Ginny Myers Sain has the recipe down pat for a YA novel that I won’t be able to resist and a strong female protagonist who has a lot to carry on their young shoulders is the first essential ingredient. Add in some horror and mystery along the way, a pinch of young, tragic love, and top it off with a twisty ending, and you’ve got the mixture for a great read. Dovie is our teenage heroine and she has been blessed (or burdened) with the ability to find dead people–or their bones, to be exact. Unfortunately, she’s had the opportunity to put this ability to work often lately in her small community, and the whole town has become skeptical and uneasy, watching their words and their backs, scared to get out of bed in the morning to terrifying news that has become all too familiar lately.
In the last several months, innocent people have been going missing in the woods of the small town of Lucifer’s Creek, Arkansas. Plans of a simple hike or a nature walk in the woods ends up resulting in missing people, only to be found by Dovie when their bones begin to sing. Realistically, any teenager would be freaked out and probably put in a hospital to figure out exactly what was going on if they found they could suddenly locate the remains of dead people, but in this book, it’s seen as somewhat normal. And for Dovie and the community, it is normal, since she’s been able to hear the bones of the dead since she was a young girl, just like her mom. Because of her talent, Dovie is called on by law enforcement every time someone goes missing. Not only is Dovie terrified that someone close to her is going to be the next person she finds, she’s scared that whatever is happening in the woods is connected to something in Lucifer’s Creek. Whether it is the rumored and slightly mythical beastly “Howler” that is hunting and killing in the woods or something that is more human than the inhabitants of the town would like to believe, Dovie knows that the murders must end before she loses her mind, or someone she loves.
When we begin Dovie’s story, she seems like a pretty solitary girl. It’s soon revealed that a friend who she has always considered family has returned to Lucifer’s Creek despite the fact that they claim to be able to see the dead, and be haunted by them. Lo and Dovie used to be inseparable, until something changed and they both grew apart, mostly because of the deaths. Lo grew withdrawn and skittish before leaving town and he doesn’t seem to have shaken the belief that the dead are following him wherever he goes. Though it is hinted at that Dovie is close to her grandmother and father, throughout the book they’re kind of passed by with little bits of information added here and there. Same with her estranged mother, who left Lucifer’s Creek when Dovie was just a toddler. We know they shared the ability to hear bones of the dead, but how could Dovie’s mother leave her daughter behind, knowing she held the same ability that most people believe led to her mother leaving town? Dovie believes it was just too much–the loss and the knowledge that she’d have a hand in helping bring the news of the death of someone’s loved one. So, when Dovie’s friend Lo returns home after attempting to outrun his demons, he slips right back in to Dovie’s life like he was never gone, except that he seems to be more haunted than ever and looks like he could be a ghost himself.
Dovie and Lo are soon joined in their effort to put a stop to the murders by a young man who lost his brother to whatever monster is prowling the woods, and together it’s clear that they’re not going to back down. Someone has to answer for all of the grief and terror that has been stalking Lucifer’s Creek for months, and the trio is going to find them and make them pay. But soon, they find that the people they thought they could trust may be betraying them right in front of their eyes. Where do you turn when the people you’ve known to be good and kind turn out to be nothing of the sort? Obviously, whoever is taking innocent lives is not someone who can be easily caught.
Though I have read lots of scarier books than this one, there are some pretty horrible things that are happening in this book, even if they’re not super detailed. I think of books like When the Bones Sing as somewhat of a stepping stone between middle grade books and YA. There’s a bit more leniency with content but you’re not going to get a real close look at the gory things that are occurring somewhat behind the scenes. So, if you’re up for a little spine tingling along with a solid, heartfelt story, look no further. And if you love this book and haven’t read any of Ginny Myers Sain’s previous books, I encourage you to do so!
Review of a Digital Advance Reading Copy from G.P. Putnam Sons Books for Young Readers
Content Analysis:
Profanity/Language: 23 religious exclamations; 36 mild obscenities; 15 religious profanities; 1 derogatory name; 40 scatological words; 4 anatomical terms; 16 F-Word derivatives.
Violence/Gore: A young woman is reported to have found the bones of a missing young man; multiple people are mentioned to have gone missing in woods and mountains in a small community and later are found dead; a young mother is reported to have taken off one day–it is later reported that she is believed to be deceased; a girl is mentioned to have been in woods where branches and thorns tear up her arms, resulting in some bloodshed; a young man claims he is being haunted by the ghosts and spirits of the dead; a brief scene occurs where a young woman locates the bones and remains of a young man who was reported missing, a deputy at the scene is reported to vomit at the discovery; hill folk are mentioned to tell tall tales about what occurs in the woods around their home and what is causing all of the missing and murdered people which includes rumors of a monstrous creature; a young man is reported to have lost his mother to drowning when he was a baby with a brief mention of her body being found floating in a creek; two young adults come across what they believe may be the weapon used to murder missing people, described as a skinning knife with blood ; a mention is made of witchcraft and cult activity; a young man who went missing was reported to have died gruesomely which is mentioned a few times; a man is mentioned to have small open cuts seen on his bare arms which causes his daughter to be concerned that he may be involved in nefarious activity; a mention is made that someone is going around slitting throats and leaving bodies in the woods; a young man claims his dogs killed some chickens which is why there is a bloody shovel on his property; a man is reported to have been mean, abusive, and dangerous to his wife and family; a brief scene occurs where an old hunting rifle is taken down from where it rests on a wall to use to threaten someone trying to break into a house; a brief scene occurs where a young man and woman get caught in a bad storm in the woods where lightning and rain cause them to think they may either be electrocuted or drown in a rising body of water, they seek refuge in an old shed and are scared when they see a pale face and hand at the window, thinking it is a ghost; a corrupt preacher takes a young man by the arm and begins to drag him, kicking and screaming, into the woods towards a swollen body of water, some verbal and physical threats are made, resulting in a young woman approaching and throwing a rock at the corrupt man who then crumples to the ground; a young woman believes she is seeing a ghost holding a rifle pointing it at the preacher when the bank of the swollen body of water breaks away and the man falls into the water and is sucked under; a young woman observes a gathered crowd of townspeople and realizes they must be mourning the death of the preacher, only to realize they have just then discovered his drowned body, which is briefly mentioned; a rock is reported to have been thrown at the window of a family home, breaking it and frightening the inhabitants; a woman reveals she killed her abusive husband by putting some rat poison in the sugar tin, knowing he would use the contents in his tea; a brief scene occurs where a young woman finds the remains of a missing person and some brief description of the smell and what she sees are mentioned; a young man reports that he knows how a missing woman died with a brief description of the manner of her death; a young man is discovered to be missing and is then found by two of his friends in a cave, bound and gagged; young adults discover that a man is accepting payment allowing people to stay at his hunting lodge and hunting people for sport; a man approaches two minors who are on his property and threatens them verbally and with a rifle, telling them they can voluntarily jump over the edge of a drop off or he will shoot them; a young man falls over the edge of a drop off and is assumed to be dead; a man uses a gun to hit a young man and knock him out; a young woman questions a man about the circumstances surrounding her mother’s disappearance and asks if he killed her; a young man is shot with a gun and sustains a gunshot wound with some blood mentioned.
Sex/Nudity: A young man and woman who have been best friends their whole lives sleep in the same bed to comfort each other, the young man initiates a quick kiss which is mentioned to confuse the young woman; a brief scene occurs where a young man and woman brush foreheads and almost kiss; a corrupt man reveals to a young man that he is his father; a young man presses his lips to his female friends forehead and says he wants to kiss her badly, nuzzles her before they break apart; a woman is rumored to have been ” running around” with a man which results in pregnancy; a young man and woman kiss and some tongue is mentioned; male and female best friends sleep in bed together and spoon, this is depicted as mutual and comforting but not sexual in nature; minors kiss each other tentatively and then more passionately in a brief scene.
Mature Subject Matter:
Loss of a loved one; death; murder; ghosts; magic; witches; missing persons.
Alcohol/Drug Use:
Adults are mentioned to drink beer; adults smoke cigarettes; an adult is reportedly “drunk as a skunk”; an adult is mentioned to be taking a smoke break; a family is reportedly known for making illicit moonshine; a man is offered top shelf whiskey; cigars are mentioned to be consumed by adults.
