Review – The Bone Houses by Emily Lloyd-Jones (5/5 stars)
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy/Horror
Length: 352 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Release Date: September 24, 2019
ISBN-13: 978-0316418416
Stand Alone or Series: Stand Alone
Source: Borrowed from Library
Rating: 5/5 stars
“Seventeen-year-old Aderyn (“Ryn”) only cares about two things: her family and her family’s graveyard. And right now, both are in dire straits. Since the death of their parents, Ryn and her siblings have been scraping together a meager existence as gravediggers in the remote village of Colbren, which sits at the foot of a harsh and deadly mountain range that was once home to the fae.
The problem with being a gravedigger in Colbren, though, is that the dead don’t always stay dead.
The risen corpses are known as “bone houses,” and legend says that they’re the result of a decades-old curse. When Ellis, an apprentice mapmaker with a mysterious past, arrives in town, the bone houses attack with new ferocity. What is it that draws them near? And more importantly, how can they be stopped for good?
Together, Ellis and Ryn embark on a journey that will take them into the heart of the mountains, where they will have to face both the curse and the deeply-buried truths about themselves.”
Series Info/Source: This is a stand alone fantasy book. I borrowed my copy from the library.
Story (5/5): I loved this story. When the bone houses (dead people who get up and walk around) start getting more aggressive Ryn decides to head into the mountains to try to find the source of the undead’s unreast. She is accompanied by a mapmaker named Ellis, who has his own reasons for venturing into the mountains. I loved the adventure in here and the unique and interesting story. There’s some mystery and action as well.
Characters (5/5): Both Ryn and Ellis were amazing and unique characters. I loved how practical Ryn was and how she was fully accepting of her own attachment to her small town and graveyard. I really enjoyed the family dynamic between Ryn and her siblings and would have loved to spend even more time with Ryn’s family. Ellis was also an intriguing character; he had a mysterious past and I loved how much he loved his work as a mapmaker. All of the characters were very engaging, entertaining to read about, and I just genuinely loved them all!
Setting (5/5): This was a classic fantasy type setting with a dark overtone to it. I really enjoyed the small town that Ryn lived in, with all of its strange superstitions and weird location at the bottom of a cursed mountain. I also really loved journeying up onto this mysterious mountain. It was an adventurous and intriguing setting and I enjoyed it a ton.
Writing Style (5/5): I always love Lloyd-Jones writing style. It flows very well and is super engaging to read. Everything sounds very natural and there is an excellent description throughout. This was very hard for me to put down.
Summary (5/5): Overall this ended up being one of my favorite books of the year. I am still not sure why it resonated so strongly with me. I just really loved the characters, their attitudes, their unique lifestyles, and all the adventure and mystery.
