The Dead And Buried, by Kim Harrington

Author: Kim Harrington
Publisher: Scholastic Point
Release Date: January 1, 2013
Format: Hardcover; 304 pages
Series: N/A
Genre: YA, Mystery, Paranormal, Thriller
Avg. Rating: ★★★✩✩

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A haunted house, a buried mystery, and a very angry ghost make this one unforgettable thriller.

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?

There's nothing that I love more than a good mystery. Have it in any scenario and I will covet it - I'm just THAT crazy about a mystery. However, a good mystery has to have one quality to make me like it. I'm not picky, but I do ask that the mystery is just that - a mystery. I want to be able to read through the story pulling my hair out because I have no clue how to solve the mystery. I don't think that's too much to ask for. 

Unfortunately, it seemed as though that was too much to ask for with The Dead and Buried. It didn't take me much time at all (less than a third of the way through the book) to figure out what was going on in the story. I was slightly disappointed by how quickly the mystery was unraveled for me and almost wanted to go ahead and put the book down. But I didn't do that. I've read books by Kim Harrington before and I enjoyed them, so I wanted to give this book a chance. I also secretly hoped that if I continued reading, I would find out that I had everything wrong and didn't figure anything out. 

By the end of the story, I knew that I was right all along but I was very glad that I finished the book. Aside from the "mystery" (I use that term loosely), this story had some very redeeming qualities. I liked the cast of characters and didn't mind any mention of social circles. I was surprised to find out that I actually liked Alexa more than Jade, the main character. Alexa's role in the novel was actually small, but her personality really made her stand out in her parts of the story. The romance in this was a little aggravating to me. On one hand, you have the beautifully broken boy that is connected to the murder somehow that Jade feels a real connection to - which was nice. On the other though, you have the other boy that is basically drooling over Jade that she pretty much uses for her own reasons - that was not so sweet, and I honestly could have done without that little part. 

Obviously, a ghost story isn't something very new to Young Adult but the plot of this one was engaging enough to keep me going. I think that, aside from the small detail of the mystery not being so mysterious, this story is a good read. 

Rating: ★★★✩✩
Source: Purchase

Kim Harrington is the author of six books for kids and teens. She lives in Massachusetts with her husband and son.

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Before & After: Kim Harrington

Kim Harrington lives in Massachusetts with her husband and son. When not writing, she's most likely reading, watching one of her favorite TV shows, or fantasizing about her next vacation. Her debut YA novel, CLARITY, is available now from Scholastic/Point.

Learn more about Kim at kimharringtonbooks.com

It still feels a little bit unreal. On the one hand, I know it's happening because I have a copy of the hardcover right next to me. But, on the other, it still feels strange. Maybe because getting published was a lifelong dream of mine. I tried for many years before I finally sold Clarity in 2009. (Even after you sell you still have a long time to wait to see your dream become actuality!) Now that it's almost finally here, I almost can't believe it. I'm very excited, but--to be honest--nervous as well.

Clarity has been out for a while now and it has been an amazing ride. The first time I saw it on the shelf in a bookstore...well...I cried. It was as if I couldn't believe it until I finally saw it for myself. And then my launch party was a few days after that and it was so much fun! I am so thankful for all the family, friends, bloggers, and readers who came out to celebrate with me. The best feeling of the last two weeks, though, is getting emails from absolute strangers telling me how much they love the book. I still worry constantly, about sales and stuff like that, but emails from readers always makes my day!

Reviews for Clarity
A Good Addiction
Book Noise
My Overstuffed Bookshelf

Find Kim Harrington
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Purchase Clarity
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | IndieBound

Author Interview: Gwen Hayes

Gwen Hayes
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Gwen Hayes's Books
Falling Under [Buy]
Butterface [Buy]
Oh Goddess [Buy]
[More...]

Describe yourself in seven words or less.
Refreshingly dorky.

What made you choose to write?
I've always had the voices in my head--characters talking to each other, I just didn't realize that not everyone did. I wrote a little in high school, but it wasn't until the last four years that I decided to actually, you know, finish something.

What is your favorite part about writing? Least favorite?
My favorite part about writing are the mushy scenes. My least favorite is when I get stuck and don't know what comes next.

Falling Under is your YA debut novel. Could you tell us the inspiration behind this story?
I was writing a cute little romantic comedy when I kept hearing the first line of Falling Under in my head, over and over. I thought maybe I could just write down the first scene and it would stop haunting me, but I was so wrong.

Did you find the publication process to be difficult?
I found the publication process to be a lot of hard work, but not difficult. The trick in life, and publishing, is to surround yourself with people who are talented and good at what they do, which makes you, in turn, better at what you do. When I began writing seriously, I found a supportive writers' forum. Then I found savvy critique partners. Then I found people who knew a lot about successful business practices in publishing so that I learned what I wanted from my career. Then I found an amazing agent, who then found me the exactly perfect editor. And everyone at my publisher is amazing at what they do. I mean... look at my gorgeous cover!

Aside from Falling Under, you have a few short stories out. Which do you prefer to write: the short stories or the full-length novels?
I really like writing both. Full-length is more challenging for me, though.

Are there any upcoming projects that you can share with us?
I'm waiting to get edits back on the sequel to Falling Under! We hope to have it on the shelves in January. Pretty cool, huh?

Thanks for inviting me over!