*** Audiobook Review *** The Grave Digger by Rebecca Bischoff; narrated by Mark Sanderlin

 

Children's Fiction
Middle School
Hardcover, 192 pages
Published October 29th 2019 by Amberjack Publishing
(first published October 2019)
ISBN:1948705524 (ISBN13: 9781948705523)
OrangeSky Audio

In 1875 Ohio, twelve-year-old Cap Cooper is an aspiring inventor—and a reluctant graverobber—enlisted by his father to help pay for his mother’s medical expenses. When one of the dead returns to life at his touch, Cap unearths a world of dark secrets that someone at the local medical school wants to keep buried. On the brink of discovery, he’ll have to use every ounce of cunning he has to protect those he loves most and save his own skin. The Grave Digger is an eerie mystery set in the aftermath of the Civil War, filled with action, friendship, and a hint of the paranormal, perfect for those who enjoy reading late into the night and long after the lights go out.

 

                                                              with Mercedes

The Grave Digger audiobook is narrated by Mark Sanderlin.  He does an excellent job bringing the listener into the story.  His voice is clear and emotional where appropriate. It works perfectly for the younger characters and the adults.  My granddaughter and I enjoyed the listening experience. 

The story is a mixed bag for us.  This is children’s fiction for middle school; however, I caution parents of skittish children.  There are parts of this story that might not be suitable for the younger middle school, or children susceptible to nightmares. 

Cap Cooper is roped into a grave digging job with his father.  Medical schools pay big for bodies to train doctors.  Cap doesn’t like the job but understands that his pregnant mother is having health problems and the medical bills are getting unmanageable.  His first night on the job Cap appears to have a supernatural gift.  He touched the girl and brought her back to life. 

Cap believes his gift is a result of his own unusual birth story.  He wants to know more about how a person can be dead then brought back to life.  This quest takes Cap down a dark path where he discovers evil in people he knows and admires.

The story has good and not so good parts.   The beginning moves at a fast pace that drops the reader/listener into the story quickly.  About forty percent in my granddaughter commented, “if she were reading, she would skip these boring pages.”  I agreed with her. 

The last twenty-five percent, the pace picks up again.  Cap gets into a situation that might cause bad dreams for children not used to scary stories.  We found the tension building moving us to the edge of our seats. 

Overall, this is an okay story that will work for older middle and high schoolers.  Cap Cooper is a good character.  He is smart, courageous, and likes to invent gadgets.  He saves the story.  The secondary characters are a mixed bag.  The bad guys are evil.  Some adults didn’t add to the story as much as they made a political statement.  We were put off when a few characters judged Cap unfairly. 

Also. we aren’t sure what the author wants from this story.  Is this a teenage romantic suspense or horror mystery?  Is it a historical novel or a statement on politics and life of the 1870s in middle America?    There were too many sub plots that were underdeveloped and made the story jumpy.  At the end, we had a conversation that my granddaughter and me enjoyed.  

 3.5 STARS