"The Grave Digger" is a fascinating historical mystery that combines elements of suspension, historical fiction and a slight touch of paranormal. Through the story of the protagonist, Cap Cooper, the author takes us to an intriguing adventure in an Ohio shortly after the Civil War, full of secrets, action and intense emotions.
Bertman creates a complicated and plausible world that will make you wonder what is happening and what will happen next. "The Grave Digger" is a perfect book for those who enjoy dark and mystery-filled stories, as it will keep you on the lookout and longing for more pages to the end.

This story was easy to read, enjoyable and well written. The class enjoyed this during lunchtime reading, and refused to put it down to go back to class - a great testament to a good book! Thank you

This book is for any middle grade who enjoys mysteries and anything spooky. Adventures in a cemetery at night? Then this is your book! Unexpected things happening? Then this is your book! This is a great book to get kids excited about reading to find out what happens next.

This is the first book I have read by this author and hope to read more in the future.

The Grave Digger is set in the aftermath of the Civil War around 1875. Cap is an aspiring inventor living in Ohio who has been asked by his father to help him pay for his mother's medical bills by robbing graves.

The twist is the fun part of this story as one of the dead returns to life when Cap touches the body. This brings on dark secrets that someone wants to remain hidden.

A fun read!!

This book has the atmosphere down pact.; from the ghoulish grave robbing and how the small town deals with the turning of the times. A lot of different topics can be pulled from this book, such as the advancement into the medical field, the complicated social issues of the time (1875) and the struggle to make ends meat.
I tired to read this book when it first came out in 2019 and that quote, "it's me not you." made me put the book down. I am glad I did for this time around I was more intrigued going into a character driven story. It was interesting to be following a 12 year protagonist who only wants to do right for the people he loves. With all the different themes, the author added a historical mention at the back of the book. I found it helpful after reading about Cap's life.

This was surprisingly dark for a middle grade book, not gonna lie. I thought the concept was compelling, but I didn't find myself all that compelled by the story itself. I also found myself confused by which character was which and I left the book more confused than satisfied.

Another book where it looked good and then it wasn’t. I think I started liking it but it didn’t read like a middle grade book. I know it’s historical fiction but I feel like there should be a better balance. I did feel a little bit for Cap, but I guess not enough to keep me interested. Funnily enough, it wasn’t even the fact of the book being a historical fiction that put me off, just that I didn’t connect to the story/characters.

It was just in time for Halloween this year (2020) I learned about grave robbers (body snatchers), years ago through fiction, than non-fiction. It's always a good creepy read, especially as the nights grow longer. Times were hard back in the day and religion really curtailed what medicine could do. So, thank you grave robbers, kind of.... I can recall a few tales that included these grave robbers killing their victims for the money. And live burials-*shudder*... This middle grade reader has it all! Kids 6th grade, heck even Ya's will delight in this creepy read! It has it's moments! It was interesting and there was drama enough to entertain. Sort of historical fiction.

I appreciate having had an opportunity to read and review this book. The appeal of this particular book was not evident to me, and if I cannot file a generally positive review I prefer simply to advise the publisher to that effect and file no review at all.

This was a very quick and enjoyable read for me. I got pulled in right from the start and I liked the creepy atmosphere even though I wanted it to be horror but I understand that it's a middle grade book so I didn't mind. I love the premise so much - kid who has to rob graves and accidentally ends up bringing the dead back to life - what's there not to like? I think my biggest problem with the book was that it felt a little bit flat at the times, I couldn't connect with characters cause there weren't enough pages to fully flesh out their characters and some subplots that didn't feel like there should be there at all. But even with all that, I truly enjoyed reading this and loved its historical setting and how unconventional it was. I would recommend it to younger audience who enjoy their books a bit creepy and with a lot of atmosphere.

I am always looking for a good scary story but prefer young adult/children's books so they don't totally creep me out. This one was super creepy for a children's book so much so that I did not finish it. So if you enjoy super scary books, you will probably love this.

This was not very good for me. It was choppy and weird. I think it would have been more enjoyable had I known that it was based loosely on actual historical events.

Cap, just a boy and his father have been hired to be grave diggers, needing the money to help with medical expenses for his mother who is with child. One night Cap, upon touching a body brings them back to life. So in his mission to figure out if he has powers bring the dead back to life he discovers the secrets as to what is really on going on with the bodies and why there are so many dead. Is this really the result of a mysterious illness? Is there more to what's happening? Who and how many people are involved in the ? And does he, Cap have this power to bring the dead back to life?

The Grave Digger is a middle grade historical fiction, which takes place in 1875 Ohio. The bodies that get stolen are those that "people won't miss" ie those with out families or people of color. Like I said this is 1875. It's a quick read, enjoyable in the sense that it keeps you coming back to find out the truth. There are many players in this story and they all seem to have there own role in the events that take place. We have some very likable characters such as Delphia and her mother Jardine, Jessamyn, Cap's friend. Then we also have so many despicable people that you will just have to read to find out who.

Thoughts? It's dark and fast paced. Could there have been more? Yes, and by more I mean it felt some areas are glossed over or missing. I can see it's intend audience on one hand getting engrossed and on the other hand I can see them creep'd out. It is written in such a way that it is easy for those at the Middle grade level can read, and those on the younger side who are past chapter books. Subject matter it's dark and scary at times for younger children but parents know their own children and what they deem they can handle.

Would I read another by Rebecca Bischoff, oh yes.

I would like to thank Amberjack Publishing and Netgalley for my copy for review.

My Rating : 3.75🌟
(I am deciding between 3 & 4 but it was good)
.
Kindle/ Netgalley/ April2020
.
<i> Thank you so much Netgalley for the review copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and not influenced in any way. </i>
.
This book follows our main characters Cal who one day realises he has the power to wake the dead up from the grave. This leads to a lot of discoveries and Cal must choose what the right thing to do is.
.
First, I love how the character portrayal of Cal was done. He is funny, makes a lot of stupid mistakes and decisions and he is relatable. Not a lot of 12 year olds get to experience waking up the dead and dealing with its consequences. His actions are fun to read, and you get to enjoy your time with all the drama.
.
Second, the writing is good paced and simple. Though it is a middle grade book, it has a level of maturity in the way certain things are handled. The concept is not the most original, but it has a different take on paranormal and history combined together. Since it takes place after the war, it has a different tone, but it still feels relatable.
.
But coming to the things I didn't like, when the book started, the pacing was good and the dialogues were done well, but after the first half it felt a bit dragging and I took a lot of time trying to finish the book. The ending was quite good, but it ended up being really predictable and convenient.
.
Overall, it's such a good middle grade read. If you like reading about grave digging mysteries with a pinch of paranormal thrown in it, you have yourself a new book !

This book was pretty dark. Body snatching coupled with murder and an unhealthy dose of bad parenting. That being said, as an adult, I found the topic interesting. Definitely a struggle on how to rate this one.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book, which I voluntarily chose to review.

I loved this book! The writing was amazing and it was really engaging! I loved all the characters and the world was just so interesting. I would highly recommend this title to anyone who is looking for a spooky read!

This was such an interesting premise for a book. We find out in the first chapter that Cap and his dad are participating in a grave robbing operation because they are desperate for money. As a lover of historical fiction and a fan of middle grade reads I thought this plot was well constructed and interesting. It addresses racism, poverty, and morality without you feeling pounded over the head about any of it.

Set in Ohio in 1875, we follow 12 year old Cap as he reluctantly becomes a grave robber to help his family who are struggling financially.

Soon the dead seem to be coming back to life, and Cap is wondering how much of the resurrections, and the disrespect to the dead, he is responsible for.

A teeny bit creepy, but mostly just about Cap and his family, I would recommend this to middle grade audiences and their families as an interesting conversation piece about life in a very different time period!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you for providing me with a early release. I bough this book for my son and he loved the story. Capture him immediately.

My Thoughts
Cap would rather spend time in his tiny workshop working on new inventions than reading at his mom’s book club(well, kind of) meetings or, worse, digging up graves in the dead of night. But he cannot escape fate.

And when fate hands him the touch of life (or not) where the dead seem to be coming back to life as he digs them up, he falls headlong into a grave (pun intended) mystery. His curiosity leads him to investigate, and what he finds out is totally unexpected.

The book’s twists and turns will surprise and spook you. I loved Cap, and also loved his family as well as the friends he makes along the way.

The author touches upon other issues of the time, including racism and women’s rights, and does it just right without removing the focus from the mystery and keeping it highlighted enough to make curious readers want to explore more if they want.

In Summary
Overall, this book is a perfect read for this spooky season – with the right touch of creepiness, mystery, realities of life then, resourcefulness, friendships, family, and characters you would love to know better.

And I look forward to reading more by Rebecca Bischoff (‘The French Impressionist‘ to start with since it is already there!)

Rating: 4.5/5
Reading Level: 9 – 13 years (and up too!)
Reread Level: 3/5

Disclaimer: Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital review copy. These thoughts are my honest opinions of the book.