I was extremely happy when I saw that my library got The Cemetery Boys in. I immediately grabbed it from the shelf and started wishing that it wasn't on hold for someone else. Ever since I heard about this book when Brewer first started hinting toward it, I was hooked. I'm a big fan of Brewer, and I follow a few of her social media sites. I have read the Chronicles of Vladimir Tod they are not reviewed because I read them looong before I started this blog. I have read the first couple of books of The Slayer Chronicles, I have read and reviewed the first book in the Legacy of Tril. There are a few other little short stories out by Brewer that I haven't been able to get my hands on.
Stephen knew there wasn't any other choice when his father told him that they where moving to Spencer. They were broke from paying Mom's hospital bills, and they had no one else to fall back on but grandmother. She's not that great though, she's bitter and stuck just like Spencer. After meeting Cara and her twin Devon things seem not as dull, but there is more than meets the eye. They have family troubles as well and Stephen can relate to the both of them. The closer he grows with both of them, the more he sees that something isn't right. The Playground, the Winged Ones, the "bad times", and Devon's group of friends, it all just doesn't seem right. And it might be too late before Stephen can do anything about it to save himself.
I don't have many likes, I will get into why with my dislikes portion. Brewer herself is a very openly loving person. She doesn't care what walk of life you have or had, what your gender is, your sexuality, etc. So I wasn't surprised when a few of the characters where open loving themselves. I liked this because I myself am openly loving. This is something we as humans need more of. We need more openness and acceptance. People need to know that this is okay! Another thing I was happy to see Brewer incorporate into The Cemetery Boys was the mental health subject. Like I said before I follow Brewer and I was excited when she hinted toward this. Yet again this is something humans need to know is a part of life. People have mental illnesses, and they need to know that there is help. Okay touchy subjects over. I don't know if I have said this before in a review, but I love to hate characters. Stephen's Grandmother would be the one that I am loving to hate, though I am more on the disliking side then the loving. The state that Brewer placed this in made me smile from square one. It's Michigan. Though I hate it in the winter and bitch most of the time about it, it's my home state. The last thing I enjoyed about reading this book was the twist with Cara at the end. Boy, did I not see that coming!
To start off the dislikes, I almost didn't finish this book. Not because it was bad, it wasn't, it's because the hype that was built up to it, and the excitement didn't last. After about the seventh chapter I didn't feel captured with the book any more. I was waiting, and waiting, and waiting for things to happen. I got half way through the book then three-fourths through the book and still nothing *for me* had happened. Things really didn't get moving till the last 3-4 chapters, and by then I wasn't too terribly concerned with finding out what happened in the end. My next dislike is more of an annoyance with the character Harold (Stephen's dad). He waited until what felt like the last moment to even talk about what happened with Stephen's mom. Most of which I think came from the fact that he found some alarming drawings of the Winged Ones from his son. Don't wait till problems start to arise. Let the child know that it is okay to come to you when they feel as though they need to. I'll leave it short and sweet like that. Speaking of the Winged Ones, I was really hoping for more of an encounter with them (if they were real?) I felt like that whole scene was built up to and then nothing again. My last dislike was how I felt when I ended the book. We have all had the feeling of "that's it?" but mine was really just, after all that that's it. I'm sad, this is a stand-alone and that is how I was left feeling.
I wasn't overtly disappointed, but I really hoped for more. Granted this is more for the younger reader and I am not super young, so I won't be completely harsh. I did enjoy laughing just a couple of times, and it was a pretty quick read altogether. Do I recommend The Cemetery Boys? Yes, to those younger readers. Though if you are older and think you may like this I truly say go for it. Will my opinion change in the future? Who knows, maybe it will, maybe it won't. Do I want to own this book? At this time, I don't feel too terribly consumed with wanting it. I want Brewer's other books more over this one. I don't think I will be rereading this anytime soon. This is definitely a book I see myself reading again after a number of years, which isn't a bad thing! Did anyone else read this and have the same feelings as me, or different? I'd really like to know.
Rating: Very low 3 out of 5.
Page Count: 273 pages (hardcover)
Price: $17.99
Next Book: (hopefully if I can finish it before it has to go back to the library) Zomburbia by Adam Gallardo
Thanks for reading!
~Jade
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