Graveyard Girl [Paperback]

Wendy A. Lewis (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 10, 2002

In June of 1982 a group of high school students in the town of Lee re-enact the previous summer's glitzy royal wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana. Organized by their teachers, the group receives extensive coverage in the town newspaper and the school yearbook.

In this set of twelve linked short stories, each of the participants in the "Wedding of the Century" seeks out his or her own truth in the years that follow. We learn about the network of love, fear and intrigue that bind young people who shared this fairy-tale event. And we learn about the real-life demons they subsequently confront, the advantages they celebrate, the disadvantages they endure, and the temptations they face. For Tish, life is never the same after the tragic death of her best ex-friend Alex. Derek, the mock wedding's prince, ends up as a hockey star while Jewel, Diana in the mock wedding, has her own romance to play out with tougher consequences. And Naylor, who had the second-banana role of Prince Edward, meets up with an extraordinary stranger whose flight to freedom lifts Naylor from a hum-drum existence. The last word comes from the wry voice of Ginger-always the outsider-who snapped the mock royal photograph and who, years later, contemplates the lives of her one-time classmates from the vantage of the Lee town cemetery.

"A subtle, sophisticated, beautifully crafted book."
-Quill and Quire

"An impressive debut."
-Quill and Quire

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

While Lewis chooses a tenuous premise for her novel (an Anglophiliac geography teacher's staging of a reenactment of Princess Diana's nuptials), the characters are sympathetic. Set mostly in Canada, the book is broken into a series of stories, each narrated by one of the "mock royal wedding" participants. High school students who took part in the wedding narrate the first half, set in 1983, while the second half takes place 10 years later, with narrators who were preschool participants. Each character struggles with his or her challenges: Jewel has had a baby, and must deal with her mother's disapproval, and Kevin is watching his sister battle cancer. Ginger, who narrates the prologue and final chapter, set in 1999 (the reason for all these different dates is never made clear), was nicknamed the "Graveyard Girl" in high school because she slept with boys in the cemetery. Even as an adult, she is haunted by memories of her dark childhood, and mourns the loss of her own first love. Several of the characters manage their crises with supernatural assistance; for example, the new girl who tells Kevin that his sister will be okay may be an angel. Some readers may have a hard time understanding the mock royal wedding's significance or find some of the supernatural elements jarring or clich?d. However, those who make the leap will appreciate the tender moments, such as when Jewel's mother finds her daughter dancing with her baby, and embraces them both. Ages 12-up. (Feb.)
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Gr 9 Up-Short stories told by teens who face tragic or memorable events, framed around a high school reenactment of Prince Charles and Lady Diana's wedding. Half of the stories take place in 1983 and the other half in 1993 with one summary story set in 1999. The author includes almost every issue a contemporary teen could conceivably face or be affected by: pregnancy, adoption, lesbian exploration, parent abuse, murder, jealousy, atheism, death of a parent, crime and restitution, divorce, alcohol abuse, feeling rejection, and romance. It's often difficult to keep the characters and their parts in the wedding straight, particularly those who were not classmates but were brought in as flower girls and page boys. It's also unlikely that today's teens will care about a wedding that took place before they were born. Further, it's doubtful that they'll identify with the narrator who sets the scene and provides the closure, the photographer of the event who is now "eighteen years older and eighty pounds heavier."--Sandra L. Doggett, Urbana High School, Ijamsville, MD

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Red Deer Press; 1 edition (September 10, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0889952027
• ISBN-13: 978-0889952027
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,776,772 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Graveyard Girl, July 29, 2004

By 

Teenreads.com (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Graveyard Girl (Paperback)

In June 1982, Prince Charles wed Lady Diana in what was to become the wedding of the century. One year later, a group of students, lead by their teachers, reenact that wedding --- glitz, glam, and all. In GRAVEYARD GIRL, a collection of short stories, first time YA author, Wendy A. Lewis, explores the lives of the participants, post-wedding. And like Prince Charles and Princess Diana, each faces their fair share of problems: births, deaths, successes, and failures.

In "Revelations," Mandy, a.k.a. the royal bridesmaid, faces the death of her mother, a wayward cousin, and a crisis in faith. In "The Puzzle," Naylor, a.k.a. Prince Edward, struggles with haikus, unpopularity, and the mysteries of life. In "Tango," Jewel, a.k.a. Lady Diana, must confront teenage pregnancy, the disapproval of her family, and early marriage.

Although the Royal Wedding aspect of this collection seems a bit contrived (the stories could stand on their own without the wedding glue), Lewis's depiction of life's struggles rings true, as does her understanding of human behavior.


--- Reviewed by Tammy L. Currier

5.0 out of 5 stars Definetly one I can come back to, November 27, 2003

By 

"kayleese" (Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Graveyard Girl (Paperback)

I'm 19 and I first read this story when I was 16. I still love this book and it is one of my all time favourites. The ability of being able to tell stories from a diverse amount of points of view is hard to attain and Lewis does it effortlessly. Read it, no matter your age, everyone can relate to something.

4.0 out of 5 stars Not just a children's book!, January 30, 2001

By 

[e-mail] (Ottawa, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Graveyard Girl (Paperback)

What an enjoyable read! A friend of mine recommended that I read this 'cross over' book (meant for readers 14 thru adult). Each story is superbly written and could stand on its own. In fact, I would like to see Ms. Lewis expand the shorts to novels for each memorable character!