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3.46 AVERAGE
3.46 AVERAGE
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I received a copy of this book thru Netgalley to read and review.
I could not put this book down. It was so dark and twisted. The eerie flashbacks that the murdered girl witnesses of her mothers life are very pointed and sad. The main character very much interested me with her gardening work and work with her horses. I liked that she used the horses to break thru to the girls.
Towards the end, I was having suspicions of who the murderer was and I was right. But the plot is a thrill ride that will make you not want to put this book down!
I could not put this book down. It was so dark and twisted. The eerie flashbacks that the murdered girl witnesses of her mothers life are very pointed and sad. The main character very much interested me with her gardening work and work with her horses. I liked that she used the horses to break thru to the girls.
Towards the end, I was having suspicions of who the murderer was and I was right. But the plot is a thrill ride that will make you not want to put this book down!
3.5 stars
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington for this free readers edition. In exchange I am providing an honest review.
A psychological thriller set in an English village. "Things are not always what they seem." And indeed the truth of that fleshes out in this title where a young lady is found dead in the woods.
The story opens with the disappearance of Rosie, an 18 year old preparing to go off to University in the fall. Rosie's neighbor, Kate, is our narrator and a Mother herself to an 18 year old girl, Gracie. As Rosie's disappearance stretches out into days Kate reaches out to her mother, Jo. Once Rosie is discovered dead Kate continues to stand by Jo's side as her grief ebbs and flows. But the murderer is still out there and each lead the police think they have falls short of any true evidence. Meanwhile, the closer Kate gets to Jo the more she sees through the veneer of the Anderson family and the more confusing circumstances get. Who killed Rosie and why?
Well-written and executed carefully, this thriller had me guessing and then second-guessing almost until the very end. As soon as Howells fit a few of the pieces together then the whole puzzle was quickly assembled but until then I wasn't quite sure of my gut instinct. It turns out that my gut was right in the end but Howells kept throwing me off the scent. I respect that kind of ability.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington for this free readers edition. In exchange I am providing an honest review.
A psychological thriller set in an English village. "Things are not always what they seem." And indeed the truth of that fleshes out in this title where a young lady is found dead in the woods.
The story opens with the disappearance of Rosie, an 18 year old preparing to go off to University in the fall. Rosie's neighbor, Kate, is our narrator and a Mother herself to an 18 year old girl, Gracie. As Rosie's disappearance stretches out into days Kate reaches out to her mother, Jo. Once Rosie is discovered dead Kate continues to stand by Jo's side as her grief ebbs and flows. But the murderer is still out there and each lead the police think they have falls short of any true evidence. Meanwhile, the closer Kate gets to Jo the more she sees through the veneer of the Anderson family and the more confusing circumstances get. Who killed Rosie and why?
Well-written and executed carefully, this thriller had me guessing and then second-guessing almost until the very end. As soon as Howells fit a few of the pieces together then the whole puzzle was quickly assembled but until then I wasn't quite sure of my gut instinct. It turns out that my gut was right in the end but Howells kept throwing me off the scent. I respect that kind of ability.
Similar to lovely bones because we get the ‘ghost’ point of view of the person who died. It was an interesting book that expressed that you don’t really know people even if you are their friends. Some of the characters were poorly written like Della but some were brilliant like Kate.
Some things seemed implausible like the journalist friend not reporting all the things Kate told her. But it was an ok read.
Some things seemed implausible like the journalist friend not reporting all the things Kate told her. But it was an ok read.
Kind of a creepy, dark mystery/thriller about a very warped & disfunctional family & the lengths they will go to keep secrets.
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
2.5 stars
this was told from an interesting perspective but it all got a bit too dramatic and trying too hard for me towards the end.
this was told from an interesting perspective but it all got a bit too dramatic and trying too hard for me towards the end.
I didn't finish this book, which was chosen by my book club. I read about 10%, according to the e-book I checked out from the library.
The marketing doesn't do this book any favors. "A stunning, wonderfully assured psychological thriller that evokes Gillian Flynn and Alice Sebold, The Bones of You revolves around a young girl’s murder and one woman’s obsession with uncovering the secrets in an idyllic English village." In the thirty-or-so pages I read, I fail to see anything that isn't completely derivative.
Here's what I read: a teen girl is killed. The mother of the girl's friend rides horses and thinks about it. The horse might be psychic? I have no idea.
In between the horse-riding adult's chapters, we read chapters from the dead girl's perspective, starting as a child and working up until she gets older. The first two of these sections are written as if it's from the girl looking back with an older perspective. Here's what I mean, from the chapter where the dead girl is four years old: "Jeez, I had forgotten Mrs. Bell. At the time, I liked how she smiled and was kind. Now I see a weary, middle-aged lady..." That reads like someone looking back at a teacher with the knowledge she has gained since growing older.
But the other chapters I read are written as if the character is the age in which she is presented. For example, "I have ice cream and Mummy drinks coffee. We go shopping, but then Mummy says we have to go somewhere. Meet someone. A good friend." Why is she acting like she's five all of a sudden, when she's an older girl looking back? Why doesn't she know who this good friend is? Easy: because that would spoil what the author must think is a big mystery. Her inconsistent POV makes her writing feel gimmicky and manipulative. I don't have time for that.
The marketing doesn't do this book any favors. "A stunning, wonderfully assured psychological thriller that evokes Gillian Flynn and Alice Sebold, The Bones of You revolves around a young girl’s murder and one woman’s obsession with uncovering the secrets in an idyllic English village." In the thirty-or-so pages I read, I fail to see anything that isn't completely derivative.
Here's what I read: a teen girl is killed. The mother of the girl's friend rides horses and thinks about it. The horse might be psychic? I have no idea.
In between the horse-riding adult's chapters, we read chapters from the dead girl's perspective, starting as a child and working up until she gets older. The first two of these sections are written as if it's from the girl looking back with an older perspective. Here's what I mean, from the chapter where the dead girl is four years old: "Jeez, I had forgotten Mrs. Bell. At the time, I liked how she smiled and was kind. Now I see a weary, middle-aged lady..." That reads like someone looking back at a teacher with the knowledge she has gained since growing older.
But the other chapters I read are written as if the character is the age in which she is presented. For example, "I have ice cream and Mummy drinks coffee. We go shopping, but then Mummy says we have to go somewhere. Meet someone. A good friend." Why is she acting like she's five all of a sudden, when she's an older girl looking back? Why doesn't she know who this good friend is? Easy: because that would spoil what the author must think is a big mystery. Her inconsistent POV makes her writing feel gimmicky and manipulative. I don't have time for that.
This story broke my heart, squashed it into a little pulp and stomped on it without a second thought. Beautifully written, dark and twisted, a reveal that made me scream at the pages and beg for it not to be true. It's such a lovely book, and you should definitely read it.
Set in a small English village, The Bones of You opens with 18-year-old Rosie Anderson’s murder, told from her point of view. While the reader knows that Rosie is dead, we follow Kate as she learns Rosie is missing, and then later found. We are with Kate while she provides comfort to the Anderson family and wonders who could have committed such a brutal act. Was it someone they know in the village? Did a stranger come into town?
This was definitely a page turner. I liked how the narration was split between Kate’s viewpoint and Rosie’s memories. Ms. Howells writes beautifully. You see the Anderson family from Kate’s perspective, and then Rosie will step in with a memory. Kate and her family serve as a stark contrast to Rosie’s family. As Kate is sucked more and more into the life of the Anderson’s, her own life seems to be moving into the unknown.
Much more than a murder mystery, this book is one about relationships. Mother and daughter, husband and wife, friendships. Another theme that runs throughout is what is happiness? And how do we know when we’ve got it?
I really enjoyed this book. Wasn’t quite a 5 star for me, but I do recommend it.
From my review at Hidden Staircase.
Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This was definitely a page turner. I liked how the narration was split between Kate’s viewpoint and Rosie’s memories. Ms. Howells writes beautifully. You see the Anderson family from Kate’s perspective, and then Rosie will step in with a memory. Kate and her family serve as a stark contrast to Rosie’s family. As Kate is sucked more and more into the life of the Anderson’s, her own life seems to be moving into the unknown.
Much more than a murder mystery, this book is one about relationships. Mother and daughter, husband and wife, friendships. Another theme that runs throughout is what is happiness? And how do we know when we’ve got it?
I really enjoyed this book. Wasn’t quite a 5 star for me, but I do recommend it.
From my review at Hidden Staircase.
Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.