Book Summary and Reviews of The Loss of the Burying Ground by J. Anderson Coats

The Loss of the Burying Ground by J. Anderson Coats

The Loss of the Burying Ground

by J. Anderson Coats

  • Critics' Consensus (2):
  • Published:
  • Sep 2024, 288 pages
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About this book

Book Summary

In this twisting, page-turning read, shipwrecked teen girls from opposing sides of a long war must find common ground in order to survive.

When the Burying Ground goes down in neutral waters, it sends the delegations from two warring nations—and the peace treaty they were about to sign—to the bottom of the ocean. The only survivors are a pair of teen girls: Cora, daughter of a Duran newspaper man, and Vivienne, lady's maid to an Ariminthian princess. Neither has known a time when war between their two countries did not rage, but now they must learn to trust each other if they are to find sustenance, avoid dangerous pirates, and have any hope of rescue from the remote island they washed up on. However, in the midst of a conflict steeped in fierce national identity, propaganda, disinformation, and radicalization, finding a common path forward seems nearly impossible, for both Cora and Vivienne and their respective countries. But when the teens' politically charged rescue seems likely to extend the war, Cora and Vivienne realize they do have a shared purpose: peace. If only it isn't too late.

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Reviews

Media Reviews

"While survival initially comes too easy for the marooned duo and Vivienne at first lacks Cora's complexity, patient readers will be rewarded with shocking reveals and conniving court intrigue. Most characters cue as white." —Publishers Weekly

"Told in alternating first-person perspectives, the story moves quickly and paints a convincing portrait of the lives of ordinary citizens caught in the political games of their governments... . An intriguing fantastical take on contemporary political themes." —Kirkus Reviews

This information about The Loss of the Burying Ground was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

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Author Information

J. Anderson Coats

J. Anderson Coats is the author of fantasy and historical fiction for children and young adults, including Spindle and Dagger. J. Anderson Coats lives and works as a librarian near Seattle.

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