Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for giving me free access to the advanced copy of this book to read.

dnf on page 139 (in my edition thats halfway throug)

trigger warning
<spoiler> xenophobia </spoiler>

When a supposedly fine job goes wrong, Spade has to go on a quest to safe his superstitious brother Benji.

In this world, magic is tied to jewels and the people who trade them are called joolies and treated as other, as a thieving bunch of unwashed jerks. It doesn't help that Spade's father decided the best way to gather resources is to rob the dead and sends his sons out to gravedig.

The setting is supposed to be the generic european-based middle age, but... yes, I get that this might be nitpicking that won't bother the target audience, but nothing fits. The Queen's niece who might also be the heir is able to just tell everybody to not bother her and she can slip out and go on adventures. There is mention of two classes she's supposed to have, but an aristocrat getting no education at all, having no companions, but at the same time being on first-name basis with the head of the guard who is greatly annoyed by her... does not fit.
If it were just one detail, fine. But I was constantly thrown out of the flow by things not working.

And that even stretched to the writing where characters went from a to d without crossing b and c. It's like having a damaged dvd where it lags, then jumps a few seconds ahead - only here it is not a technical error but writing that could have used some editing. Or experience by the writer.

Which all is a shame because the base idea behind this story is so promising.
I am halfway through and have avoided reading this book so I decide to call it a day here. I doubt that the latter half of the book would change my opinion much. I am sorry, but no recommendation from me for today.

The arc was provided by the publisher.

This was a fun, middle-grade, fantasy, adventure novel. What makes it even better is that the author is Canadian and lives in the same province as I do; I love supporting Canadian authors. I love Spade and Ash (the Raven), the relationship they have is terrific, I also love how protective Spade is of his little brother. Ember is fantastic, she reminds me of Merida (Brave) as she is adventurous, cunning, and she is not afraid to stand up for others. I hope this becomes a duology or series so that we can go on more adventures with these characters.

Debut author, Dee Hahn, has crafted a fast-paced middle-grade story with lots of heart. Besides beautiful, engaging writing, I love the themes explored in this book--teamwork, friendship, bravery, self-acceptance, and more. Rich descriptions and snappy dialogue will keep readers turning the pages till the very end. I'll be keeping my eye out for her next book. Hope it comes soon!
Full review on YouTube

You know those books that you want to make sure your children read someday? This one is one of those for me. I completely adored it. The adventures of our two/three main characters, the family dynamics, the character development, the magic,etc. I loved it all. It´s such a different concept for younger readers, but I think it worked out amazingly. Definetely recommend it to everyone!

3/5 Stars

** I received this as an E-ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review, Thank you!**

I have a few mixed feelings with this book. The first is of course knowing I am not the intended age range caused me to be less interested in the overall plot. I felt no connection to the characters or story. It was very Meh to me. The other side is that I can absolutely see a kid adoring this story. I think this is the type of middle grade that is pretty specific to being only for it's intended audience. Overall it was a good book and I would absolutely recommend this for kids and the middle grade range! It's a great adventure for them to go on

Verdict: I need a lumpskin best friend. Like, yesterday.

I was shocked to realize THE GRAVE THIEF was Dee Hahn's debut. Her writing is confident and classic, just like the story she spins; a story of Spade, a "Joolie" grave thief who accidentally becomes wrapped up in a monstrous mystery when he tries to rob a royal grave ... and ends up tasked with stopping the Woegan, a dark beast with a taste for human lives.

Spade isn't alone. He's accompanied by his trusty raven, Ash, and the adventure-hungry Royal Niece, Ember, alongside a variety of other supporting characters who vary from dastardly to adorable (see my lumpskin comment). Their journey is fast-paced and fun, and I imagine it will appeal strongly to MG fantasy fans.

If GRAVE THIEF has a flaw, it's just ... familiarity. The overall arc, the characters, the world, and even the "twists" at the end felt predictable, like echoes of things I'd already encountered many times before in similar books. That doesn't mean GRAVE THEIF is bad. Only that it lacks a certain "spark" that often distinguishes good stories from truly memorable ones.

Nevertheless, if this is the first we've seen from Dee Hahn, I cannot WAIT to see what she writes next.

I loved reading this book! I found the writing to be very insightful and interesting. I was intrigued by the premise and I enjoyed reading it from start to finish.

The Grave Thief takes readers on an adventure with twelve year old Spade who raids graves for his family. When one of his heists does not go as planned he finds himself in front of the Queen trying to save his younger brother and himself. Spade makes new friends and tries to find the master of a deadly creature called the Woegon. This story will keep middle grade readers captivated and will really enjoy this story.

I found this underwhelming despite the undercurrent of mystery and not-entirely-predictable revelations at the end. I expected more adventuring than explaining; the pacing felt off, and it was difficult to connect with the characters, as endearing as some of them were meant to be. Great premise but the story's execution and characterization left me wanting. I honestly ended up skim reading some bits, but I'm sure others may find it enjoyable, especially if this is their first intro to the genre.

Another great junior fiction read! I usually have a hard time getting into junior fiction but this one grabbed me right away! Can't wait to read more from Dee Hahn.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review!

Although I really enjoyed this story, I am not sure if the author is part of the disabled community. Therefore, based on my current policy, I will not be reviewing the book as I don't feel qualified to comment on the representation.

Children's literature has always been essential in my life as a reader, I love it.

«The Grave Thief» was a story that I loved, it had elements of mystery in the plot that made me want to continue with the story, obviously there are certain elements that can make the story predictable but I attribute that to the perspective of the which I am reading the novel, but other than that I never got bored reading it. I liked the characters, Spade was an interesting character, especially because of the context that surrounded him, a boy who dig graves who suddenly has to face certain obstacles to prove himself and all this surrounded by a mysterious environment, 10/ 10 👌🏽.

The author's narration style is also very good, it is quite clear and agile, a 10/10.

A lovely story about friendships and teamwork. I really enjoyed reading this book although it's children's fiction!. It was written beautifully and all the characters and creatures featured in it are interesting and have great depth. I had a few favourites!!.
The story is about a grave thief called Spade and his pet raven called Ash. They dig up a tax collector's grave and find in it what Spade thinks is just a pebble but it isnt!!. Spade, along with his brother Benji are arrested by the guards for trying to rob a royal grave and brought before the queen. Instead of beheading Spade, the queen sends him on a quest to find a way of killing a creature called a Woegon who is killing people throughout the land.There is a lot of magical creatures and it all makes for a super little book!!!.
Many thanks to Netgalley for the free ARC book for an honest review.
#Netgalley,# penguinrandombooks,

I just looovee heists so this was a great one!! Was nice to see heists boiled down in a middle grade book. Plus I love this cover so much!

Thank you to NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Grave Thief by Dee Hahn was a very enjoyable quest adventure upper middle grade novel. It explores family and friendship, sacrifice and longing. The MC, Spade, comes face to face with what he perceives to be his weaknesses and failures, and when he is given an opportunity to leave them all behind he has to put his trust in those who love him. He learns he is more than his father believes him to be, and he can rise above his predetermined life of a grave thief.
Hahn has a way with words and uses some beautiful imagery throughout The Grave Thief.

The Grave Thief is a charming middle grade adventure novel with a lot of exciting elements. I think the main plot and lore in the story is extremely interesting and gives the opportunity to introducer some darker mystery/thriller elements to children's fiction, which I always craved in books as a kid. While some of the story was predictable, there were actually a few surprising plot twists toward the end! I think this is a great way for young readers to work through what could happen next and solve the mystery on their own, but also have room for surprise and suspense.

That being said, I do think this reads as a debut novel, not that that is a bad thing by any means. There's a few lingering plot pieces I thought could have been wrapped up better and a lot of the supporting characters felt very similar in tone and personality. I think some parts of the story were over explained, while others were under explained. Personally, I am not a fan of "fetch quest" adventure stories as I believe they can get a little tedious, so simply going from each task to the next was not as interesting to me, but I do think towards the end there was good variation that allowed the story to break out of the pattern.

Overall, I think kids will like this book and despite some of the writing and structural issues I had with it, I think the content and story matter was exciting and interesting. I'm definitely going to be looking out for what Dee Hahn writes next because I really do think she has something special in her work.

I love when i find those Middle Grades that kind of sneak up on you because you didn't think you would truly enjoy them that much but the minute you read them. they become one of your favorites. I adored this story so much and couldn't put it down.

Dee Hahn’s ”The Grave Theif” is a nice, little adventure story with a clear demographic. Our main character is Spade, a young gravedigger belonging to a family called the Joolies who may not be the most law-abiding bunch. Spade’s father hatches a plan to rob a royal graveyard Spade and his brother Benji gets caught, and Spade takes one for the team and sets out on a journey to find the legendary artifact, the Deepstone.

I had to read this twice, because when I finished it the first time, I couldn’t remember a thing. BUT I did enjoy my second readthrough. It’s what you would expect really and I can’t fault it for that.