Bone Gap by Laura Ruby (2015-03-03)

This book is breathtaking. I just finished it about five minutes ago and am having a hard time organizing my thoughts because this book is just so incredible on so many levels. The prose, for starters. Toe-curlingly good. I caught my breath a few times. The characters are well-drawn and quirky in the best possible way and just so living and breathing and aching that you can't help but feel for them. The story is incredibly original, the magic makes me feel like I'm a little kid again swimming around inside books instead of just reading them. I honestly don't have a single criticism for this book. It's impeccable. Easily in my top 10 books ever. Read it now!

Welcome to Bone Gap, Illinois, where the people are a bit odd, magic lingers. Bone Gap is an apropos name since there are places, or “gaps” in the town where reality is a bit fluid, and otherworldly doors appear. Brothers Sean and Finn O’Sullivan live in Bone Gap, and everyone loves Sean, who is an EMT and has taken care of Finn since their mother ran off a few years before. Finn is different. Certainly different enough for the folks of Bone Gap, already a place a bit left of center, to take notice of. He’s a bit dreamy, has a hard time remembering faces, and he’s infatuated with a girl named Petey who lives with her mother Mel and keeps bees, and he has a best friend named Miguel, whose arms are a bit longer than normal. Finn believes his serious brother hates him, and resents having to care for him since their mother left. The situation has only gotten worse since Roza disappeared.

Roza came into the brothers’ lives in need of help, and they gave it. The town, subsequently, fell hard for the lovely Roza. Her hands brought plants and vegetables into the world as if by magic, and since she disappeared, Bone Gap is just a little less greener, the crops more wilted. Finn actually witnessed Roza’s disappearance, and the man that took her, and now he’s spotted that man again. But, no one will listen to Finn (who is frustratingly unable to provide details about the mysterious figure), so he must find a way to get Roza back himself.

Meanwhile, Roza is being held in what seems to be a construct of the man that took her (her locations vary, as if in a dream.) He keeps her prisoner, yet grants her any wish (except her freedom, of course), while repeatedly asking her if she loves him yet.

Bone Gap has a distinctive folkloric feel to it, and while dark, it’s also quite whimsical, and Laura Ruby’s prose is lyrical and lovely. Finn and Petey, who thinks she is ugly, but who Finn finds beautiful, begin a sweet romance, and spending time with the two of them was one of the great joys of this book. I wish that Bone Gap (and its magic) had been fleshed out a bit more, and we never really know much about the man that kidnaps Roza, but Ruby’s writing is so gorgeous, and the people of Bone Gap so quirky and interesting, those seem like small things. So much of this book is achingly lovely and it’s imminently quotable. If you like magical realism, you’ll love Bone Gap. Laura Ruby’s writing is effortless, and her story of love (familial and romantic) and longing shot through with a generous vein of magic is, well, magical. I raced through this one, and if you’re looking for something different, from a hugely talented author, give this a try.

Haunting and empowering. I really don't think I can be as elegant as I want to be in reviewing this book because I'm still kind of in awe. I love magical realism, the way the mundane seamlessly blends into the magical, how you're never quite sure what is real, and this did not disappoint. Though we start with and mainly follow the main character, Finn, a teen boy dealing with a mother who abandoned him and his brother, the character who stole the show for me was Roza. Her incredible strength of character is a model we should be showing to our kids - boys AND girls. Her story captivated me from the first. The relationship between Finn and his brother Sean was also fascinating and heartbreaking. The more you got to know the inhabitants of Bone Gap, the more you feel like you're a part of the town.

It was a bit slow for me to start, but the mystery of Roza pulled me in and the sinister, otherwordly magic lurking in the gaps of Bone Gap captivated me. This is one of those books I read so fast I was hardly aware of time passing. Though you don't get a full explanation (it is magical realism, after all) of all the otherwordly mysteries in this world, the ending was definitely satisfying. I loved it.

Bone Gap is a beautifully written tale about brothers Finn and Sean O'Sullivan and the lost girl they both love. Roza mysteriously appeared in their barn early one morning. Despite her limited English, she quickly captivated the brothers as well as the entire town, only to disappear just as mysteriously a year later. Younger brother Finn, who most of the town calls "Moonface" or "Sidetrack" because he's so strange, is the only witness in her disappearance. He says she was taken, but he is unable to describe her abductor.

I can't say too much more without getting spoiler-y, but I will say that the first 2/3 of this novel unfolds beautifully, with the author revealing new clues and pieces of the story in interesting ways. I particularly liked the shifting points of view, which allows the reader to see the same events from new eyes and how the pieces fit together. This book has a very dream-like quality, and much like a dream, there are parts that don't seem to make much sense until your perspective shifts and you see a wider view of the events.

However, I will say that I wasn't pleased with the book's ending. It felt as though, after 200-odd pages with a mostly realistic plot (or at least one I was willing to suspend disbelief for), I was suddenly thrust into a fantasy novel or a watered-down Stephen King story. It felt strange and jarring and I didn't much care for it. Overall, I think fans of YA fantasy would probably like this book, but it's certainly not one of my top reads ever.

After rereading this, my feelings towards the book are still the same. I think most of it just goes completely over my head. The first time I read it, and this second time, I feel like I'm just missing everything. I know there is a point to the story, I can feel it there, but I'm just not grasping it.

The characters are likeable enough. I really enjoy the interactions between Finn and Petey (especially their ridiculous essay prompts), and Roza was just a gem. Most of the character conversations and interactions seemed random to me. I couldn't understand where they fit in with the rest of the story. In fact, that is how most of the book came across, a bunch of random events that maybe eventually came together? In a way? I mean, I guess they did, but I'm having a hard time seeing how all the pieces fit.

With this reread, I finally did understand what magical realism is. Honestly, that may be what I have a hard time with. I am a very practical person, and I like things to go in a very straight forward path from point A to point B. I had such a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that this book contained magic, yet it was still written in the world we live in. The genre just probably isn't for me.

With all of this being said, I certainly do not want to discourage anybody from reading this. If you have a problem with magical realism (like I now know I do), maybe stay away from Bone Gap. Otherwise, read, little bookworm! This book has a lot to offer, and you might just love it.

Ahoy there me mateys! This was a young adult book with magical realism and fantasy mixed in. I have no idea where I first heard about this but it has been on me list for quite some time. I finally decided to get this one in audiobook format. This ended up only being an okay read for me.

The story takes place in a town called Bone Gap where a girl named Roza has gone missing. Her arrival was a mystery and her departure was more of the same. The town assumes that the beautiful girl just moved on. Finn is the only one who knows she was kidnapped. But no one believes him. He is determined to find Roza and bring her back.

Now from the synopsis, I assumed that most of the story would involve Finn’s search for Roza. The parts of the book that dealt with Roza and her backstory and kidnapping were interesting. I loved Finn, Roza, and the other crazy characters of Bone Gap. I loved the magical realism elements like whispering, talking corn. I even thought the bullies were weirdly entertaining. The small town feel with quirky characters was captured nicely.

The flaw in this book came from the execution. I had a problem with several things:

- the plot – It stalls in the middle to become focused on Finn’s romantic relationship. I loved Finn. I loved his love interest. But it felt like I had jumped into another book. Roza’s disappearance took a back burner.

- Finn’s condition – it seem’s liked Finn’s issue was in the story just to be a plot device. It caused problems in searching for Roza and in his love life. It just seemed lackluster in it’s inclusion in the story. Now granted I don’t know the author’s background and have no real knowledge of the condition so I can’t say that the portrayal is wrong. It just didn’t work for me.

- solving the kidnapping – This was the part of the story I was most looking forward to and it satisfied me the least. I didn’t enjoy how he found Roza or how they escaped the kidnapper. Or the explanation for how they got away from him. Meh.

I did like the ending of the book and how Roza’s escape doesn’t magically solve all the problems. There is still work to be done by everyone involved. I enjoyed the writing style itself, the lyrical prose, and the slow-burn format. I would be willing to give more of this author’s work a shot.

This was such an odd, unexpected little book with just a hint of magical realism. At first I wasn’t sure I would enjoy it, but it was the characters that kept me intrigued more than anything else. In the sleepy town of Bone Gap, brothers Sean and Finn are enigmas. Sean is known for his stoic heroism, and Finn for his ethereal good looks and dreaminess. Abandoned by their mother, they are learning to fend for themselves when a beautiful stranger shows up on their property. Roza brings the brothers a new sense of purpose and restores some peace to their household. Just as suddenly, she’s gone. Her “abduction” is witnessed by Finn, but his inability to recollect any details about her kidnapper leave the citizens of Bone Gap incredulous that anything nefarious actually took place.

The narrative has a dream-like quality that ebbs and flows as Finn goes about his summer in Bone Gap. Between the horse that turns up in their barn as mysteriously as Roza had, Finn’s first love, his unusual perspective, and Roza’s strange imprisonment, there were enough unusual elements to keep me intrigued. I was pleasantly surprised by this quick, quirky novel.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.

‘Because we don’t have your typical gaps around here. Not gaps made of rocks or mountains. We have gaps in the world. In the space of things. So many places to lose yourself, if you believe that they’re there. You can slip into the gap and never find your way out. Or maybe you don’t want to find your way out.’

Finn O’Sullivan was the only witness to the kidnapping of Roza, his brother Sean’s girlfriend. But when he wrestles with his memories trying to recall the face of the man that took her, he also remembers that she didn’t really put up a fight. So maybe she wanted to leave? It only seemed natural, after their mother left Finn and Sean as well so it would make sense for Roza to do the same. No one in the town believes his story, especially since the only way he can describe the man who took her is that he “moves like a cornstalk in the wind.“

Bone Gap, at first glance, appears to be your typical small-town in America where everyone knows everyone’s business no matter how private you strive to keep it. There’s the local brothers that go around bullying people, there’s the rumor spreading and gossip mongering, but then there’s an offhand note about the corn that whispers softly to Finn. The basis of this story stems from the abduction of Persephone myth, which when I realized this made it all the more fascinating. It’s quite evident once you realize this even if it’s only loosely inspired. Pomegranates still manage to make an appearance, there’s the subtle reference to the garden that stopped flourishing as soon as she was gone, and the corns presence in the story becomes much less Children of the Corn when you take into account the connection between it and Persephone’s return.

There are so many enigmatic facets to this story that I could discuss but it likely wouldn’t make much sense to someone who hadn’t already experienced this story. Because an experience is exactly what this story is. Its world-building is obscure, cryptic, and vague. But it’s also fanciful and unconventional and that’s what I loved most about this. Trying to nail this story down to a single genre is a troublesome endeavor, but just know that it’s part mythology, part romance, with large parts of magical realism that is so relentless it often veers into straight fantasy. One of the most innovative stories I’ve read this year.

Boy, is this book underrated! In Bone Gap, we get a boy who's searching for answers. After he sees the girl his brother loves being kidnapped and is unable to provide information about the kidnapper, he's hated by the entire town. Still, he's determined to find her; so what if the kidnapper isn't exactly human and if strange things happen in Bone Gap? After he finds a love of his own, she helps him come to a startling realization that may just be the key to getting Roza back.
This book isn't sold as a feminist book, but it is. I was so pleasantly surprised! I've read a couple of books that are blatantly about women's issues, but I liked how this one was more subtle and yet very easy to understand as such. Roza gets kidnapped because of her beauty. Through her story we learn to see how beauty is a curse for women and how sometimes men feel that they're entitled to that beauty. On the other hand, Petey is seen as the 'ugly' girl in town. Much like in Roza's case, people (especially men) feel that they can make opinions about her just because of how she looks. Both these characters cover a lot of ground on what it means to be a girl in a community that is always judging you on how you look.
The magical elements in this book are above reproach. I think this is a perfect example of magical realism done right, where one element blends in so perfectly with the other that you're not sure where one starts and one ends. Ruby draws on her own ideas and on established myths to create a world that is unique to Bone Gap with characters that echo Grecian heroes but that are also starkly modern.
There isn't a single character in this book that I didn't love. Even the creepy, hateful kidnapper is portrayed exactly as is needed in this book. Even when I was hating Sean, I still loved him. And the girls? They're so strong and resilient that they make me weep.
I can't really say how much I was impressed by the level on which this book operates. I feel that it's one of the best YA books I've read in a while. Like bees, scary corn, magical horses, and love? This is totally the book for you. And I promise, it isn't really as random as it sounds.

Review- This is a interesting story with some great magical realism. My one compliant is we do get to know the villain. He is bad because he kidnapped Roza but we do not get to see what drives him or even what he is. The story is mostly about Finn and the way that he interacts with the world around him. He has prosopagnosia which means that he is face blind. He cannot remember faces. So when he sees Roza being taken and he tried to explain what the man looks like no one believes him. Roza is in an in-between space where she can see the outside world but she is not of it. It is a hero's journey story but with the magic and the unexplained in it adds something really interesting. The ending is one of the best I have ever read. Seeing Roza finally be able to do something about where and what is happening to her was great. I look forward to seeing what Ruby writes next.

I give this books a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.

"He was tired of everyone believing they knew everything there was to know about him, as if a person never grew. As if a person never changed, a person was born a weird and dreamy little kid with two red lips and stayed that way forever, just to keep things simple for everyone else."

Around 4.5 stars. This book wasn't what I expected but it blew me away.

With beautiful statements about love and seeing and exploring the road of loss, this book is wonderful. There's magical realism, acts of friendship and fear, and an emotional rollercoaster of a story. It goes to show stories don't always end the way we expect.

Especially near the end I was starting to wonder how a story like this could possibly be wrapped up. Bone Gap is a small town full of memorable and heartfelt characters. It's sinister and compelling. Focusing on loss and love and how we undermine ourselves this story unwinds in a way that makes it hard to put down.

Title: Bone Gap

Author: Laura Ruby

Age Group: Teen/Young Adult

Genre: Magical Realism

Series: N/A, standalone

Star Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

I borrowed this book from my local library and reviewed it.

I've had Bone Gap sitting in my library stack for the last month and a half, taunting me, pleading with me to read it. From the moment I saw it on the shelf of my local library, my excitement for it hasn't died down, especially with all the positive feedback from my fellow book reviewers, and book lovers in general. I hadn't read any of Laura Ruby's work before now--despite this being one of several of her novels for young adults, and to be honest, I'd never heard of her prior to the buzz that accompanied Bone Gap.

I was a little bit nervous at first--you know how I feel about hype, guys--but once I actually began the book, I was completely swept away. The prose of this novel--beautiful, hypnotic, and absolutely all-consuming--grabs you by the throat and doesn't let go. And part of what makes this novel so compelling is Bone Gap itself: a secret, hidden town with magic bursting to its very seams--if only magic of a very subtle kind. And this dreamy, enchanting enviroment serves as an oddly chilling foil to the thriller that is contained at its heart.

And with that, we are brought to Finn O'Sullivan, his older brother Sean, and the dark, beautiful girl that comes to town and steals their hearts, and every other in Bone Gap, Roza, and her disappearance. I loved everything about this novel--the creepy, frightening prose that both draws the reader in and seeps into the mind, the characters that populate the frightening, beautiful town of Bone Gap, especially Finn, Sean, Roza, and Petey, to the chilling mystery that lies at the very heart of the novel--and perhaps the town itself.

Magical realism has been one of my favorite genres since my first discovery of it, but Ruby really does the genre justice, mixing chilling mystery, heartpounding thrills, magic in all its forms, and of course, beautiful prose. The bottom line: Bone Gap was a book I thoroughly enjoyed, and I can't wait to see more of Ruby's work! Highly recommended for fans of Neil Gaiman and Nova Ren Suma! Next on deck: Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter!

Magical Realism is a realm that is still fairly unexplored in literature - whether YA or otherwise - and for that alone, "Bone Gap" is a unique read. This is the story of the small town of Bone Gap, where the corn speaks, the townspeople keep secrets, and two brothers are struggling to move forward after the disappearance of their new friend and boarder, Roza. The biggest mystery here may not be what has happened to Roza, but instead whether she is even still present on our physical plane and there is no simple answer to this key conundrum. Do you believe in a parallel universe, in an alternate astral plane? In a land where horses and goats can appear from seemingly nowhere, there are great lessons to be learned about rushing to judgment and fighting for love; and you must always remember to never go gently into the dark corn.

pooled ink Reviews:

Overall I really enjoyed this book. It was an interesting choice, definitely not something one sees often on the shelves. It’s unique, creepy, impossible, and infuriatingly insightful. The entire story is such an eerie mystery, an enthralling enigma of voice and color. This book is undeniably strange yet oddly lulling and you can’t help but want to know.

A unique and eerie mystery about a girl who goes missing and a town who can’t quite see it, BONE GAP’s pages rustle with the strange, the frightening, the impossible, and a piercing depth that will have you held prisoner amongst the corn until you finally see.

**Read the full review on Wordpress: Pooled Ink

Bone Gap definitely took time to settle into whether it be the magical realism or understanding the characters. But once the weariness and the waiting period was over, I was comfortable enough with the writing and the contemporary/magical world that is the small town of Bone Gap. I was engrossed in the stories of the quizzical Finn, the beautifully tragic Roza, and the eccentric residents of Bone Gap.

The opening is a fuzzy transition on whether Bone Gap is a mythical place or a contemporary town. Perhaps both. Perhaps neither. Its all a matter of perspective. And we get many of those since Bone Gap is told from the third-person of different inhabitants of the rural town filled with corn, chickens, horses, and, most famously of all, gaps. But the prominent voice of the novel comes from Finn O'Sullivan, the boy fraught with guilt for letting Roza slip through the cracks and be taken by a man he cannot remember. And Roza, the polish beauty who's past fails to fade from the future she fights to make for herself in America, who is kidnapped and struggles to break free from her captor to return to Finn and Sean. Even the perspectives from Petey and Finn's own brother, Sean help to unwind the mystery that is brewing in the small town of Bone Gap.

The stories are absolutely heartbreaking. The self-sacrifice these characters go through, the attempt at finding love in a small town that spreads gossip like wildfire, and piecing together the puzzle of what happened to Finn, Roza, Sean, Petey, and pretty much everyone living in Bone Gap. I don't think I loved a place or characters more than I had the ones in this book. Everyone burst with life, main characters, secondary characters, even the town itself felt like a character that I grew to admire and enjoy. For those who enjoy deep and dysfunctional characters, this is one of those books to pick up, because Bone Gap is chock full of them. The twists and turns along the way, the elaborate set up of diverse characters in a rural town in mid-eastern America, and the beauty in the depth and hidden magic of this novel.

Final Summation: Another favorite this year. Though I came to love Bone Gap, getting into it was difficult, but proud of myself for sticking through because I would have missed out in a beautifully written novel. Bone Gap takes time to soak in, to fully understand what it going on. But once you do, you fall within the gap and cannot find your way out. And I was happy to stay. Not only is it descriptively gorgeous, but it is haunting and the magical realism sprinkled about the pages was nothing short of gripping.

When I first started this book I was very interested in the story right away. I wanted to know about Finn and why he behaved the way he did. I wanted to know who Roza was and what happened to her. It had my attention. But then I got confused because things got a little odd. What I didn't know what that Bone Gap is magical realism. It put magical/mystical events into a otherwise very realistic story. And it threw me for a loop. Ok ok, if I had read the summary better or paid more attention to reviews I might not have been as caught off guard! But I was. Once I realized that I could let go of trying to fit everything into a realistic world and my confusion went down. I will admit it never fully went away, but it didn't interfere with my enjoyment any more!

Now with that out of the way - I did like Bone Gap. What I liked were the characters. I loved Finn. He was so real because he hurt so much because of Roza. You could just feel it in him. I wanted him to find peace and answers. It was hard to watch him struggle so much. By the end I felt I understood him so much more, and he understood himself!

I also really loved the character of Petey (Priscilla). She was probably my favorite character. I liked how she was strong, but yet you could see that she struggled with accepting herself at times - or more I think accepting what others (Finn) thought of her. I wanted to hug her at times, but I also knew she was the kind of girl that would've hated that!

Because I liked these two characters so much I liked the book. I'm a very character driven reader, and for this book containing the magic it does - I needed to care about the characters or I would've stopped reading it. Thankfully I didn't because I got to witness Finn and how incredibly sweet it is to Petey. And Roza and how, even in difficulty, remain sweet and kind. I got to feel the closeness of Bone Gap and share in their magic.

In the end: Read it. Just be more prepared for the magic than I was!

(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to HarperCollins and Edelweiss.)

This book was weird, but I really liked it!

Finn was quite a considerate character really. He seemed to go out of his way to be nice and to do the right thing, and seemed to genuinely care for the people of Bone Gap, whilst the other residents just saw him as pretty but vacant. This was a bit of a shame really, and I really hated the way they wouldn’t listen to him about Roza’s kidnapping.

The storyline in this was really good, and I loved the way this was written, the story really sucked me in, and was basically really enjoyable to read. I did find the way Roza’s kidnapping was handled to be a little odd, and the strange occurrences in Bone Gap were also really weird, but they were also really magical! I loved how the magic was so believable, and how well the story managed to weave all these strange happenings together into something beautiful.

There was some romance and it was quite sweet. I loved the way that Finn found Petey beautiful, even when everyone else thought she was ugly, and how he didn’t let her push him away.

The ending to this was really good, and I was so happy with the way things played out. I am so glad that I decided to read this book, as I thought it sounded kind-of weird from the blurb, but it was definitely the right kind of weird for me.
Overall; magical, clever, and beautiful in its own weird way,
9 out of 10.

No one in Bone Gap is surprised when Roza disappears. People have been leaving the O'Sullivan brothers for years and it only makes sense that the girl who appeared out of nowhere should leave just as suddenly.

Finn O'Sullivan knows that Roza didn't just leave. And he knows that he didn't do anything to save her.

Months later most everyone in Bone Gap has given up pretending to believe Finn's story about the man who took Roza. Even Finn's brother, Sean, is tired of hearing about the man with the unique stillness and the face Finn can never quite describe.

Finn refuses to stop looking. His search will take him deep into the secrets of Bone Gap to places he couldn't imagine. In trying to find Roza, Finn will learn that sometimes you have to stop looking before you can truly see in Bone Gap (2015) by Laura Ruby.

Bone Gap is a rich and atmospheric novel. The town of Bone Gap is a strange place filled with secrets and magic that most people have forgotten. In a town populated with strange and vivid characters even Bone Gap itself becomes an indelible part of this novel that is firmly grounded with a strong sense of place.

Some would call Bone Gap magic realism but references to fairy tales and magic bring a purer form of fantasy to mind in this story where beauty can be a curse and being blind is sometimes the best way to see.

Bone Gap masterfully blends myth and magic in a contemporary setting to create a thoughtful story filled with unlikely heroes, surprising twists and a plot that expertly subverts traditional fairytale tropes. Bone Gap is a lovely, unexpected novel that is incredibly smart. Highly recommended.

Possible Pairings: The Vanishing Season by Jodi Lynn Anderson, Wonder Show by Hannah Barnaby, The Rose and the Beast by Francesca Lia Block, Blackfin Sky by Kat Ellis, The Lost Sun by Tessa Gratton, We Were Liars by E. Lockhart, The Boneshaker by Kate Milford, Midwinterblood by Marcus Sedgwick, Paper Valentine by Brenna Yovanoff

No one in Bone Gap is surprised when Roza disappears. People have been leaving the O'Sullivan brothers for years and it only makes sense that the girl who appeared out of nowhere should leave just as suddenly.

Finn O'Sullivan knows that Roza didn't just leave. And he knows that he didn't do anything to save her.

Months later most everyone in Bone Gap has given up pretending to believe Finn's story about the man who took Roza. Even Finn's brother, Sean, is tired of hearing about the man with the unique stillness and the face Finn can never quite describe.

Finn refuses to stop looking. His search will take him deep into the secrets of Bone Gap to places he couldn't imagine. In trying to find Roza, Finn will learn that sometimes you have to stop looking before you can truly see in Bone Gap (2015) by Laura Ruby.

Bone Gap is a rich and atmospheric novel. The town of Bone Gap is a strange place filled with secrets and magic that most people have forgotten. In a town populated with strange and vivid characters even Bone Gap itself becomes an indelible part of this novel that is firmly grounded with a strong sense of place.

Some would call Bone Gap magic realism but references to fairy tales and magic bring a purer form of fantasy to mind in this story where beauty can be a curse and being blind is sometimes the best way to see.

Bone Gap masterfully blends myth and magic in a contemporary setting to create a thoughtful story filled with unlikely heroes, surprising twists and a plot that expertly subverts traditional fairytale tropes. Bone Gap is a lovely, unexpected novel that is incredibly smart. Highly recommended.

Possible Pairings: The Vanishing Season by Jodi Lynn Anderson, Wonder Show by Hannah Barnaby, The Rose and the Beast by Francesca Lia Block, Blackfin Sky by Kat Ellis, The Lost Sun by Tessa Gratton, We Were Liars by E. Lockhart, The Boneshaker by Kate Milford, Midwinterblood by Marcus Sedgwick, Paper Valentine by Brenna Yovanoff

What I Liked
Originally, I think, Brianna wanted to read this book first. Since she had a few other one’s she was reading I decided I’d read it. Boy oh boy am I so NOT disappointed I stole this book from her TBR pile. I have been dieing for a different kind of, wonderful, new, well thought out book like this. If I could sum this all up in one word it’d be PECULIAR!
Bone Gap reminds me of a Twilight Zone episode especially near the end (no spoilers). But if you’ve read the book I’m sure you know what I mean!
I loved all the characters. My favorite point of view to read from was Rozas because I had no idea what was happening to her. I was intrigued to know more so I kept on reading.

What I Didn't Like

I feel like the ending was resolved a bit quickly but it wrapped up nicely.
Some parts of the book felt slow but other fast paced chapters made up for that.

overall:

Bone Gap is a book I had no expectations with but LOVED! I had no idea what it was about, read it and like I said loved it! Sure there were some downsides but there was more good than there was bad. It maintains a peculiar story with interesting characters! I recommend it!

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: This book touches on a range of topics fitting together seamlessly, from relationships and quirky characters to psychopaths, magic and heartbreak.

Opening Sentences: The people of Bone Gap called Finn a lot of things, but none of them was his name. When he was little, they called him Spaceman. Sidetrack. Moonface. You. As he got older, they called him Pretty Boy. Loner. Brother. Dude.

The Review:

When I started this book I had no idea there would be an element of magic involved. If I did, I would have expected something ill fitting given that the story had a contemporary feel but I under estimated the author. Laura Ruby wrote Bone Gap beautifully.

The story was told from different perspectives, but mainly from Finn and Roza’s views. Sometimes more than one POV can be irritating especially when events are repeated but in Bone Gap it worked well because there were different things going on. One event would be shown from Finn’s view as he tries to convince town people that Roza was kidnapped, meanwhile Roza attempts to escape from her psychopathic kidnapper. Their perspectives also shed light on past experiences, and slowly the pieces began to fit together.

He preferred her barefoot, he said. She had such lovely feet.
Roza didn’t agree. What was lovely about fee that could not take you anywhere?
What was lovely about fee that could not run?

At first I assumed Finn was responsible for the kidnapping since he was the last one to see Roza. Plus, the reader gets the impression that there’s something not right with him. He doesn’t seem to be all there so I thought he had a mental illness, or that he was obsessed with Roza and I felt terrible when I misjudged him just like everyone else. He is so sweet but unworldly it’s beyond funny.

“No she looks really mad. Did I break the moped?”
“I don’t think she’s worried about the moped. People sometimes get mad when someone they care about throws himself in front of a charging thousand-pound animal wearing steel shoes.”
“Sorry,” he said, though he wasn’t sure what he was apologizing for. “Is she okay?” And he wasn’t sure if he was asking after the horse or the girl.

His love for Priscilla is sad because they’re both outcasts in their town of Bone Gap; Finn because he appears to be mentally absent and Priscilla because she’s ‘ugly.’ They see in each other what the other could not and have to fight for everyone else to believe their feelings too. It showed me that there’s someone for everyone, regardless of their looks, cultural differences or broken childhood.

One character I wasn’t too fond of was the loved by all, golden boy, Sean. Yes, he sacrificed a lot but his bitterness irritated me. He gave up his career to take care of his younger brother but he doesn’t appear to know him at all. Sean fell in love with Roza but gave up so easily when she disappeared and then blamed Finn for her disappearance, how does that work??

It took me a while to realise that the magical elements weren’t part of Finn’s imagination and although it was very unrealistic I still liked it because of the way it was written. The author clearly spent a lot of time researching for this story so learning facts on bees and Poland whilst delving into magical spaces was a unique experience for me.

At the heart of it, Bone Gap is a story on family, insecurities, diverse characters and magic.

Notable Scene:

Some people seemed to show up just when you needed them, and Charlie had no idea who needed whom more – Roza, those boys, those boys, Roza. It all felt fated somehow. But Charlie had never been comfortable with the idea of fate. He didn’t like knowing that something else, someone else, held all the cards.

FTC Advisory: Balzer & Bray/HarperTeen provided me with a copy of Bone Gap. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.

Everyone in the small town of Bone Gap knows Finn is a little spacey and a bit of a daydreamer, unlike his strong and charming older brother, Sean. The two have been living on their own for years, as their father died and their mother simply left. The thing about Bone Gap is, there are all kinds of gaps you can slip through and no one will wonder why you left.

Finn and Sean remember what it was like to be happy --- it started when an injured Polish girl, Roza, appeared in their barn one day and accepted their offer to stay in the apartment attached to their home. She would not say what happened to her or how she showed up there, but she agreed to stay with them. Soon after, she and Sean started to develop feelings for each other.

But one day, her past finally catches up with her and steals her away! She's been kidnapped, and only Finn witnesses it. He tells everyone what he saw but they don't believe him. "She wanted to leave," they say. She simply slipped through one of Bone Gap's gaps. Finn knows that he must take it upon himself to save her from a kidnapper with mysteries and magic up his sleeve.

BONE GAP is a fantastical tale that leaves you wishing it would continue beyond the last page. The characters are extremely likable and well-developed. The book is full of magical experiences told in such a way that they seem quite possible, and the love story is not your typical romance. This is definitely one of the best and most exciting books I've read in awhile. I'd recommend this to anyone who appreciates a well-spun tale that’s woven together with elements of magic, romance and mystery!

Reviewed by Maggie L.

Baby Review:

So, my first thought when I reached page 6 of this book was ‘Why didn’t I pick this up sooner?’ And that feeling stayed with me through the entire novel. A melancholy mystery, both thrilling and sticky as molasses, Bone Gap is as good a novel as I have ever read. I’ll admit that it was hard at times, when I was halfway through the book and I still couldn’t describe it to anyone who asked me what it was about better than ‘A girl went missing and there’s bees.’ And yet I still give this book 5 out of 5 stars for the way it wrapped around me like a warm blanket and made me feel like I was drowning in honey. In a good way- a great way.

THE PLOT:

One of the most confusing books I’ve ever read, Bone Gap is the kind of book that doesn’t release any of the answers to your many questions until far, far into the novel. If you’re a reader who likes to have a piece every few pages, you’re out of luck. All through the novel you’re left with question after question, building and building until you can hardly stand the anticipation and the wondering. Finn is a peculiar sort, Petey is wild and open, Sean is dark and brooding (also my favorite), Roza is beautiful and earthy, and you never know more than that when you’re reading. The plot has a sort of melancholy feel about it, and the music playing in my head was the theme of shows like Eureka and Granite Flats. Slow lazy, with the feeling that you don’t really know what’s lurking beneath the surface of the sleepy little town you find yourself in. Bone Gap is like that, delightfully creepy, nerve-wracking in the best sort of way because the danger could come from any direction, from any of these happy town people working away at their respective jobs.

Anyway, if I’m being honest with you all, I’ll tell you that you probably will have no clue what’s going on for most of the book. If you’re like me, you won’t care, and you’ll adore it for the rich, vibrant writing and the promise of a thrilling conclusion. Peppered with POV changes and flashbacks, this novel made me swoon with all the detailed history, the well-placed humor just when you think you’re going to drown in the honey molasses melancholy that surrounds the characters.

When there’s finally an answer to your questions, when you finally understand what the heck is going on, you still feel a little confused. I wish it had happened slower, but then if it was slower, it wouldn’t have been as (for lack of a better word) magical. Because it was magical, the way every tiny detail you’ve been learning about the town and its residents twine together and finally, finally you can see the whole story woven out like a tapestry and you understand. That final moment of clarity (which I’m still getting more glimpses of) make you truly aware of just how amazing this book is. So go read it. Now.

THE CHARACTERS:

I love pretty much everyone in this book, and the way their relationships grow and change. Take, for instance, Finn and Petey (Priscilla). At the start of the book, Finn and Petey are the outcasts- strange, avoided, pitied. But as they grow into themselves and start to see each other (and others) for who they really are, they change. And the town changes with them, changing opinions and acting on them almost as one entity (a hivemind, if you will). Finn learns about himself with the help of Petey, and his determination and intensity is hard to balance- but Laura Ruby destroys it. She makes Finn into someone relatable even with the corn whispering to him, she makes Petey wild and fierce and lovable even with her insecurities and inner demons (figuratively, of course). No one gets annoying in this book (except the Rude boys) which is a miracle in itself. It seems like at some point in most books the main character becomes so frustrating and irritating that you can’t help shaking the book as if you can knock some sense into them, but not Bone Gap. There was never a moment when I wanted to skip over dialogue or inner feelings, and I’m so, so happy about that.

Even the villain in this story is so amazingly crafted- a mystery inside an enigma, blurred to the point of terrifying normalcy, never quite in view but always there, invading homes and lives and worlds. He crosses the line between fantasy and reality, jumps between worlds to enter your waking nightmares. And that’s all I’m going to say about him, because any more would make it less fun for you.

Sean and Roza, though. The most beautifully understated love story of all time. I ached for their POVs, because when they happened, it was such a soft, easy love story to fall into. Told in bits and pieces marked by the pain of separation and loss, their story winds into something beautiful, almost as if they didn’t know they were falling in love and you get to watch this new discovery of feelings. But Sean- how can I describe him? You’ll just have to go read the book. He’s so quietly heroic, and everyone sees him as the hero, but when you catch glimpses of the sadness in him, you can’t help but feel heartbroken. And you can never hate him for not going to find Roza because you can just feel that even living is almost too much for him,, let alone facing that despair of not finding her day after day after day. Roza, for her part, is wonderfully brave and bold, fresh like the dew and beautiful as the dawn, opening the world of Sean and Finn and then ripping that away when she’s stolen. A powerful sense of loss followers her story, but never so much that she gives up. She always keeps going, always looks for a way out, never forgets her home even when it seems impossible to get back. I could write 1000 more words about how much I love them, but I think you all should just pick up Bone Gap and find out for yourselves.

OVERALL:

I feel like I shouldn’t talk about this book any more, lest I give something away. All I can emphasize is how much I loved . It easily jumps to the top of my favorite books so far this year, and that’s saying something. I’ve read a lot of books so far. 10 of 5 stars, okay? Bone Gap is what every person should read to understand what the YA genre is about- it’s raw, it’s real, it’s magic in a place where magic doesn’t seem to exist, with unforgettable characters that reach in and grab your heart before you can put up any walls. It’s seeing the same world from different eyes, and that’s something we should all be aware of. We all belong to this world, and we shouldn’t step on anyone else because they see it differently than we do. Maybe the way they see it is going to save someone someday.

The writing itself was wonderful. But, the story just didn't do it for me. There was no explaination for anything. Nothing connected well for me at all. I stuck it out hoping the end would reveal it all and everything would be tied up in a nice sensible bow. That never happened. The ending left me feeling as confused as the rest of the book. It did not do it for me. I was hopeful based on the great reviews but, I would not be able to recommend this to friends.

Finn O'Sullivan lives a hard scrapple life with his brother, Sean in rural Illinois. Their father is dead and their mother left them years ago. Life improves when a strange runaway, Rosa, appears. Just as suddenly, however, Rosa is kidnapped. Only Finn witnesses the abduction and he cannot describe the man who took her. Finn, himself implicated in her disappearance, sets out to find Rosa. What he doesn't know --or won't admit to himself-- is that he suffers from face blindness (Prosopagnosia): an inability to recognize and remember faces. How will he ever recover Rosa? This is a wondrous book: beautifully written, with magical touches (Rosa's journey is mystical) and poignant. Parts mystery, suspense, romance and fable: it all adds up to a great read. Highly recommended.

Roza arrived in the small town of Bone Gap almost as quickly as she disappeared. Only she didn't run off like the residents believe. Finn saw the man take her away in a black SUV. The trouble is, Finn cannot remember his face to save his or Roza's life and no one will believe him.
Bone Gap is a fantastic clash of fantasy, love and life! This feels and reads like magical realism at its finest. Strong leading characters full of sincerity and a familiar small town setting come to life as Laura Ruby spins a tale of high emotion and full of beautiful symbolism. Recommended read for all fans of YA and Fantasy.

Brilliant, magical, and so compelling, BONE GAP tells the story of a town where fissures open into another world and where seeing someone truly is the strongest kind of magic.
Brothers Finn and Sean are left on their own when their mother runs off. Sean stays to take care of Finn, but at the cost of giving up his own dreams. Then Roza arrives, a beautiful woman who appears out of nowhere and changes everything twice over.
Filled with magical beasts in many forms and characters so vibrantly real they shake the pages, this is a story that makes the world bigger in its wake. Highly recommend! This is magical realism at its best.

Part way through I became a bit confused, was this a fairy tale or a coming of age story. It was not until nearly the end of the book I accepted that it was mostly realistic with just a bit of the fairy tale type supernatural blended in. Once I had that answer the whole thing worked for me. Four very likeable and rootable main characters. Sweet fun story with just a touch of mysticism.

I enjoyed this story though at times I found some of the continual time shifts confusing. There is a strong paranormal element without the usual witch, vampire, zombies, etc., which have flooded the market. The characters are unique and interesting including one with prosopagnosia, face blindess, which I hadn't heard of before. It encourages acceptance and understanding of people who are different from the reader.

Finn and Sean have been raising themselves in a rundown farmhouse on the outskirts of a small town in the middle of nowhere for years. Their father died long ago and their mother left with another man, nursing her broken and vagabond heart. Sean, the older brother, is one of those strong, silent, sturdy types who everyone relies on. Finn is seen as dreamy and not quite with it.

Their lives started to look up when Finn found Roza one morning in their barn. The young woman had been hurt and was more skittish than a wounded animal. But the boys gave her sanctuary, Sean tended to her physical wounds and the chance to pay them back with her cooking and gardening gave her a chance to begin healing.

One day she disappeared. Finn can’t describe the man she left with and people aren’t even sure if they can believe the scanty details he provides. But he’s not going to quit looking for her. Even Petey, the beekeeper’s daughter who is more comfortable with the hives than with people, except for Finn, isn’t sure what to think.

Laura Ruby takes this premise and these characters, going back and forth between viewpoints, time and place to create a stunning novel of devotion. She delves into the ways people look at each other, literally and figuratively. The characters are resilient and spend more time thinking about others instead of themselves. The novel works on so many levels. There is a realistic depiction of a very small town where everyone knows everything about everyone else. There is magic realism and a fable-like aspect to the story. There is a princess who has been spirited away but who works to rescue herself; she doesn't just sit there and wait for a hero. There is the kind of deep friendship that can lead to something more. There is overcoming hardship and heartache.

Bone Gap is thoughtful, entertaining and a tour de force of storytelling

Their mother abandoned Finn and his big brother Sean when she fell in love and moved out of state after their father’s death. In the two years since she left, Sean gave up his dream of becoming a doctor so he could take care of Finn. Everyone in the town of Bone Gap loves Sean and his quiet ways of doctoring as an EMT, while Finn suffers name-calling and abuse because of being unable to look anyone in the eye. He’s different, and the town doesn’t like someone to be different.

Beautiful Roza left Poland to study in America, never expecting to find herself kidnapped by an insane stranger on her final day of classes. She managed to escape and find a good home with Sean and Finn, but it didn’t take long for the stranger to find her. The only witness to her abduction was Finn but, because he didn’t get a clear view of her abductor, no one believes him. Finn and Sean feel abandoned once again.

Through alternating chapters from Roza, Finn, Sean and others in the small town of Bone Gap, Ruby weaves a tale of love, intrigue, fantasy and magic. Her meandering tale reveals that sometimes what we see with our eyes isn’t really there, while what we don’t see with our eyes is really there – or something like that.

Though this book won the 2016 YALSA Printz Award, I couldn’t get into it. I was confused half the time, as I prefer books to be more realistic than magical. I will leave it up to you to decide if you want to read it or not.

This book is something else. It's fascinatingly strange. A story of magical realism exploring topics such as beauty, the treatment of women, attraction, and various relationships between both families and lovers. This book reads like a dream, filled with poetic prose and powerful ideas but also ephemeral and challenging to piece together every aspect on the first try. It's beautiful, unique, and highly recommended!

Overall it was good but the fantasy portion was so minimal it almost didn't make sense. The people in the story and the plot was otherwise so good though that it made up for it for the most part. Worth reading.

At first I didn’t realize this book was magical realism even though that what it said on the dust cover. It seemed more a family story and mystery. I think the first real indication was when the horse appeared in the barn and Finn rode with the beekeeper’s daughter and they went impossible places. Also Roza’s taking and the many places she resides expands it. Reminiscent of the Night Circus if you like magical-realism you will enjoy this story.

This book was very interesting to say the least. I liked it's idea, and what was going on, and the possible metaphor for the main character dealing with the condition that he is living with, but I gave it four stars because at times it could be confusing, you not knowing when or where or who of a situation, and I also wished it had expanded more on the magical realism parts of it. It was still good though, and had a lot of potential.

It was pretty good...until the end. Just plain WEIRD! It made no sense whatsoever. I was very disappointed in the last part of the book....particularly the conclusion. It just went sci fi/vampire/huh ?? weird on me and it completely ruined my somewhat happy feelings for the book.

Dreamy and magical.

Its like a crazy dream that you wake up from and you're dissapointed there's no more.

Some fairytale books are stuffed with stupid conversation and too-good-to-be-true events.
This novel is surprising and deep. It starts off slow but the magical happenings keep you wondering and I encourage you to satisfy that wonder.

..I read this in 2.5 days...

Such a weird book -in a good way! Unlike anything else I've ever read. Supernatural and science fiction do not interest me, and I don't consider this either of those genres. Reality and the mystical were interwoven seamlessly, the characters held my interest, and the prose was gorgeous. Highly recommend if you're in the mood for something different!

Magical, mysterious, and realistic all at the same time. Don't ask my how Ruby does it, but she does. A horse, several fights, two mysterious and worthy women, a cat, a monster and a supernatural creep populate the captivating pages of this surprising novel. A must-read, and I never, ever say that!

Incredible example of how magical realism can be woven in so subtly and bluntly all at once. Very reminiscent to old Appalachian tall tales and yet so unique by itself. I loved the main characters so much, and I loved the setting even more.

An eerie, impeccably crafted meditation on love, small towns, secrets, and the nature of beauty--how we perceive it, why we want it, how important it really is, and what we'll do to get it. Magical realism that weaves an unforgettable spell and packs a powerful punch.

I loved Bone Gap. I thought it was enchanting and mysterious and breathless. My favorite feature, or perhaps one of my favorites, is how this community is rendered. It feels so authentic and real, and I think readers will connect to the main characters feeling of not-quite-fitting-in. Futher, I think the story - beyond these wonderful characters - is so compelling with several mysteries to be solves and questions to be answered. I was totally captivated by this one.