.
Singapore, so roughly about 8 hours ahead of GMT.I just finished
which was a good read. I wasn't that creeped out though. And because I have this small OCD about reading series in order.I'm a Hindu so we don't have cemeteries. And it was a while before I understood what they were. I think I have to thank Scooby Doo for that. My point is that I don't have the necessary spooky/creepy feelings associated. But we do have ghosts and I love horror stories. Love that creeped out feeling.
Oh ok I was trying to work out which countries were ahead of me.Don't worry I have that same problem about reading in order.
I've never even thought before that places might not have cemeteries, you learn something new every day.
Its ghosts that scare me the most, thats one thing that could have me crying like a baby I want to believe that they don't exist.
My kids, having grown up in New Orleans, were freaked out the first time they saw cemeteries with people buried in the ground!! Horrors!! You can't bury below ground in NO because of the water table. They will float.There was a cemetery in a town outside where I lived in Louisiana and our church group would make annual pilgrimages to the church. It was one of the oldest in the state. They had a beautiful old cemetery near the church and I used to wander looking at all the old gravestones. It was so beautiful with the spanish moss. Very similar to what's described in the book. Charleston and New Orleans are very similar cities.
I don't actually read horror, watch scary movies or anything like that. But I like gothic mysteries, and that's what this reminds me of.
Vi, did not realize Hindu religion does not have cemeteries. I assume cremation?
John Devlin is such an intriguing character! And I'm loving Amelia - plus that is one of my favorite names.
Vi wrote: "I'm a Hindu so we don't have cemeteries. And it was a while before I understood what they were. "I knew somewhere in the back of my mind that bodies are cremated in the Hindu religion but never made the link to the lack of cemeteries - it is really interesting how one's cultural background can affect the reading experience.
Leslie - you're right. We cremate. So how do you have cemeteries in NO? I understood that usually people are buried? Though I remember vaguely something about this but I'm not sure what.
I would love to visit an old cemetery with such character - if someone was there to explain to me all those characters. Otherwise, I think it'll just fly over my head.
Lauren - First few times I couldn't understand how cemeteries could be creepy. It was a light bulb moment and I realized how much our background affects us. But then, most books are set in a culture very different from me that when I started reading, it was very new and weird. Now I'm sort of used to it except for the odd times like this book when I realize it all over again.
Vi, in New Orleans we have above ground tombs. And also Wall mausoleums that have drawers in them for the body. In tombs, the body is put into a receiving vault. And as the body decays, and a new body needs to be placed in the tomb, the bones are shaken down into the bottom of the tomb. No casket goes in, just the body in a shroud. Because New Orleans is below sea level, bodies will float if they are buried in the ground. Here's a picture of a cemetery that looks kind of creepy.
And here's a picture of a tomb in the cemetery in St. Francisville, LA that I used to go to. Check out the spanish moss! You can see some headstones in the background. They bury in the ground here.
I'm liking all this education its interesting. I remember reading about the water level in New Orleans in a book, that was the first time i'd heard or it. I always wondered how tombs worked I just assumed they stacked them on top of each other I didn't know about the vault thing.Vi instead of a cemetery do you have somewhere where people scatter the ashes? Because I know here some people still put the ashes or plant a tree and scatter the ashes in a cemetery. I'm not sure if people just do that because they have family members already buried there.
I could just imagine things hiding behind those tombs ☺.
I finished this last night! Loved it, but she does leave us hanging at the end.I have to admit to figuring out who the murderer is, but it was still really creepy.
Can't wait to discuss!
I can't imagine bodies floating!Leslie - I actually find both those pics beautiful (and not at all creepy). And a little sad too.
Elishia - As far as I know, after cremation, you collect the ash and it's generally dissolved in the nearby river or buried near the banks etc. I'm not sure why they do the scattering though.
I want to ask her dad why he can't be more open. And I'm sorta amazed at Amelia - how could she not have explored more? I'm a little surprised. So far, I'm not getting any creepy feelings yet and I have say 40% left. I'm going to see if reading in the night induces any of those feelings.
Was it creepy for you?
Oh no! Is it a cliff-hanger ending? I LOATHE them.I did read somewhere though that Amelia and Devlin's relationship does not progress till book #3 :( Not sure how true it is.
It's not a cliffhanger ending. There are just alot of things left unanswered. (view spoiler)And I agree about the dad. But it's the relationship with the mom and her being adopted and everything that's very strange. And we are introduced to the "others" but then we don't hear anything else about them.
And yes, it definitely gave me chills. The ghost wife hanging on and watching everything. I like the little girl however.
I think that's why I like cemeteries, Vi. You can feel the emotion of the place. I love reading the inscriptions on the headstones.
I just finished it and sad to say, I didn't find it as creepy as you. That said, I'll definitely be continuing the series. I'm a little invested right now. I want to know what's the deal with the Ghost Wife. I want to hear their relationship from Devlin instead of others. I'm so very interested in Devlin right now.
Leslie: Regarding Cemeteries - Oh that I agree but sometimes I feel like I've invaded the privacy of someone too. In Singapore, there are cemeteries but I hesitate very much to go in there.
I probably just have a lower creep factor since I don't read horror or watch scary movies! I'm easily creeped out. I feel invested as well and want to continue now.I completely agree about Devlin though. So many unanswered questions. The scene where Amelia and Devlin start to come together was a little weird.
And I agree with what you are saying about cemeteries. In American Indian culture, burial grounds were sacred and not to be disturbed. I think it is so important to be respectful when you visit a cemetery and I try never to walk on the graves and to have a prayerful attitude. My favorite epitaph on a gravestone was up in a cemetery in New Hampshire. The gravestone was of a woman who had dies in the early 1800's and it said "She hath done what she could."
I actually think there is something so beautiful and peaceful about cemeteries and I've never gotten a creepy vibe when visiting one. One of the things I enjoyed most about The Restorer is all of the symbolism surrounding the gravestones and the significance of the various carvings - I really appreciated Amelia's love for her profession.
The different burial practices are also interesting. I'm reading the Jane Yellowrock series now, which is set in New Orleans and the reason for burying in Mausoleums due to the low water table is explained in detail (even though I've read numerous books set in the city, this is the first time I learned of the practice).
I remember reading a book set in Florida, where bodies from a local cemetery are washed up after a hurricane - no that was creepy.
After Katrina, several cemeteries were destroyed and bodies were washing up. It was very sad. This wasn't in the city, but in outlying parishes.I tend to be very careful of books set in New Orleans because I am so easily annoyed by them if they don't get it right. I will have to check into the Jane Yellowrock series. Never heard of it. In NO, they call buildings that have wall units Mausoleums. They remind me of drawers.
I also loved how much passion Amelia had for her profession. She seemed like someone you would want to get to know. But I felt so sad for her as well. She was so isolated.I wanted to shake her parents.
I finally got to finish this yesterday I really liked it. I was hoping Amelia would have told Devlin about the ghost in this one but guess its going to get dragged out a bit. I didn't guess who the killer was I thought it was one of the women.I can finally go back and read your comments now i've finished.
I agree about her parents they are very strange, there is obviously some big secret there.I actually wasn't as scared as I thought I was going to be. Think the fact that Amelia explained things as well might have helped me I enjoyed the history of the symbols.
Is anyone going to continue?
I'm glad you liked it, Elishia! And I agree about Amelia telling Devlin. You'd think she would want to mention it. But so much was left undone.I thought the killer was just so creepy from the beginning and at one point it occurred to me that he was in the right place for him to be the murderer.
What did you think of the one lone almost sex scene? I thought it was a little strange. Was she channeling the wife? I couldn't figure it out.
I only considered him right at the beginning at the restaurant but then it went out my head, I just thought he was a bit weird.Oh gosh that whole scene was so strange i'm still not really sure what was going on. I thought she'd been possessed or something after she looked in the mirror but then she could see the wife watching her. I'm thinking the wife might of been in to something she shouldn't have because she sounds to creepy.
I just remembered something that old lady said (can't remember her name). Anyone else thinking that Amelia's parents might have died in whatever "near death" experience she's had? I don't know why she didn't ask her dad if she'd ever been in an accident or something.
Leslie wrote: "What did you think of the one lone almost sex scene? I thought it was a little strange. Was she channeling the wife? I couldn't figure it out. "That scene was seriously weird and borderline grotesque. I have to wonder if that is what Stevens was aiming for.
I don't think that Amelia was channeling Devlin's wife as this doesn't appear to be one of Amelia's abilities. Rather I got the impression that Devlin's wife sees Amelia as a threat and tried to frighten her off by attempting to take possession of Amelia's body much in the same way that Clayton possessed Daniel.
I'm not sure what she was aiming for, but it was weird. I felt really bad for Devlin. But then she never spoke about it with him or explained. And the possession thing sounds much more in line with the book, you are right. I hadn't thought of that. But it was interesting that Amelia only acts overtly sexual when she is possessed. Otherwise, she is rather stunted emotionally and rather immature in her relationships. Which is completely understandable given her upbringing.
So Elishia, are you thinking that Amelia's parents are ghosts? Like in Sixth Sense? I don't remember the part where the voodoo lady mentions the near death experience. I'm not sure why that didn't stick with me.
No I meant her whoever her birth parents are did they die in an accident and Amelia survived.This is the bit I'm talking about
“She said I’ve been to the other side and now my spirit doesn’t know where it belongs.”
“Interesting.” He fingered the gris-gris thoughtfully. “Have you ever had a near-death experience?”
“No.”
“Not even as a child?”
“Not that I know of.”
