I wanted a spooooooooky read. And I got a slooooooow spooooooky read.

I picked up Cap Cooper’s story because my interest was piqued at reluctant graverobber. Especially in a middle-grade title, that’s a lot of dead bodies. And Bischoff’s descriptions were appropriate for the age range but there was something about a twelve year handling a naked dead body that just put me off.

In an early scene, Cap realizes they are digging up the grave of one of his recently deceased classmates and she comes to life at his touch. He follows her home and freaks out, not because of the walking dead, but because he cost his father money.

Don’t get me wrong. I was always afraid of angering my parents–but uhh–I think I’d be more afraid of a dead body.

Unfortunately, I did not finish reading The Grave Digger. It moved slowly after that and my interest waned too far.

Set in the late 1800s, Cap Cooper is roped into grave digging by his father as a means to pay for his mother's medical bills. Cap has no interest in grave robbing and is absolutely horrified when his touch appears to bring the corpses back to life, leading to him discovering dark secrets in his sleepy town...

While the plot mostly revolved around grave robbing, there were a lot of sub-plots that were never resolved and added very little to the overall novel. The sub-plots were mentioned maybe once or twice, there was a lot going on plot-wise and the ideas presented in the sub-plots were never fully addressed. Also, most of the characters were a bit under-developed and had maybe one or two defining personality trait that made them stand out. Cap made a decent MC but he experienced very little growth that he fell flat as an MC, though I did like Delphia.

However, I did like the unique historical setting this novel is set in but I think that it could've been utilized better to add depth to the story (such as explain the significance of Delphia's dreams of becoming a doctor despite living in a time when African American were typically excluded from intellectual and scientific pursuits). Events and actions were depicted but never fully explained in historical context.

Not a great book, but not the worst one either. A solid 3 stars.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Amberjack Publishing for providing a free ARC

An excellent book to connect readers to 19th century history. This book is a quick read and perfect for middle schoolers. I will be purchasing this book for my library.

Cap Cooper is an aspiring inventor living in 1875 Ohio. Unfortunately, he is also his dad's helper in the scary job of grave robber to help pay for his mother's medical expenses. When one of the bodies they are robbing comes back to life at Cap's touch, it sets off a series of mysteries that will test Cap's morals.
I enjoyed this middle grade historical fiction. I think students will enjoy learning about the history of grave robbing.

I love the title of this book -- it's what pulled me in to read it. The plot is interesting and I love a mystery, and though it was a bit slow in spots it was still a great story.

This book had a grab you in cover and the synopsis seemed kind of creepy but entertaining. The setting is Ohio in 1875 and the story revolves around Captain Cooper who is 12. Thought it was interesting that he got his first name from being born on a ship. Anyway the story itself was quite confusing! The host of characters that revolved around Cap made the story even more depressing as most of them were evil. Would have been more interesting if pages had more positive aspects of Cap's life like his talent for inventing and his helpful nature. "A copy of this book was provided by Amberjack Publishing via NetGalley with no requirements for a review. Comments here are my honest opinion." Not sure this is Teen read level material.

❓What's the most scariest story that happened at the Grave?⁣
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When the dead body back alive! This middle grade ebook took place in 1875. I've got this ebook from @netgalley in exchange for an honest review.⁣
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Cap Cooper is twelve years old boy that live in Ohio. In that time, most of colour people were buried near the orphanage. Cap is a quite boy that often gets bullied at school. Every night, he helps his father's works.⁣
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They're digger the fresh tomb. Stole the dead body. Get them naked and sell their stuffs. The news spread faster than Cap expected. People asked the police to find the suspect and get them to the jail.⁣
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One thing that Cap wonders is who's person behind the business that pays for the dead body? And is it true that someone could bring dead person back alive? Only Cap knows the truth.⁣
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I liked the story. If you like reading Jonathan Stroud's books, you might like it as well. The plot is simple yet entertaining. I enjoyed it until the last pages. Even though the story's pace was a bit slowly. I still couldn't put it down before it's finished.⁣
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Middle grade books always gives entertaining story. And this is why I like reading it.⁣
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🔹The Grave Digger by Rebecca Biscoff 🔹192 pages🔹Read on Kindle⁣
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#thegravedigger #Netgalley #rebeccabiscoff #kindlebooks #igbookreview #bookreviewersofinstagram #ebookreader #netgalleyreads #booksofinstagram #oneweekonebook #alenaslibrary #middlegradebooks #bookrecomendations #bookrecommendations

I loved the synopsis for The Grave Digger. It’s historical - nothing like going back in time to read about the past. It’s a ghostly, creepy story that should give goosebumps and make for a compulsive read. It's middle grade which is one of my favorites - there can still be the depth of both character and plot.

A father and son duo who happens to be grave robbers at night sets in motion something supernatural while at the same time become involved in a mystery.

With so many 4& 5-star reviews I seriously wonder what I missed. It’s not that I disliked this book, I enjoyed it but feel there could have been more to the characters because I struggled to connect and feel any empathy for the lot of them. There was a lot of things going on here and at times I wondered about there a place in the whole scheme of things, some were more of a distraction and interrupted the flow.

For the mindset of the targeted age, I think it will work well but for this adult, it’s a 3 star for me.

My thanks to the publisher (via Netgalley) for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Cap's father is desperate for money so he agrees to dig bodies up from graves and gets Cap to help as well. Cap doesn't like it but doesn't have much choice. One night, after digging up a body, Cap discovers it is a friend of his. He can't let her be taken so he decides to take her body back to the orphanage where she was living. But, when he touches her, she wakes up!! At first, Cap thinks he might have a gift of raising the dead, especially after he is able to "raise" another dead man. But, after failing to "raise" some other bodies Cap learns that some of the dead aren't really dead and that something really evil is going on. But who is responsible? Can Cap figure it out or will he be the next victim?
This was a good bit of historical fiction albeit a bit gruesome. It had a bit of mystery to it as well which I enjoyed. I felt that there were a few holes in the plot that weren't explained but overall an enjoyable read.

I’ve read a lot of macabre middle grade books, but this tale of a father who forces his son to help him steal dead bodies might just be the oddest.

Due to the historical context of the 1870s, the author depicts segregation and old verbiage such as “colored.” There’s a note at the end of the book to explain this to young readers, but parents may want to use it as a springboard for discussion much earlier on.

None of the plot twists were difficult to guess, although the intended audience might be a bit shocked by a few scenes. Ultimately, the main character, Cap, has a good heart and wants to do the right thing. This helps soften the harshness of how he’s treated and some of the actions he gets roped into.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC. This review contains my honest, unbiased opinion.

Once I started "The Grave Digger", I had trouble putting it down, and I took every little opportunity to jump back in, even if it was only for a few minutes at a time.

You can read a synopsis in other reviews, but I found the story to be well-paced and the basic plot fascinating. I have read other (fiction and nonfiction) "adult" books about the keen balance of cadavers needed for research versus the troubling ways they have been procured in the past. I don't know how accurate this book is in terms of history, but as a fictional book for younger audiences, it almost doesn't matter. My one big quibble is with the title: no one is digging graves, so much as disturbing them after the fact.

The premise of The Grave Digger sounded right up my alley - historical fiction with a paranormal twist, yet that is not the book that I read. The Grave Digger tells the story of 12 year old Cap Cooper, who is roped into digging up graves with his father, as their family is in great need of money. His father's grave robbing partner is a very unsavory character - very obviously a villain. While aspects of the novel were well-written and I loved the relationship Cal had with his mother, there was inconsistent pacing, one minute Cal is talking to a character, the next thing Cal finds out that character has died. Throughout the book, I never really got to know the characters - their motivations were never explained or examined, which left me unable to connect with anything. I think what this book suffers from, is having too much to explore in so few pages. Had the focus been just on the grave robbing and its consequences than I think it would have been a much better read, but the race relations, mysterious deaths, Cal's desire to invent, Mina and her prostitute mother, the orphanage, Cal's family struggle, immigration and education made the plot points too convoluted for true enjoyment. I would be interested in future Bischoff novels, as there was potential in her writing for a great story.

Meet twelve year old Cap Cooper who an aspiring inventor--and unenthused graverobber. Set in Ohio, after the civil war, Cap must help his father rob graves to aid in the surmounting bills being accumulated by his ailing mother. In the midst of robbing a grave, Cap discovers his touch can (gulp) literally raise the dead!
"The Grave Digger" by Rebecca Bischoff is a delightful middle grade read. Full of suspense, action, friendship, and a hint of the paranormal this book is a quintessential book to inspire young readers who love adventure with a sprinkling of spooky.

In this book, The Grave Digger by Rebecca Biscohoff, I found myself buried by all the plot twists and large amounts of characters to be able to concentrate enough to dig my way out of this one. It had a great premise, Cap and his father get mixed up in digging up bodies to help pay for their ailing mother’s medical bills but I soon found myself mixed into a large web of deceit that was a bit hard to follow at times. I did enjoy the history of book, that yes, grave robbing did happen.
I think this will fulfill the never ending request for something creepy by middle grade readers.

Thank you netgalley for the free ebook in exchange of an honest review.

My daughter and I really enjoyed this book. The storyline was intriguing and kept us entertained while the characters were easy to connect with. Could it have been expanded on in terms of characterization? Sure, but for a middle grade book, it got the job done. It's fast paced and has a lot of detail. Overall, it was a good read.

"The Grave Digger" is a fun story for middle grade readers. I'll definitely be recommending this one to patrons.

The Grave Digger by Rebecca Bischoff is a very satisfying read for children of all ages. While aimed toward the middle school age reader, I believe that many older readers will enjoy it as well. The illustrations by Tambe at The start of each chapter are charming and right on the money.

The subject matter, grave robbing and the accompanying mystery is spooky but not not too scary. The characters feel real as do their dilemmas. The Grave Digger is a nice way to learn a little of our nation's history while enjoying a good story told well. I look forward to reading other offerings by Rebecca Bischoff.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. As always, my opinion was unaffected by the free copy.

This is the sort of historical fiction I enjoy: it gives the reader a good idea of what things were like back in those days while giving an interesting story to follow. I think this will be entertaining for middle grade readers because of the mystery, and it touches on a lot of issues from that time. A lot of the characters are very morally gray, which I think can lead to some interesting discussion between young readers and parents/teachers.

I think the blurb needs to be rewritten a bit, because it definitely makes the reader think there's going to be supernatural things in the story. Those who pick it up hoping for that are going to be disappointed and might be resentful. Even though I eventually liked the explanation behind the dead resurrecting, I don't know if younger readers will if they go in expecting there to be magic and supernatural stuff.

The antagonists in this book are a bit odd. One felt very Dickensonian and the other was out of nowhere. This character seemed fine until the last third, when they suddenly went crazy. I don't really feel like that was necessary to do. The gravedigging and community response was more than enough to go on. There's also a lot of little things going on that aren't given a lot of time, and young readers may or may not fully grasp. As I said, most characters are morally gray, which I like because even the "good" ones make mistakes and wrong choices. The ones more obviously "bad" are a little over-the-top.

Since this is a book about digging up corpses, there are some macabre descriptions that may be disturbing to readers. There's also a scene where a child is threatened and tortured. I grew up on Roald Dahl and Bruce Coville so I would've been fine if I read it as a kid, but parents should take care with this book.

I liked it overall, and I think kids will enjoy learning this little discussed piece of history.

This review is set to release on my blog on August at https://quillandbooks.com/?p=3916

Grave Digger
by Rebecca Bischoff
Amberjack Publishing
192 pages
Release date: October 2019


I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I’ve not heard of this author before now. This is her second book to be published. I’ve started a few books by new authors in NetGalley that were poorly written. (I chose not to review those) This one was really good though! Here is a screenshot of page one, so you get a sample of the writing. Also, each chapter has a lovely drawing by Tambe, an Italian artist. I confess I woke up last night and wasn’t able to sleep, so I continued reading this story. I finished it at 4 am. Good thing I’m on summer break and could sleep in a little!!

What’s this about?

It’s 1875. Cap Cooper is a 12 year old whose mother is pregnant with another child. She is weak and sick. Cap and his dad just want to be able to pay for her medicine, so they pick up a job of grave digging. Not to put bodies into, but to take them out. They are stealing the bodies to sell to medical facilities. It’s good money, for some rather unsavory people.

Cap feels bad about it. Then one of the bodies comes back to life! Did he cause that? Does he have some paranormal power? Or was she buried alive?

He is also an inventor and very curious. Unfortunately his curiosity gets the better of him and he starts poking around, getting himself into very deep water. Along the way Cap makes some friends and some enemies.

The townspeople are up in arms about their loved ones being snatched from the grave! Tension is high and Cap might be in over his head!

Who will like this?
This had a similar feel to Laurie Halse Anderson’s Chains in the setting except for the.100 year difference. The writing is not quite as rich as hers but it’s getting there. So if you like Laurie Halse Anderson’s historical fiction books this is the book for you!

Rating
I give this 4 quills. There were some tiny little foibles in the writing style and storytelling style that could be improved. Young readers wouldn’t notice this though, just writers. This is not a difficult read at all. I think 4th or 5th graders could read this and enjoy it if they like something a bit scary and intense. There is quite a bit of action to keep readers engaged.

Foul Language: None
Excessive or Vivid Violence: None
Sexual Content: None
Substance Abuse: None (It does contain smoking and alcohol, but Cap describes them as gross smelling.)

Set in 1875. In order to help pay his mother’s medical expenses, Cap is forced by his father to be a grave snatcher. When a mysterious epidemic starts killing people rapidly, Cap, his dad, and the rest of the team start getting a lot of requests for bodies. Soon, the community starts getting anxious because of the epidemic and the missing bodies of their loved ones. When Cap accidentally brings a school mate back to life, he begins to uncover some dark secrets in the town. Can Cap figure out what is going on before it’s too late? The characters in the book are intriguing and engaging. The plot is well-developed, full of twists and turns, and keeps the reader interested. Readers who like mystery, historical fiction, and horror will enjoy reading this book.