The Bone Garden by Heather Kassner
I received a complimentary ARC from the publisher, courtesy of Edelweiss, in exchange for an honest review.
Book Summary
Irréelle fears she’s not quite real. Only the finest magical thread tethers her to life―and to Miss Vesper. But for all her efforts to please her cruel creator, the thread is unraveling. Irréelle is forgetful as she gathers bone dust. She is slow returning from the dark passages beneath the cemetery. Worst of all, she is unmindful of her crooked bones.
When Irréelle makes one final, unforgivable mistake by destroying a frightful creature just brought to life, Miss Vesper threatens to imagine her away once and for all. Defying her creator for the very first time, Irréelle flees to the underside of the graveyard and embarks on an adventure to unearth the mysterious magic that breathes bones to life, even if it means she will return to dust and be no more.
Book Details
The Bone Garden by Heather Kassner
Illustrated by Matt Saunders
Published August 6th 2019 by Henry Holt and Co.
Juvenile Fiction / Fantasy & Magic
Hardcover, 288 pages
My Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Book Review
THE BONE GARDEN is a gorgeously illustrated and hauntingly told middle-grade fantasy about a brave, young heroine made of magic, dust, and bone who just wants to be made into a real-life girl.
The atmosphere in this middle-grade debut is delightfully eerie, its pages are filled with graveyards, secret tunnels, a disembodied hand, two-headed bats, and lots of bones. You can hear the hum of bones, smell the graveyard dirt, and feel the powdery bone dust on your fingertips!
Brought to life by magic, Irréelle fears she’s not real and when she accidentally destroys her creator’s work, Miss Vesper threatens to unimagine her into nothingness.
Fleeing, Irréelle embarks on a desperate quest to discover “an unmarked grave that is very clearly marked” to discover mysterious magic that breathes bones to life and could make her into a living girl.
Irréelle is a wonderfully, imperfect young heroine made up of an odd assortment of bones who reminded me of Sally from The Nightmare Before Christmas by Tim Burton. You can’t help but love her sweetness and bravery.
This really is a sweet and heartfelt story about friendship set within some terrific atmosphere. The concept of bone magic and the adventure to be had within its pages is sure to make The Bone Garden appeal to young readers wanting a chilling read but not too scary.
Readers will be enchanted by the growing friendship between Irréelle, Guy, Hand, and Lass as they adventure in a land of graveyards and bones.
Overall, a lovely read that lends perfectly to reading aloud and with illustrations that enhance the story beautifully. The uneven execution in this debut is easy to ignore with its compelling atmosphere and mystery.
Readers who love Marcy Kate Connolly, Claire Legrand, or Karen Foxlee are going to love THE BONE GARDEN.
