Near the Bone by Christina Henry
My Rating: Three and 1/2 Stars out of Five Stars.
My Review on Goodreads
Do you need a book that will give you some chills while hiding indoors from the chills? You might like this book. I started out with the audiobook, but I had to return it, so I finished with the ebook. While audiobooks definitely allow for more multi-tasking, I didn't mind that I ended up reading the ebook, because I wasn't overly enamored with the audiobook narrator.
Overall, I liked this book. I really liked the lead character. She was a character I rooted for and felt deeply for. I love how she much she had survived and endured. Even though her husband forbid her reading, she was naturally intelligent, observant, and had some pretty awesome detective skills. Although she thought of herself and meek and weak, she was neither. I will say this book pissed me off because her husband is a piece of shite. There are some big triggers for domestic violence and abuse, so tread carefully.
If I'm being honest, I do feel like this book was a little bit under-developed. For me, it could have been longer and I desired much more development from the story and characters than I got. I appreciate how developed Mattie's characterization was and her evolution, but the other characters were a little thin. I knew enough about Mattie's husband to absolute hate his guts and wish for his doom, but the other characters who were introduced felt somewhat cardboardy. Perhaps CZ less so.
I have a lot of questions about the monster, but maybe that's how it's supposed to be. You don't always get all the answers. This book validates the fact that I am not a hiker and I do most of my exploring through books and tv. I will say that if I was longing for a good cold weather setting book, this would definitely fit the bill.
Henry excels at building up tension, but she short-circuits it towards the end because the payoff is less than desirable. However, I love the resolution for Mattie. I would appreciate a short story about her after this story and how things unfold as she manages to reclaim her life and identity away from her lower-than-pondscum husband.
I'd give this 3.5 stars because of Mattie, the cold weather vibes, and some of the chills and thrills.
Overall, I liked this book. I really liked the lead character. She was a character I rooted for and felt deeply for. I love how she much she had survived and endured. Even though her husband forbid her reading, she was naturally intelligent, observant, and had some pretty awesome detective skills. Although she thought of herself and meek and weak, she was neither. I will say this book pissed me off because her husband is a piece of shite. There are some big triggers for domestic violence and abuse, so tread carefully.
If I'm being honest, I do feel like this book was a little bit under-developed. For me, it could have been longer and I desired much more development from the story and characters than I got. I appreciate how developed Mattie's characterization was and her evolution, but the other characters were a little thin. I knew enough about Mattie's husband to absolute hate his guts and wish for his doom, but the other characters who were introduced felt somewhat cardboardy. Perhaps CZ less so.
I have a lot of questions about the monster, but maybe that's how it's supposed to be. You don't always get all the answers. This book validates the fact that I am not a hiker and I do most of my exploring through books and tv. I will say that if I was longing for a good cold weather setting book, this would definitely fit the bill.
Henry excels at building up tension, but she short-circuits it towards the end because the payoff is less than desirable. However, I love the resolution for Mattie. I would appreciate a short story about her after this story and how things unfold as she manages to reclaim her life and identity away from her lower-than-pondscum husband.
I'd give this 3.5 stars because of Mattie, the cold weather vibes, and some of the chills and thrills.
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