Hardcover, 360 pages
Rating: ★★★
I have no idea what I expected from Shallow Graves but I was pleasantly surprised.
Breezy Lin was murdered. Then she wakes up. She can't remember exactly what happened, but now she can tell who has killed another person before. Unable to go home, Breezy wanders, eventually finding herself at a scary religious cult that has some nefarious connections. I found it easy to get into Breezy's mindset and follow her story without thinking "but why?" I can't get enough of interesting perspective characters who are neither white nor straight (Breezy is biracial and bisexual).
Kali Wallace has created a really interesting story and a sinister world in Shallow Graves, fantastical in a modern way, mixing standard paranormal monsters into every day life. All sorts of creatures exist in all sorts of places that Breezy had never before noticed.
The story doesn't have the strongest plot, but in some ways, I liked that. Most of the novel is simply following Breezy along on her journey as she discovers terrifying things around her and about herself. Because Breezy is new to this paranormal world of witches and monsters beyond her wildest imagination, learning along with Breezy is interesting in and of itself.
