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3.46 AVERAGE
3.46 AVERAGE
Might be more like 3.5 than 4 as it was quite predictable in places but it was enjoyable.
I found this book difficult. It was confusing right up until the end. I’m not sure I enjoyed it but I will say it is twisty.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Suicide attempt, Murder
Thanks for a copy to read and review.
Ahh! No. Rosie's death was played out succinctly. By the end of this book I was furious. The bones of you was played until the very very end. I had to pull out what was left of my hair to get an answer. What happened to Rosie was a murder that never should have happened! Three stars, and plenty of hair pulling! God, what a book.
Ahh! No. Rosie's death was played out succinctly. By the end of this book I was furious. The bones of you was played until the very very end. I had to pull out what was left of my hair to get an answer. What happened to Rosie was a murder that never should have happened! Three stars, and plenty of hair pulling! God, what a book.
4.5 stars.
The Bones of You by Debbie Howells is an utterly heart wrenching mystery. Although not a typical police procedural, this suspenseful psychological thriller is an enthralling story about the murder of eighteen year old Rosie Anderson. Told from dual points of view, the Anderson family's secrets, lies and betrayals are revealed and the truth about this perfect family is as shocking as it is heartbreaking.
From the second she learns her friend Joanna's daughter is missing, Kate McKay is obsessed with learning the truth about Rosie's disappearance. Although they are not particularly close, Rosie is the same age as Kate's daughter, Grace and Kate immediately reaches out to Jo. Rosie and Grace were complete opposites with a different circle of friends, but Rosie spent time on the family farm helping Kate care for their horses. When Rosie's body is discovered a few weeks after she vanished, Kate is compelled to continue supporting her grieving friend while at the same time searching for answers about Rosie's murder.
Rumor and speculation about Rosie run rampant for several weeks, then life returns to normal for most residents of the small town. The same is true for Kate but she continues to check in on Jo and she grows increasingly alarmed at Jo's deteriorating condition. Although understandable given her horrific loss, Kate is nonetheless shocked when her behavior becomes even more erratic. Once Jo confides the truth about her marriage, Kate does not know what to believe since Neal is a charismatic journalist who also volunteers at an orphanage in war torn Afghanistan. Even after Jo presents irrefutable proof that Neal is not the man everyone believes him to be, Kate still has doubts that he is capable of killing his daughter especially since the police cannot completely rule out Rosie's secret boyfriend as a suspect.
While Kate remains unconvinced about Jo's claims, readers are presented with an up close look into the Anderson family through Rosie's eyes. Rosie's spirit lingers after her death and she relives her life right up until the moment of her horrific murder. She sees her life as a movie and the truth about her short life is unbearably sad and unreservedly tragic. Rosie's chapters are incredibly poignant and rather chilling but they provide valuable insight about her family and ultimately, her murder.
The Bones of You by Debbie Howells is a clever yet haunting novel. This shrewdly written mystery has plenty of unexpected twists and turns that cast reasonable doubt on the killer's identity until the story's stunning conclusion. An incredibly riveting psychological thriller that I highly recommend to fans of the genre.
The Bones of You by Debbie Howells is an utterly heart wrenching mystery. Although not a typical police procedural, this suspenseful psychological thriller is an enthralling story about the murder of eighteen year old Rosie Anderson. Told from dual points of view, the Anderson family's secrets, lies and betrayals are revealed and the truth about this perfect family is as shocking as it is heartbreaking.
From the second she learns her friend Joanna's daughter is missing, Kate McKay is obsessed with learning the truth about Rosie's disappearance. Although they are not particularly close, Rosie is the same age as Kate's daughter, Grace and Kate immediately reaches out to Jo. Rosie and Grace were complete opposites with a different circle of friends, but Rosie spent time on the family farm helping Kate care for their horses. When Rosie's body is discovered a few weeks after she vanished, Kate is compelled to continue supporting her grieving friend while at the same time searching for answers about Rosie's murder.
Rumor and speculation about Rosie run rampant for several weeks, then life returns to normal for most residents of the small town. The same is true for Kate but she continues to check in on Jo and she grows increasingly alarmed at Jo's deteriorating condition. Although understandable given her horrific loss, Kate is nonetheless shocked when her behavior becomes even more erratic. Once Jo confides the truth about her marriage, Kate does not know what to believe since Neal is a charismatic journalist who also volunteers at an orphanage in war torn Afghanistan. Even after Jo presents irrefutable proof that Neal is not the man everyone believes him to be, Kate still has doubts that he is capable of killing his daughter especially since the police cannot completely rule out Rosie's secret boyfriend as a suspect.
While Kate remains unconvinced about Jo's claims, readers are presented with an up close look into the Anderson family through Rosie's eyes. Rosie's spirit lingers after her death and she relives her life right up until the moment of her horrific murder. She sees her life as a movie and the truth about her short life is unbearably sad and unreservedly tragic. Rosie's chapters are incredibly poignant and rather chilling but they provide valuable insight about her family and ultimately, her murder.
The Bones of You by Debbie Howells is a clever yet haunting novel. This shrewdly written mystery has plenty of unexpected twists and turns that cast reasonable doubt on the killer's identity until the story's stunning conclusion. An incredibly riveting psychological thriller that I highly recommend to fans of the genre.
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The Andersons seem like a perfect family - father Neal is a successful TV reporter, Joanna is a glamorous homemaker and they have two polite daughters Rosie and Delphine. However one summer Rosie disappears and when she is found murdered shock waves pass through the comfortable village they live in. Neighbour Kate who has a daughter the same age tries to support Jo through the aftermath but as she does layers are peeled away and eventually the facade of the perfect family starts to crumble.
This book is proving to be very popular and I'm sure thousands of readers can't be wrong but I have to honest and I really heartily disliked this book. It was reminiscent of 'The Lovely Bones' in structure with beyond the grave narration and abuse in the plot, and I didn't like 'The Lovely Bones'! About a third of the way into the book I started to become really frustrated as the storyline became repetitive and didn't seem to move anywhere. There is a certain degree of ability to come up with an interesting idea for a book but for me it just didn't work at all.
This book is proving to be very popular and I'm sure thousands of readers can't be wrong but I have to honest and I really heartily disliked this book. It was reminiscent of 'The Lovely Bones' in structure with beyond the grave narration and abuse in the plot, and I didn't like 'The Lovely Bones'! About a third of the way into the book I started to become really frustrated as the storyline became repetitive and didn't seem to move anywhere. There is a certain degree of ability to come up with an interesting idea for a book but for me it just didn't work at all.
Stunning. Well paced, intricate plot with an effective narrative. Almost poetic at times.
I was bored. I finished only because I wanted yo know if I was right about who the killer was.
It starts out pretty slow, but then picks up about half way in. I couldn't put it down at that point.