This review was originally posted at Christa's Hooked on Books --> http://christashookedonbooks.blogspot... 
 Rebekkah Barrow can never settle in one place. With no real job and no boyfriend there is nothing tying her down as she moves from town to town. But then unexpectedly her grandmother Maylene dies and Rebekkah is forced back to the town she grew up in, the house she's always considered home and Byron, the guy she's never been able to get out of her mind. 
 Upon returning to Claysville, Rebekkah discovers it's not the simple, quaint small town she always thought it was and her grandmother's odd habits in graveyards weren't just tradition, they were a way to protect the town from something much darker. Now that Maylene is gone, Rebekkah is faced with a number of dark secrets, a secret underworld ruled by the mysterious Charlie and the knowledge that is she doesn't tend to the dead they'll rise again to walk among us. 
 Before I say anything else about this book I want to say this: it is one creepy read. Dark things are happening in Claysville, people are getting murdered and the dead are walking. They're not quite zombies. They're not rotting or lurching. They look just like they did before, expect now they're hungry and incredibly unhappy that they haven't moved on. If you get in their way, it is very likely they will try and eat you. In addition to being creepy, however, this book is exciting! The story unravels as you read it, drawing you further and further in, until you just can't put it down. 
 Claysville isn't like any other place you've ever read about. Melissa Marr has created a whole new world. It's a world that finds a balance between the living and the dead and it's full of characters you grow to love despite their faults. You may be frustrated by Rebekkah and Byron's will they-won't they relationship or the townspeople's cluelessness of the dangers surrounding them but overall these frustrations put you on a more personal level with the characters. They are so human. Even the dead feel human! 
 Melissa Marr is an amazing storyteller, weaving together elements of the supernatural, with southern gothic and mystery. She writes in an intelligent and complex way that keeps the reader engaged. Expect to find yourself fully addicted to this novel and when it's finished you may find yourself letting out a breath you didn't even know you were holding.