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The Gravedigger's Son
“A Digger must not refuse a request from the Dead." —Rule Five of the Gravedigger’s Code
Ian Fossor is last in a long line of Gravediggers. It’s his family’s job to bury the dead and then, when Called by the dearly departed, to help settle the worries that linger beyond the grave so spirits can find peace in the Beyond.
But Ian doesn’t want to help the dead—he wants to be a Healer and help the living. Such a wish is, of course, selfish and impossible. Fossors are Gravediggers. So he reluctantly continues his training under the careful watch of his undead mentor, hoping every day that he’s never Called and carefully avoiding the path that leads into the forbidden woods bordering the cemetery.
Just as Ian’s friend, Fiona, convinces him to talk to his father, they’re lured into the woods by a risen corpse that doesn’t want to play by the rules. There, the two are captured by a coven of Weavers, dark magic witches who want only two thing—to escape the murky woods where they’ve been banished, and to raise the dead and shift the balance of power back to themselves.
Only Ian can stop them. With a little help from his friends. And his long-dead ancestors.
Equal parts spooky and melancholy, funny and heartfelt, The Gravedigger’s Son is a gorgeous debut that will long sit beside Neil Gaiman’s The Graveyard Book and Jonathan Auxier's The Night Gardener.
Ian Fossor is last in a long line of Gravediggers. It’s his family’s job to bury the dead and then, when Called by the dearly departed, to help settle the worries that linger beyond the grave so spirits can find peace in the Beyond.
But Ian doesn’t want to help the dead—he wants to be a Healer and help the living. Such a wish is, of course, selfish and impossible. Fossors are Gravediggers. So he reluctantly continues his training under the careful watch of his undead mentor, hoping every day that he’s never Called and carefully avoiding the path that leads into the forbidden woods bordering the cemetery.
Just as Ian’s friend, Fiona, convinces him to talk to his father, they’re lured into the woods by a risen corpse that doesn’t want to play by the rules. There, the two are captured by a coven of Weavers, dark magic witches who want only two thing—to escape the murky woods where they’ve been banished, and to raise the dead and shift the balance of power back to themselves.
Only Ian can stop them. With a little help from his friends. And his long-dead ancestors.
Equal parts spooky and melancholy, funny and heartfelt, The Gravedigger’s Son is a gorgeous debut that will long sit beside Neil Gaiman’s The Graveyard Book and Jonathan Auxier's The Night Gardener.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published September 26, 2017
25 people are currently reading
902 people want to read
About the author
Patrick Moody
54 books40 followersPatrick Moody is the author of THE GRAVEDIGGER'S SON (Sky Pony Press, 2017) and CREATURES OF CLAY (DBND Publishing, 6/25/21). His short fiction has appeared in numerous anthologies, including A MONSTER TOLD ME BEDTIME STORIES VOL. 7, HALLOWEEN HORROR VOL 2, KENTUCKY FRIED HORROR, LOVECRAFT IN A TIME OF MADNESS, AMERICA'S EMERGING SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY WRITERS, and DARK MOON DIGEST. His stories have also been adapted into audio dramas on THE WICKED LIBRARY and CAMPFIRE RADIO THEATER.
A native of Trumbull, Connecticut, he and his wife reside outside of New Haven.
A native of Trumbull, Connecticut, he and his wife reside outside of New Haven.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
December 7, 2015
A Beautiful new voice in the literary world. It's impossible not to fall in love with Ian and his bony mentor.
August 3, 2017
Ian spends most of the first half of the book drifting in the wake of stronger personalities. While that's certainly in character for a boy who's afraid to tell his father he doesn't want to apprentice in the family business, it makes it really difficult to care what happens to him. Paragraphs upon paragraphs of expository worldbuilding (in the guise of lectures from Ian's teacher and friend and even the antagonist) didn't help, and by the time the plot kicked into high gear, I was already disconnected from the story and skimming just to get to the end.
September 19, 2017
My name is Ian, and I want to be a Healer, not a Digger. My ancestors have answered the Call for centuries and have helped restless souls move to the Great Beyond. I didn't think I had the ability until Fiona urged me to give new life to Thatcher's skeleton. We then followed the Pumpkin Trail into the forbidden forest, and an old woman said she needed my blood to complete a terrible spell. Now, I've learned this Weaver is my grandmother and wants revenge against my family for losing her daughter, my mother. She wants to open the rift between the Void and the Netherworld, returning the dead into the living world. My father is away, and I'm not even a real Digger, so what can I do to stop her? The portals have already started to open, and thousands of corpses are rising from their graves. The power of Diggers doesn't seem to stop my grandmother, but I can't let her destroy the world!
I always love when I come across a book that turns out to be a gem. I really liked how the grandmother's spell kept getting stronger, and Ian's attempts to stop her failed. These events caused the tension to grow, and the situation became desperate. As a reader, I expected a surprise to arise that would resolve the conflict, and the author presented it. However, that idea didn't work either, so I was back to wondering if the problem could be solved! A constant conflict within Ian was between his dream to be a Healer and the expectations of his family's legacy. As it turns out, this conflict became very important in saving the world. The supporting characters provided interesting aspects to the plot. Although Fiona was there to support Ian, it started to feel like she was the one getting him into deeper trouble. Thatcher added a humorous twist as a living skeleton who was once a mischievous young boy. He also offered a period of compassion, as Ian needed to support him during his journey to the Great Beyond. With Halloween fast approaching, this book will make an outstanding addition to bookshelves. A wonderful blend of dynamic characters, adventure, and suspense!
I always love when I come across a book that turns out to be a gem. I really liked how the grandmother's spell kept getting stronger, and Ian's attempts to stop her failed. These events caused the tension to grow, and the situation became desperate. As a reader, I expected a surprise to arise that would resolve the conflict, and the author presented it. However, that idea didn't work either, so I was back to wondering if the problem could be solved! A constant conflict within Ian was between his dream to be a Healer and the expectations of his family's legacy. As it turns out, this conflict became very important in saving the world. The supporting characters provided interesting aspects to the plot. Although Fiona was there to support Ian, it started to feel like she was the one getting him into deeper trouble. Thatcher added a humorous twist as a living skeleton who was once a mischievous young boy. He also offered a period of compassion, as Ian needed to support him during his journey to the Great Beyond. With Halloween fast approaching, this book will make an outstanding addition to bookshelves. A wonderful blend of dynamic characters, adventure, and suspense!
April 3, 2018
Ian comes from a long line of Gravediggers, those who preside over burials, care for the plots of the departed, and fulfill their requests so they can sleep in peace. As an only son, it's Ian's duty to follow in his father's footsteps, so he's training every day to become a gravedigger himself. Only he'd really rather become a healer and help the living.
Undead tutors and voice catchers. White hair and grinning skulls. Obsidian shovels and pumpkin paths. Keeping the code and waking the sleepers. Wonderful world-building and nice, tight pacing. I quickly grew attached to the characters. Bumping this onto my favorites list!
Undead tutors and voice catchers. White hair and grinning skulls. Obsidian shovels and pumpkin paths. Keeping the code and waking the sleepers. Wonderful world-building and nice, tight pacing. I quickly grew attached to the characters. Bumping this onto my favorites list!
November 5, 2017
“The Gravedigger’s Son”
Written by Patrick Moody
Review written by Diana Iozzia
“The Gravedigger’s Son” is very reminiscent of the scary stories by R.L. Stine mixed with “A Nightmare Before Christmas”. Reading this the day of Halloween and the week after, I felt very in the holiday spirit, nice and spooky. I was very lucky and very grateful to receive the hardcover copy from Mr. Moody himself. His book is great, but the illustrations that coincide work so well together to tell the story of little Ian Fosser.
Ian is a descendant of a long line of Diggers, who dig the graves of corpses, but then actually help the spirits / ghosts move on and find peace. Ian is tired of digging graves and learning how to speak to the spirits. With the help of his friend, Fiona, he learns about the Capital’s schools, which are similar to Hogwarts. Students learn how to Heal, Call to the spirits, and practice other spooky supernatural crafts. Ian doesn’t want to be a Digger, he likes learning of the Healing craft. In this world, the work done by the people who live here coincide with what they learn as trades. There aren’t restaurants, grocery stores, or other post 21st century creations. This gives me the illusion we are in an early 1900s tale. The language is also very similar to English slang, so it seems that the book would take place somewhere in Great Britain.
Fiona wakes Ian in the middle of the night, saying she’s been Called by a spirit of a young boy named Thatcher. Thatcher is depicted as a skeleton of a rambunctious and quite rascally thirteen-year-old boy. Ian realizes although he doesn’t want to be a Digger, he needs to help little Thatcher move on. As we follow this journey, we discover interesting locations. The book moves along like a Tim Burton video game. Each location acts like a stage in the book, where you meet this character. It moves very smoothly as you follow Ian through this map of the cemetery, the pumpkin patch, the village of the Weavers, the family crypt, Ian’s mother’s created world. The villains are pretty creepy, but with a middle grade fiction, you realize that there will usually be a happy resolution.
Without delving into any spoilers, I highly suggest you look into this book. It’s a great, spooky middle grade fiction book that’s highly enjoyable. I think the illustrations really add to the world-building. I don’t know if there would be a sequel, but I’d be very eager to read it if it ever comes to pass.
Written by Patrick Moody
Review written by Diana Iozzia
“The Gravedigger’s Son” is very reminiscent of the scary stories by R.L. Stine mixed with “A Nightmare Before Christmas”. Reading this the day of Halloween and the week after, I felt very in the holiday spirit, nice and spooky. I was very lucky and very grateful to receive the hardcover copy from Mr. Moody himself. His book is great, but the illustrations that coincide work so well together to tell the story of little Ian Fosser.
Ian is a descendant of a long line of Diggers, who dig the graves of corpses, but then actually help the spirits / ghosts move on and find peace. Ian is tired of digging graves and learning how to speak to the spirits. With the help of his friend, Fiona, he learns about the Capital’s schools, which are similar to Hogwarts. Students learn how to Heal, Call to the spirits, and practice other spooky supernatural crafts. Ian doesn’t want to be a Digger, he likes learning of the Healing craft. In this world, the work done by the people who live here coincide with what they learn as trades. There aren’t restaurants, grocery stores, or other post 21st century creations. This gives me the illusion we are in an early 1900s tale. The language is also very similar to English slang, so it seems that the book would take place somewhere in Great Britain.
Fiona wakes Ian in the middle of the night, saying she’s been Called by a spirit of a young boy named Thatcher. Thatcher is depicted as a skeleton of a rambunctious and quite rascally thirteen-year-old boy. Ian realizes although he doesn’t want to be a Digger, he needs to help little Thatcher move on. As we follow this journey, we discover interesting locations. The book moves along like a Tim Burton video game. Each location acts like a stage in the book, where you meet this character. It moves very smoothly as you follow Ian through this map of the cemetery, the pumpkin patch, the village of the Weavers, the family crypt, Ian’s mother’s created world. The villains are pretty creepy, but with a middle grade fiction, you realize that there will usually be a happy resolution.
Without delving into any spoilers, I highly suggest you look into this book. It’s a great, spooky middle grade fiction book that’s highly enjoyable. I think the illustrations really add to the world-building. I don’t know if there would be a sequel, but I’d be very eager to read it if it ever comes to pass.
October 11, 2022
Absolutely terrific! Scary and spooky and horrifying. Wonderful and heroic. (Parents: I'd read it first to be sure your child could handle it. But no worries, you'll enjoy it!)
February 22, 2018
I was hard-pressed on whether to give this 3 or 4 stars.
The story is about a boy who feels trapped following in the footsteps of his ancestors, who have death with the souls of the restless dead and sent them along to the afterlife. The action is centered around the vast graveyard the boy's family is charged with caretaking. The boy has to grow up fast to keep an evil witch from screwing up, well, everything.
As a parent, you'll need to judge the maturity of your child before allowing him or her to read this. Death is a major focus of the book, and there's a torture scene, some body parts, and massive threats to the continue existence of the universe. As is common in books of this nature, the afterlife is A Thing, but there is no direct reference to a deity or religion.
The general tone is dreary, dark, and depressing. Moody (what a great last name for the author of this book!) does a good job in conveying the fears and listlessness of the main character, and of maintaining a general atmosphere of doom over the proceedings, countered only by courage and the bonds of friends and family.
There's something of a deus ex machina pulled out by the protagonist towards the end, and some curious and rather sudden changes of heart by a character or two that I found marred the ending. What bugged me the most was the numerous typos and just plain writing mistakes: extraneous words appear in several sentences, for example, and the word "right" is incorrectly used instead of "rite." Hopefully, your copy will have had a proper editor fix the text.
My geek-proud 10-year-old son loved this book, more so than The Graveyard Book or the Jinx books, but not quite as much as Star Thief.
Moderate recommendation
The story is about a boy who feels trapped following in the footsteps of his ancestors, who have death with the souls of the restless dead and sent them along to the afterlife. The action is centered around the vast graveyard the boy's family is charged with caretaking. The boy has to grow up fast to keep an evil witch from screwing up, well, everything.
As a parent, you'll need to judge the maturity of your child before allowing him or her to read this. Death is a major focus of the book, and there's a torture scene, some body parts, and massive threats to the continue existence of the universe. As is common in books of this nature, the afterlife is A Thing, but there is no direct reference to a deity or religion.
The general tone is dreary, dark, and depressing. Moody (what a great last name for the author of this book!) does a good job in conveying the fears and listlessness of the main character, and of maintaining a general atmosphere of doom over the proceedings, countered only by courage and the bonds of friends and family.
There's something of a deus ex machina pulled out by the protagonist towards the end, and some curious and rather sudden changes of heart by a character or two that I found marred the ending. What bugged me the most was the numerous typos and just plain writing mistakes: extraneous words appear in several sentences, for example, and the word "right" is incorrectly used instead of "rite." Hopefully, your copy will have had a proper editor fix the text.
My geek-proud 10-year-old son loved this book, more so than The Graveyard Book or the Jinx books, but not quite as much as Star Thief.
Moderate recommendation
September 27, 2017
For a middle grade book, this one had all of the elements of a ghost story with just the right amount of adventure and happy endings. Ian is born to follow in his father's footsteps to be a great Digger for the dead, but he wants nothing more to be a Healer for the living. When he's forced to Speak and help send his new little skeleton friend to the Beyond, Ian has to decide if he can give up his dream of healing to save his friend and follow duty.
There is a bit of a "creepiness" factor to this book, but not too much that it would scare your little kids with nightmares, more like a Nightmare Before Christmas feel to it. My favorite part was that the evil characters in the story had their own character arc and were given a choice to become something different.
There is a bit of a "creepiness" factor to this book, but not too much that it would scare your little kids with nightmares, more like a Nightmare Before Christmas feel to it. My favorite part was that the evil characters in the story had their own character arc and were given a choice to become something different.
April 4, 2024
This was a pretty difficult read, in that it was a pretty difficult read to finish - 2.5 stars.
This book reminds me of The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman only because it was also about a little boy in a graveyard, but that’s about it.
The Gravedigger’s Son by Patrick Moody, is about young Ian Fossor, who comes from a long line of Diggers, and must live up to the family name. However, he has plans of his own that he feels guilty acting upon, and through a series of misfortunes and experiencing almost the end of the world, he finally finds his path in life.
Perhaps I shouldn’t rate this so harshly, seeing as I am an adult reading a middle grade book, but because it is nevertheless a book, I’ll rate it the same way I do any other. The story itself was okay, nothing special, nothing that really grabs your attention. The writing style is the same - plain, easy to read and understand, nothing extremely extraordinary. However, Ian was a very irritating and annoying character to follow. He believes in everybody but himself at all times. He’s timid, but too timid and needs others to constantly believe in him or else he won’t be able to do anything at all. He hesitates constantly, and he’s always afraid, afraid, afraid. Did his character develop? Eh, slightly? I mean, he went ahead and chased his dream, I guess, but only after some serious encouraging from his dead mother. The evil bit wasn’t so evil at all, and apparently timid, afraid Ian was able to coax his evil grandmother out of her own wicked spell in just enough time. The other characters were okay, no one was extraordinary and interesting enough to mention.
I wouldn’t recommend this book because of the dull plot, the plain writing, and the dislikable title character. If you wanted a middle grade book, go read The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman instead.
This book reminds me of The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman only because it was also about a little boy in a graveyard, but that’s about it.
The Gravedigger’s Son by Patrick Moody, is about young Ian Fossor, who comes from a long line of Diggers, and must live up to the family name. However, he has plans of his own that he feels guilty acting upon, and through a series of misfortunes and experiencing almost the end of the world, he finally finds his path in life.
Perhaps I shouldn’t rate this so harshly, seeing as I am an adult reading a middle grade book, but because it is nevertheless a book, I’ll rate it the same way I do any other. The story itself was okay, nothing special, nothing that really grabs your attention. The writing style is the same - plain, easy to read and understand, nothing extremely extraordinary. However, Ian was a very irritating and annoying character to follow. He believes in everybody but himself at all times. He’s timid, but too timid and needs others to constantly believe in him or else he won’t be able to do anything at all. He hesitates constantly, and he’s always afraid, afraid, afraid. Did his character develop? Eh, slightly? I mean, he went ahead and chased his dream, I guess, but only after some serious encouraging from his dead mother. The evil bit wasn’t so evil at all, and apparently timid, afraid Ian was able to coax his evil grandmother out of her own wicked spell in just enough time. The other characters were okay, no one was extraordinary and interesting enough to mention.
I wouldn’t recommend this book because of the dull plot, the plain writing, and the dislikable title character. If you wanted a middle grade book, go read The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman instead.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 16, 2020
I think this book had a lot of potential, but it never grabbed me until it was almost over. For a MG book the plot was entirely too complicated, or, at the very least, too drawn out through the entire tale. By the time we understand what happened, the tone changes from quasi-gloomy, sorta-creepy over to warm-and-cuddly family saga, with no real ending. Ian is not the best main character, he is too thinly drawn and unassuming. Granted, you don't need to be all lookatme!! to be a lead, but he was too passive or middling or whingeing for my taste. I found Bertrum to be the star of the book, as he was developed the most and had the largest role in the entirety of the tale. The concepts of Weavers and Diggers was neat, but it was too much in the background for so long, then we get it all dumped in the final quarter of the book. It made sense, but the feel was too rambling. I had hoped for creepy and eerie and spooky, gravediggers???, but it was rather tame, and by the time it gets darker, we already know how things will resolve themselves. a much too tidy conclusion, for what we get of one anyway. And the reams of dialogue were dreadful - I dislike dialogue anyway, so that hurt the pacing - but too much telling and not enough showing, as they say in literary critique. All in all, a grand idea that was dead on arrival. Hahahaha!
March 14, 2018
Patrick Moody’s debut novel “The Gravedigger’s Son” was another absolute belter, telling the lonely tale of a ten-year-old boy who is the son of the local gravedigger. For generations that go back for hundreds of years Ian Fosser’s descendants have always had this same job, which he will inherit from his father in due course. However, Ian would rather work with herbs and study, escaping the generations old family traditions, which is one of the main themes of this wonderful novel. Ian is tutored in the matters of the dead by a 400-year-old ghost Bertrum and to ensure the dead are truly at peace after death, the words heaven and hell are never used, but the gravedigger’s role is an important one in this process. Ian is only an apprentice, but before long he is sucked into a supernatural mystery involving his dead mother, his friend Fiona who has the power to hear the restless dead and an old family feud. Amazingly the whole of this beautiful novel is set almost entirely in the graveyard and the world Moody creates is so believably vivid you’ll be rooting for Ian right up to the superb ending. A tremendous book which I would recommend for anyone aged from ten to 110.
April 17, 2021
Oh my.... This book is boundlessly great! i cannot express my gratitude for being able to read this book. It's everything i ever hoped to find in a book. First, it's a middle grade book. Second, The atmosphere, everything, everything about it! how this books is set in a manor, there's a forest, there's a graveyard, and there's the cottage of an evil weaver. Third, the characters are great, i adore all the characters, even the grandma, despite all the lengths she went through to cause terror to the family, i can't help being feel bad about her at the end, i felt a pang of connection between us. Fourth, the magic, the magic is great and... well, ✨magical✨. Fifth, the plot, i really love the plot of this book, it's all winding and unwinding and whatnot.
Difinitely one of my favorite middle grade books! i definitely need to buy a physical hardcover copy, even if it costs my 1 week allowance. Gotta show how you love the book❤️
Difinitely one of my favorite middle grade books! i definitely need to buy a physical hardcover copy, even if it costs my 1 week allowance. Gotta show how you love the book❤️
December 24, 2022
Got this from our book exchange with fellow writers. I wasn't sure I was going to like this setting of the graveyard and such, but it captured my attention. I did not expect the twists and turns in this story. The young girl always daring and trying to get the boy, Ian, to do things that he knows he's not supposed to do. Sure enough they get into trouble and eventually get caught, but they don't get free without help and unscathed. I didn't expect the young Weavers to be so nasty and it sure seems like the old Weaver was evil through and through. Of course Ian's dead mother isn't really dead and saves the day, right? Or Ian's father will come back and know exactly what to do or the old Weaver is too much and the father dies so Ian has to somehow save the day, right? Or how will this story be different? That's what ran through my mind as I read. Find out for yourself and see whether you can guess what is going to happen in the story.
January 24, 2018
For a middle grade book, this one had all of the elements of a ghost story with just the right amount of adventure and happy endings. Ian is born to follow in his father's footsteps to be a great Digger for the dead, but he wants nothing more to be a Healer for the living. When he's forced to Speak and help send his new little skeleton friend to the Beyond, Ian has to decide if he can give up his dream of healing to save his friend and follow duty.
There is a bit of a "creepiness" factor to this book, but not too much that it would scare your little kids with nightmares, more like a Nightmare Before Christmas feel to it. My favorite part was that the evil characters in the story had their own character arc and were given a choice to become something different.
There is a bit of a "creepiness" factor to this book, but not too much that it would scare your little kids with nightmares, more like a Nightmare Before Christmas feel to it. My favorite part was that the evil characters in the story had their own character arc and were given a choice to become something different.
October 16, 2017
I read this book as a challenge read for #spookathon 2017 - "Read a book with orange on the cover". I love spooky books set in graveyards and I really enjoyed this story. A very unique twisty tale about a Gravedigger's Son and him learning the lessons of being a Digger like all his family members before him. This is a coming of age story with lots of creepy. It follows Ian and his journey in finding out who he is, who his friends are (living and dead) and all the deep dark family secrets. Lots of magic, skeletons, zombies and shadows that live in the woods. I would recommend this read to everyone especially around Halloween!
November 1, 2018
Oh, my gosh, run, don’t walk, to buy this book! Yes, this is a middle grade book, but as an adult who is decades past a middle grade due date, I thoroughly enjoyed this world, this story, and the characters. Ian Fossor is a delight and so relatable. Bertram, oh Bertram, I wish I had had a friend like you when I was a child, no matter how “unique” you are. I started the book late in the evening, the plan being to read no more than half, then finish it the next night. Ha! Once I started I couldn’t stop.
There are happy bits, funny bits, sad bits and scary bits; something for everyone. My one hope is that there will be more books set in this unique world. Bravo, Mr. Moody, and thank you!
There are happy bits, funny bits, sad bits and scary bits; something for everyone. My one hope is that there will be more books set in this unique world. Bravo, Mr. Moody, and thank you!
September 24, 2022
"The Dead are not the Living. Please, please let that be true."
I actually really liked the ending of this! I just feel like it was a bit too long and some plot points could have been cut. I really enjoyed the concept of Gravedigging and feel like it could have been useful if it explored Ian's relationship with him mom more.
There was somewhat of a lack of an emotional core to the story. I really wish there was more focus on Ian's love for healing. It's distributed pretty well throughout the story, but I feel like once the conflict starts happening it takes the backburner until the climax and would have preferred it being more front and center.
I actually really liked the ending of this! I just feel like it was a bit too long and some plot points could have been cut. I really enjoyed the concept of Gravedigging and feel like it could have been useful if it explored Ian's relationship with him mom more.
There was somewhat of a lack of an emotional core to the story. I really wish there was more focus on Ian's love for healing. It's distributed pretty well throughout the story, but I feel like once the conflict starts happening it takes the backburner until the climax and would have preferred it being more front and center.
January 22, 2018
I wasn't sure what to expect from this book since I had never heard of it before and received it in my Halloween box from litjoycrate but I really enjoyed it. This book was a really cute story about a boy struggling with living up to his family legacy of becoming a digger or being true to himself in wanting to be a healer. I felt like his struggles in whether or not he should be true to himself are something most of us can relate to. On a less serious note I loved Thatcher and all the mischief he created. Great debut.
October 22, 2018
This was such a fun, Halloweeny read! It had a dark and eerie atmosphere but the action and adventure was almost cinematic! I could see this being a movie. It was a little predictable in places but the rest made up for that. Some of the characters were a little obnoxious but they all had redeeming qualities which I really liked. I wasn’t expecting to enjoy this as much as I did, but I’m glad I’ve read it!
January 13, 2018
It was a great read, fast pace and well written with great characters. I loved the premise, and I couldn't put it down, but I didn't like the ending so much that it made me no longer like the main character. It probably would resonate better with the younger audience it was intended for, but as an adult, I felt like a disappointed parent.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 9, 2018
Great ghost story but also explores how one can not always follow in the footsteps of one’s parents. How we each need to make our own way and anything less could put our very life in jeopardy. An excellent complement to The Graveyard Book and The Night Gardener. Just scary enough. More suspenseful than frightful.
May 18, 2020
I often don't like to read middle-grade novels because afterward, I feel like I ate candy for dinner (sweet but ultimately unfulfilling). This novel feels like a full, well-balanced meal. The story is interesting, the characters 3dimensional, there's fantastic growth, and there's depth and emotion that honestly shocked me to find in a school for this age. I HIGHLY recommend.
October 30, 2020
I thought it was a compelling read. Moody was wonderful at world building, but his characters weren't fully fleshed out. We know Ian wanted to be a Healer, not a Digger, but in my opinion that made up most of his personality, other than him being shy and quiet. Overall, I liked the book and recommend it for any one who wants a gripping family saga.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 15, 2024
I had meant to read a different book with the same title. This was pretty scary for a children's book, but when I think about it, so are most of the fairy tales I was raised on. But what really brought the book down was the fact that the evil one just needed a hug. She spent years ruining lives and plotting the end of the world and a little chat made it all better. Ugh.
August 13, 2017
I loved the way this story built from a fairly slow start, through building action, to an emotionally satisfying finish. This was a fun read, and I hope it gets a lot of attention when it hits the shelves.
October 24, 2017
Such a fun adventure!
This was such a fun adventure!! It’s a great read all year round and even more perfect at Halloween! Graveyards, skeletons, the rising dead and magic, -who could ask for more? I would/will certainly recommend this book.
This was such a fun adventure!! It’s a great read all year round and even more perfect at Halloween! Graveyards, skeletons, the rising dead and magic, -who could ask for more? I would/will certainly recommend this book.
December 6, 2017
It was alright. I didn’t have time to read it straight through so that might not have helped with the flow. Felt too full of dialogue and disjointed. The mystical part wasn’t explained well and felt awkward and rushed.
January 5, 2018
This was a good read! Reminded me of Neil Gaiman, but for kids. A little scary at times, but nothing too terrible. Some parts in the middle of the story dragged a bit, but overall, it was a solid story. Would absolutely recommend.
April 29, 2018
In the The Gravedigger's Son, Patrick Moody created a unique world with lots of rules, like "A Digger must not refuse a request from the dead." But Ian does not want to be a Digger, he wants to be a healer. It is a griping tale and the illustrations aid the story.
June 7, 2018
Spooky and magic with heaps of heart. Loved the 400-year-old teacher with his falling-off body parts (who I envisioned as a gruff but kind-hearted Yorkshire man). Took me a bit to get into, but once I did, I was hooked.
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