Reviews

Break the Bodies, Haunt the Bones by Micah Dean Hicks

evan_prus's review against another edition

5.0

This first novel from Micah Dean Hicks is a refreshing look at the idea of horror, and strays from usual horror conventions. The usage of Swine Hill and its ghosts as a stand in for the modern American factory town was a bit heavy handed at times, and some descriptions of the town and its people had me wondering how exactly a town like this could even exist in the information age. For me, this was made up for by beautiful prose, a strong story, and a great cast of characters.

zjnorth's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

lauritzc's review against another edition

challenging dark sad

• 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

4.25

owlizabeth's review against another edition

Just too strange, I’m more squicked than interested, not for me!

baileyjsmith's review against another edition

Just wasn’t interesting, it felt like a while not of nothing. I was halfway through the book and it just never got my attention

eris128's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

mfraise05's review against another edition

4.0

I'm a sucker for a good ghost story and I loved this book, I read it in one sitting. The metaphoric death of a town is wrapped in a much more literal one as it is losing its one main employer, a meat packing plant, and is plagued by thousands of ghosts. The ghosts don't live there peacefully, either. They get into car engines and stop them from running, they can live in computer screens and electrical sockets, and they can possess people - for years. There's a lot in this novel and I enjoyed all of it. Hicks really delves into peoples' fear, worries, desires, their anger and terror, and amplifies these feelings with the ghosts they carry. The town is such a horrible place to live in in its decline so it's easy to see why people leave, it's harder to understand why they stay. This is a story of why people stay - spoiler alert, it's a lot of guilt and fear and an irrational belief that somehow things will get better.
I came across this book unexpectedly and I'm glad I did. I'm going to be thinking about this one for a good while.

kleonard's review against another edition

4.0

On the surface, this is a surreal story in which the living can be haunted and possessed by the dead, create walking, talking, cogent pigs that will slaughter and package up their own kind in a meat factory, there are people who can remove their own hearts to stay safe from the ghosts, but lose their memories as well, and aliens, and all sorts of other supernatural things. Below that surface, though, this is a book about innate talent and what it can give to and take away from those who have it. It's also about race, and how white society, no matter what class, is always on the lookout for the Other, in order to oppose and oppress it. It's also about class and social status and whether you eat this week or fix the car you need for your job. It's about creating underclasses to do the worst work, and what happens when the underclass becomes too successful. It's about domestic abuse and taking or abandoning responsibilities. It's a bit rough around the edges, but it's a book that can be read in a great many ways, and would be excellent as a class read for high school.

samsoliloquy's review against another edition

4.0

This book was very well crafted and asked fascinating questions about what it means to be haunted by the past and what it takes to let it all go. A very dark and depressing read that managed to end in a very hopeful and light way. I will enjoy pondering this books questions long after I have finished it.

bluecanary's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective relaxing fast-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

5.0