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wyabook234 's review for:
Near the Bone
by Christina Henry
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Near The Bone by Christina Henry creates a more tense situation on the mountain by having more than one monster go after our heroine, Mattie, and her new friends. With the creatures stalking her through the woods and William being abusively domineering over her life, she has little room to breathe freely in such a cold and isolated setting. This tension within Mattie's and her abusive husband's dynamic is incredibly stressed in the first half. Nevertheless, it simmers and relies on William's overall stalking presence in the second half as Henry takes time to develop her character. Mattie's development of going from an abused soul to being more independent and strong to survive the beastly ordeal deviates the story from being a regular creature feature, and it would have gone that route if the story had been taken from the perspectives of the cryptid hunters.
However, I did find the twist of Mattie being a kidnapped child victim to be predictable and kind of cliche despite how it proves the extent of William's depraved impact upon her spirit and how it makes her fighting back against her abuser more satisfying for the readers. I also expected a better conclusion concerning her sister, Heather, as I felt some clues were leading up to another twist in my opinion that another sister never even existed, or I could have been disappointed that they never reunited at the end.
The deaths of Griffin and Jen by the creatures near the end of the story are undoubtedly gruesome, but Mattie's increasing paranoia draws the reader in. After she is separated from the cryptid hunters and Griffin is injured, her fear is palpable in every sound she hears through branches breaking and rifles being fired into the air. This element of the narrative is particularly effective in evoking a response from the reader.
However, I did find the twist of Mattie being a kidnapped child victim to be predictable and kind of cliche despite how it proves the extent of William's depraved impact upon her spirit and how it makes her fighting back against her abuser more satisfying for the readers. I also expected a better conclusion concerning her sister, Heather, as I felt some clues were leading up to another twist in my opinion that another sister never even existed, or I could have been disappointed that they never reunited at the end.
The deaths of Griffin and Jen by the creatures near the end of the story are undoubtedly gruesome, but Mattie's increasing paranoia draws the reader in. After she is separated from the cryptid hunters and Griffin is injured, her fear is palpable in every sound she hears through branches breaking and rifles being fired into the air. This element of the narrative is particularly effective in evoking a response from the reader.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping
Moderate: Gore, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Rape
Minor: Infertility, Sexual assault, Death of parent