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3.46 AVERAGE
3.46 AVERAGE
What a sinister book!
I thought it a bit slow to start and really had no idea where it was going for the first 50 pages but I think it needed it to explain what was going on.
The story is told through the book by 4 people Kate who is the actual story teller but you get insights from three other characters Jo, Rosie and Della. It was quite s page turner and I really enjoyed it!
I thought it a bit slow to start and really had no idea where it was going for the first 50 pages but I think it needed it to explain what was going on.
The story is told through the book by 4 people Kate who is the actual story teller but you get insights from three other characters Jo, Rosie and Della. It was quite s page turner and I really enjoyed it!
A really good and gripping first novel from Debbie Howells. I'd picked the killer by the first flashback but that didn't spoil the story at all - a really creepy look into the secrets that can hide behind the facade of everyday lfie.
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Unfortunately, I could not warm to Howells' style of writing despite wanting to like this book. The story itself had promise but it simply wasn't enough to be an enjoyable read. The story got lost somewhere along the way and it was not realistic enough in comparison to other thriller/murder books I've read.
What I will say though, is that the book did keep me guessing right until the end. Overall disappointing but not the worst I suppose.
What I will say though, is that the book did keep me guessing right until the end. Overall disappointing but not the worst I suppose.
Enjoyed this one. Would read it again. Great Mystery!
Thank you to the author and publisher of The Bones of You for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
In a quiet English village, 18 year old Rosie goes missing. Kate, a nearby neighbor with her own 18 year old daughter, is shocked and concerned for the Anderson family. Then Rosie is found beaten and stabbed to death. As Kate becomes more and more involved with the Anderson family she discovers that appearances can be deceiving.
Holy cow! This was great. I read it in one sitting, if stopping to make dinner doesn't count. Eerily similar to The Lovely Bones in that we get short chapters from Rosie after her death. But The Bones of You is everything I wanted The Lovely Bones to be that it wasn't. It was grim without being overly depressing. The killer was kept hidden from the reader until the end. The author didn't spend long periods of time focusing on the sadness of the village people. You start right in the thick of things, no slow introduction until you get to the action.
This would have been a solid five stars for me (rare!) except that I feel that there was a gaping plot hole in that the police investigation seemed completely inaccurate. A young girl is found brutally murdered but no forensics team is called in? Based on the description of the murder, it seems that it would have been solved instantly if finger nail scrapings had been taken.
That aside, this is beautifully written. The language is almost poetic at times. As I said, the story moves along steadily, keeping the reader engaged and interested. And the mystery was pretty good. I kept thinking I had it figured out only to second guess myself.
I highly recommend this book to anyone that enjoys a good mystery, psychological thriller, or horror. If you liked The Lovely Bones but contemporary fiction isn't your fav, you'll love The Bones of You.
In a quiet English village, 18 year old Rosie goes missing. Kate, a nearby neighbor with her own 18 year old daughter, is shocked and concerned for the Anderson family. Then Rosie is found beaten and stabbed to death. As Kate becomes more and more involved with the Anderson family she discovers that appearances can be deceiving.
Holy cow! This was great. I read it in one sitting, if stopping to make dinner doesn't count. Eerily similar to The Lovely Bones in that we get short chapters from Rosie after her death. But The Bones of You is everything I wanted The Lovely Bones to be that it wasn't. It was grim without being overly depressing. The killer was kept hidden from the reader until the end. The author didn't spend long periods of time focusing on the sadness of the village people. You start right in the thick of things, no slow introduction until you get to the action.
This would have been a solid five stars for me (rare!) except that I feel that there was a gaping plot hole in that the police investigation seemed completely inaccurate. A young girl is found brutally murdered but no forensics team is called in? Based on the description of the murder, it seems that it would have been solved instantly if finger nail scrapings had been taken.
That aside, this is beautifully written. The language is almost poetic at times. As I said, the story moves along steadily, keeping the reader engaged and interested. And the mystery was pretty good. I kept thinking I had it figured out only to second guess myself.
I highly recommend this book to anyone that enjoys a good mystery, psychological thriller, or horror. If you liked The Lovely Bones but contemporary fiction isn't your fav, you'll love The Bones of You.
Kate McKay is horrified to learn an eighteen-year-old girl with whom she and her daughter are acquainted is missing. Katie found Rosie Anderson to be quite, sweet, and respectful and she is hopeful that Rosie is okay. The news Kate and other Sussex residents gets about Rosie is not good. Kate becomes involved in the lives of the Andersons when she tries to comfort Rosie’s grieving mother. Kate soon learns that in spite of their outwardly perfect family, not everything is as it appears in the Anderson home.
“Bones of You” is an unusual book with some touching moments, but it also has its share of despicable characters. The main character, Kate, however is a wonderful main character. She is smart, hard-working, and tries to be the best wife, mother, and friend that she can. She had reached out to Rosie and feels compelled to learn more about her and to now provide whatever help she can to Rosie’s mother. She gets in over her head with the Andersons, but is determined to see things through and find out what really happened to Rosie.
The narration of the book is split between Kate’s point of view and Rosie’s telling of the story of her own life, as it flashes before her eyes. Kate and the reader learns that some of the other people in Rosie’s life are not so wonderful. Some of this is hard to read, but the story is very compelling and suspenseful. Some of the things that come out about Rosie’s family seems over the top and unnecessary given other horrifying events already included in the book. All in all, I enjoyed this intense book and the unique way in which Rosie’s story was told.
I received this book from NetGalley through the courtesy of Kensington Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
“Bones of You” is an unusual book with some touching moments, but it also has its share of despicable characters. The main character, Kate, however is a wonderful main character. She is smart, hard-working, and tries to be the best wife, mother, and friend that she can. She had reached out to Rosie and feels compelled to learn more about her and to now provide whatever help she can to Rosie’s mother. She gets in over her head with the Andersons, but is determined to see things through and find out what really happened to Rosie.
The narration of the book is split between Kate’s point of view and Rosie’s telling of the story of her own life, as it flashes before her eyes. Kate and the reader learns that some of the other people in Rosie’s life are not so wonderful. Some of this is hard to read, but the story is very compelling and suspenseful. Some of the things that come out about Rosie’s family seems over the top and unnecessary given other horrifying events already included in the book. All in all, I enjoyed this intense book and the unique way in which Rosie’s story was told.
I received this book from NetGalley through the courtesy of Kensington Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
An impressive debut novel from this author - haunting, compelling and nicely written. It kept me hooked from beginning to end.
Thank you Netgalley and Kensington book for giving me the chance to review this book. Here is my honest review.
A psychological thriller about a parents worst nightmare when a child goes missing and is discovered dead, in this case it was 18 year Rosie Anderson. Every time I thought I was sure who the killer was I felt conflicted and changed my mind. I figured it out 81% into the book so in my opinion it kept me guessing almost until the end which is what you want with a good book.
A psychological thriller about a parents worst nightmare when a child goes missing and is discovered dead, in this case it was 18 year Rosie Anderson. Every time I thought I was sure who the killer was I felt conflicted and changed my mind. I figured it out 81% into the book so in my opinion it kept me guessing almost until the end which is what you want with a good book.
I thought the synopsis of this book was incredibly intriguing, so when I was approached to read and review a copy, I jumped at the chance. The Bones of You is a decent pyschological thriller, which doesn’t take long to read once you get into it. I thought it started quite slowly, but once I was into it, I couldn’t put it down.
The Bones of You centres around Kate and Rosie and it is told from both of their perspectives. The story starts with a phonecall to Kate, who finds out that someone’s daughter Rosie has gone missing. Kate had got to know Rosie recently, after Rosie loved Kate’s horses. Rosie is a quiet, ‘good’ girl so her disappearance is totally out of character. Everyone hopes that Rosie will return home soon. The Bones of You looks at what goes on behind closed doors and how things aren’t always as perfect as they might seem!
I thought the characters were interesting and I really enjoyed the dual narration. I can totally see why it has been compared to The Lovely Bones. I think The Bones of You is a good read in its own right though.
The Bones of You is definitely more of a thriller/mystery than anything else. It concentrates on family, specifically how complex they can be. This book isn’t as fast paced as other books in the genre, but I was never bored with it. I had an inkling around halfway through about what had happened to Rosie. I was right, but my enjoyment of the story wasn’t affected because of it!
The Bones of You centres around Kate and Rosie and it is told from both of their perspectives. The story starts with a phonecall to Kate, who finds out that someone’s daughter Rosie has gone missing. Kate had got to know Rosie recently, after Rosie loved Kate’s horses. Rosie is a quiet, ‘good’ girl so her disappearance is totally out of character. Everyone hopes that Rosie will return home soon. The Bones of You looks at what goes on behind closed doors and how things aren’t always as perfect as they might seem!
I thought the characters were interesting and I really enjoyed the dual narration. I can totally see why it has been compared to The Lovely Bones. I think The Bones of You is a good read in its own right though.
The Bones of You is definitely more of a thriller/mystery than anything else. It concentrates on family, specifically how complex they can be. This book isn’t as fast paced as other books in the genre, but I was never bored with it. I had an inkling around halfway through about what had happened to Rosie. I was right, but my enjoyment of the story wasn’t affected because of it!