A review by rookfeathers
A Book of Bones by John Connolly
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I went into this 100% blind, and I would never ever have picked up the book based on the cover and description. I was gifted this book, sort of randomly. I did think this was an average cop thriller murder mystery. And then it wasn't.
I really, really like the style this was written in and although the pacing was slow and the book was confusing with no prior context (maybe also because I read it with months of break between bits of the first 300 pages), i eventually got hooked. Not knowing about the occult aspect at all I totally had an "oh, OH" moment when one of those short and sweet chapters about blood hit. Then, it only got wilder and I continued to revel in it. The moments of levity interspersed between packing punches were well-timed and not banal at all.
I like stories that are tangled, and stories that have many conclusions. I also like plots that seem to end in doom and tragedy, but then don't. This book took its time twisting the knife for some of the terrible things happening, but at the same time it ended with a feeling of stepping out into fresh air after a gruelling experience.
I'm not sure if I will pick up more of the Parker books, but even if not, I will remember this one very fondly. Trying to get back into reading a lot as an adult has its moments: I took many pauses looking over a page just to think on the very elaborate and mature way it was written, knowing i would not have appreciated this book as a teenager despite having been well-read (in an alternate universe where my English was good enough before I turned 18, I guess).
Great gift.
I really, really like the style this was written in and although the pacing was slow and the book was confusing with no prior context (maybe also because I read it with months of break between bits of the first 300 pages), i eventually got hooked. Not knowing about the occult aspect at all I totally had an "oh, OH" moment when one of those short and sweet chapters about blood hit. Then, it only got wilder and I continued to revel in it. The moments of levity interspersed between packing punches were well-timed and not banal at all.
I like stories that are tangled, and stories that have many conclusions. I also like plots that seem to end in doom and tragedy, but then don't. This book took its time twisting the knife for some of the terrible things happening, but at the same time it ended with a feeling of stepping out into fresh air after a gruelling experience.
I'm not sure if I will pick up more of the Parker books, but even if not, I will remember this one very fondly. Trying to get back into reading a lot as an adult has its moments: I took many pauses looking over a page just to think on the very elaborate and mature way it was written, knowing i would not have appreciated this book as a teenager despite having been well-read (in an alternate universe where my English was good enough before I turned 18, I guess).
Great gift.