In Death, as in Life • The Fetch

The Fetch by Laura Whitcomb 
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: February 2, 2009
Source/Format: Bought || Hardcover

Calder is a Fetch, a death escort, the first of his kind to step from Heaven back to Earth.The first to fall in love with a mortal girl. But when he climbs backwards out of that Death Scene, into the chaos of the Russian Revolution, he tears a wound in the ghost realm, where the spirits begin a revolution of their own.

I picked this book up because the summary completely intrigued me - and I'm pleased to report that the concept was well-executed. THE FETCH is a story that I was completely engrossed with as I read it, as it put a fresh spin on the tale of the Romanovs. My interest in Russian History, specifically in the Romanov family, is something that I don't talk about often; but because I am particularly fascinated with this period and this family, this story definitely appealed to me.

The Character

Calder is a character that I found incredibly realistic, despite the fact that he's actually what constitutes the paranormal element of this novel. He's got the best of intentions for the most part, but it is his one major moment of weakness in the face of passion and temptation that manages to provoke him into making a decision that has serious consequences.

I could really feel for him though as he wrestled with discovering his past and learned to deal with the inner conflict that plagues him. Watching him fight his insecurity and the way he questions his own abilities and worth as a Fetch was something that I found interesting and particularly relatable in a human context.

The Story

Laura Whitcomb illustrates the concept of a Fetch, a death escort, pretty well, including more details about just what the Fetch escorts his charges through, as well as how it happens. This definitely comprised a large part of my fascination with the novel, as it was what caught my attention about the book in the first place.

The story wasn't action-packed, but it did have some great suspense and action sequences. Plus, the journey that the characters take is incredibly cool, as they visit a bunch of different places, so that was a lot of fun to read about. Despite the slow pace for some of the book, there was definitely a lot going on in the story, and I never found it boring.

My favorite part of the novel, as I've previously mentioned, is the way Laura Whitcomb manages to integrate the Romanovs and parts of their story in history into the tale. I loved the way this was woven in, and I thought it was quite clever.

Personally, I say you should...

... read this novel if you're a fan of paranormal YA. It's lighter than a lot of paranormal novels I've read, but it's still done really well. Plus, the addition of the historical aspect makes it even more interesting. It's a well-crafted, well-planned novel and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

This review was posted as part of Rewind & Review.

Rewind & Review is a great monthly feature started by Ginger of GReads! and Lisa of Lisa is Busy Nerding. Each month, participants will set aside some "older" titles to read and review on their blogs. This feature is the perfect opportunity to get around to reading that title you've been eyeing for years or that book that's been in your TBR for what feels like forever. For more information, you can visit this post.