I’m sharing another instalment of my Mini Review Mondays, the most recent of which was last week. In case you haven’t seen any of my previous posts, I do ‘mini’ reviews of books that I’ve previously read and am now ready to share my full thoughts about.
First up, I’d like to talk about When the Bones Sing by Ginny Myers Sain. Thank you to Electric Monkey for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
17-year-old Dovie doesn’t believe in magic even though she comes from a long line of women who can hear the bones of the dead sing, and for the past few years the bones have been crooning nonstop, calling out to Dovie to dig them up. Because there is a killer on the loose – someone is snatching hikers from the miles of tracks, leaving their mutilated bodies for Dovie to find. And the body count grows ever higher.
Some of the old-timers believe that it’s the monstrous Ozarks howler snatching people off the Aux Arc Trail. Well Dovie doesn’t believe in the howler, and she doesn’t believe her best friend – the gorgeous Lo – when he tells her he is being haunted by dark shadows. All she believes in is her talent that guides the local sheriff to the bones when they begin their song, then reuniting the dead with their families to give them some peace.
But the truth of their deaths isn’t buried with their bones; it’s hidden somewhere deep in the hills. And Lo and Dovie must unearth it before anyone else is killed…
Publication Date: 13th March
CW: murder, death, mutilation, bodies, injury, grief
My Thoughts:
When the Bones Sing was another sensational speculative YA thriller
I have such a soft spot for Ginny Myers Sain’s work – I love how atmospheric and spine-tingling it is. It feels bogged down in the dirt and the mud with a grittiness and a realism that transports you into the heart of the story. This encapsulates that with the isolated mountain setting and the local folklore (and secrets) haunting our characters. She just has a distinctive stamp on her work, you know when you’ve picked up one of her new books. Every page is infused with that Southern Gothic feel and a blend between fantasy and reality. In this setting, it seems like it could be possible. That line is always balanced so well in her work, never feeling like a stretch but a naturalised part of the world she has created.
Dovie is a fantastic protagonist – she cares so deeply but has had to face the horrors of the world. Her powers are such an interesting concept but also a deeply unnerving one. They speak to the deep sorrow she has encountered and the monstrosity she confronts every time the bones start to sing again. There is an evolution of this that starts to come into effect in the story as well, which was a beautiful continuation of those central themes of grief and trauma. I liked how sparky she was – fairly sullen and angry at the world at times. You can understand exactly she has become this way and how she’s clinging on to those she loves.
The central mystery, as always, is wonderfully put together with plenty of twists and turns. It is compelling reading, though sometimes gnarly as the bodies stack up. It is a brutal book that is unafraid to getting into the blood and guts of it all. All of this builds to a wonderful and satisfying conclusion.
When the Bones Sing entrances you, pulling you into its murky embrace.
Next up, I’d like to talk about Burn After Reading by Catherine Ryan Howard. Thank you to Transworld for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The night Jack Smyth ran into flames in a desperate attempt to save his wife from their burning home, he was, tragically, too late – but hailed a hero. Until it emerged that Kate was dead long before the fire began.
Suspicion has stalked him ever since. After all, there’s no smoke without fire.
A year on, he’s signed a book deal. He wants to tell his side of the story, to prove his own innocence in print. He just needs someone to help him write it.
Emily has never ghostwritten anything before, but she knows what it’s like to live with a guilty secret. And she’s about to learn that there are some stories that should never be told . . .
Publication Date: 10th April
CW: death, murder, fire, violence, injury, manipulation, abuse, sexual assault, rape
My Thoughts:
Burn After Reading was the perfect type of thriller – twisty, thought-provoking and terrific.
This cemented why I love Catherine Ryan Howard’s work. It was compulsively readable with excellent twists and turns. The pacing was spot on, keeping me glued to the pages. It is also thematically rich with great characterisation. It is a meditation on guilt and secrets and the effect holding on to both of these can have on a person. There is a lot to unpack in these pages and Catherine Ryan Howard spends her time teasing out each thread before weaving them together into the overall picture. I found it bold and brilliant.
The book only works because of the strength of the characterisation. It ultimately rests on questions of trust, built up by the relationship you have formed as a reader with these people. All of the voices included felt distinctive and enticing, making you want to hear their tale in full. Emily in particular is wracked with grief and guilt over a long buried secret, which entangles her into this deadly narrative. She is running from her past but it may have caught up with her. Her scenes with Jack were taut and tense, with both questioning everything that unfolded. It felt like constant power plays and moves that might be acts of manipulation or unburdenings.
I really enjoyed the way it explores the true crime industry, both in terms of celebration and exploitation. These narratives can be twisted for entertainment or manipulated to obscure the truth. The entire way through, you are made complicit in that desire to know the real truth of what happened that night. In a very meta sense, you too are a consumer of the story the world wants to know.
Burn After Reading is your new read until the early hours obsession.
Finally, I’d like to delve into Death and Other Occupational Hazards by Veronika Dapunt. Thank you to Transworld for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Her job is to die for. Literally. Most people think that when they meet Death, it’ll be a skeleton in a black potato sack. Maybe with a scythe. Truth is, she’s just a woman doing a job, and she’s very good at it.
But when Death takes a much-needed break to live on earth, things start to go terribly wrong. Someone’s killing people not on her list (well, not yet anyway) and it’s down to her to find the culprit before it’s too late.
To make matters worse, her sanctimonious sister, Life – whom Death hasn’t got on with in millennia – won’t stop blaming her . . . And then there’s the slight problem of the charming (sexy) parasitologist she’s suspicious of.
But she’ll be fine, right? After all, who better to investigate a murder than Death herself?
Publication Date: 10th April
CW: death, murder, violence, gore, grief, suicidal ideation
My Thoughts:
Death and Other Occupational Hazards was a fantastically funny murder mystery with a touch of romance.
I heard Death has to solve a murder mystery and I was sold. Dapunt builds on this fantastic premise to deliver an existential mystery that asks the big questions about life, death and legacy. The stakes could not be higher, making for an exciting read. Dapunt sprinkles in some surprises that speak to the ridiculous nature of this cosmic scale. It is unique and thought-provoking. The mystery itself is well-constructed with great pacing and plotting to keep the reader trapped in the confines of the pages.
It has a wonderful, darkly humorous edge to proceedings, leaning into the absurdity to create comedic moments. You are caught off guard by it – destabilising your expectations a little in the best possible way. It reminded me of Hot Fuzz in the way it set up common tropes and leant into the horror of the mystery. You are dealing with Life and Death after all, things are always going to go beyond the scope of humanity.
This was embodied by Death herself. Her narrative voice was arresting. The way Dapunt humanises this unknown force of nature is nothing short of astounding. She is kind and funny and deeply caring, but there is also a bluntness and a sharp wittiness to her that reminds you of her role. This incarnation of death has been around since before the beginning of humanity and will inevitably come for each of us. Dapunt cleverly explores that concept in a myriad of ways. Most interesting for me was watching her grapple with her role and her place in the cosmos. There is a romantic thread that you fall head over heels for, but I also enjoyed the way the book explores different forms of love.
Death and Other Occupational Hazards was a bold and inventive murder mystery with an unforgettable protagonist.
A Short Book Lover 
4 thoughts on “Mini Review Monday #181”