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A review by tracyreads
The Bone Weaver's Orchard by Sarah Read
5.0
“The gravel became flagstones, and the stones became stairs as the face of the old abbey towered over him.”
Full review from Sci Fi and Scary:
We meet young Charley as he journeys to his new “home” in a rickety vehicle, over a poorly maintained country road. Set in England, these introductory scenes took me back to the first time I read The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett, or even the atmosphere provided by the works of Bronte and DuMaurier (think Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, and Rebecca); however, The Bone Weaver’s Orchard is most certainly NOT a children’s book or a direct “throwback” to those other books by any stretch of the imagination. This is horror. Read provides a dark atmosphere of uncertainty and trepidation with an effortless grace.
An ominous, dark old school building with a closed-off wing. An awkward, loveable protagonist. A grumpy headmaster. A caring school nurse. A mystery. Sound familiar? DO NOT BE DECEIVED. Sarah Read’s debut novel drew me in with familiarity and then “flipped the script” entirely to leave me bewildered and thoroughly engrossed in a tale that challenged my expectations. I should’ve known better – I read her short story, “Still Life with Natalie”, earlier this year and she caught me unawares in that one, too.
I found the novel to be incredibly well-paced; the pages just flew by, and before I knew it, it was over and I wanted more. I wanted more because I’m greedy and I needed more of Charley’s story. The ending is spectacular; I was so involved I could have read 100 more pages, at least. The characterization and Read’s power of description are stunning. There are scenes in this novel that had me cringing with disgust at times, and peeking through my fingers at others.
This novel will be released by Trepedatio Publishing on February 1, 2019. It is available for pre-order from the publisher. Be sure to grab this one.
Full review from Sci Fi and Scary:
We meet young Charley as he journeys to his new “home” in a rickety vehicle, over a poorly maintained country road. Set in England, these introductory scenes took me back to the first time I read The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett, or even the atmosphere provided by the works of Bronte and DuMaurier (think Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, and Rebecca); however, The Bone Weaver’s Orchard is most certainly NOT a children’s book or a direct “throwback” to those other books by any stretch of the imagination. This is horror. Read provides a dark atmosphere of uncertainty and trepidation with an effortless grace.
An ominous, dark old school building with a closed-off wing. An awkward, loveable protagonist. A grumpy headmaster. A caring school nurse. A mystery. Sound familiar? DO NOT BE DECEIVED. Sarah Read’s debut novel drew me in with familiarity and then “flipped the script” entirely to leave me bewildered and thoroughly engrossed in a tale that challenged my expectations. I should’ve known better – I read her short story, “Still Life with Natalie”, earlier this year and she caught me unawares in that one, too.
I found the novel to be incredibly well-paced; the pages just flew by, and before I knew it, it was over and I wanted more. I wanted more because I’m greedy and I needed more of Charley’s story. The ending is spectacular; I was so involved I could have read 100 more pages, at least. The characterization and Read’s power of description are stunning. There are scenes in this novel that had me cringing with disgust at times, and peeking through my fingers at others.
This novel will be released by Trepedatio Publishing on February 1, 2019. It is available for pre-order from the publisher. Be sure to grab this one.