Feature Friday ARC Review : Shallow Graves by Kali Wallace

                                      
*Feature Friday ARC Review is a meme hosted by The Tattered Page to feature YA books that have not yet been released by reviewing them.*

*Warning: This review may contain spoilers. Read at your own risk.

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

Publication date: January 26, 2016

Pages: 368

Source: ARC

The Story:

For fans of Holly Black and Nova Ren Suma, a gripping, hauntingly atmospheric novel about murder, revenge, and a world where monsters—human and otherwise—lurk at the fringes.

When seventeen-year-old Breezy Lin wakes up in a shallow grave one year after her death, she doesn’t remember who killed her or why. All she knows is that she’s somehow conscious—and not only that, she’s able to sense who around her is hiding a murderous past. In life, Breezy was always drawn to the elegance of the universe and the mystery of the stars. Now she must set out to find answers and discover what is to become of her in the gritty, dangerous world to which she now belongs—where killers hide in plain sight, and a sinister cult is hunting for strange creatures like her. What she finds is at once empowering, redemptive, and dangerous.

Tense, complex, and wholly engaging, Shallow Graves is a stunning first novel from Kali Wallace.

- via Amazon

Rating: 

My Review: 

Tag Line:

Her end was just the beginning.

Opening Line:

The first time I killed a man it was an accident.

Plot:

The premise of Shallow Graves was definitely a major factor in snagging my attention. Not did you read that opening line? I was hooked from page 1. Teenage girl goes to her party and digs her way out of a shallow grave one year later . . . then kills a man by touching him. I man, what?! Why wouldn't I read this book. And sure enough, I couldn't put it down. I needed to now how the story was going to play out. How, why, did Breezy come back to life?What was she? Who killed her? One of the last things she remembers is leaving the party after her best friend slaps her. Did she have something to do with her murder?

The pacing of Shallow Graves was compatible with the story. I didn't feel bogged down by details, lack of details, backstory, and so on and so forth. The timing felt natural and the story flowed. All in all, Wallace's writing was decent, straightforward. I was intrigued with the story and flew through it. However, I feel like I needed more from the ending. There were still so many unanswered questions. On that note, if you aren't afraid of cliffhangers then have at it!

Character Breakdown:

Breezy - Her character was laid-back with a tad bit of interesting. I approach her dream of being an Astronaut but then again, that quality didn't seem to fit her somehow. Overall, if I had to choose a word to personify her it would be: denial.

Meet the Author:

I have been writing fiction my entire life, but for a long time I thought I would be a scientist when I grew up. On my very first day of college I discovered that geology was the one field of study where I could get course credit for hiking and camping, so that's what I picked.

I studied geology and physics all through college and graduate school, eventually earning a PhD in geophysics doing research on Himalayan mountain-building and Indian earthquakes.  

I grew up in Colorado and spent most of my life there, but not that long ago I traded the mountains for the beach and relocated to southern California. 

***Check out Kali Wallace's website for more information about her and Shallow Graves: HERE

Happy Reading!