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secamimom's review
The synopsis of this book was very misleading and that disappoints me :(
rjdenney's review
1.0
I tried about five times to get into this and I just couldn't.
I am going to try again but we will see. :)
I am going to try again but we will see. :)
shhchar's review
2.0
This book was about a teen girl named Velveteen, who was murdered by a serial killer. She ends up in Purgatory, the place where souls go that's in between Heaven and Hell (it's a Catholic belief.) Velvet takes out her anger by haunting the serial killer, Bonesaw, and working at her job in Purgatory. But Purgatory is crumbling, and some rebels called the 'Departurisits' are making ripples in the normally peaceful place.
So, with this book, I had more issues than likes. I'll just dive right into them. Basically, most of it dealt with the character development (or lack of) and also the way that all of them acted out of character. Velvet is a cold soul, and pretty bitchy. I get that, because of all the anger stemming from her death. But within the first few chapters she's acting like a loving sister to one of the other characters. She's supposed to be a bitchy character, and get nicer throughout the course of the book, right? That's not how it went down. Also, her and her coworker, Nick, were not a good couple. They weren't developed enough in the first place to even get a romance going. They referred to each other as 'dude' constantly, which I don't even understand. I haven't heard someone say 'dude' in years. And then they made jokes at the WORST times. Spilling someone's ashes? LOL dude. No, just stop that.
I didn't like any of the characters to begin with, and I couldn't root for them as a couple either. The book dragged through the middle, and I almost abandoned it several times. The biggest thing besides the characters was the fact that there was not enough description. With almost everything! It improved by the end of the book, but I was getting lost constantly. I'd have to reread pages just to understand where Velvet was.
Other than that, which did count a lot, the premise and plot was amazingly creative. I've never read a book that takes place in Purgatory before. Every little aspect of the plot was extremely creative: I loved how souls 'dimmed' when it was their time to move on, and how Velvet's job was to be a body thief. If the book had better characters, I'm sure my rating would be up in four or five stars.
I may read the next book in the series, but I won't be buying it. If you are a big fan of the creativity of the plot, then go ahead and read this book. But if the things I listed, like annoying characters, bother you--don't waste your time!
So, with this book, I had more issues than likes. I'll just dive right into them. Basically, most of it dealt with the character development (or lack of) and also the way that all of them acted out of character. Velvet is a cold soul, and pretty bitchy. I get that, because of all the anger stemming from her death. But within the first few chapters she's acting like a loving sister to one of the other characters. She's supposed to be a bitchy character, and get nicer throughout the course of the book, right? That's not how it went down. Also, her and her coworker, Nick, were not a good couple. They weren't developed enough in the first place to even get a romance going. They referred to each other as 'dude' constantly, which I don't even understand. I haven't heard someone say 'dude' in years. And then they made jokes at the WORST times. Spilling someone's ashes? LOL dude. No, just stop that.
I didn't like any of the characters to begin with, and I couldn't root for them as a couple either. The book dragged through the middle, and I almost abandoned it several times. The biggest thing besides the characters was the fact that there was not enough description. With almost everything! It improved by the end of the book, but I was getting lost constantly. I'd have to reread pages just to understand where Velvet was.
Other than that, which did count a lot, the premise and plot was amazingly creative. I've never read a book that takes place in Purgatory before. Every little aspect of the plot was extremely creative: I loved how souls 'dimmed' when it was their time to move on, and how Velvet's job was to be a body thief. If the book had better characters, I'm sure my rating would be up in four or five stars.
I may read the next book in the series, but I won't be buying it. If you are a big fan of the creativity of the plot, then go ahead and read this book. But if the things I listed, like annoying characters, bother you--don't waste your time!
bookishmadness's review
2.0
What it's about: Velveteen Monroe had a brutal death. She is going to get good old ghostly revenge on her killer. Right? Wrong. Well, mostly wrong. It's about the Departurists and Purgatory.
What I thought: Gorgeous cover? Check. Intriguing synopsis? Check. So why oh why did this book fall so short? Firstly, this book is not about revenge, not really. It was confusing and long-winded with the characters being exciting as door-knobs. Don't get me wrong, I really wanted to love this book. But I seriously struggled to get through the entire book. Sure, the whole purgatory thing was interesting at first, but then it just became tiring.
I just want to point out that I have read many of the positive as well as negative reviews and I feel like the issues I had with this book were very similar to other negative reviews. I think this is one that you will either love or you will hate, so read it for yourself.
The good: The scenes that Bonesaw is actually in, are the most exciting part about this book.
The bad: Well, just about everything. Misleading synopsis, boring plot and insta-love. Woo.
Rating: 2 Bookstacks
What I thought: Gorgeous cover? Check. Intriguing synopsis? Check. So why oh why did this book fall so short? Firstly, this book is not about revenge, not really. It was confusing and long-winded with the characters being exciting as door-knobs. Don't get me wrong, I really wanted to love this book. But I seriously struggled to get through the entire book. Sure, the whole purgatory thing was interesting at first, but then it just became tiring.
I just want to point out that I have read many of the positive as well as negative reviews and I feel like the issues I had with this book were very similar to other negative reviews. I think this is one that you will either love or you will hate, so read it for yourself.
The good: The scenes that Bonesaw is actually in, are the most exciting part about this book.
The bad: Well, just about everything. Misleading synopsis, boring plot and insta-love. Woo.
Rating: 2 Bookstacks
charms1976's review
5.0
Holy crap what did I just read? Wait...don't go anywhere yet! This is a good thing! You know when you finish the last page of a book and you get that dumbfounded look on your face? That was me. I can't believe I liked this book so much. There has been mixed reviews on this story and I was a little hesitant in reading it. Granted, the cover is what initially reeled me into this one, but the story is what made it a great reading experience!
This book is perfectly balanced in details, dialogue, angst, dark scenes and at times, OMG moments. Time flew by while I read it. The characters were great and so was the plot. I loved the theme of this book. I loved how the author created a great world within the scary thing we call Purgatory. When I hear Purgatory, I think of all the evil that Hell can not hold. Let me tell you, be prepared for lots of dark and evil.
Seriously one of the better books I have read this year. I can't wait to see what the author will come up with next!
This book is perfectly balanced in details, dialogue, angst, dark scenes and at times, OMG moments. Time flew by while I read it. The characters were great and so was the plot. I loved the theme of this book. I loved how the author created a great world within the scary thing we call Purgatory. When I hear Purgatory, I think of all the evil that Hell can not hold. Let me tell you, be prepared for lots of dark and evil.
Seriously one of the better books I have read this year. I can't wait to see what the author will come up with next!
dreizehn's review
4.0
★★★★½ -- In an offensively average-looking isolated farmhouse somewhere in New Brompfel Heights, New Jersey, a butcher earns his nickname. Bonesaw targets young girls, abducts them, keeps them drugged and bound for a week–grinding, cutting, torturing–before he tires of them and disposes of the leftovers. Sixteen-year-old Velveteen Monroe had little interest in the town’s unidentified serial killer, until she landed in his shed. Being his next victim meant she wound up dead, and shortly thereafter, in purgatory.
It’s not all so bad, though. Velvet has made a name for herself, the head of an elite Salvage team, responsible for guiding lost and trapped souls onward from the land of the living. But the first rule of purgatory is no haunting. No traveling to daylight unless it serves the needs of purgatory. Tormenting Bonesaw, while arguably noble when she is able to distract him from obtaining victims or allowing them to escape, is certainly not an approved cause. If she’s caught, she risks losing her privilege to move on. And the very crack she escapes through may be contributing to the shadowquakes. She’s willing to risk it.
That is, until soul extraction number fifty-seven. He’s not her type. Not at all. But for some reason, Velvet can’t stop thinking about him. It’s entirely infuriating. She’s supposed to be the badass body thief of her team, not some swooning lovesick girl fawning over a crush. She’s ready to drop him off at the station and be rid of him, until she finds out his career path is to be a Salvage member too. And that complicates things.
I definitely feel like this book was written for people from ages 18-25. While some of Velveteen’s descriptions about her death at the hands of a serial killer are gruesome, I don’t say this because of the content. Marks uses a lot of pop culture references to fuel some of the humor in the narrator’s commentary. While this made me smile and relate to the book even more when I came across it, I feel like this could be a problem. These references won’t stand the test of time. I am already hesitant to say the current generation of young adult target audience (13-18ish) all know about pop culture figures such as Jared Padalecki, 50 Cent and Spencer Pratt, because they are already somewhat dated. Additionally, I feel that many older individuals picking up this novel might feel alienated by some of the slang words and phrases used by Velveteen.
Those possible flaws aside, I greatly enjoyed Velveteen. Velvet is a self-proclaimed badass. She can’t help breaking rules and getting into trouble, and her narration is full of sarcasm and wit, which makes for an entertaining read. Marks is a talented world-builder. I have never read a book about ghosts or purgatory before, but he successfully immersed me in the story. He does a great job fleshing out the circumstances of souls, what happens to them when they go to purgatory (or elsewhere), how they interact with the environment there and in the land of daylight, how they move on, and how the living can wreak havoc on purgatory. It is all very well thought-out and explained, and woven through Velvet’s narration so that the information is not dispensed in one big information dump. The big issues of the Departurists’ impending revolution and the shadowquakes add a heavy layer of tension to the novel. Velveteen is creepy, horrific, action-packed, thrilling, mysterious, funny, sweet, and romantic, all wrapped up in a neat little package. Marks is a talented, witty author that has successfully created a wonderful novel for young adults. I also liked the fact that, although Velveteen is the first novel in a planned trilogy, the ending was satisfying. I shall be looking forward to reading the next installment.
Be sure to check out Velveteen when it lands on October 9, 2012. It’s a great time for fans of young adult fiction, horror, thrillers, the paranormal, and/or witty, strong narrators. You won’t be disappointed.
This book was obtained freely from the publisher, Random House Children’s, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
It’s not all so bad, though. Velvet has made a name for herself, the head of an elite Salvage team, responsible for guiding lost and trapped souls onward from the land of the living. But the first rule of purgatory is no haunting. No traveling to daylight unless it serves the needs of purgatory. Tormenting Bonesaw, while arguably noble when she is able to distract him from obtaining victims or allowing them to escape, is certainly not an approved cause. If she’s caught, she risks losing her privilege to move on. And the very crack she escapes through may be contributing to the shadowquakes. She’s willing to risk it.
That is, until soul extraction number fifty-seven. He’s not her type. Not at all. But for some reason, Velvet can’t stop thinking about him. It’s entirely infuriating. She’s supposed to be the badass body thief of her team, not some swooning lovesick girl fawning over a crush. She’s ready to drop him off at the station and be rid of him, until she finds out his career path is to be a Salvage member too. And that complicates things.
I definitely feel like this book was written for people from ages 18-25. While some of Velveteen’s descriptions about her death at the hands of a serial killer are gruesome, I don’t say this because of the content. Marks uses a lot of pop culture references to fuel some of the humor in the narrator’s commentary. While this made me smile and relate to the book even more when I came across it, I feel like this could be a problem. These references won’t stand the test of time. I am already hesitant to say the current generation of young adult target audience (13-18ish) all know about pop culture figures such as Jared Padalecki, 50 Cent and Spencer Pratt, because they are already somewhat dated. Additionally, I feel that many older individuals picking up this novel might feel alienated by some of the slang words and phrases used by Velveteen.
Those possible flaws aside, I greatly enjoyed Velveteen. Velvet is a self-proclaimed badass. She can’t help breaking rules and getting into trouble, and her narration is full of sarcasm and wit, which makes for an entertaining read. Marks is a talented world-builder. I have never read a book about ghosts or purgatory before, but he successfully immersed me in the story. He does a great job fleshing out the circumstances of souls, what happens to them when they go to purgatory (or elsewhere), how they interact with the environment there and in the land of daylight, how they move on, and how the living can wreak havoc on purgatory. It is all very well thought-out and explained, and woven through Velvet’s narration so that the information is not dispensed in one big information dump. The big issues of the Departurists’ impending revolution and the shadowquakes add a heavy layer of tension to the novel. Velveteen is creepy, horrific, action-packed, thrilling, mysterious, funny, sweet, and romantic, all wrapped up in a neat little package. Marks is a talented, witty author that has successfully created a wonderful novel for young adults. I also liked the fact that, although Velveteen is the first novel in a planned trilogy, the ending was satisfying. I shall be looking forward to reading the next installment.
Be sure to check out Velveteen when it lands on October 9, 2012. It’s a great time for fans of young adult fiction, horror, thrillers, the paranormal, and/or witty, strong narrators. You won’t be disappointed.
This book was obtained freely from the publisher, Random House Children’s, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
bookishvice's review
3.0
Velveteen Monroe was murdered and all she wants is revenge, but now that she’s landed in Purgatory, her job as a Salvager and other troubles don’t leave her much time to haunt her murderer. Crossing between worlds is dangerous and her soul suffers with every crossing, but her revenge is too important. And she’s never had a reason to stick around Purgatory…until she meets Nick. But what is more important to her? Revenge? Or the chance at something new? A revolution draws close and Velvet will find herself in the middle of a whole lot of trouble.
Daniel Marks’s Velveteen is raw, filled with bone-chilling descriptions with horrifying specifics, a tough as nails heroine, and adventure through the streets of Purgatory.
The descriptions of The City of the Dead in Purgatory were superb—the greyness, the ash covered everything, the ramshackle buildings, and the souls everywhere. I liked the logistics of why the souls shone, the rules they live by, and the reasons for the ash. My favorite place of all was the Paper Aviary. And yes, it is as awesome as it sounds. But maybe in some parts the explanations could’ve been cut back a little to avoid slowing the pace. Still, the plot kept me intrigued, and the investigation of the uprising kept me guessing, but while the story kept me interested I had trouble connecting with the characters.
Velveteen is one tough chick. She’s over the fact that she has to spend her afterlife in Purgatory and plows on ahead, striving to be the best in her job (Yes, souls in Purgatory have jobs). Velveteen and her pals are the best Salvager (soul rescuer) team out there, and each one has his/her own ghostly talent. But she’s not over the fact that she was murdered, and Velvet is not afraid to break the rules if it means getting revenge on her killer. Though I do love a hardcore heroine sometimes I found Velvet’s attitude too harsh. It got to the point where every comment she made just grated on my nerves and I just wanted to smack her. When her friends call her a bitch, they are SO not wrong.
Then Velvet’s Team saves Nick’s soul. The poor, sweet guy falls for Velvet and her charming personality, though I never understood why. He says he feels close to her because she was the one who saved him, which is understandable. But she is totally mean to him. And to her teammates. And to everyone really. It was a shame that because of Velvet’s attitude we don’t get to know much about the rest of the characters, simply because she always keeps everyone at arm’s length. The exception is sometimes Nick, whom Velvet feels protective of on occasion. Aside from his hotness and cute comments, Nick didn’t do much, but I did like his ‘give it another shot’ and ‘always give it a try’ attitude.
The ending was every bit exhilarating with the world literally crumbling around Velvet. The rebels have managed to start The Departure, and it’s up to Velvet and her team to save both Purgatory and the real world. She and Nick grew closer in those last chapters, but I still wasn’t feeling the love. Overall, I was a little disappointed because the blurb promises romance yet doesn’t deliver (I’m all about the romance), but it did bring a ton of creativeness, originality, and just a lot of awesome.
*Arc copy provided by the publisher via Netgalley*
Daniel Marks’s Velveteen is raw, filled with bone-chilling descriptions with horrifying specifics, a tough as nails heroine, and adventure through the streets of Purgatory.
The descriptions of The City of the Dead in Purgatory were superb—the greyness, the ash covered everything, the ramshackle buildings, and the souls everywhere. I liked the logistics of why the souls shone, the rules they live by, and the reasons for the ash. My favorite place of all was the Paper Aviary. And yes, it is as awesome as it sounds. But maybe in some parts the explanations could’ve been cut back a little to avoid slowing the pace. Still, the plot kept me intrigued, and the investigation of the uprising kept me guessing, but while the story kept me interested I had trouble connecting with the characters.
Velveteen is one tough chick. She’s over the fact that she has to spend her afterlife in Purgatory and plows on ahead, striving to be the best in her job (Yes, souls in Purgatory have jobs). Velveteen and her pals are the best Salvager (soul rescuer) team out there, and each one has his/her own ghostly talent. But she’s not over the fact that she was murdered, and Velvet is not afraid to break the rules if it means getting revenge on her killer. Though I do love a hardcore heroine sometimes I found Velvet’s attitude too harsh. It got to the point where every comment she made just grated on my nerves and I just wanted to smack her. When her friends call her a bitch, they are SO not wrong.
Then Velvet’s Team saves Nick’s soul. The poor, sweet guy falls for Velvet and her charming personality, though I never understood why. He says he feels close to her because she was the one who saved him, which is understandable. But she is totally mean to him. And to her teammates. And to everyone really. It was a shame that because of Velvet’s attitude we don’t get to know much about the rest of the characters, simply because she always keeps everyone at arm’s length. The exception is sometimes Nick, whom Velvet feels protective of on occasion. Aside from his hotness and cute comments, Nick didn’t do much, but I did like his ‘give it another shot’ and ‘always give it a try’ attitude.
The ending was every bit exhilarating with the world literally crumbling around Velvet. The rebels have managed to start The Departure, and it’s up to Velvet and her team to save both Purgatory and the real world. She and Nick grew closer in those last chapters, but I still wasn’t feeling the love. Overall, I was a little disappointed because the blurb promises romance yet doesn’t deliver (I’m all about the romance), but it did bring a ton of creativeness, originality, and just a lot of awesome.
*Arc copy provided by the publisher via Netgalley*
shelvesofsecrets's review
3.0
I really wanted to love this book! The cover: breathtaking. The premise: so intriguing. But I couldn't quiet bring myself to love it. I liked it, but I didn't love it. Velveteen has a pretty sweet job in purgatory and she still finds time to haunt her killer. Actually, the parts with Velvet and Bonesaw were my favourites from the book. I love the idea of a murdered teenage girl trying to get even with her killer.
There was a lot of world-building necessary for this one, since Marks constructed an entire society of purgatory. Overall, I thought the world-building was well done, but occasionally I got a bit confused when certain aspects were touched upon, but then never revisited (such as the divining needles). Also, some of the secondary characters were very odd. Something makes me a bit uncomfortable about a 12-year-old addict
Velveteen prides herself on being a badass, which I always appreciate in my heroines. However, in Velvet's case, she tried too hard and generally came off mean and bitchy. Now, I'm not claiming to be an expert in badass, but I always appreciate characters who 'are tough' more than characters who 'act tough.' Velveteen's commitment to repress any and all feelings drove me a bit nuts. Sure she had more than her fair share of trauma, but it made me frustrated at her as a character.
On to the romance. Nick was confident and smooth, but at the same time comforting and vulnerable. Basically, he had the whole package of a YA love interest, not to mention that he's a saint for putting up with all Velvet's crap. My goodness that girl gives a lot of mixed signals!
The pacing of this book was weird for me. It felt like sometimes the author would focus solely on one aspect of the book (ie: romance, Bonesaw, Velvet's job in purgatory) and forget all about everything else for a few chapters. I would have really preferred it if the aspects were mixed together a bit more throughout. At one point I was so impatient for the romance to get out of the way so I could have more Bonesaw action! Morbid? Maybe.
Overall, Velveteen is a good read, but it fell a bit short of being great for me. It's still worth a try if you like somewhat morbid ghost stories, but it didn't quite make my recommendation list.
There was a lot of world-building necessary for this one, since Marks constructed an entire society of purgatory. Overall, I thought the world-building was well done, but occasionally I got a bit confused when certain aspects were touched upon, but then never revisited (such as the divining needles). Also, some of the secondary characters were very odd. Something makes me a bit uncomfortable about a 12-year-old addict
Velveteen prides herself on being a badass, which I always appreciate in my heroines. However, in Velvet's case, she tried too hard and generally came off mean and bitchy. Now, I'm not claiming to be an expert in badass, but I always appreciate characters who 'are tough' more than characters who 'act tough.' Velveteen's commitment to repress any and all feelings drove me a bit nuts. Sure she had more than her fair share of trauma, but it made me frustrated at her as a character.
On to the romance. Nick was confident and smooth, but at the same time comforting and vulnerable. Basically, he had the whole package of a YA love interest, not to mention that he's a saint for putting up with all Velvet's crap. My goodness that girl gives a lot of mixed signals!
The pacing of this book was weird for me. It felt like sometimes the author would focus solely on one aspect of the book (ie: romance, Bonesaw, Velvet's job in purgatory) and forget all about everything else for a few chapters. I would have really preferred it if the aspects were mixed together a bit more throughout. At one point I was so impatient for the romance to get out of the way so I could have more Bonesaw action! Morbid? Maybe.
Overall, Velveteen is a good read, but it fell a bit short of being great for me. It's still worth a try if you like somewhat morbid ghost stories, but it didn't quite make my recommendation list.
krosenogle's review
2.0
Eh, it was okay. Boderline 1.5 stars.
First of all, if you're going to read this book you really need to understand that the description of the book is nothing like what it's actually about. Yeah, Velveteen does do some haunting and torture of her killer Bonesaw, but that's about 15% of the book.
I really had a hard time getting through this book until I was about 70% of the way through. Then it started getting interesting. But the author was overly descriptive which in turn made things really confusing. I'd be sitting there trying to understand what he was talking about and then he'd jump back into the storyline. After I started practically jumping paragraphs then things started to make more sense.
First of all, if you're going to read this book you really need to understand that the description of the book is nothing like what it's actually about. Yeah, Velveteen does do some haunting and torture of her killer Bonesaw, but that's about 15% of the book.
I really had a hard time getting through this book until I was about 70% of the way through. Then it started getting interesting. But the author was overly descriptive which in turn made things really confusing. I'd be sitting there trying to understand what he was talking about and then he'd jump back into the storyline. After I started practically jumping paragraphs then things started to make more sense.
kaitrosereads's review
4.0
Velveteen, Daniel Marks debut novel, is a fresh new YA that will appeal to tons of readers! It’s a dark, gritty story of a world where people aren’t quite ready to move on after death. This was one story unlike any I have read and it was completely impossible to put down.
Velveteen Monroe is one unhappy dead girl. She was brutally murdered and she’d be okay with that if her killer wasn’t still on the loose and continuing his reign of terror. Haunting is not allowed in purgatory but that doesn’t stop Velveteen. She was never one to follow rules when she was alive, why do so now that she’s dead? She’s determined to stop Bonesaw from hurting any more innocent girls and she is willing to risk her afterlife to do so. But is she willing to risk the afterlife of Nick, a new boy in purgatory who seems like maybe he’d be worth giving up her grudge for?
Velveteen is one cynical, bad mouthed, always cranky ghost. She gets along with very few people in purgatory and even the people she gets along with think she’s a pretty big bitch. She didn’t have the greatest life and she definitely didn’t have a good death. What she was trying to do with Bonesaw and the other girls was actually a very noble thing. It was easy to see that she was actually a very good person but she was unwilling to show that side to others. All that changed when Nick entered the picture. Nick was the complete opposite of Velveteen. He had a pretty good life and while his death sucked, he wasn’t nearly as traumatized by it as Velveteen was by hers. He didn’t let it change his sunny outlook and his fun personality. His and Velveteen’s relationship was definitely a case of opposites attracting and they really did good things for each other. Nick brought out Velveteen’s less bitchy side and Velveteen helped Nick through some tough times in purgatory. They were both fantastically well-developed characters that were impossible not to love.
The other characters sadly just didn’t do it for me. Luisa and Logan were fun but they both had their darker sides. Quentin seemed like a good guy and a good friend but his role was very small and he seemed to only have one purpose in the book. As for the villain, Bonesaw was sufficiently creeptastic but I would have liked more of him. From the summary it seemed like he would have a pretty big role in the story but that was not the case at all. It just seemed like most of the minor characters were lacking in depth and I really would have liked to know more about them.
The writing had to be my favorite part of Velveteen. Sure I loved Velveteen and her bad-assness but the writing is what made this book so wonderful. Daniel Marks has a way with words, whether they be super sweet or super gory. He did not shy away from the disgustingly gory descriptions (they are body parts falling off and a couple points) but he wasn’t unnecessarily gory. The writing was descriptive but it was never weighty and it never detracted from the story. The writing is what made purgatory come alive (haha) and the characters (at least the main ones) really stick with you.
Overall, Velveteen is one that I highly recommend and it’s coming out just in time for Halloween so add this one to your list of creepy books to read in October. You won’t be disappointed.
Velveteen Monroe is one unhappy dead girl. She was brutally murdered and she’d be okay with that if her killer wasn’t still on the loose and continuing his reign of terror. Haunting is not allowed in purgatory but that doesn’t stop Velveteen. She was never one to follow rules when she was alive, why do so now that she’s dead? She’s determined to stop Bonesaw from hurting any more innocent girls and she is willing to risk her afterlife to do so. But is she willing to risk the afterlife of Nick, a new boy in purgatory who seems like maybe he’d be worth giving up her grudge for?
Velveteen is one cynical, bad mouthed, always cranky ghost. She gets along with very few people in purgatory and even the people she gets along with think she’s a pretty big bitch. She didn’t have the greatest life and she definitely didn’t have a good death. What she was trying to do with Bonesaw and the other girls was actually a very noble thing. It was easy to see that she was actually a very good person but she was unwilling to show that side to others. All that changed when Nick entered the picture. Nick was the complete opposite of Velveteen. He had a pretty good life and while his death sucked, he wasn’t nearly as traumatized by it as Velveteen was by hers. He didn’t let it change his sunny outlook and his fun personality. His and Velveteen’s relationship was definitely a case of opposites attracting and they really did good things for each other. Nick brought out Velveteen’s less bitchy side and Velveteen helped Nick through some tough times in purgatory. They were both fantastically well-developed characters that were impossible not to love.
The other characters sadly just didn’t do it for me. Luisa and Logan were fun but they both had their darker sides. Quentin seemed like a good guy and a good friend but his role was very small and he seemed to only have one purpose in the book. As for the villain, Bonesaw was sufficiently creeptastic but I would have liked more of him. From the summary it seemed like he would have a pretty big role in the story but that was not the case at all. It just seemed like most of the minor characters were lacking in depth and I really would have liked to know more about them.
The writing had to be my favorite part of Velveteen. Sure I loved Velveteen and her bad-assness but the writing is what made this book so wonderful. Daniel Marks has a way with words, whether they be super sweet or super gory. He did not shy away from the disgustingly gory descriptions (they are body parts falling off and a couple points) but he wasn’t unnecessarily gory. The writing was descriptive but it was never weighty and it never detracted from the story. The writing is what made purgatory come alive (haha) and the characters (at least the main ones) really stick with you.
Overall, Velveteen is one that I highly recommend and it’s coming out just in time for Halloween so add this one to your list of creepy books to read in October. You won’t be disappointed.