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4.21 AVERAGE
4.21 AVERAGE
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book snuck up on me. At first I was pulled in by the “not quite right” of it all, curious to see where it was going, but got hooked on the complex, yet loving relationships and how people can give life meaning.
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gun violence, Homophobia, Grief
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
4.75 stars (because I'm being really picky with my rating, for reasons you'll learn in just a second...)
I absolutely adored this book. Weird, unusual, but utterly wonderful.
Nate has lost a lot. So to hide and heal, he heads to his dead parents' cabin on a mountain. But when he gets there, there's an injured man, and a little girl who calls herself Artemis Darth Vader... Nate is pushed headlong into a fight for survival, and the ultimate "found family" you'll ever read. A perfect escape from the monotony of life!
I'm knocking a quarter of a star off a perfect score because (and yes, I'm being super picky!):
1. Klune overuses a stock phrase. Like all the time. Always. A few variations of "he didn't know what to say about that" or "he didn't know what to do with that." after the 6th iteration, it became a fun bingo call out!
2. I don't know if Irish girls where I'm from are just bigger (taller) than American girls, but he wrote Artemis TINY! I mean, sitting on a chair with her feet dangling. Being picked up to reach the door handle of a truck (albeit a large truck, but by no means a monster truck!). I felt like she was supposed to be 6, not 10! 10 year olds in Ireland are MUCH bigger than that!
But seriously, that's me picking holes because there was nothing else wrong with it. And I still loved it in the end!
I come in peace! ❤️
I absolutely adored this book. Weird, unusual, but utterly wonderful.
Nate has lost a lot. So to hide and heal, he heads to his dead parents' cabin on a mountain. But when he gets there, there's an injured man, and a little girl who calls herself Artemis Darth Vader... Nate is pushed headlong into a fight for survival, and the ultimate "found family" you'll ever read. A perfect escape from the monotony of life!
I'm knocking a quarter of a star off a perfect score because (and yes, I'm being super picky!):
1. Klune overuses a stock phrase. Like all the time. Always. A few variations of "he didn't know what to say about that" or "he didn't know what to do with that." after the 6th iteration, it became a fun bingo call out!
2. I don't know if Irish girls where I'm from are just bigger (taller) than American girls, but he wrote Artemis TINY! I mean, sitting on a chair with her feet dangling. Being picked up to reach the door handle of a truck (albeit a large truck, but by no means a monster truck!). I felt like she was supposed to be 6, not 10! 10 year olds in Ireland are MUCH bigger than that!
But seriously, that's me picking holes because there was nothing else wrong with it. And I still loved it in the end!
I come in peace! ❤️
The Bones Beneath My Skin by TJ Klune is a strange and unexpectedly tender story, one that takes a wildly far-fetched premise. A mysterious alien intelligence living inside a little human girl, but it turns into something deeply human. At first, I wasn’t quite sure what to make of the setup. It felt odd, slightly implausible, and hard to pin down. But as with so many of Klune’s books, the heart of the story lies in the characters. And once I settled into their emotional journey, I was fully pulled in.
The story follows three very different people who slowly form an unlikely found family. What begins as a desperate attempt to protect a girl from forces far beyond their control becomes a quiet, emotional exploration of grief, love, identity, and healing. The speculative elements, aliens, secret agencies, psychic powers, take a back seat to the quieter, more human moments: a broken man learning how to care again, a scared girl learning to trust, and the slow, steady growth of connection between people who never expected to need one another.
As always, Klune’s character work is exceptional. One of his great strengths is crafting emotional intimacy between characters, and here it shines. The bonds form slowly and with real weight. You believe in these people, and you want them to make it through. There’s also beautiful LGBTQ+ representation, not just through the m/m romance, but through the gentle way the story affirms identity. The idea that people have the right to choose who they are and what they’re called is treated with quiet respect, and it adds another layer of warmth and acceptance to the story.
That said, this book is not as cozy as some of Klune’s other works. While I don't agree at all with the "A spine-tingling thriller" from the blurb, it does deal with heavier themes lik trauma, loss, and violence. It is definitely worth checking content warnings if you’re sensitive to certain topics. There are some difficult moments along the way. But even with the darker tone, Klune still manages to leave you with that signature feeling of hope. It may not be a soft blanket kind of read, but it’s one that says: even after everything, it’s still possible to heal.
The romance is more of a slow-burn background thread, and I liked that it didn’t take over the story. It’s not about swooning or dramatic declarations. It’s about two damaged people slowly learning how to let someone else in. Understated, genuine, and all the more impactful for it.
In the end, The Bones Beneath My Skin is a beautifully strange, emotionally rich book about what it means to connect. With others, and with ourselves. It’s about becoming who you are, finding your people in the most unlikely of places, and choosing kindness even when the world doesn’t seem to deserve it. If you’re looking for something a little darker but still full of heart, this one’s absolutely worth picking up.
The story follows three very different people who slowly form an unlikely found family. What begins as a desperate attempt to protect a girl from forces far beyond their control becomes a quiet, emotional exploration of grief, love, identity, and healing. The speculative elements, aliens, secret agencies, psychic powers, take a back seat to the quieter, more human moments: a broken man learning how to care again, a scared girl learning to trust, and the slow, steady growth of connection between people who never expected to need one another.
As always, Klune’s character work is exceptional. One of his great strengths is crafting emotional intimacy between characters, and here it shines. The bonds form slowly and with real weight. You believe in these people, and you want them to make it through. There’s also beautiful LGBTQ+ representation, not just through the m/m romance, but through the gentle way the story affirms identity. The idea that people have the right to choose who they are and what they’re called is treated with quiet respect, and it adds another layer of warmth and acceptance to the story.
That said, this book is not as cozy as some of Klune’s other works. While I don't agree at all with the "A spine-tingling thriller" from the blurb, it does deal with heavier themes lik trauma, loss, and violence. It is definitely worth checking content warnings if you’re sensitive to certain topics. There are some difficult moments along the way. But even with the darker tone, Klune still manages to leave you with that signature feeling of hope. It may not be a soft blanket kind of read, but it’s one that says: even after everything, it’s still possible to heal.
The romance is more of a slow-burn background thread, and I liked that it didn’t take over the story. It’s not about swooning or dramatic declarations. It’s about two damaged people slowly learning how to let someone else in. Understated, genuine, and all the more impactful for it.
In the end, The Bones Beneath My Skin is a beautifully strange, emotionally rich book about what it means to connect. With others, and with ourselves. It’s about becoming who you are, finding your people in the most unlikely of places, and choosing kindness even when the world doesn’t seem to deserve it. If you’re looking for something a little darker but still full of heart, this one’s absolutely worth picking up.
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced