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rebekahisreading's review against another edition
1.0
The Cemetery Boys is the story of seventeen year old Stephen, who is transplanted to the small and secluded town of Spencer, Michigan from Denver, Colorado when his mother is committed to a mental institution and his father can no longer afford to live in the city. Stephen and his father move into Stephen’s grandmother’s house. His grandmother is a stickler for cleanliness and, from the beginning, has a distaste for all that Stephen does. Stephen quickly finds a home among supposed friends when he meets Cara and her twin brother, Devon. Although he likes Cara, Stephen feels a compulsion to impress Devon and his friends and begins spending time with them at the Spencer graveyard, known as the Playground.
Stephen senses bad things are happening in Spencer when he finds Devon’s notebook filled with drawings of wings, dead people, and macabre poems. The inhabitants of Spencer believe in The Winged Ones, large creatures that supposedly bring bad times to the town and can only be appeased by a human sacrifice.
The Cemetery Boys is a very interesting book that I would definitely recommend to people fifteen and under. Although I enjoyed the story of this book, I think that the quality of writing is definitely meant for a younger person. Brewer knows how to drag you into her world kicking and screaming, but enjoying it the whole time. It definitely gave me a sense of unease when I read it late at night. But the writing, including the vocabulary and the way the characters spoke, was not up to the standard of the content.
The Cemetery Boys is an intriguing book which pulls you in straight from the vague and interesting prologue. I truly enjoyed the content and Heather Brewer knows her world and her characters very well and knows the flaws and characteristics that will make them interesting. I enjoyed this book and I finished it in only three days. I would have given this book would have gotten a 3.5/5, but I believe that the writing knocked it down a few points for me.
The content of this book is certainly a pull and it truly is interesting. But it just didn't appeal to me.
Stephen senses bad things are happening in Spencer when he finds Devon’s notebook filled with drawings of wings, dead people, and macabre poems. The inhabitants of Spencer believe in The Winged Ones, large creatures that supposedly bring bad times to the town and can only be appeased by a human sacrifice.
The Cemetery Boys is a very interesting book that I would definitely recommend to people fifteen and under. Although I enjoyed the story of this book, I think that the quality of writing is definitely meant for a younger person. Brewer knows how to drag you into her world kicking and screaming, but enjoying it the whole time. It definitely gave me a sense of unease when I read it late at night. But the writing, including the vocabulary and the way the characters spoke, was not up to the standard of the content.
The Cemetery Boys is an intriguing book which pulls you in straight from the vague and interesting prologue. I truly enjoyed the content and Heather Brewer knows her world and her characters very well and knows the flaws and characteristics that will make them interesting. I enjoyed this book and I finished it in only three days. I would have given this book would have gotten a 3.5/5, but I believe that the writing knocked it down a few points for me.
The content of this book is certainly a pull and it truly is interesting. But it just didn't appeal to me.
emilymorgan02's review against another edition
3.0
I liked this pretty well. The characters were interesting and I enjoyed the voice of the narrator. It was a bit predictable and anti-climactic, with a few things that never came to fruition, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.
emjay24's review against another edition
2.0
Stephen‘s mother was committed to a mental institution, his dad has lost his job, medical bills overwhelmed them, their house was foreclosed upon, and their savings gone. The dad had no choice but to move them to the small (800 people!) town he grew up in back with his uncaring mother, both of which he had fought long and hard to escape. Stephen is a very moody/unsympathetic teen, dealing with his family issues, and since it’s summer, he has little else to do (besides his grandmother’s relentless chores) but to fall into the bad crowd, who likes to drink in the graveyard (no, despite his family being super poor, he never tries to get a job, but does buy snacks from the convenience store). But wait, the small town has a town legend about winged creatures that need human sacrifice! Will he fit in? Make friends? Get the girl he likes? Be eaten by a bird-like creature? I can’t say! The book was a little bit of cheesy YA horror fluff, but barely entertaining enough to finish.
kaitrosereads's review against another edition
4.0
The Cemetery Boys was my first Heather Brewer book but if it’s any indication of her talents as a storyteller, it definitely won’t be my last. The Cemetery Boys is an intriguing mix of horror and paranormal and it hooked me from the very start.
I honestly can’t tell you what I expected from The Cemetery Boys. It’s unlike anything I’ve read and the synopsis really didn’t give me a clue what was going to happen. I think that’s the perfect way to go into this one. The prologue and first few chapters are intriguing enough to hook you and that’s all you really need to keep going. As I read I actually found myself getting more invested because I didn’t know what was going to happen. The story truly was unlike anything I’ve ever read.
Heather Brewer’s writing is simple but gorgeous. I found The Cemetery Boys to be an extremely easy book to read because the writing was straightforward but in no way dull. Heather Brewer’s descriptions were so well written that I had no trouble picturing everything in my head. It helped set the atmosphere of the story and I adored that about the book. I also adored that Heather Brewer managed to completely capture Stephen’s voice in her writing. I’d heard that she was good with male MC’s but this was the first time I’d seen it for myself and I completely agree with everything I heard.
The town of Spencer was an awesome setting. It felt like the town itself was a character. There was so much mystery and history to the town. Everyone who grew up there knew what was going on but Stephen was an outsider, finding out about everything for the first time. The folklore and stories that he was told were beyond captivating and definitely pretty creepy.
Overall, The Cemetery Boys was my first foray into Heather Brewer’s books but definitely not my last. The writing, the setting, the characters, and everything else about the book added up to make a fantastic story that kept me on the edge of my seat. Paranormal/horror fans need to check this one out.
I honestly can’t tell you what I expected from The Cemetery Boys. It’s unlike anything I’ve read and the synopsis really didn’t give me a clue what was going to happen. I think that’s the perfect way to go into this one. The prologue and first few chapters are intriguing enough to hook you and that’s all you really need to keep going. As I read I actually found myself getting more invested because I didn’t know what was going to happen. The story truly was unlike anything I’ve ever read.
Heather Brewer’s writing is simple but gorgeous. I found The Cemetery Boys to be an extremely easy book to read because the writing was straightforward but in no way dull. Heather Brewer’s descriptions were so well written that I had no trouble picturing everything in my head. It helped set the atmosphere of the story and I adored that about the book. I also adored that Heather Brewer managed to completely capture Stephen’s voice in her writing. I’d heard that she was good with male MC’s but this was the first time I’d seen it for myself and I completely agree with everything I heard.
The town of Spencer was an awesome setting. It felt like the town itself was a character. There was so much mystery and history to the town. Everyone who grew up there knew what was going on but Stephen was an outsider, finding out about everything for the first time. The folklore and stories that he was told were beyond captivating and definitely pretty creepy.
Overall, The Cemetery Boys was my first foray into Heather Brewer’s books but definitely not my last. The writing, the setting, the characters, and everything else about the book added up to make a fantastic story that kept me on the edge of my seat. Paranormal/horror fans need to check this one out.
duckyn's review against another edition
2.0
Interesting twist at the end, but it took a very long time to develop an actual plot in my opinion.
lcmarie19's review against another edition
3.0
I don't think I really enjoyed this one. But... I didn't HATE it. It was really... unbelievable for me. Another read that I'm just not compatible with.
This YA horror follows a young boy named Stephen and his new life with his father in small town Spencer, Michigan. In this town, he meets twins Cara and Devon. Through his newfound relationship with these twins, Stephen learns of a not-so-normal tradition that has permeated the founding history of Spencer. Somehow he gets wrapped up in it. He also learns that some of his new friends may not be ones he should trust.
This just may be a book that calls to horror lovers. There are a lot of creepy, haunting instances that occur and they just might hook you in. As described, the town feels like it is straight out of an Alfred Hitchcock film. But despite that fact, the horror elements within the book don’t always remain as consistent as needed to be a full-fledged haunting tale.
As Stephen tries to navigate his new life in his new town with his new friends, he makes a few judgments calls that don’t necessarily aid in the fluidity of the story, nor its creepy tone. His personality becomes quite inauthentic at times, mainly when interacting with specific characters. But there’s an intriguing mystery surrounding the history of the town allows for the reader to continue with the story.
The Playground, a cemetery that Stephen and his new friends hang out at, is the mecca for quite a few of the secrets that the town of Spencer holds. And although the characters of the story don’t carry as much weight as one might like them to, the plot holds an air of curiosity that begs to be explored.
If you’re interested in “old time-y” horror films that are heavier on the world and the plot progression, but maybe not so much on character development and relationships, then The Cemetery Boys will be a treat for you. In the areas that it lacks in, this book makes up for it in creativity, uniqueness, and the uncanny ability to make you want to read on.
This YA horror follows a young boy named Stephen and his new life with his father in small town Spencer, Michigan. In this town, he meets twins Cara and Devon. Through his newfound relationship with these twins, Stephen learns of a not-so-normal tradition that has permeated the founding history of Spencer. Somehow he gets wrapped up in it. He also learns that some of his new friends may not be ones he should trust.
This just may be a book that calls to horror lovers. There are a lot of creepy, haunting instances that occur and they just might hook you in. As described, the town feels like it is straight out of an Alfred Hitchcock film. But despite that fact, the horror elements within the book don’t always remain as consistent as needed to be a full-fledged haunting tale.
As Stephen tries to navigate his new life in his new town with his new friends, he makes a few judgments calls that don’t necessarily aid in the fluidity of the story, nor its creepy tone. His personality becomes quite inauthentic at times, mainly when interacting with specific characters. But there’s an intriguing mystery surrounding the history of the town allows for the reader to continue with the story.
The Playground, a cemetery that Stephen and his new friends hang out at, is the mecca for quite a few of the secrets that the town of Spencer holds. And although the characters of the story don’t carry as much weight as one might like them to, the plot holds an air of curiosity that begs to be explored.
If you’re interested in “old time-y” horror films that are heavier on the world and the plot progression, but maybe not so much on character development and relationships, then The Cemetery Boys will be a treat for you. In the areas that it lacks in, this book makes up for it in creativity, uniqueness, and the uncanny ability to make you want to read on.
trisha_thomas's review against another edition
3.0
"All things to them
All lives for them.
All praise the Winged Ones."
What an odd little story this is. Not full of lore or really story-telling, yet it is based on a fable of "the winged ones." Creatures that protect the town of Spencer and make good things happen if sacrifices are made.
Well, at least that's what the locals believe.
Stephen is drug to this awful town when his life is upended and he is drug back to his father's hometown to live with grandma. The town is just odd. It's rundown and everyone just seems to be....waiting for something.
It's an interesting story but I wouldn't have minded a few more pages to really build up the folklore and give Stephen more research time. I also would have liked either less love story or more, but this middle amount just seemed to leave it vague and incomplete. But it was an interesting story - reminiscent of the movie The Lost Boys - and I liked the creepy feel to it.
All lives for them.
All praise the Winged Ones."
What an odd little story this is. Not full of lore or really story-telling, yet it is based on a fable of "the winged ones." Creatures that protect the town of Spencer and make good things happen if sacrifices are made.
Well, at least that's what the locals believe.
Stephen is drug to this awful town when his life is upended and he is drug back to his father's hometown to live with grandma. The town is just odd. It's rundown and everyone just seems to be....waiting for something.
It's an interesting story but I wouldn't have minded a few more pages to really build up the folklore and give Stephen more research time. I also would have liked either less love story or more, but this middle amount just seemed to leave it vague and incomplete. But it was an interesting story - reminiscent of the movie The Lost Boys - and I liked the creepy feel to it.
kaceylaine's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
poorashleu's review against another edition
2.0
Originally posted here
The Cemetery Boys is my first Heather Brewer novel and unfortunately while I believe every book has a reader, I am not this books reader. I am also in a mood where I don’t like any book. But that is my own thing I’m dealing with. The Cemetery Boys is the story of Stephen, a boy who just had to move to a random, small town that no one lives in (really, population is 814..or now 816.) Stephen makes it very clear that it is a backwards town and he feels very uncomfortable there, which I understood because reading about the town made me extremely uncomfortable.
But that uncomfortable town, and Stephen’s backstory explain why Stephen makes a lot of the choices that he chooses. He really is just trying to survive, even if that is making obvious poor life choices. He’s still a teenagers and teenagers make poor life choices. Hell, adults make poor life choices. It’s a good book and extremely relate-able, it just didn’t work for me.
The Cemetery Boys is my first Heather Brewer novel and unfortunately while I believe every book has a reader, I am not this books reader. I am also in a mood where I don’t like any book. But that is my own thing I’m dealing with. The Cemetery Boys is the story of Stephen, a boy who just had to move to a random, small town that no one lives in (really, population is 814..or now 816.) Stephen makes it very clear that it is a backwards town and he feels very uncomfortable there, which I understood because reading about the town made me extremely uncomfortable.
But that uncomfortable town, and Stephen’s backstory explain why Stephen makes a lot of the choices that he chooses. He really is just trying to survive, even if that is making obvious poor life choices. He’s still a teenagers and teenagers make poor life choices. Hell, adults make poor life choices. It’s a good book and extremely relate-able, it just didn’t work for me.
zeeky63's review against another edition
3.0
It was an interesting storyline but I absolutely disliked Devon and Cara as soon as they came into the story. Stephen has such a rough life and I wish he got a happily ever after in some way. Quick short read but enjoyable.