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dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Beautifully - if gruesomely - written. The horror grips you by the throat and doesn't let go. I was initially worried that the monster was going to be an appropriation of Native Folklore, and was pleased to find that it was an original creation. The characters are fleshed out and feel accurate to small town America - no trying to gussy them up for the audience.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Gore, Suicide, Blood, Death of parent
Moderate: Domestic abuse
Minor: Homophobia
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This appealed to everything I love about Robert Holdstock’s books (magic and grief are powerful and scary) combined with everything I love about Maggie Stiefvater’s books (magic and teenagers are both wholesome AND horny). The writing is exceedingly lovely and captures the spectrum of complex feelings about living but not fitting in in a small town. I managed to read this in three days on a beach trip surrounded by family members who can’t shut up, it was that engrossing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Grief, Death of parent
Moderate: Suicide
Minor: Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders
There is a content warning at the start of the book.
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
DISCLAIMER: This may or may not be a full list of every trigger/content warning found in the book. Some triggers and content warnings may contain spoilers!
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To start, I really liked this book. I listened to it as an audiobook and the narrator did a great job with the descriptions and the voice adjustments as well.
I think overall the book is some sort of metaphor. There is a lot going on at any given time, but being a thriller/horror, that's to be expected. It wasn't until after I relooked at the content warnings listed on the author's website, that some vague imagery settled into what they might have actually been implying. For my first solid attempt into a NA based horror, I really liked this one. It flowed well, and moved right along throughout the numerous POVs and storylines that interconnected and fell apart before weaving back together.
The primary characters: Laurel, Isaac, Garrett, and Ricky are all in their 20s, with emphasis on Laurel dropping out of college and Isaac wanting to go. The book is not for a younger audience due to the imagery described in it, but an older YA/general NA, this is a solid take. I loved the description of the scenes and the setting given that it takes place not far from where I actually live. I do think the language was maybe a little flowery, but being a flowery writer myself, I could glaze right on over it. Sometimes it helped, sometimes it was maybe a tad long-winded.
I did like the consistent use of internal monologue for the characters since that lets us get inside their heads and see what they're thinking. I do wish some of the conflict between the characters was a little more heated and strung out. Some parts felt like issues between the group were moreso brushed under the rug than allowed to heat up and boil, but maybe that was the point of the narrative. Each character had their own quirky personality and were distinctive from one another which was good.
The imagery that the author used to describe the "devil" and its monsters was definitely eerie. There was a lot of research done on the different aspects and parts of blood and bone, and as well as the natural parts of rotting, decomposition, the idea of death, and the concept of life and rebirth. There's an emphasis on cycles when it comes to life and death with a strong emphasis on the cycles affecting the forests on the Early property. There are parts where Laurel talks to the plants and they talk back which is definitely eerie and creepy, but effective for what she needs it for.
There is a queer relationship within the book which I really liked how it was handled. The author played with the concept of internalized homomisia in one of the characters and allowed that self-loathing to grow more into a generalized acceptance and then trust in the character's feelings. Depictions of homomisia are present in the book with an implied slur used without being named from a parent to a child which is part of a bigger scene that may be difficult to some readers. However, I think it's realistic, especially being part of the LGBT+ community within the hills of Kentucky. Otherwise, there is an overarching acceptance for the characters' existences between the friend group and outlying minor characters beyond the main culprit of abuse.
The ending tied up some very prevalent questions I had towards the end and left some idea of "well, how did that happen then," but the questions weren't bothersome enough to really be too much of a problem. I do not think the book left on a cliffhanger and I think a stand-alone fits it nicely.
Overall, I'm pretty happy with this one! I look forward to seeing what else the author conjures beyond their debut novel. I will definitely recommend this one for readers looking for an easy to read thriller/horror with accents of magic and heavier themes.
-----
To start, I really liked this book. I listened to it as an audiobook and the narrator did a great job with the descriptions and the voice adjustments as well.
I think overall the book is some sort of metaphor. There is a lot going on at any given time, but being a thriller/horror, that's to be expected. It wasn't until after I relooked at the content warnings listed on the author's website, that some vague imagery settled into what they might have actually been implying. For my first solid attempt into a NA based horror, I really liked this one. It flowed well, and moved right along throughout the numerous POVs and storylines that interconnected and fell apart before weaving back together.
The primary characters: Laurel, Isaac, Garrett, and Ricky are all in their 20s, with emphasis on Laurel dropping out of college and Isaac wanting to go. The book is not for a younger audience due to the imagery described in it, but an older YA/general NA, this is a solid take. I loved the description of the scenes and the setting given that it takes place not far from where I actually live. I do think the language was maybe a little flowery, but being a flowery writer myself, I could glaze right on over it. Sometimes it helped, sometimes it was maybe a tad long-winded.
I did like the consistent use of internal monologue for the characters since that lets us get inside their heads and see what they're thinking. I do wish some of the conflict between the characters was a little more heated and strung out. Some parts felt like issues between the group were moreso brushed under the rug than allowed to heat up and boil, but maybe that was the point of the narrative. Each character had their own quirky personality and were distinctive from one another which was good.
The imagery that the author used to describe the "devil" and its monsters was definitely eerie. There was a lot of research done on the different aspects and parts of blood and bone, and as well as the natural parts of rotting, decomposition, the idea of death, and the concept of life and rebirth. There's an emphasis on cycles when it comes to life and death with a strong emphasis on the cycles affecting the forests on the Early property. There are parts where Laurel talks to the plants and they talk back which is definitely eerie and creepy, but effective for what she needs it for.
There is a queer relationship within the book which I really liked how it was handled. The author played with the concept of internalized homomisia in one of the characters and allowed that self-loathing to grow more into a generalized acceptance and then trust in the character's feelings. Depictions of homomisia are present in the book with an implied slur used without being named from a parent to a child which is part of a bigger scene that may be difficult to some readers. However, I think it's realistic, especially being part of the LGBT+ community within the hills of Kentucky. Otherwise, there is an overarching acceptance for the characters' existences between the friend group and outlying minor characters beyond the main culprit of abuse.
The ending tied up some very prevalent questions I had towards the end and left some idea of "well, how did that happen then," but the questions weren't bothersome enough to really be too much of a problem. I do not think the book left on a cliffhanger and I think a stand-alone fits it nicely.
Overall, I'm pretty happy with this one! I look forward to seeing what else the author conjures beyond their debut novel. I will definitely recommend this one for readers looking for an easy to read thriller/horror with accents of magic and heavier themes.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Gun violence, Violence, Blood
Moderate: Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse
Minor: Drug use, Suicide
Mental and physical abuse, homomisia, violence, dental trauma, guns, postpartum depression, drug usage, animal death, body horror, blood, alcoholism, and suicide.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Blood, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Death of parent
Minor: Homophobia, Torture
I had a wonderful experience reading this book. The descriptions of environments were lush and detailed, and the characters were immediately likable, with deep ties in each other's lives. I was pleasantly surprised by the uniqueness of the haunting story Kilcoyne told. Its strangeness added to the tension, and I genuinely worried for the characters' survival as they attempted to uncover what was happening. I would definitely recommend this book to others who enjoy character-driven horror stories.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Grief
Moderate: Child abuse, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Car accident
Minor: Sexual content, Suicide, Alcohol
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
A book that had me at “The sleepy little farm that Laurel Early grew up on has awakened. The woods are shifting, the soil is dead under her hands, and her bone pile just stood up and walked away.”
And kept with me every “I reckon” that made
felt like home
And it’s dark atmosphere that is both haunting and familiar
And the way Elizabeth Kilcoyne paints nature so beautifully, but also shows the mysterious and dangerous side
how it ranges from southern gothic to folk horror
and the gore and ruthlessness
and a mention of banana pudding
Wake the Bones was one of the books that I was looking forward to reading the most this year. I think it quickly became one of my favorites too.
I was surprised just how dark it was (The author provided some content warnings on her website. I will leave at the bottom). There’s a certain mood when reading this book that I really enjoyed. It’s almost like you can feel the heaviness outside of the pages.
And I believe it is based around the legend of Rawhead and Bloody Bones, somehow I heard of but didn’t know much about. It is pretty terrifying.
I really loved this book.
*ARC provided by WednesdayBooks via Netgalley
CW: thematic material: mental & physical abuse, violence, suicide.
specific: abuse by alcoholic parent
Additional: guns, Postpartum depression, drug usage, animal death, blood
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Violence
Moderate: Alcoholism, Homophobia, Suicide
Minor: Animal death, Drug use, Blood
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
Thank you to Wednesday Books and Netgalley for an arc of this book.
Wake the Bones is a Southern Gothic YA Fantasy that has Laurel coming home after dropping out of college and discovering evil and magic and ghosts lingering on her land that she hadn't noticed before. Together with her friends Isaac, Garrett, and Ricky, Laurel works to solve the mystery of the Devil that is haunting her land and what truly happened to her mother all those years ago.
This was a great atmospheric read! I listened to the audio and was really invested right away. It was easy to get drawn into the world of the story and the magic going on around Laurel and her friends. I also understood the plight of Isaac loving both loving and hating where he lived and feeling like he needed to leave to really be himself.
Laurel and Isaac were both really compelling and three dimensional characters. I wish that some of the other characters had also felt that way, but they felt a little more static to me. I wish we could have delved more into Christina and her magic because that part of the story really drew me in but it was so small.
Overall a really creepy and interesting read!
Wake the Bones is a Southern Gothic YA Fantasy that has Laurel coming home after dropping out of college and discovering evil and magic and ghosts lingering on her land that she hadn't noticed before. Together with her friends Isaac, Garrett, and Ricky, Laurel works to solve the mystery of the Devil that is haunting her land and what truly happened to her mother all those years ago.
This was a great atmospheric read! I listened to the audio and was really invested right away. It was easy to get drawn into the world of the story and the magic going on around Laurel and her friends. I also understood the plight of Isaac loving both loving and hating where he lived and feeling like he needed to leave to really be himself.
Laurel and Isaac were both really compelling and three dimensional characters. I wish that some of the other characters had also felt that way, but they felt a little more static to me. I wish we could have delved more into Christina and her magic because that part of the story really drew me in but it was so small.
Overall a really creepy and interesting read!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Violence, Blood, Death of parent
Moderate: Homophobia, Physical abuse
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is a creepy, atmospheric, horror fantasy novel that definitely works if you're looking for horror to read in the summer. It reminded me a little of [book:Summer Sons|53290204] but more YA with a little more magic to it. It gave me similar kind of vibes, though.
The characters in this are well done; you have a diverse group, working together to fight this bone monster that has shown up at Laurel's farm. Isaac was probably my favorite character, even though his story was probably the most heartbreaking. The scene with his dad in their apartment? Devastating.
The only thing that really turned me off was the changing perspectives throughout. I understood the necessity of it, but it kind of threw me off, listening to the audiobook. It would take me a minute to realize that we were in a different character's mind.
All in all, if you're looking for a new YA horror book to check out, definitely pick this one up!
The characters in this are well done; you have a diverse group, working together to fight this bone monster that has shown up at Laurel's farm. Isaac was probably my favorite character, even though his story was probably the most heartbreaking. The scene with his dad in their apartment? Devastating.
The only thing that really turned me off was the changing perspectives throughout. I understood the necessity of it, but it kind of threw me off, listening to the audiobook. It would take me a minute to realize that we were in a different character's mind.
All in all, if you're looking for a new YA horror book to check out, definitely pick this one up!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Blood
Moderate: Child abuse, Suicide, Death of parent
Minor: Death, Homophobia, Mental illness