Scan barcode
lovelynovellas's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.5
Book one spoils book two because Jack explains everything in book one. This book could have been so much better if we got to understand why Jill loves her Master so much, if we got to see what they do together to create that bond. If we got to see Jack working with Dr. Whats his name, if we got to see their growth but we don't. It was dark and atmospheric but just.... ugh. I have no words. Just alright of a book. I'm so sad that I didn't enjoy this
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Blood
podanotherjessi's review
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I like this one even more than the last. It's not as in your face about the representation, but Jack as a lesbian was delightful. The fascinating examination of morality was also really neat.
Similar to book 1, the plot ends up being the weak poitn of this story, but not for the same reasons. I found myself wishing for more from this one. Instead of time jumps and snippits of story, I wanted the whole thing. Jack learning alongside her doctor, Jill becoming more like her master. A slower story instead of a rushed one.
Characters: 10
Plot: 9
Setting: 10
General Appeal: 9
Writing Style: 8
Originality: 8
Ending: 8
Similar to book 1, the plot ends up being the weak poitn of this story, but not for the same reasons. I found myself wishing for more from this one. Instead of time jumps and snippits of story, I wanted the whole thing. Jack learning alongside her doctor, Jill becoming more like her master. A slower story instead of a rushed one.
Characters: 10
Plot: 9
Setting: 10
General Appeal: 9
Writing Style: 8
Originality: 8
Ending: 8
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Death
angelareads's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Less complex than the first book, but for me a slightly more enjoyable read. It all evens out to a 3.5 for both books.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Physical abuse
Minor: Fatphobia, Homophobia, and Pedophilia
booksthatburn's review
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Down Among the Sticks and Bones is calm and dark, unafraid of gore; more interested in the slow transformation of two people distorted by ill-fitting molds, suddenly released to find very different paths with new kinds of darkness, surety settling in their bones.
This was a (relatively) calm way to learn more of a very strange and haunting story that was briefly described in Every Heart a Doorway. I'd been intrigued by Jack and Jill and I loved this opportunity to learn more about them. There's a lot of care here, for the characters and the audience. At several points the unnamed narrator tells us that a particular very bad thing happens, and trusts us to manage our own imaginations as to whether we'd like to dwell on gory details. Certain kinds of darkness are left unsaid, while others are dragged into the light, given no shadows in which to hide.
It's a horrific tale, darker somehow for the feeling of creeping inevitability granted by knowing how it ends before it's begun. It's about the journey when we already know the destination, and I treasure the path this pulled me along. If you were comfortable with the kind of darkness and horror in the first book then you'll likely be fine with this one. It feels like slowly probing the edges of a certain level of grim atmosphere and familiarity with death, turning over tiny pieces of something shattered and exhaling slowly when it's as bad as you thought, but no worse; you already knew it had broken.
This was a (relatively) calm way to learn more of a very strange and haunting story that was briefly described in Every Heart a Doorway. I'd been intrigued by Jack and Jill and I loved this opportunity to learn more about them. There's a lot of care here, for the characters and the audience. At several points the unnamed narrator tells us that a particular very bad thing happens, and trusts us to manage our own imaginations as to whether we'd like to dwell on gory details. Certain kinds of darkness are left unsaid, while others are dragged into the light, given no shadows in which to hide.
It's a horrific tale, darker somehow for the feeling of creeping inevitability granted by knowing how it ends before it's begun. It's about the journey when we already know the destination, and I treasure the path this pulled me along. If you were comfortable with the kind of darkness and horror in the first book then you'll likely be fine with this one. It feels like slowly probing the edges of a certain level of grim atmosphere and familiarity with death, turning over tiny pieces of something shattered and exhaling slowly when it's as bad as you thought, but no worse; you already knew it had broken.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Death, and Gore
CW for murder, gore, grooming, major character death.