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keirahelena_'s review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Homophobia, Domestic abuse, Racism, Religious bigotry, and Alcoholism
classicluce's review
3.75
Whilst reading Tall Bones I found it really difficult to figure out if I liked it or not. The characters and setting are well developed and intriguing and the plot points are interesting enough. The book is written like a literary thriller, which sometimes works for its themes but at points can feel overworked and overdone. I found this to be very much a slow burn book for me, only after about 30% did I feel invested in it, and that waned again throughout the book.
Overall though this book was hard hitting and uncomfortable in the right places, and the characters of Noah and Rat were particularly engaging. This was not an easy going thriller, but well worth the read.
Overall though this book was hard hitting and uncomfortable in the right places, and the characters of Noah and Rat were particularly engaging. This was not an easy going thriller, but well worth the read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Abandonment, Addiction, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Ableism, Alcoholism, Incest, and Racism
Moderate: Sexual assault and Adult/minor relationship
mushimushi's review
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
3.5
The beginning was really strong but at 50% I started to feel like I was dragging myself towards the end. I didnโt find the ending satisfying or much of a surprise.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Sexual assault, Drug abuse, Drug use, Alcoholism, and Racism
Minor: Sexual harassment
whatellisreadnext's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
5.0
'๐๐ฐ๐ฏ'๐ต ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ญ๐ญ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ข๐ต ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ฆ ๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ฎ๐ฆ.' ๐๐ฐ๐ญ๐ญ๐บ ๐ณ๐ข๐ช๐ด๐ฆ๐ด ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ณ๐ช๐ง๐ญ๐ฆ. '๐๐ฐ๐ฅ ๐ช๐ด ๐ข๐ญ๐ธ๐ข๐บ๐ด ๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ฉ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ง๐ฐ๐ณ๐จ๐ช๐ท๐ฆ ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฏ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ๐ด ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ๐บ ๐ฅ๐ฐ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ธ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฏ. ๐๐ถ๐ต ๐ธ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฏ ๐ด๐ต๐ช๐ญ๐ญ ๐ฉ๐ข๐ท๐ฆ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐จ๐ฐ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ณ๐ฐ๐ถ๐จ๐ฉ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ด๐ฆ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ๐ด ๐ง๐ช๐ณ๐ด๐ต.'
Emma leaves her best friend Abigail at a party by the Tall Bones. Not knowing that she will never see her again. Abi's disappearance sends ripples through the small town of Whistling Ridge. Where is she?
Tall Bones absolutely took me by surprise, I was just expecting a normal thriller/mystery novel, but it was so much more than that. I am an absolute sucker for a small town, that is full to the brim with horrible people. Saying that there are a few characters you will be rooting for, just know that the majority of them are awful people ๐๐ปโโ๏ธ
I am absolutely shooketh that this is Anna Bailey's debut, the writing is incredible, the characters feel so real. She effortlessly juggles all of the intertwining narratives; there are so many characters in this book, but not once was I lost. They all felt like real people, with such individual personalities.
The writing style reminded me so much of Miracle Creek by Angie Kim or The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker, so if you loved either of those, you need to grab a copy of this book immediately. I mean I think every mystery lover should read it, but I am totally bias, because I loved every second of it.
Emma leaves her best friend Abigail at a party by the Tall Bones. Not knowing that she will never see her again. Abi's disappearance sends ripples through the small town of Whistling Ridge. Where is she?
Tall Bones absolutely took me by surprise, I was just expecting a normal thriller/mystery novel, but it was so much more than that. I am an absolute sucker for a small town, that is full to the brim with horrible people. Saying that there are a few characters you will be rooting for, just know that the majority of them are awful people ๐๐ปโโ๏ธ
I am absolutely shooketh that this is Anna Bailey's debut, the writing is incredible, the characters feel so real. She effortlessly juggles all of the intertwining narratives; there are so many characters in this book, but not once was I lost. They all felt like real people, with such individual personalities.
The writing style reminded me so much of Miracle Creek by Angie Kim or The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker, so if you loved either of those, you need to grab a copy of this book immediately. I mean I think every mystery lover should read it, but I am totally bias, because I loved every second of it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Incest, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Violence
ladyr's review
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
5.0
What an absolutely brilliant debut!
This book carries some very heavy themes & lots of them - but it does so in a page turning yet sensitive way.
The prose is absolutely stunning and more like poetry at times.
I cannot wait to see what she writes next.
This book carries some very heavy themes & lots of them - but it does so in a page turning yet sensitive way.
The prose is absolutely stunning and more like poetry at times.
I cannot wait to see what she writes next.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Homophobia, Incest, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, and Religious bigotry
shitbookreviews's review
challenging
dark
sad
slow-paced
3.0
Copy via Netgalley.
I think Iโm probably in the minority here but this book wasnโt massively for me. THAT BEING SAID โ itโs one of those books that will make you massively uncomfortable to read because this shit still goes on. On that note, Iโd be an ass if I didnโt pop out a few trigger warnings for Tall Bones. In this book youโll find:
Alcoholism & drug abuse
Homophobia oozing out every pore
Incest
Racism
Abuse (child, domestic and everything in between)
This is a dark, claustrophobic and utterly depressing story of a Whistling Ridge โ a small town (with an even smaller town mentality) where religion comes first. Hereโs what youโre in for:
โจ One girl who disappeared during a party
โจ Her BFF trying everything within her power to figure out what happened to her
โจ A family torn apart and living in fear of their father/husband
โจ A small town laced with secrets and whispers around every corner
I grew up in a small town. Nothing (and I mean N O T H I N G) was ever a secret. Perhaps thatโs why I wanted to grab this one in the first place to see how other places fared when it came to gossip and insanity? Who knows. What I do know is that this is a book you have to concentrate on as it flips from past to present. This and the fact thereโs a LOT going on, meant my poor brain went into meltdown.
Enough waffle.
Abigail Blake is a typical small-town gal (livinโ in a lonely worlddddd) โ rebellious and looking for adventure outside of their home which is slowly killing them. In an attempt to have a bit of a normal life, Abi and Emma head to a party in the shadow of the Tall Bones; only one of them makes it back home.
Abiโs disappearance not only tore apart Emmaโs life but also shone a massive spotlight on the Blake family and the number of bruises that littered Noah and Judeโs bodies. Youโd perhaps think that that would make them the centre point for an investigation but a bigoted townโs gotta bigot and before long, Rat (a Romanian immigrant teenager who lived alone in a trailer) became the focal point of the townโs manic anger.
I liked this book. I didnโt love it but I liked it. Itโs a slow read so, if youโre anything like me and desires intense shit from the get-go, then you might struggle with this. If anything, it should be mandatory reading for anyone who lives in a small town in the hopes that it helps them realise what goes on behind closed doors.
Challenge racism, misogyny and homophobia, please.
I think Iโm probably in the minority here but this book wasnโt massively for me. THAT BEING SAID โ itโs one of those books that will make you massively uncomfortable to read because this shit still goes on. On that note, Iโd be an ass if I didnโt pop out a few trigger warnings for Tall Bones. In this book youโll find:
Alcoholism & drug abuse
Homophobia oozing out every pore
Incest
Racism
Abuse (child, domestic and everything in between)
This is a dark, claustrophobic and utterly depressing story of a Whistling Ridge โ a small town (with an even smaller town mentality) where religion comes first. Hereโs what youโre in for:
โจ One girl who disappeared during a party
โจ Her BFF trying everything within her power to figure out what happened to her
โจ A family torn apart and living in fear of their father/husband
โจ A small town laced with secrets and whispers around every corner
I grew up in a small town. Nothing (and I mean N O T H I N G) was ever a secret. Perhaps thatโs why I wanted to grab this one in the first place to see how other places fared when it came to gossip and insanity? Who knows. What I do know is that this is a book you have to concentrate on as it flips from past to present. This and the fact thereโs a LOT going on, meant my poor brain went into meltdown.
Enough waffle.
Abigail Blake is a typical small-town gal (livinโ in a lonely worlddddd) โ rebellious and looking for adventure outside of their home which is slowly killing them. In an attempt to have a bit of a normal life, Abi and Emma head to a party in the shadow of the Tall Bones; only one of them makes it back home.
Abiโs disappearance not only tore apart Emmaโs life but also shone a massive spotlight on the Blake family and the number of bruises that littered Noah and Judeโs bodies. Youโd perhaps think that that would make them the centre point for an investigation but a bigoted townโs gotta bigot and before long, Rat (a Romanian immigrant teenager who lived alone in a trailer) became the focal point of the townโs manic anger.
I liked this book. I didnโt love it but I liked it. Itโs a slow read so, if youโre anything like me and desires intense shit from the get-go, then you might struggle with this. If anything, it should be mandatory reading for anyone who lives in a small town in the hopes that it helps them realise what goes on behind closed doors.
Challenge racism, misogyny and homophobia, please.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, Misogyny, Racism, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Minor: Incest
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