olivethebooks's review
2.0
Ehhhh. I'd like to see someone rewrite this book because the themes and ideas are good but it's poorly executed.
I could have done without "boom boom bum". The taxidermist thing was hyped up and then concluded like an afterthought.
Female pronouns are used for Kip until PLOT TWIST she's a boy and then suddenly everyone's using male pronouns. Funny that.
Maya's prose was irritating as anything and I don't think it was necessary to write her like that at all.
Why do all of these people seemingly have no qualms about entering vacant houses?
Ugh.
Spoiler
I could have done without "boom boom bum". The taxidermist thing was hyped up and then concluded like an afterthought.
Female pronouns are used for Kip until PLOT TWIST she's a boy and then suddenly everyone's using male pronouns. Funny that.
Maya's prose was irritating as anything and I don't think it was necessary to write her like that at all.
Why do all of these people seemingly have no qualms about entering vacant houses?
Ugh.
andrew61's review
4.0
A few years ago I read 'Snake ropes' by Jess Richards and loved her ability to mix magic,folklore,and the force of femininity in a unique story. This novel continues these themes but adding an interesting feeling of futuristic speculative fiction to the mix.
At the outset we meet two sisters Maya and Amber in Paradon, a city set probably in the future. Maya is a formwanderer, an individual who reflects the wishes and feelings of those who interact with her back them, she is product of science created at request of parents to support her 'sister' Amber. The sisters run away to a village by the sea where folklore means the villagers leave gifts at the cottage of an old woman 'Old Kelp' in return for honey cakes that have magical qualities, old kelp frightens the villagers who never see her but associate disasters with her anger. We meet other characters including the third subject of chapters Kip a young person who at the beginning leaves the gifts outside old kelps cottage.
Generally I don't automatically choose fantasy stories but this is an author I am growing to love. The stories are so engaging with characters well drawn. The folkloric elements are captivating to the extent that they feel as if they are hundreds of years old and possibly the subject of a favourite folk song. This book also had a wonderful recipe book which had me wondering at the taste whilst mindful of the consequences. The writer captured a sense of place and atmosphere and whilst not specific in place had me vividly immersed in the area .
A really good read and I will anticipate the authors future work with relish and makes me want to broaden my reading into similar works.
At the outset we meet two sisters Maya and Amber in Paradon, a city set probably in the future. Maya is a formwanderer, an individual who reflects the wishes and feelings of those who interact with her back them, she is product of science created at request of parents to support her 'sister' Amber. The sisters run away to a village by the sea where folklore means the villagers leave gifts at the cottage of an old woman 'Old Kelp' in return for honey cakes that have magical qualities, old kelp frightens the villagers who never see her but associate disasters with her anger. We meet other characters including the third subject of chapters Kip a young person who at the beginning leaves the gifts outside old kelps cottage.
Generally I don't automatically choose fantasy stories but this is an author I am growing to love. The stories are so engaging with characters well drawn. The folkloric elements are captivating to the extent that they feel as if they are hundreds of years old and possibly the subject of a favourite folk song. This book also had a wonderful recipe book which had me wondering at the taste whilst mindful of the consequences. The writer captured a sense of place and atmosphere and whilst not specific in place had me vividly immersed in the area .
A really good read and I will anticipate the authors future work with relish and makes me want to broaden my reading into similar works.
katkinslee's review
3.0
This book is so beautifully written and the story line was interesting but it just didn't make me feel anything for it.
Personally I found it was a bit scrambled at parts but I did enjoy the plot twists and I really liked Kips side of the story.
It was an alright read.
Personally I found it was a bit scrambled at parts but I did enjoy the plot twists and I really liked Kips side of the story.
It was an alright read.
garycollins's review
5.0
I really enjoyed this book. i love the way Jess Richards has set out the chapters by giving each character their voice of events that happen in the book.
i was so shocked at the ending of this book
i couldn't put the book down because i just had to find out what was going to happen next.
i would suggest this book to people who like fantasy and books with magic
i was so shocked at the ending of this book
i couldn't put the book down because i just had to find out what was going to happen next.
i would suggest this book to people who like fantasy and books with magic
daire's review
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
bookdancing's review
4.0
4.5 stars actually...
http://www.thebookbag.co.uk/reviews/index.php?title=Cooking_with_Bones_by_Jess_Richards
http://www.thebookbag.co.uk/reviews/index.php?title=Cooking_with_Bones_by_Jess_Richards
dontsaycat's review
5.0
Davvero un bel romanzo: all'inizio è solo sorprendente, incredibilmente inventivo nonostante la base nota (la società distopica e poi la comunità isolata), ma poi piano piano cresce, e almeno per quanto mi riguarda colpisce in fondo.
Molto più grande della storia di per sé, che alla fine risulta semplice se non addirittura ingenua: la Richards però è una narratrice molto fine, svia senza ingannare, lascia che il lettore si abbandoni alla meraviglia della narrazione anziché concentrarsi solo sulla risoluzione del mistero. Mistero che comunque è centrale per il tema del romanzo, l'identità e le aspettative che nutriamo nei confronti dell'altro (e vice versa). L'elemento fantastico in Cooking with Bones proprio non è casuale.
(Mi piacerebbe entrare nel dettaglio ma ogni cosa mi sembra uno spoiler, di nuovo non tanto per il mistero quanto per il piacere della scoperta durante la lettura.)
In finale impossibile definirlo nettamente come literary o genere (e preferisco che sia così). Mi ha ricordato però molto [a:Margo Lanagan|277536|Margo Lanagan|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1361153347p2/277536.jpg], la Tanith Lee di [b:Biting the Sun|373009|Biting the Sun|Tanith Lee|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1320466660s/373009.jpg|362927] e un po' anche [a:Angela Carter|27500|Angela Carter|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1241164068p2/27500.jpg], e non in senso derivativo: i fan di queste autrici potrebbero senz'altro apprezzare.
Molto più grande della storia di per sé, che alla fine risulta semplice se non addirittura ingenua: la Richards però è una narratrice molto fine, svia senza ingannare, lascia che il lettore si abbandoni alla meraviglia della narrazione anziché concentrarsi solo sulla risoluzione del mistero. Mistero che comunque è centrale per il tema del romanzo, l'identità e le aspettative che nutriamo nei confronti dell'altro (e vice versa). L'elemento fantastico in Cooking with Bones proprio non è casuale.
(Mi piacerebbe entrare nel dettaglio ma ogni cosa mi sembra uno spoiler, di nuovo non tanto per il mistero quanto per il piacere della scoperta durante la lettura.)
In finale impossibile definirlo nettamente come literary o genere (e preferisco che sia così). Mi ha ricordato però molto [a:Margo Lanagan|277536|Margo Lanagan|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1361153347p2/277536.jpg], la Tanith Lee di [b:Biting the Sun|373009|Biting the Sun|Tanith Lee|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1320466660s/373009.jpg|362927] e un po' anche [a:Angela Carter|27500|Angela Carter|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1241164068p2/27500.jpg], e non in senso derivativo: i fan di queste autrici potrebbero senz'altro apprezzare.
girlwithherheadinabook's review
1.0
So. Hmm. Cooking With Bones. I'll start off by saying this - I didn't love it. I read Snake Ropes a little while back, having longed for it throughout its hardback-dom and then felt slightly disappointed when it all felt a little bit too clever by half. This one just felt a bit confused. I was playing it a little safe already in that this was a library read rather than one I was prepared to risk actually spending money on but getting to the finish line felt like a bit of a slog. The cover describes it as 'Sci-fi Mary Berry style, with a twist of gothic.' If we continue the cooking metaphor, it felt like a great big melting-pot, where Richards had thrown in every idea that she came up with and the result leaves a very puzzling taste and not a great deal of interesting flavour.
For my full review: http://girlwithherheadinabook.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/review-cooking-with-bones-jess-richards.html
For my full review: http://girlwithherheadinabook.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/review-cooking-with-bones-jess-richards.html
shandy's review
4.0
This story took a little longer to capture me than Richards' debut 'Snake Ropes', but by the end I was definitely won over. Its mythology is just as delicious (the 'fair' tributes, the bone spoons) and the rich poetry of the recipes themselves will leave you feeling plump!
I particularly liked the force and confidence of Amber's character; even shut in a cottage for the majority of the text, her storyline for me was the most alive. Maya was an interesting concept (a manufactured child who reflects people's 'wants') but I'm not sure it played out convincingly: she was as frustrating for me to read as she was for Amber to look after. She was essentially an incomplete, pale version of a real person and I think her chapters reflected this, generally 'weaker' to read and even a bit overly indulgent at times. Kip however was a delight and his wellington-boots-village storyline made a lovely salt-and-sweet contrast with Amber's own dark flavour-soaked one.
I'm thrilled to have discovered this author. Her stories have everything I want; subtlety, surprise, lyricism and mythology that feels lifted from the pages of an ancient book. I'm sorry to have exhausted her catalogue of writing already and can't wait for her next release!
Note: For more food seduction: Please see Catherynne Valente's 'Deathless'.
I particularly liked the force and confidence of Amber's character; even shut in a cottage for the majority of the text, her storyline for me was the most alive. Maya was an interesting concept (a manufactured child who reflects people's 'wants') but I'm not sure it played out convincingly: she was as frustrating for me to read as she was for Amber to look after. She was essentially an incomplete, pale version of a real person and I think her chapters reflected this, generally 'weaker' to read and even a bit overly indulgent at times. Kip however was a delight and his wellington-boots-village storyline made a lovely salt-and-sweet contrast with Amber's own dark flavour-soaked one.
I'm thrilled to have discovered this author. Her stories have everything I want; subtlety, surprise, lyricism and mythology that feels lifted from the pages of an ancient book. I'm sorry to have exhausted her catalogue of writing already and can't wait for her next release!
Note: For more food seduction: Please see Catherynne Valente's 'Deathless'.
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