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3.69 AVERAGE
3.69 AVERAGE
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Near the bone is predictable, repetitive, and somehow still infuriatingly unresolved.
When reading the description, I expected something less straightforward, but it was still blatantly obvious that thereal monster was going to be the man all along. However, about 90% of this book is details about beating up a woman, being afraid of being beaten up, and the reminiscing of all the other times she's been beaten. From early on, the book even consistently calls the husband a monster, just in case you need it underlined a little more.
Seems like there are some unused elements in explaining the backstory too.The girl has a sister, but does she? Her existence or nonexistence was never resolved. And if it is a metaphorical existence, it doesn't even feel half baked. It feels like someone started mixing the dough and then remembered they were out of eggs and tried to pass the mixture as chocolate mousse. The "revelations" were very conveniently timed memories brought up by the girl. In her dull existence being trapped in the mountain, hearing a helicopter regularly drop off tons of heroin around didn't feature as a thing before the last few pages? The feasibility and the motivation for the husband also seems underdeveloped. Why kill the mother/his girlfriend? Why take the girl? Was he always religious or did he just use it to control the girl? If so, why would the mother have been with him? He didn't exactly seem to have a charming bone in him.
I appreciated the cryptid being described as just an intelligent animal, however. It makes sense that it didn't have an explanation. Had it been metaphorically connected to what was going on, I'd have appreciated it more too.It only appeared at times very convenient for the plot though. Why wouldn't it have taken the half-dead husband when it could? And the plot armour on the husband was absurd.
When reading the description, I expected something less straightforward, but it was still blatantly obvious that the
Seems like there are some unused elements in explaining the backstory too.
I appreciated the cryptid being described as just an intelligent animal, however. It makes sense that it didn't have an explanation. Had it been metaphorically connected to what was going on, I'd have appreciated it more too.
Genuinely terrifying and gripping. An absolute thriller of a read.
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
My rating is a 2.25.
This book wasn’t for me. I’m unsure if it was because I found it annoying that “Maddie” repeats the same 3 thoughts over and over and over again (swear if you cut all the additional times she repeats something, this would be 100 pages long), or the predictable plot, or the way they frame the ending, or what seems like giving her a love interest, it just feels poorly written the whole time. Which is sad, because there’s a good story in here somewhere.
I’m happy that a lot of people enjoyed this one, but it was a slog to get through for me. Glad she found her voice.
This book wasn’t for me. I’m unsure if it was because I found it annoying that “Maddie” repeats the same 3 thoughts over and over and over again (swear if you cut all the additional times she repeats something, this would be 100 pages long), or the predictable plot, or the way they frame the ending, or what seems like giving her a love interest, it just feels poorly written the whole time. Which is sad, because there’s a good story in here somewhere.
I’m happy that a lot of people enjoyed this one, but it was a slog to get through for me. Glad she found her voice.
fast-paced
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Wow. I went into this without knowing anything about the book. It was very suspenseful with a hint of the supernatural. I really enjoyed it. It left me with questions but it was still a great ending. Devoured it in less than 3 hours.
This was terrifying. This was very close to being a five star read and I really enjoyed it, despite how terrifying it was.
Mattie lives in a cabin on the mountain with her husband William. Mattie has to follow William's rules and not make him angry. One day, they realise that they are not alone on the mountain, that a monster is up there with them, and it wants them gone.
At first, I thought that this was set in the late nineteenth or early twentieth century, with how rustic the setting was. They have no electricity, no flushing toilet, no shower, and no TV. Mattie wears handmade clothes, and has to cook and clean and do everything for her husband. When you realise what is truly going on with Mattie and William, it's certainly a shock. I think it's this that made the story so truly horrifying, not the monster. The monster was pretty scary, too, but I think that was the amazing thing about this book: there are two monsters, and like Mattie you have to decide which is the more terrifying.
Mattie certainly grows and develops throughout the book. At first she is a terrified shell of a person, but as she spends more time away from William, she begins to find herself. Being inside Mattie's head for the entirety of the book is certainly different, and I'm sure some people might not enjoy this perspective, but aside from being a fast-paced terrifying read, this is also something of a character study for Mattie, as we see her find her confidence and strength.
While I did really enjoy this, it was enjoyment that was also tempered by sadness, because I've seen women in relationships like this and I wish it didn't happen. I have seen some criticisms of Mattie's behaviour, particularly how she can just switch from seeing something truly horrific to being so blase and wanting to eat afterwards. While I can't speak from experience, I saw Mattie's behaviour as being somewhat indicative of her experiences so far. She's had to just get up and carry on, no matter what happened, because she had no choice but to do that.
Something did annoy me a bit towards the end, but it was such a minor thing really. Towards the end we find out how William earns his money, and the reason just seemed a little convenient and a bit far-fetched, and it took me out of the story a bit when I read that bit. Other than that, I don't have many criticisms of this one, and would overall really recommend this book.
Mattie lives in a cabin on the mountain with her husband William. Mattie has to follow William's rules and not make him angry. One day, they realise that they are not alone on the mountain, that a monster is up there with them, and it wants them gone.
At first, I thought that this was set in the late nineteenth or early twentieth century, with how rustic the setting was. They have no electricity, no flushing toilet, no shower, and no TV. Mattie wears handmade clothes, and has to cook and clean and do everything for her husband. When you realise what is truly going on with Mattie and William, it's certainly a shock. I think it's this that made the story so truly horrifying, not the monster. The monster was pretty scary, too, but I think that was the amazing thing about this book: there are two monsters, and like Mattie you have to decide which is the more terrifying.
Mattie certainly grows and develops throughout the book. At first she is a terrified shell of a person, but as she spends more time away from William, she begins to find herself. Being inside Mattie's head for the entirety of the book is certainly different, and I'm sure some people might not enjoy this perspective, but aside from being a fast-paced terrifying read, this is also something of a character study for Mattie, as we see her find her confidence and strength.
While I did really enjoy this, it was enjoyment that was also tempered by sadness, because I've seen women in relationships like this and I wish it didn't happen. I have seen some criticisms of Mattie's behaviour, particularly how she can just switch from seeing something truly horrific to being so blase and wanting to eat afterwards. While I can't speak from experience, I saw Mattie's behaviour as being somewhat indicative of her experiences so far. She's had to just get up and carry on, no matter what happened, because she had no choice but to do that.
Something did annoy me a bit towards the end, but it was such a minor thing really. Towards the end we find out how William earns his money, and the reason just seemed a little convenient and a bit far-fetched, and it took me out of the story a bit when I read that bit. Other than that, I don't have many criticisms of this one, and would overall really recommend this book.
challenging
dark
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes