Genre: YA paranormal mystery
Published: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers, March 2025 My Rating: 3.5/5 stars
“A feeling that feels like music.” That’s the way I described it to Nana when I was little. Like all my bones were humming. She nodded and kept wrestling my messy, dark hair into neat braids. “Like somebody’s playin’ a your bones like a flute. That’s the way it used to feel to me and your mama.”
When the Bones Sing is a young-adult paranormal thriller with a supernatural twist by the author of Dark and Shallow Lies. Like her previous novel, our story is set in a small town in rural America – this time the aptly named Lucifers Creek in the Ozarks – where a series of disappearances has sparked rumors of something supernatural being afoot. We follow 17-year old Dove, blessed or cursed with the ability to physically hear the bones of the deceased. Alongside her best friend Lo, who’s plagued by hauntings of his own, she sets off in search of answers to the local mystery, guided by the singsong of the bones at the root of it.
What I Liked:
With her previous work, the author already showed off her talent of writing highly atmospheric rural towns, and that talent is on display here too. In terms of atmospheric and scenery: this was top-notch from the start. The mystery, mixed with the slight magical/paranormal elements provide an immediate hook and a constant incentive to continue the story. The ending had some problems (some elements felt a little rushed and underdeveloped), but the ride was enjoyable.
Overall, this felt very similar to Dark and Shallow Lies, so it’s an easy recommendation for fans of that book.
What I didn’t Like:
I didn’t have any major gripes with this book, and yet I was left feeling extremely underwhelmed throughout. This felt incredibly similar to the authors previous work, to the point where I felt it was written along the exact same beat-plot, and I felt I was reading a rehash of something I’d already read before. At the end of the day, this is a very middle-of-the-road YA paranormal mystery: it’s great if that’s the thing you’re looking for, but if you’ve already read a bunch, don’t expect this to rock your world.
Obligatory “I’m not the target audience”, as I’m not a 17-year old girl, but I still feel many YA books can translate well to adults. This might not be one of them. I cringed at some of the dialogue, the love-triangle and the all-too-present trope of every adult being an idiot so the teens can step in to save the day. Be aware if these tropes bother you.
Many thanks to G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
You can find this book here on Goodreads.
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