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3.84 AVERAGE
3.84 AVERAGE
I didn’t realize this was magical realism until much later in the story and i think I’ve come to realize that with a couple exceptions, magical realism might not be for me.
I did find the diagnosis of a character a very interesting plot point that i don’t want to give away, but it was something I’d never seen before!
I did find the diagnosis of a character a very interesting plot point that i don’t want to give away, but it was something I’d never seen before!
Wow. Just wow. I listened to the audio book in the car, and read the rest of it in print because I couldn't wait for my next car trip. The narrator did an excellent job, and the voice he did for Roza's captor was resoundingly creepy. The horror of her situation was palpable, the imagery was spot on, and the theme of self-sufficiency deftly handled.
This book is beautiful, in simple terms. I will say, there were times I was completely lost, and others I couldn't rip my eyes from the pages. You're captured instantly by the different narratives of the characters, and I really enjoyed how more background was given as the story progressed. Ultimately this book is about how our character should define our beauty, not our appearance, which I think is the best message for young adults today.
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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:
Complicated
**3.5/5 stars**
This book was very well written and I enjoyed the experience of reading it. However I only gave it a 3-3.5 star rating because I didn't like the fantastical elements at the end.
Typically I am a huge fan of fantasy, magical realism, and books with a healthy dose of spookiness. I think my issue with this book is that, up until the final third, it appears to be a realist narrative. The switch to the fantastical came too abruptly and to me, almost seemed like a cop-out.
The story centers around Finn O'Sullivan, who lives with his older brother/golden son Sean in the tiny town of Bone Gap. The residents of this town are depicted as mostly nice individuals with a penchant for gossip. Finn's mother moved to Oregon with a boyfriend two years ago and since then, he and Sean have lived alone. One day a young woman named Roza appeared in their barn with injuries typical of domestic abuse and a thick Polish accent. Sean and Finn are both dazzled by Roza and her arrival markedly improves their lives...
Until Roza is kidnapped. Or is she? The action picks up after the alleged kidnapping, to which Finn was the only witness. The only problem is, he can't describe the man who took Roza. Much of the story is told in flashbacks, mainly Finn's and Roza's. The Roza chapters also reveal how Roza is being treated and housed by her kidnapper. On paper, this should be my favorite novel. And I liked a lot about it. But the kidnapping was too unrealistic-- a man obsesses over Roza, keeps her in a house in the middle of suburbia where she is seemingly surrounded by people but nobody notices her standing at the window. And it only gets less believable until I was thirsting to know how the kidnapper pulled off the crime... but then the whole thing seems to take place in a magical parallel universe? And the kidnapper may not be a man but some kind of higher being?? Maybe I'm being too harsh but I felt that the "explanation" behind Roza's kidnapping was almost as bad as if the author had said, "...and it was all a dream." (In fact Roza often wonders whether she is dreaming during the ordeal).
It seemed like she just didn't know how to tie up all the loose ends. It's too bad because I enjoyed the first two-thirds of this book and was disappointed by the ending. I liked the romance between Finn and Petey, and I liked that the characters were depicted as realistic high schoolers without belittling their problems and concerns to prom dates. It would've been interesting to get more chapters from Sean's perspective. The face blind reveal is a great moment in which something that the writer had been hinting at from the beginning was finally confirmed. To me, this made sense and was not outside the realm of possibility. That would be a perfectly fine explanation as to why the kidnapper eluded capture. I'll stop rambling--this is worth a read, but may be disappointing to folks hoping for more of a true crime tale.
This book was very well written and I enjoyed the experience of reading it. However I only gave it a 3-3.5 star rating because I didn't like the fantastical elements at the end.
Typically I am a huge fan of fantasy, magical realism, and books with a healthy dose of spookiness. I think my issue with this book is that, up until the final third, it appears to be a realist narrative. The switch to the fantastical came too abruptly and to me, almost seemed like a cop-out.
The story centers around Finn O'Sullivan, who lives with his older brother/golden son Sean in the tiny town of Bone Gap. The residents of this town are depicted as mostly nice individuals with a penchant for gossip. Finn's mother moved to Oregon with a boyfriend two years ago and since then, he and Sean have lived alone. One day a young woman named Roza appeared in their barn with injuries typical of domestic abuse and a thick Polish accent. Sean and Finn are both dazzled by Roza and her arrival markedly improves their lives...
Until Roza is kidnapped. Or is she? The action picks up after the alleged kidnapping, to which Finn was the only witness. The only problem is, he can't describe the man who took Roza. Much of the story is told in flashbacks, mainly Finn's and Roza's. The Roza chapters also reveal how Roza is being treated and housed by her kidnapper. On paper, this should be my favorite novel. And I liked a lot about it. But the kidnapping was too unrealistic-- a man obsesses over Roza, keeps her in a house in the middle of suburbia where she is seemingly surrounded by people but nobody notices her standing at the window. And it only gets less believable until I was thirsting to know how the kidnapper pulled off the crime... but then the whole thing seems to take place in a magical parallel universe? And the kidnapper may not be a man but some kind of higher being?? Maybe I'm being too harsh but I felt that the "explanation" behind Roza's kidnapping was almost as bad as if the author had said, "...and it was all a dream." (In fact Roza often wonders whether she is dreaming during the ordeal).
It seemed like she just didn't know how to tie up all the loose ends. It's too bad because I enjoyed the first two-thirds of this book and was disappointed by the ending. I liked the romance between Finn and Petey, and I liked that the characters were depicted as realistic high schoolers without belittling their problems and concerns to prom dates. It would've been interesting to get more chapters from Sean's perspective. The face blind reveal is a great moment in which something that the writer had been hinting at from the beginning was finally confirmed. To me, this made sense and was not outside the realm of possibility. That would be a perfectly fine explanation as to why the kidnapper eluded capture. I'll stop rambling--this is worth a read, but may be disappointing to folks hoping for more of a true crime tale.
There were a few points in this story where I said to myself, "Ugh! This is too much mythology inspiration for my liking." You see, I have an aversion to mythology. Ever since since I was in 6th grade and my English teacher made us learn about it through a series of horrifically boring worksheets, I cannot stomach even the slightest mythological reference. It is the literary equivalent to an allergic reaction.
When the story was more realism than magical, I enjoyed it a great deal. But those fantasy/mythology elements just didn't seem to click right for me in my addled, traumatized mind.
Still, even with my mythology aversion, I enjoyed Bone Gap more than I didn't. The writing is both simple and lyrical and I love that the ending was a win for feminism. It is also really difficult for me to connect with third person narration, but Laura Ruby expertly navigates that point-of-view to allow readers to connect with many of the characters you are meant to empathize with.
What made the story even more enjoyable for me was Dan Bittner's gentle yet haunting performance of the audiobook. I'm definitely a fan of his narration style.
Overall, Bone Gap was an enjoyable listening experience and lives up to the buzz it has been receiving among my book-loving friends. It's a quiet book that will likely have to be hand sold to just the right student, but I've already got a few students in my mind who I know would love it.
Read my entire review on my blog.
When the story was more realism than magical, I enjoyed it a great deal. But those fantasy/mythology elements just didn't seem to click right for me in my addled, traumatized mind.
Still, even with my mythology aversion, I enjoyed Bone Gap more than I didn't. The writing is both simple and lyrical and I love that the ending was a win for feminism. It is also really difficult for me to connect with third person narration, but Laura Ruby expertly navigates that point-of-view to allow readers to connect with many of the characters you are meant to empathize with.
What made the story even more enjoyable for me was Dan Bittner's gentle yet haunting performance of the audiobook. I'm definitely a fan of his narration style.
Overall, Bone Gap was an enjoyable listening experience and lives up to the buzz it has been receiving among my book-loving friends. It's a quiet book that will likely have to be hand sold to just the right student, but I've already got a few students in my mind who I know would love it.
Read my entire review on my blog.
I LOVE IT I LOVE IT I LOVE IT
Mythology! Melittology (BEES)! Mares! Mothers! Moronic townspeople! Other M words!
Also brothers and their bend and snap, the thing about faces, kidnappings, serendipity OR FATE or not, immigrants, small towns, the bias of belief, and other incredible explorations of the most beautiful things and
I died of how much I loved this.
BEEEEEEESSSS!!!
Mythology! Melittology (BEES)! Mares! Mothers! Moronic townspeople! Other M words!
Also brothers and their bend and snap, the thing about faces, kidnappings, serendipity OR FATE or not, immigrants, small towns, the bias of belief, and other incredible explorations of the most beautiful things and
I died of how much I loved this.
BEEEEEEESSSS!!!
This book was SO. GOOD. It's so hard to review this book because it's just so different and surreal, yet so amazing at the same time. I'm not one to really enjoy reading any magical realism (not that this book is that heavy in it) but it worked so well. Quite possibly my favorite book of the year.
What a strange, sometimes immersive book. The writing is gorgeous but the more fantastical elements weren't always incorporated as seamlessly as they could be.