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A review by onelittlearchive
Near the Bone by Christina Henry
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This book has been on my TBR list for far too long and now I regret not picking it up sooner. I knew going in that this was a scary monster in the woods tale but Christina Henry gives you so much more.
You begin this story along side Mattie, a timid young woman crushed under the thumb of an abusive husband. Her world is isolated, just a small cabin in the frozen woods. All she knows is the small circumference around her home as her husband never lets her go too far. It's all she knows and all she remembers. It starts small, just an animal she found dead in the woods in a manner most unusual. Mattie had always thought her husband William was the worst thing in the woods but soon you learn he's not the only monster lurking around.
I really enjoyed the tension in the book and the way it all tumbles like a snowball rolling down a hill. The author really grabs hold of you and doesn't let you go until the very end, you're on the ride whether you want to be or not. I also enjoyed the look at what makes a monster and what is more horrifying - the monster you know or the monster you don't?
You begin this story along side Mattie, a timid young woman crushed under the thumb of an abusive husband. Her world is isolated, just a small cabin in the frozen woods. All she knows is the small circumference around her home as her husband never lets her go too far. It's all she knows and all she remembers. It starts small, just an animal she found dead in the woods in a manner most unusual. Mattie had always thought her husband William was the worst thing in the woods but soon you learn he's not the only monster lurking around.
I really enjoyed the tension in the book and the way it all tumbles like a snowball rolling down a hill. The author really grabs hold of you and doesn't let you go until the very end, you're on the ride whether you want to be or not. I also enjoyed the look at what makes a monster and what is more horrifying - the monster you know or the monster you don't?
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Miscarriage, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Miscarriage and Sexual assault