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Sunday, March 10, 2013

Review: The Dead and Buried by Kim Harrington

Publisher: Scholastic
Published: January 1, 2013
Pages: 304
Source: For Review from Scholastic Canada
Rating: 4 Stars


Jade loves the house she's just moved into with her family. She doesn't even mind being the new girl at the high school: It's a fresh start, and there's that one guy with the dreamy blue eyes. . . . But then things begin happening. Strange, otherworldly things. Jade's little brother claims to see a glimmering girl in his room. Jade's jewelry gets moved around, as if by an invisible hand. Kids at school whisper behind her back like they know something she doesn't.
Soon, Jade must face an impossible fact: that her perfect house is haunted. Haunted by a ghost who's seeking not just vengeance, but the truth. The ghost of a girl who ruled Jade's school — until her untimely death last year. It's up to Jade to put the pieces together before her own life is at stake. As Jade investigates the mystery, she discovers that her new friends in town have more than a few deep, dark secrets. But is one of them a murderer?

In short: The Dead and Buried by Kim Harrington is a tightly plotted murder mystery with relatable characters.
The Dead and Buried is my first foray into Kim Harrington's writing and I have to say it was an absolutely positive experience. Kim Harrington specializes in murder mysteries and it was with this knowledge that I entered into The Dead and Buried expecting to get a good one. Though perhaps slightly predictable, the mystery was indeed well executed. It was tightly plotted, fast paced, and often surprising. I enjoyed this The Dead and Buried quite a bit, actually; it was a breath of fresh air in the wake of some less than impressive books I've read recently.

I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the characters and the romance in The Dead and Buried. Not that I was expecting to hate those things or anything, but I just had been expecting character development to take a back seat to the murder mystery, considering the shortness of the book. But I found Jade to be completely relatable, mature, and level-headed and the romance to be sweet and genuine. I also very much appreciated the time that went into the development of the secondary characters. It was these aspects of The Dead and Buried that I enjoyed most, even more than the well thought out mystery, and that's what surprised me. I was also surprised at how un-annoyed I was with all the high school drama; I usually HATE that stuff.

I can't say The Dead and Buried is a book that is particularly memorable or left much of an impact on me. But do I care much about that when what I got out of it was an entertaining mystery with relatable characters? Not particularly. Kim Harrington has herself a new fan in me!

Other Reviews:
The Nocturnal Library
Stories & Sweeties
Supernatural Snark

Authors Links:
Website
Blog
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Goodreads

18 comments :

  1. Love that you got so much out of this one. The reviews that I have seen so far have been pretty meh so it's good to see a more positive one. There is nothing better than well developed secondary characters so happy to that is the case here. I love a good murder mystery and may have to rethink adding this one to my TBR.

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  2. YAY AYLEE!!!! I love Kim Harrington's books! I think if you liked this one you'd enjoy Clarity and Perception as well. They're short, quick reads like this, but have really great characters. Normally high school drama grates on me in books as well, but like you, the drama in this one didn't bother me at all. It just seemed to fit with the characters and the mystery and I loved every minute of it. Fabulous review!

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  3. Glad you enjoyed the characters and story. I haven't read any of her books yet, but heard lots about them.
    Brandi @ Blkosiner’s Book Blog

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  4. Nicely reviewed I read her book Clarity. I enjoyed it about the same as you did this one. She definitely knows how to develope a mystery plot. This is a book I think I'd enjoy reading. I like that she developed her secondary characters. So many books I read lately have not. Nicely reviewed.

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  5. While this isn't exactly the most most memorable book (or unpredictable, for that matter), it certainly has its qualities. Pacing and romance above all. I completely agree with you, this is a pretty decent mystery, and it's nice to know exactly what you can expect from an author. Kim Harrington never disappoints.
    Great review, Aylee, and thanks for including the link.

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  6. YAY so happy that you enjoyed this. I think I've hesitated because I'm not a huge fan of the cover but I am definitely intrigued by the synopsis.

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  7. Sounds like a good one. I haven't read anything by this author either, but maybe I should!! I'm glad you enjoyed it. That's awesome there actually IS some character development though. I'm all about characters.

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  8. I usually have a low tolerance for high-school drama too, though sometimes I can be strangely forgiving of it. I found Harrington's debut novel a little predictable as well, but I liked it overall, so I don't think I'd have any issues with that here. Brilliant review as always, Aylee! I'm glad you enjoyed it. I'll have to pick this up sooner rather than later. :)

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  9. An entertaining mystery with enough character development, sounds great to me :) I haven't read anything by her and after the mixed reviews, I kind of forgot about this book. Now I have a feeling I might pick it up when I have the time. Great review Aylee!

    Mel@thedailyprophecy.

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  10. Great review. I like that even though it didn't blow you away it was still an entertaining read.

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  11. Sounds like a good introduction to the author. I know I got one of her previous books somewhere but I haven't gotten around to reading it.
    This doesn't sound that memorable but very readable.

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  12. I've seen this one around recently but hadn't been paying all that much attention. Your review really made me want to read it though! I do enjoy a good mystery & I love how all the other aspects involved surprised & delighted you. Brilliant review Aylee!

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  13. I liked Harrington's Clarity series and I'm sure I'll end up liking this one too once I've read it. I guess it has the same strengths and flaws as her previous novels - namely, that the story isn't tremendously memorable but is entertaining and has good characters.

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  14. I'm glad you enjoyed the characters and the mystery, despite it being kind of predictable. I enjoyed Clarity, and had a similar reaction. I knew it wasn't going to be too memorable, but I certainly enjoyed the read nonetheless. Great review!

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  15. I am looking forward to checking this one out. I've never actually stopped and read a review on it, but it definitely sounds like something I would enjoy. I am glad you liked it :) Great review!

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  16. I've seen The Dead And Buried around and it sure sounds interesting to me. Your review, Aylee, has only proved that I must get to this book sometime. I'm glad to know you enjoyed it. And yes, books that are surprisingly good are always better than books that are just good, eh?! ;) Amazing review!

    Sarika @ The Readdicts

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  17. I've been wondering about this one. I thought it looked really good, I'm glad you enjoyed it. I have heard good things about Kim Harrington. I think I'll add it to my TBR.

    Thanks for the review.

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