GIRL AT THE GRAVE by Teri Bailey Black

Rating: A
Release Date: 8/7/18
Synopsis:
A mother hanged for murder.
A daughter left to pick up the pieces of their crumbling estate.
Can she clear her family’s name if it means facing her own dark past?

Valentine has spent years trying to outrun her mother's legacy. But small towns have long memories, and when a new string of murders occurs, all signs point to the daughter of a murderer. 

Only one person believes Valentine is innocent—Rowan Blackshaw, the son of the man her mother killed all those years ago. Valentine vows to find the real killer, but when she finally uncovers the horrifying truth, she must choose to face her own dark secrets, even if it means losing Rowan in the end.

Early Libba Bray meets Stalking Jack the Ripper and William Ritter’s Jackaby series in this richly atmospheric Gothic tale of murder and romance in 1850s New England.

Debut author Teri Bailey Black unearths the long-buried secrets of a small New England town in this richly atmospheric Gothic tale of murder, guilt, redemption, and finding love where least expected.

My thoughts on the book:
Girl at the Grave had a lot going on, from the plot to the characters' lives to the underlying themes of the story, this book had a lot to unpack. I could not put this book down. The characters were strong and well developed, the plot was intriguing and complex, the romance was equal parts frustrating and sweet, and the feminist critique of 1850s US society was really thought-provoking. Through these characters and their messed up lives, Black showed what it was really like to be a woman in the 1850s, and it wasn't pretty. This is a novel that should be added to every US history course and US literature course because it allows the reader to feel what women went through in the 1850s. Feeling what life was like for women will teach students more than a memorized timeline and some names and dates ever could. 

Valentine is an extremely resilient leading lady. She is especially strong for the time period in which she lives. She doesn't completely ignore social conventions, and she's aware of what is "proper," but she stays true to herself. I really love how she puts her own dreams first and does what she thinks is right, regardless of the consequences. Rowan is also a fantastic love interest. I really liked him a lot, and he was a great match for Valentine. Sam was a jerk, and I really didn't like him at all. Something tells me the apple didn't fall far from the tree with him. I'm pretty sure he would have turned into his dad if given the chance. The secondary characters were also extremely interesting and complex. They each had their own set of motivations and values, so they felt real. This made the story that much more interesting. 

The plot was extremely layered, and there was a lot going on. First of all, I thought every single person in town guilty of the murders at least once before I figured out who the culprit was. There was so much going on, that I felt like I was in a constant state of "wtf" the entire time I read the novel, and I couldn't put the book down because I had to figure out what was actually going on. Additionally, this book addresses some important aspects of how limited women's roles were in society in the 1850s and provides a feminist critique of how harsh the world was for women back then. I really appreciated that. The only aspect of the book that I didn't like was the love triangle. I absolutely loved the ending and the decisions made by Valentine. 

Overall, I'd recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a really good and thought-provoking YA historical fiction novel. I promise you'll fly through the pages and be left with tons to think about once the book is complete.