What do you think?
Rate this book
A Graveyard Visible
The graveyard visible from Caleb's bedroom window grows a little bigger each day. He sees funerals there every evening, but nobody is dying. Misha, the strange girl who lives there with her grandfather, takes an unwanted interest in Caleb, and he can't shake her off. But he's sure those peculiar mourners, the same ones at each graveside every time, are forcing her into rituals against her will... Caleb, still reeling from the death of his mother, soon finds himself deep in a world of the dead in this chilling YA horror novel; will it be too late for him to climb back out?
312 pages, Paperback
First published April 27, 2018
1 person is currently reading
23 people want to read
About the author
Steve Conoboy
14 books26 followersBiography
Prologue : My parents met. (Prologues are never much use.)
Chapter One: I am born. The world blinks.
Chapter Two: I toddle. I am introduced to the works of Richard Scarry. The illustrations burn themselves into my tiny mind. This is followed by an intense interest in Winnie the Pooh and the Radio Times.
Chapter Three: Beanos and Dandys and tape recorders enter my life. I read the comic strips aloud, record these performances. Leads to writing my own stories, which are mostly about spaceships or murderous snakes.
Chapter Four: Santa brings a Commodore 64. Writing is forgotten.
Chapter Five: Teenage nerdism strikes. Dragonlance Chronicles are read. An attempt is made to copy them. Results are dreadful.
Chapter Six: Off to university to study ancient history and archaeology. Hat and whip not received. Compaints about this are ignored. University mostly a waste of time, apart from hours spent writing apocalyptic horror-comedy on 386 PC. It's great.
Chapter Seven: Apocalyptic horror-comedy sent out to literary agents. None are interested. Novel not great. Mostly a waste of time.
Chapter Eight: A long period filled with much writing and many submissions and plenty of rejection letters. Decide I can't stand prologues as they're never much use.
Chapter Nine: Short stories accepted by Polluto, Voluted Tales and Kzine. Prompts a vigorous interest in Kindle Direct Publishing. First release is Macadamian Pliers, YA horror with an emphasis on creepy, spooky and other ooky things.
TO BE CONTINUED...
Prologue : My parents met. (Prologues are never much use.)
Chapter One: I am born. The world blinks.
Chapter Two: I toddle. I am introduced to the works of Richard Scarry. The illustrations burn themselves into my tiny mind. This is followed by an intense interest in Winnie the Pooh and the Radio Times.
Chapter Three: Beanos and Dandys and tape recorders enter my life. I read the comic strips aloud, record these performances. Leads to writing my own stories, which are mostly about spaceships or murderous snakes.
Chapter Four: Santa brings a Commodore 64. Writing is forgotten.
Chapter Five: Teenage nerdism strikes. Dragonlance Chronicles are read. An attempt is made to copy them. Results are dreadful.
Chapter Six: Off to university to study ancient history and archaeology. Hat and whip not received. Compaints about this are ignored. University mostly a waste of time, apart from hours spent writing apocalyptic horror-comedy on 386 PC. It's great.
Chapter Seven: Apocalyptic horror-comedy sent out to literary agents. None are interested. Novel not great. Mostly a waste of time.
Chapter Eight: A long period filled with much writing and many submissions and plenty of rejection letters. Decide I can't stand prologues as they're never much use.
Chapter Nine: Short stories accepted by Polluto, Voluted Tales and Kzine. Prompts a vigorous interest in Kindle Direct Publishing. First release is Macadamian Pliers, YA horror with an emphasis on creepy, spooky and other ooky things.
TO BE CONTINUED...
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
April 20, 2018
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Caleb can see an ancient graveyard from his bedroom window and he's certain that it's a just a little bigger every time he looks at it. There are funerals there every night, but no one in his town seems to be dying. Misha, the odd girl who lives at the cemetery with her grandfather, is interested in Caleb and no matter what Caleb does he can't get rid of her. He's sure those creepy graveside mourners that are at every funeral are forcing her into strange rituals against her will. Caleb, who is still reeling from the death of his mother, has found himself pulled into the world of the dead and it may be too late to pull himself back out.
A Graveyard Visible by Steve Conoboy is a very promising story to start off. I liked the author's gothic and descriptive writing style. The first twenty to thirty percent were actually pretty fantastic that really had me hooked. However, the further I read through the story the more my interest waned. I was most interested in what was going on with the graveyard, but we never really get any real answers about it. Plus, the more I read the more difficult it became to follow the course of events. In the beginning, Conoboy does a brilliant job of building and creating that sense of suspense and tension. Unfortunately, by the end of this story I was close to DNF'ing this one. Most of the questions I was interested in are never answered and sometimes the shifts in perspective and formatting could be a bit confusing.
Overall, I really wanted to like A Graveyard Visible by Steve Conoboy much more than I did. It has a lot of potential and it started off well. By the end, though, it just wasn't for me. I felt like I was left hanging on the elements that intrigued me the most.
Thanks anyway, NetGalley.
Caleb can see an ancient graveyard from his bedroom window and he's certain that it's a just a little bigger every time he looks at it. There are funerals there every night, but no one in his town seems to be dying. Misha, the odd girl who lives at the cemetery with her grandfather, is interested in Caleb and no matter what Caleb does he can't get rid of her. He's sure those creepy graveside mourners that are at every funeral are forcing her into strange rituals against her will. Caleb, who is still reeling from the death of his mother, has found himself pulled into the world of the dead and it may be too late to pull himself back out.
A Graveyard Visible by Steve Conoboy is a very promising story to start off. I liked the author's gothic and descriptive writing style. The first twenty to thirty percent were actually pretty fantastic that really had me hooked. However, the further I read through the story the more my interest waned. I was most interested in what was going on with the graveyard, but we never really get any real answers about it. Plus, the more I read the more difficult it became to follow the course of events. In the beginning, Conoboy does a brilliant job of building and creating that sense of suspense and tension. Unfortunately, by the end of this story I was close to DNF'ing this one. Most of the questions I was interested in are never answered and sometimes the shifts in perspective and formatting could be a bit confusing.
Overall, I really wanted to like A Graveyard Visible by Steve Conoboy much more than I did. It has a lot of potential and it started off well. By the end, though, it just wasn't for me. I felt like I was left hanging on the elements that intrigued me the most.
Thanks anyway, NetGalley.
February 1, 2018
I received an e-arc from netgalley for an honest review.
I was first drawn to this book because of its striking cover and interesting synopsis. It's about a young boy called Caleb, who has lost his mother and lives with his pretty unresponsive, cold father. Their home backs onto the graveyard where is mother is buried and which is home to a slightly odd young girl called Misha and her grandfather.
According to Caleb's father and grandfather his visiting and 'obsession' of the graveyard isn't healthy. But it's through this yearning to visit and study the graveyard that his dark adventure begins.
For me personally, this is a story of profound loss. Each character is battling with their own loss and dealing with it in varied ways. It is through this loss that I really connected with Caleb and his grandfather's story. It's an interesting view point to feel that loss through a child's eyes, not only of a mother but of his uncaring father. I felt that the loss aspect really outshsdowed the 'horror' aspect. But I think that's why I enjoyed it if in honest.
I was first drawn to this book because of its striking cover and interesting synopsis. It's about a young boy called Caleb, who has lost his mother and lives with his pretty unresponsive, cold father. Their home backs onto the graveyard where is mother is buried and which is home to a slightly odd young girl called Misha and her grandfather.
According to Caleb's father and grandfather his visiting and 'obsession' of the graveyard isn't healthy. But it's through this yearning to visit and study the graveyard that his dark adventure begins.
For me personally, this is a story of profound loss. Each character is battling with their own loss and dealing with it in varied ways. It is through this loss that I really connected with Caleb and his grandfather's story. It's an interesting view point to feel that loss through a child's eyes, not only of a mother but of his uncaring father. I felt that the loss aspect really outshsdowed the 'horror' aspect. But I think that's why I enjoyed it if in honest.
April 13, 2018
I’m sorry but I am so done. I tried to make it through, got to 60% before I DNF’d.
The writing feels stilted. Always telling this and telling that. It’s also kind of confusing, just when I think I got it, I don’t. I do feel sorry for Caleb and Misha, but for the most part I just don’t care. It doesn’t make much sense and it’s also very depressing. I was struggling to continue then I come across a part where some boy calls his friend gay as an insult and read a little more, realizing at this point my eyes are just going over words and i’ve stopped caring long ago. I’m sorry but I just can’t push myself to finish.
I doubt this review makes much sense, but neither does the book to me so...take that how you will.
Blog | Youtube | Twitter | Tumblr | Instagram
The writing feels stilted. Always telling this and telling that. It’s also kind of confusing, just when I think I got it, I don’t. I do feel sorry for Caleb and Misha, but for the most part I just don’t care. It doesn’t make much sense and it’s also very depressing. I was struggling to continue then I come across a part where some boy calls his friend gay as an insult and read a little more, realizing at this point my eyes are just going over words and i’ve stopped caring long ago. I’m sorry but I just can’t push myself to finish.
I doubt this review makes much sense, but neither does the book to me so...take that how you will.
Blog | Youtube | Twitter | Tumblr | Instagram
May 3, 2018
Review: A GRAVEYARD VISIBLE by Steve Conoboy
A GRAVEYARD VISIBLE is a literate horror story, a surreal portrait of coming of age, pariah status, and intellect. It is also the story of a tiny depressing town, and of a strange--even bizarre--cemetery, where the impossible occurs. Young Caleb lives in a house overlooking that graveyard, with a psychologically and verbally abusive father, grieving his late mother. Mischa is the highly intelligent but much maligned granddaughter of the cemetery keeper. And the cemetery itself? Growing, literally. New funerals almost every night. New burials under antique headstones. A few mourners. And the cemetery just keeps expanding, measurably... A supernatural suspense in a setting that should be impossible..
A GRAVEYARD VISIBLE is a literate horror story, a surreal portrait of coming of age, pariah status, and intellect. It is also the story of a tiny depressing town, and of a strange--even bizarre--cemetery, where the impossible occurs. Young Caleb lives in a house overlooking that graveyard, with a psychologically and verbally abusive father, grieving his late mother. Mischa is the highly intelligent but much maligned granddaughter of the cemetery keeper. And the cemetery itself? Growing, literally. New funerals almost every night. New burials under antique headstones. A few mourners. And the cemetery just keeps expanding, measurably... A supernatural suspense in a setting that should be impossible..
March 26, 2018
I was hoping for more from this book. They were some supernatural and creepy things about this book and I loved that part of it. The story was a little sad, but I know all about losing a parent. I think this story was a little about dealing with the sadness that comes with that. The author had a great way of describing things in this book, for me. I just had mixed feeling at the end of this book. *This book was given to me for free at my request from NetGalley and I provided this voluntary review.*
April 14, 2018
**I've received an advanced copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review**
Caleb knows there's something amiss in the graveyard. He watches it through his window. There are always funerals, but there are never any deceased in his small town. Even worse, the graveyard seems to be growing, but the land around it remains unchanged. Caleb measures the graveyard, meter stick by meter stick, each day. To his dismay, his work is interrupted by a girl named Misha, who seems to live in the graveyard. The two become unlikely companions as Caleb gets sucked into the dark and gruesome secrets of the graveyard visible from his window.
This book isn't going to be for everyone. If you've looked, you see a lot of DNF'd reviews. These readers are not wrong when they say that this book can be a little difficult to follow at times, and a lot of the graveyard's secrets are never really explained. Sure, I get that would be frustrating to some readers. I actually found this aspect to be some of the charm of this novel. The writing is gorgeous, yet flawed. At first I was bothered by the occasional run-ons or word choices, but then I realized that it wasn't the author's inability to write, it was the author voicing how Caleb thinks. He is an unusual 12 year-old boy, and the prose reflects his character brilliantly.
The story here is an interesting one. Perhaps not the most original, but originally written. There is an exceptionally small cast of characters in this book, but they are all interesting. I wish I could have had more of them. I loved the idea of this plot. There were some really interesting developments, some absolutely shocking, considering the ages of Caleb and Misha. However, they didn't have a strong enough impact because they weren't built up enough to hit hard when they happened. All of my problems with the story line can be summed up simply: Give me more! I wanted to be submersed in this story more. I wanted more descriptions of the sights the characters encountered. I wanted to know more about the characters before the time the book takes place in. I loved Caleb's 'Gramps' the most, and it's because the book did precisely that with him.
I understand that this book isn't for everyone. It is a YA Horror novel that's really almost geared towards middle grade readers. The story can leave you thinking "That's it?" Most importantly, the writing could turn a lot of readers away. I'm certainly surprised I enjoyed it as much as I did, but this novel had a lot of charm. I will read more from this author in the future. I do recommend it, but I can't tell you if it's the book for you or not.
Caleb knows there's something amiss in the graveyard. He watches it through his window. There are always funerals, but there are never any deceased in his small town. Even worse, the graveyard seems to be growing, but the land around it remains unchanged. Caleb measures the graveyard, meter stick by meter stick, each day. To his dismay, his work is interrupted by a girl named Misha, who seems to live in the graveyard. The two become unlikely companions as Caleb gets sucked into the dark and gruesome secrets of the graveyard visible from his window.
This book isn't going to be for everyone. If you've looked, you see a lot of DNF'd reviews. These readers are not wrong when they say that this book can be a little difficult to follow at times, and a lot of the graveyard's secrets are never really explained. Sure, I get that would be frustrating to some readers. I actually found this aspect to be some of the charm of this novel. The writing is gorgeous, yet flawed. At first I was bothered by the occasional run-ons or word choices, but then I realized that it wasn't the author's inability to write, it was the author voicing how Caleb thinks. He is an unusual 12 year-old boy, and the prose reflects his character brilliantly.
The story here is an interesting one. Perhaps not the most original, but originally written. There is an exceptionally small cast of characters in this book, but they are all interesting. I wish I could have had more of them. I loved the idea of this plot. There were some really interesting developments, some absolutely shocking, considering the ages of Caleb and Misha. However, they didn't have a strong enough impact because they weren't built up enough to hit hard when they happened. All of my problems with the story line can be summed up simply: Give me more! I wanted to be submersed in this story more. I wanted more descriptions of the sights the characters encountered. I wanted to know more about the characters before the time the book takes place in. I loved Caleb's 'Gramps' the most, and it's because the book did precisely that with him.
I understand that this book isn't for everyone. It is a YA Horror novel that's really almost geared towards middle grade readers. The story can leave you thinking "That's it?" Most importantly, the writing could turn a lot of readers away. I'm certainly surprised I enjoyed it as much as I did, but this novel had a lot of charm. I will read more from this author in the future. I do recommend it, but I can't tell you if it's the book for you or not.
April 6, 2018
Surprisingly, A Graveyard Visible was an interesting read which I didn’t expect after seeing numerous reviews slating it.
I thought it was an odd book with regards to the writing style as it was very to the point and less descriptive than books I would usually read. While it took some time to get use to the style I found myself enjoying the book greatly.
Our main character Caleb is all alone in the world, trying to cope with his mother’s passing and avoiding his father. Calebs father hates the sight of his son, and without him saying it aloud wishes his son, rather than his wife, had died. My heart went out to Caleb. His father is just an awful person, every time he came back into the story he would belittle Caleb. I wanted to step into the book and throttle him.
I liked how Steve Conoboy used the graveyard as an obsession for Caleb, it showed that he is not ready or able to accept that his mother is no longer there and so he has this unusual fixation with the graveyard.
Caleb is clearly a timid child and is all alone in the world. His mother is a terrible loss but in addition he has lost a father too. I loved how the author was able to portray this through his writing as it enabled me to feel such a great sorrow towards him. I liked Caleb – his development throughout the story was important. At first he was a scared, lonesome boy but after realising that there is a terrible evil to overcome, he turns into a courageous young man.
Another important character to the story is Misha, who resides in the graveyard with her grandfather. She is relentlessly tormented by an sadistic boy named Vic and his friends because of who she is. I think that this has something to do with her deceased parents but it was unclear to me how they died and if they did anything unsavoury while alive. Similar to Caleb, she feels alone in the world and abandoned but has more of a ‘f*ck you’ attitude that Caleb doesn’t appear to have.
Caleb and Misha form an unlikely friendship to stop the evil that emerges from the graveyard. The mysterious doings of the graveyard which Caleb witnesses on numerous occasions involves Misha, her grandfather and other unusual characters. Though this developed slowly it was the main reason that I enjoyed the book.
With a void in paternal love and guidance both Caleb and Misha have their grandfathers to look after them. Whereas I found Misha’s grandfather overbearing, controlling and basically irritating as hell, Caleb’s grandfather was a more interesting character and had a strong connection to the graveyard. He cares for his grandson, not wanting him to come into harm’s way by spending too much time there.
The pace of this book started off slow. At first I found it difficult to keep on going because I didn’t feel as though the plot was going to move forward. It felt as it was going around in loops – Caleb forever obsessing over the graveyard but not much else happening.
Fortunately as I reached half way the pace began to pick up and I felt myself unable to put the book down as I desperately needed to know what happened next. Though I didn’t find the story “scary” I found myself scared for Caleb and Misha.
I felt that there were a lot of questions left unanswered which is the reason for my rating. Perhaps I didn’t focus hard enough or didn’t completely get it but upon finishing the book I was left craving for more as the story became so exciting. Needless to say I was captivated by this story and I urge others to give it a chance
I thought it was an odd book with regards to the writing style as it was very to the point and less descriptive than books I would usually read. While it took some time to get use to the style I found myself enjoying the book greatly.
Our main character Caleb is all alone in the world, trying to cope with his mother’s passing and avoiding his father. Calebs father hates the sight of his son, and without him saying it aloud wishes his son, rather than his wife, had died. My heart went out to Caleb. His father is just an awful person, every time he came back into the story he would belittle Caleb. I wanted to step into the book and throttle him.
I liked how Steve Conoboy used the graveyard as an obsession for Caleb, it showed that he is not ready or able to accept that his mother is no longer there and so he has this unusual fixation with the graveyard.
Caleb is clearly a timid child and is all alone in the world. His mother is a terrible loss but in addition he has lost a father too. I loved how the author was able to portray this through his writing as it enabled me to feel such a great sorrow towards him. I liked Caleb – his development throughout the story was important. At first he was a scared, lonesome boy but after realising that there is a terrible evil to overcome, he turns into a courageous young man.
Another important character to the story is Misha, who resides in the graveyard with her grandfather. She is relentlessly tormented by an sadistic boy named Vic and his friends because of who she is. I think that this has something to do with her deceased parents but it was unclear to me how they died and if they did anything unsavoury while alive. Similar to Caleb, she feels alone in the world and abandoned but has more of a ‘f*ck you’ attitude that Caleb doesn’t appear to have.
Caleb and Misha form an unlikely friendship to stop the evil that emerges from the graveyard. The mysterious doings of the graveyard which Caleb witnesses on numerous occasions involves Misha, her grandfather and other unusual characters. Though this developed slowly it was the main reason that I enjoyed the book.
With a void in paternal love and guidance both Caleb and Misha have their grandfathers to look after them. Whereas I found Misha’s grandfather overbearing, controlling and basically irritating as hell, Caleb’s grandfather was a more interesting character and had a strong connection to the graveyard. He cares for his grandson, not wanting him to come into harm’s way by spending too much time there.
The pace of this book started off slow. At first I found it difficult to keep on going because I didn’t feel as though the plot was going to move forward. It felt as it was going around in loops – Caleb forever obsessing over the graveyard but not much else happening.
Fortunately as I reached half way the pace began to pick up and I felt myself unable to put the book down as I desperately needed to know what happened next. Though I didn’t find the story “scary” I found myself scared for Caleb and Misha.
I felt that there were a lot of questions left unanswered which is the reason for my rating. Perhaps I didn’t focus hard enough or didn’t completely get it but upon finishing the book I was left craving for more as the story became so exciting. Needless to say I was captivated by this story and I urge others to give it a chance
May 3, 2018
**I received an ARC of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**
First of all, i was drawn to this book by its cover and its blurp! I really liked the cover and i was very much intrigued about the story, which at the time seemed to be horror..., but it was not just that!
Peculiar book and as i said i thought it would have been more of a horror, but it turned out to be something else than what I expected, something more!
It’s nice to read every once in a while a book that combines several elements from different genres and gives you something deeper than what you expect.
I liked reading it and I will definitely re-read it in the future!
First of all, i was drawn to this book by its cover and its blurp! I really liked the cover and i was very much intrigued about the story, which at the time seemed to be horror..., but it was not just that!
Peculiar book and as i said i thought it would have been more of a horror, but it turned out to be something else than what I expected, something more!
It’s nice to read every once in a while a book that combines several elements from different genres and gives you something deeper than what you expect.
I liked reading it and I will definitely re-read it in the future!
March 19, 2018
I was intrigued by this book as soon as I read the synopsis. I love anything horror related so I couldn’t wait to see what this book was about. Also - thanks to the author for sending me a copy for a review.
The story is about a boy called Caleb, whose fascination with the Graveyard outside his bedroom window is bordering on obsession. Unfortunately Caleb’s Mum has passed away so he lives alone with his Father who just doesn’t seem to connect with him on any level (and visits his Grandad who is starting to lose his memory) so he feels quite alone. He decides to pass time during his school holidays by measuring the Graveyard to keep a check on whether it is growing or whether it’s just his imagination. In doing this, he meets a girl called Misha who lives at the Graveyard with her Grandad, and he starts to notice there are funerals taking place but with the same group of people attending each one. He decides to investigate further but his Grandad wants to warn him about the graveyard before he loses his memory completely.
Once I got stuck into this book I didn’t want to put it down. I couldn’t wait to see what was going to happen and why things were happening. The author’s writing style is definitely new to me so it took a little getting used to but it didn’t hinder the book. The storyline is definitely a strong one, but I have to admit I had to re-read the ending as I had a few questions. I think it would be useful to know whether this book is intended to be followed on by another one or not as that would help with the very ending of the book. Once I read the ending the second time – and more closely – I did manage to clear up a few things I was pondering. I always second-guess characters and situations and start guessing what the ending will be before I even get there and I was a little thrown off as the ending wasn’t as definitive as I had been hoping it would be.
The use of descriptive and emotive language throughout the book was absolutely fantastic. The story was also so original and the actual horror themes throughout the book were so new to me, they weren’t the normal vampire/zombie/ghost stories you tend to see. I found this really refreshing and some of the ideas were brilliant. I’m not sure why anyone would have a hard time finishing this if they’ve already got most of the way through – I read it in only a couple of days and really enjoyed it.
I think there could have been a little more background on the main characters just so I could have felt a little more connected to them. I especially would love to know more about the character called ‘Eight’ as I found her fascinating! I would love to see a follow up for this book to see where else this story can go!
I would certainly recommend this to young adults with a love of horror (and older adults too!)
The story is about a boy called Caleb, whose fascination with the Graveyard outside his bedroom window is bordering on obsession. Unfortunately Caleb’s Mum has passed away so he lives alone with his Father who just doesn’t seem to connect with him on any level (and visits his Grandad who is starting to lose his memory) so he feels quite alone. He decides to pass time during his school holidays by measuring the Graveyard to keep a check on whether it is growing or whether it’s just his imagination. In doing this, he meets a girl called Misha who lives at the Graveyard with her Grandad, and he starts to notice there are funerals taking place but with the same group of people attending each one. He decides to investigate further but his Grandad wants to warn him about the graveyard before he loses his memory completely.
Once I got stuck into this book I didn’t want to put it down. I couldn’t wait to see what was going to happen and why things were happening. The author’s writing style is definitely new to me so it took a little getting used to but it didn’t hinder the book. The storyline is definitely a strong one, but I have to admit I had to re-read the ending as I had a few questions. I think it would be useful to know whether this book is intended to be followed on by another one or not as that would help with the very ending of the book. Once I read the ending the second time – and more closely – I did manage to clear up a few things I was pondering. I always second-guess characters and situations and start guessing what the ending will be before I even get there and I was a little thrown off as the ending wasn’t as definitive as I had been hoping it would be.
The use of descriptive and emotive language throughout the book was absolutely fantastic. The story was also so original and the actual horror themes throughout the book were so new to me, they weren’t the normal vampire/zombie/ghost stories you tend to see. I found this really refreshing and some of the ideas were brilliant. I’m not sure why anyone would have a hard time finishing this if they’ve already got most of the way through – I read it in only a couple of days and really enjoyed it.
I think there could have been a little more background on the main characters just so I could have felt a little more connected to them. I especially would love to know more about the character called ‘Eight’ as I found her fascinating! I would love to see a follow up for this book to see where else this story can go!
I would certainly recommend this to young adults with a love of horror (and older adults too!)
February 13, 2018
This is probably the most confused I've been about a review before. I literally cannot work out if I liked the story or not and how many stars it's worth to me. This book has so much potential, but it left me with so many questions. Why did the graveyard keep growing? If his mum was as nice as she was made out to be, then would she really have stuck with a man like his dad knowing how he feels about his son? Can a son really hate his dad enough to let him die? I mean, yeah he was a bit of an asshole, but he didn't like physically torture Caleb or anything. Who were the good people and who were the bad people in the story? I still don't know if Misha's grandpa is a good guy or not! And then there's the ending and I am completely confused. What happened between Caleb's Grandpa and Evelyn? For me, there is just a lot that needs clearing up. I must say that there are some really beautiful quotes in this book though!
July 17, 2018
A refreshing horror story that introduces the idea of a spooky cemetery expanding during the night.
Caleb can see an old graveyard from his bedroom window and it seems to grow bigger every day. Even though funerals take place there every night, no one in their town is dying. As Caleb takes it upon himself to measure the graveyard, he meets Misha, a strange girl that lives in the graveyard with her grandfather. The two form a peculiar relationship and Caleb, still reeling from the death of his mother, is dragged into a world of secrets, shadow and death. Once he’s in, will he be able to get out?
The plot is great and well developed. It’s original and explores the character’s in detail making them the central piece of the story. The pace is very slow and repetitive in the beginning but as you reach the middle, it changes at a fast pace. You just need to know what happens next. There are predictable twists to the story but other revelations are quite surprising and unexpected. However, I found that some questions were left unanswered when it comes to the graveyard secrets. I felt the author wanted to keep some mystery in the story but it was a bit too much. If more details were revealed, I would have connected more with the story and feel satisfied knowing the whole picture.
The style of writing is simple, easy to understand and follow, making it easy to
Steve Conoboy takes a leap into a new and dark world, using a descriptive and gothic style that pulled me in from the very beginning. IT gets a bit confusing at times when the author voices Caleb’s thoughts, he does it very well, but it did get a bit confusing at times. Even so, the way Conoboy writes reflects the main character perfectly and digs deep into the mind of this 12-year boy.
The main characters are well developed and explored. The main male character Caleb is completely alone after losing his mother. The relationship with his father implodes as he blames Caleb for the death of his wife and belittles him at every chance he gets. Even with the presence of his grandfather, Caleb tries to deal in his own way with the disintegration of his family. In the end, Caleb ends up losing both of his parents. Caleb’s sad story brings out compassion and empathy and you really feel for him throughout the novel. His development throughout the story is very well described; he starts as a scared boy, timid and lonely to a brave young man that is able to put others before himself. It’s very rewarding to see Caleb discover a reason to exist, to live and even if it’s dark, he uses it to move forward and to grow.
Misha, the main female character is also a crucial part of the puzzle. Even though she is a bit strange, Misha lives a hard life also. She lives with a grandfather, an overbearing man that controls her life at every turn. Whenever her parents are dead or alive is left unknown. She’s tormented by a bully called Vic and, much like Caleb, she feels alone in the world. Their friendship develops slowly throughout the plot and I enjoyed reading/seeing its growth. They support each other and more than that, they become a part of each other’s’ lives.
Another thing they have in common is the grandfather figure. Caleb ‘s grandfather is the opposite of Misha’s. He’s a strong male character that truly cares of the well-being of his grandson and does his best to protect him from the graveyard.
In general, a refreshing plot with interesting and peculiar characters. I recommend this book to fans of middle-grade horror stories.
Caleb can see an old graveyard from his bedroom window and it seems to grow bigger every day. Even though funerals take place there every night, no one in their town is dying. As Caleb takes it upon himself to measure the graveyard, he meets Misha, a strange girl that lives in the graveyard with her grandfather. The two form a peculiar relationship and Caleb, still reeling from the death of his mother, is dragged into a world of secrets, shadow and death. Once he’s in, will he be able to get out?
The plot is great and well developed. It’s original and explores the character’s in detail making them the central piece of the story. The pace is very slow and repetitive in the beginning but as you reach the middle, it changes at a fast pace. You just need to know what happens next. There are predictable twists to the story but other revelations are quite surprising and unexpected. However, I found that some questions were left unanswered when it comes to the graveyard secrets. I felt the author wanted to keep some mystery in the story but it was a bit too much. If more details were revealed, I would have connected more with the story and feel satisfied knowing the whole picture.
The style of writing is simple, easy to understand and follow, making it easy to
Steve Conoboy takes a leap into a new and dark world, using a descriptive and gothic style that pulled me in from the very beginning. IT gets a bit confusing at times when the author voices Caleb’s thoughts, he does it very well, but it did get a bit confusing at times. Even so, the way Conoboy writes reflects the main character perfectly and digs deep into the mind of this 12-year boy.
The main characters are well developed and explored. The main male character Caleb is completely alone after losing his mother. The relationship with his father implodes as he blames Caleb for the death of his wife and belittles him at every chance he gets. Even with the presence of his grandfather, Caleb tries to deal in his own way with the disintegration of his family. In the end, Caleb ends up losing both of his parents. Caleb’s sad story brings out compassion and empathy and you really feel for him throughout the novel. His development throughout the story is very well described; he starts as a scared boy, timid and lonely to a brave young man that is able to put others before himself. It’s very rewarding to see Caleb discover a reason to exist, to live and even if it’s dark, he uses it to move forward and to grow.
Misha, the main female character is also a crucial part of the puzzle. Even though she is a bit strange, Misha lives a hard life also. She lives with a grandfather, an overbearing man that controls her life at every turn. Whenever her parents are dead or alive is left unknown. She’s tormented by a bully called Vic and, much like Caleb, she feels alone in the world. Their friendship develops slowly throughout the plot and I enjoyed reading/seeing its growth. They support each other and more than that, they become a part of each other’s’ lives.
Another thing they have in common is the grandfather figure. Caleb ‘s grandfather is the opposite of Misha’s. He’s a strong male character that truly cares of the well-being of his grandson and does his best to protect him from the graveyard.
In general, a refreshing plot with interesting and peculiar characters. I recommend this book to fans of middle-grade horror stories.
May 23, 2018
This review was made possible by #netgalley
Let me just put it out there: I love dark books. Macabre, gloomy, dark, etc. I have a slightly morbid fascination with stories focused around cemeteries, funeral homes, and the afterlife. So, I really wanted to love this book, and was slightly disappointed when I merely liked it. From the description, I thought this book might be in the same vein (though slightly darker) as Ari Berk's Deathwatch trilogy - but alas, it was far from it.
This is a story about a boy, a girl, and an evil cemetery full of CRAZY. Now, there was a lot more action (i.e. fighting) in this book than I had originally thought there would be, but it didn't distract from the main story so it was fine. The reason this book gets three stars instead of five is because the author threw too many things into the mix at once during the second half of the book, and everything got muddled. The author simply tried to do too many things in too short a time, and then BAM the book was over. This makes me sad, because there was really great character building and backstory in the beginning, but somewhere around the middle things started to pick up (which was fine) and expand without explanation (which was not fine). I'm not sure if Mr. Conoboy was aiming to leave it open for a second book, but if he does write a second one I'm not sure if I'll pick it up. The writing itself was fine, if a bit jittery - I had no problem understanding the words themselves, but somewhere around the escape from Vic scene things started to all smash into each other and by the end I couldn't really understand exactly what was going on, much less why these things were happening.
So, tl;dr - This is a good book for probably the first 3/5ths, before things go wonky. If you like dark, macabre supernatural stories give it a try but be ready for confusion and a LOT of random things going on when you come around the last bend.
Let me just put it out there: I love dark books. Macabre, gloomy, dark, etc. I have a slightly morbid fascination with stories focused around cemeteries, funeral homes, and the afterlife. So, I really wanted to love this book, and was slightly disappointed when I merely liked it. From the description, I thought this book might be in the same vein (though slightly darker) as Ari Berk's Deathwatch trilogy - but alas, it was far from it.
This is a story about a boy, a girl, and an evil cemetery full of CRAZY. Now, there was a lot more action (i.e. fighting) in this book than I had originally thought there would be, but it didn't distract from the main story so it was fine. The reason this book gets three stars instead of five is because the author threw too many things into the mix at once during the second half of the book, and everything got muddled. The author simply tried to do too many things in too short a time, and then BAM the book was over. This makes me sad, because there was really great character building and backstory in the beginning, but somewhere around the middle things started to pick up (which was fine) and expand without explanation (which was not fine). I'm not sure if Mr. Conoboy was aiming to leave it open for a second book, but if he does write a second one I'm not sure if I'll pick it up. The writing itself was fine, if a bit jittery - I had no problem understanding the words themselves, but somewhere around the escape from Vic scene things started to all smash into each other and by the end I couldn't really understand exactly what was going on, much less why these things were happening.
So, tl;dr - This is a good book for probably the first 3/5ths, before things go wonky. If you like dark, macabre supernatural stories give it a try but be ready for confusion and a LOT of random things going on when you come around the last bend.
March 12, 2018
I received an Arc copy of this book in turn or an honest review.
I do not particularly like horror stories. But as much as this is labeled a "horror" book, I found A GRAVEYARD VISIBLE far deeper and interesting than most stories of the horror genre that I have read, or viewed on television or in a theater. In fact, I'm not sure I would call this book -- horror. But those labels are really only for the bookstore shelves, aren't they.
The narrative here is about loss and how we handle it, particularly how a young adult, a child, handles loss. How do we learn to understand it, to accept it, to find something positive and enduring in it? Loss can either swallow us or make us stronger. The book is far more about this most interesting aspect of the human condition. And that's why I gave it such a high rating. It is deeper than what one would expect and far more lasting. The story lingered with me. And again, not the horror aspect, but the human aspect.
The typical horror reader might find A GRAVEYARD VISIBLE a bit out of the norm. I suggest one reads it with a more open mind than what the usual genre reader might be willing to consider.
I do not particularly like horror stories. But as much as this is labeled a "horror" book, I found A GRAVEYARD VISIBLE far deeper and interesting than most stories of the horror genre that I have read, or viewed on television or in a theater. In fact, I'm not sure I would call this book -- horror. But those labels are really only for the bookstore shelves, aren't they.
The narrative here is about loss and how we handle it, particularly how a young adult, a child, handles loss. How do we learn to understand it, to accept it, to find something positive and enduring in it? Loss can either swallow us or make us stronger. The book is far more about this most interesting aspect of the human condition. And that's why I gave it such a high rating. It is deeper than what one would expect and far more lasting. The story lingered with me. And again, not the horror aspect, but the human aspect.
The typical horror reader might find A GRAVEYARD VISIBLE a bit out of the norm. I suggest one reads it with a more open mind than what the usual genre reader might be willing to consider.
November 13, 2017
Thanks to the @kidlitexchange network for the review copy of this book - all opinions are my own.
I wasn't exactly sure what to expect when I started this book. It took me a few chapters to really get into the story, but once I was into it I couldn't put it down. Caleb is a boy whose mother has died and his dad has very little interest in him. He can see the graveyard outside of his bedroom window and notices something strange. People are gathering around the graves, but no one has died.
This book kept me riveted and wanting to know how it all turned out. It's not a happy kind of book as it takes a bleak view of the world, but the characters are interesting and well-written. The story is compelling and fast paced. Lots of supernatural and creepy elements in this book that were awesome.
I'd recommend it to older young adults and up. It has some coarse language, violence, and is most definitely a horror novel.
I wasn't exactly sure what to expect when I started this book. It took me a few chapters to really get into the story, but once I was into it I couldn't put it down. Caleb is a boy whose mother has died and his dad has very little interest in him. He can see the graveyard outside of his bedroom window and notices something strange. People are gathering around the graves, but no one has died.
This book kept me riveted and wanting to know how it all turned out. It's not a happy kind of book as it takes a bleak view of the world, but the characters are interesting and well-written. The story is compelling and fast paced. Lots of supernatural and creepy elements in this book that were awesome.
I'd recommend it to older young adults and up. It has some coarse language, violence, and is most definitely a horror novel.
November 26, 2017
Thanks to @kidlitexchange for this advanced review copy. All opinions are my own.
2/5 stars, Grades 7+ (language)
Every time Caleb looks outside his window he sees the graveyard. And it seems to be getting a little bigger every day. Then he notices strange activities including hte odd girl Misha. Should Caleb get involved? What's really happening in th graveyard behind his house?
Ok, I did not get this book at all. I love suspense and horror, but this was a mangled mess of confusion. The alternating third person perspective and stream of consciousness just left me confused. This would have been a DNF for me except I felt guilty not reviewing it for @kidlitexchange. This is a pass for me.
2/5 stars, Grades 7+ (language)
Every time Caleb looks outside his window he sees the graveyard. And it seems to be getting a little bigger every day. Then he notices strange activities including hte odd girl Misha. Should Caleb get involved? What's really happening in th graveyard behind his house?
Ok, I did not get this book at all. I love suspense and horror, but this was a mangled mess of confusion. The alternating third person perspective and stream of consciousness just left me confused. This would have been a DNF for me except I felt guilty not reviewing it for @kidlitexchange. This is a pass for me.
May 10, 2018
I really did like this book it left me with chills at points and where I needed to put it down for a while for my own sanity. It also made me want to keep reading all the way through the book which was really good and made me continuously want more.
However there was things that did annoy me about it such as not naming at the start of chapters who the characters were so it was easier to know who's part of the story we were reading about, I also feel like the story just ends and not in a way that ends anything off from the book which did mark this book down for me. Also there is a lot of questions that are left which I am guessing is for a sequel.
However there was things that did annoy me about it such as not naming at the start of chapters who the characters were so it was easier to know who's part of the story we were reading about, I also feel like the story just ends and not in a way that ends anything off from the book which did mark this book down for me. Also there is a lot of questions that are left which I am guessing is for a sequel.
February 14, 2018
If you’re a fan of a dark and disturbing read then this is the book for you.
Whilst it focuses strongly on dealing with grief, the horror aspect becomes very real once you get into the story properly!
It feels like the type of book that would make an excellent graphic novel too because of how vividly everything is described.
I’d definitely read more from this author.
Thank you to Netgalley for the chance to read this book.
Whilst it focuses strongly on dealing with grief, the horror aspect becomes very real once you get into the story properly!
It feels like the type of book that would make an excellent graphic novel too because of how vividly everything is described.
I’d definitely read more from this author.
Thank you to Netgalley for the chance to read this book.
April 27, 2018
Chilling
This book will make you want to close your eyes, but you can't, if you want to enjoy the horror that lies within the pages. It's scary and chilling, and horror buffs won't want to miss this one. Caleb still mourning his mother, finds himself lost in a world of death. It's a great story and it will creep the daylights out of you. It's intense, but not gory, and the storyline makes sense, in that death and beyond kind of way. Great chilling and creepy story.
This book will make you want to close your eyes, but you can't, if you want to enjoy the horror that lies within the pages. It's scary and chilling, and horror buffs won't want to miss this one. Caleb still mourning his mother, finds himself lost in a world of death. It's a great story and it will creep the daylights out of you. It's intense, but not gory, and the storyline makes sense, in that death and beyond kind of way. Great chilling and creepy story.
June 13, 2018
A Graveyard Visible is a YA horror and Caleb is a young man who lives entirely too close to a graveyard. His fascination keeps him at his bedroom window to view the same funeral, over and over. However, none are dying.
Caleb lives in a house with his grandfather and his mother is deceased. Misha also resides there.
Pretty soon, Caleb gets himself caught up in a mass of mess. He is forced to fight or flee. What will he do?
Caleb lives in a house with his grandfather and his mother is deceased. Misha also resides there.
Pretty soon, Caleb gets himself caught up in a mass of mess. He is forced to fight or flee. What will he do?
January 20, 2021
I tried to finish this book but I just couldn’t make it through. The slow start with minimal dialogue , lots of showing and not telling and the dated voices of the characters turned me off and I decided not to continue on after the halfway point. I was hoping for something broody and atmospheric and this did not hit the mark.
January 30, 2018
A Graveyard Visible
Thanks to the @kidlitexchange network for the review copy of this book - all opinions are my own.
Caleb is a kid whose mother is dead and whose dad is a not-so-nice guy. He doesn’t have any friends but he does have his graveyard which is visible from his bedroom window. He is so close to it that he even sleeps on the roof to be closer to it.
Misha is a girl that lives in that graveyard with her granddad. She doesn’t have any friends either except for “eight”. She is even being bullied by a mean kid just because of where she lives.
Both of these kids have very hard home lives but when they meet things go from bad to worse. Neither of them have anyone else in their life on whom they can depend. Can they depend on each other especially when the Graveyard comes to life?
This book goes from “good” to “great” to “I can’t put this book down until I have finished it”. If you want creepy, edge-of-your-seat page turner, this is for you!
Note: this is definitely a YA book. There is a lot of language in this book that would not be appropriate for middle school.
#kidlitexchange
Follow me:
Facebook - Laurie’s Library Place - https://www.facebook.com/LauriesLibra...
Instagram - laurieslibrary - https://www.instagram.com/laurieslibr...
Twitter - https://twitter.com/lauriepurser27
Goodreads - Laurie Purser - https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1...
Blog - Blazer Tales - https://blazertales.weebly.com/
Thanks to the @kidlitexchange network for the review copy of this book - all opinions are my own.
Caleb is a kid whose mother is dead and whose dad is a not-so-nice guy. He doesn’t have any friends but he does have his graveyard which is visible from his bedroom window. He is so close to it that he even sleeps on the roof to be closer to it.
Misha is a girl that lives in that graveyard with her granddad. She doesn’t have any friends either except for “eight”. She is even being bullied by a mean kid just because of where she lives.
Both of these kids have very hard home lives but when they meet things go from bad to worse. Neither of them have anyone else in their life on whom they can depend. Can they depend on each other especially when the Graveyard comes to life?
This book goes from “good” to “great” to “I can’t put this book down until I have finished it”. If you want creepy, edge-of-your-seat page turner, this is for you!
Note: this is definitely a YA book. There is a lot of language in this book that would not be appropriate for middle school.
#kidlitexchange
Follow me:
Facebook - Laurie’s Library Place - https://www.facebook.com/LauriesLibra...
Instagram - laurieslibrary - https://www.instagram.com/laurieslibr...
Twitter - https://twitter.com/lauriepurser27
Goodreads - Laurie Purser - https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1...
Blog - Blazer Tales - https://blazertales.weebly.com/
April 25, 2018
I was granted an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I wanted to like this book, so, so much. To be fair, I didn’t hate it. It started off so interesting, and I was instantly hooked into the story. And then it just sort of…stalled. As I read on, the story became more difficult to follow, and frankly I didn’t find myself really caring to try. There were parts that I’m sure I skipped full paragraphs. The most frustrating part for me was that things were brought up that were never really touched upon again, and I feel that there were so many things left unanswered.
I wanted to like this book, so, so much. To be fair, I didn’t hate it. It started off so interesting, and I was instantly hooked into the story. And then it just sort of…stalled. As I read on, the story became more difficult to follow, and frankly I didn’t find myself really caring to try. There were parts that I’m sure I skipped full paragraphs. The most frustrating part for me was that things were brought up that were never really touched upon again, and I feel that there were so many things left unanswered.
March 13, 2018
I received an ARC copy from netgalley for my honest review, so thank you netgalley and publishers for offering me this book! ♡
This was my first book by this author, It was okay. It was slow paced but it was alltogether an easy read. ♡ I give this book a
2 star rating!
This was my first book by this author, It was okay. It was slow paced but it was alltogether an easy read. ♡ I give this book a
2 star rating!
April 3, 2018
I couldn't decide if i liked this or not. The writing is very stilted and doesn't flow well at all. There's a good story behind if if you can tough it out (especially the first few pages). However, the one thing I hate is a hanging ending with unanswered questions. So much going on and so little answer - a literal WTF at the end because there are no answers at all to any of the most obvious questions. It left me frustrated, annoyed, and wondering how we jumped from A to G to F to M to X and back to C. I'm sure it made sense somewhere but asides from ending in (Spoiler)
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
hell on earth with no end in sight I can truthfully say I don't get the point of this book. It wasn't entertaining enough to make me want a second, and it wasn't well written enough to make it enjoyable. A struggle to read even if there was a good story buried in there under the terrible writing.
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
hell on earth with no end in sight I can truthfully say I don't get the point of this book. It wasn't entertaining enough to make me want a second, and it wasn't well written enough to make it enjoyable. A struggle to read even if there was a good story buried in there under the terrible writing.
May 3, 2018
I was really excited to read A Graveyard Visible based on the cover and description, but once I started reading that excitement waned. The plot is very confusing, making it a difficult book to read. There is a lot of tell, but little show, and even the information that is told is incomplete and left me feeling frustrated. I am not a big fan of this story, unfortunately. I think if the plot was further developed and the characters were slightly more likable, it would be a better read. I really didn't care much for the characters, and instead of being the spooky story I thought I was getting, it was a super depressing storyline. I do appreciate the opportunity to read the advanced copy, though.
June 3, 2018
This book started off a little slow and was a little confusing at first. However, I was determined to not give up on the book and I kept reading. After the author got you all caught up on the main characters and got you up to speed in understanding everything the book picked up. I would say at about the third or fourth chapter this book took such a surprising turn I got to the point where it was hard to put the book down. I must say this was an interesting book that really kept my attention once it got going. I would recommend this book to anyone that enjoys a suspense and halfway thriller with a lot of twists and turns to it. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would read more from this author.
July 16, 2018
What looks like an odd, quirky mystical read on the surface unfolds into that and far more, like a dismantled creeping skeleton reassembling as it reanimates. Claustrophobic with much left to the reader's imagination and assumptions, Steve Conoboy's book pairs a steady dry-mouth dread of the supernatural with all too universal themes of childhood pains and fears. The characters are sketched out in a way that they take on the shape and appearance of similar figures from your own experience, making the confusion and hurtle towards the finish line personal, deeper, and--yes oh yes--creepier. Genre diehards will enjoy A Graveyard Visible, as will entry-level spooky tale readers.
February 14, 2019
I am reviewing this book for Steve Conoboy, John Hunt Publishing Ltd and NetGalley who gave me a copy of their book for an honest review.
This was a sad, slightly creepy story but it just didn’t work for me. Was too slow and I started losing focus.
This was a sad, slightly creepy story but it just didn’t work for me. Was too slow and I started losing focus.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews