The Dead and Buried by Kim Harrington

Release Date: January 1, 2013
Publisher: Scholastic Point
Pages: 304
Series: n/a
Review Source: Netgalley

Synopsis: (from Goodreads)
A haunted house, a buried mystery, and a very angry ghost make this one unforgettable thriller.

Jade loves the house she's just moved into with her family. She doesn't even mind being the new girl at the high school: It's a fresh start, and there's that one guy with the dreamy blue eyes. . . . But then things begin happening. Strange, otherworldly things. Jade's little brother claims to see a glimmering girl in his room. Jade's jewelry gets moved around, as if by an invisible hand. Kids at school whisper behind her back like they know something she doesn't.

Soon, Jade must face an impossible fact: that her perfect house is haunted. Haunted by a ghost who's seeking not just vengeance, but the truth. The ghost of a girl who ruled Jade's school — until her untimely death last year. It's up to Jade to put the pieces together before her own life is at stake. As Jade investigates the mystery, she discovers that her new friends in town have more than a few deep, dark secrets. But is one of them a murderer?

My Thoughts:
I’m a sucker for a ghost story, despite being a total wuss, so I knew I had to get a hold of this one as soon as I read the synopsis. Kim Harrington has a great talent for writing paranormal elements into contemporary settings and making it feel real, and this book is no exception. Genius that I am, I started reading this book at 11 o’clock at night, and there were definitely a few moments when I was really creeped out. Thankfully for those of us that are easily scared the book doesn’t get too frightening. It has that perfect creepy feeling without scaring us out of our minds.

Probably one of the best parts of the book was Jade’s relationship with her little brother Colby. I loved how much she cared for her little brother, and how far she was willing to go to protect him. Also great is the growing friendship and potential for more between Jade and Donovan. Of course this relationship is complicated by the fact that Donovon is the former boyfriend of Kayla Sloane, who just so happens to be deceased and is currently haunting Jade’s house. Kayla was an interesting character because as much as you feel sorry for what happened to her, she is a very unsympathetic character for the most part. I actually enjoyed this, because too often the mean ghost character is meant to be pitied and empathized with despite what a horrible person they were in real life.

I really enjoyed ‘The Dead and Buried’ overall. The characters were interesting, the mystery was actually difficult to figure out (a rarity these days, it seems), and the whole premise was intriguing. Kim Harrington really knows how to make a book flow and keep the reader hooked until the very end.

The Cover:
I like it alright, but I actually prefer the original cover -- I feel like it represents the book better.

Rating:
[3.5/5]

Find The Dead and Buried by Kim Harrington on Goodreads, Book Depository, & Amazon.