“Nerdection Excellent Read”
Autumn is coming – which means readers are looking for their next perfect cozy fall books. And if you’re on the hunt, then fret not, because we’ve got your back! Bones Picked Clean is a great place to start your journey. Set in the atmospheric mountains of Appalachia, this book deals with themes of love, loss and the challenges of growing up.
Spoiler Free Plot
Deep in the Appalachian mountains, their lives a girl named Chicory who is versed in the old ways. As a child, her grandmother had taught her everything she should know about the creatures of the wild, protection charms, and herbs. Unmarred by the worries of adulthood, Chicory and her three friends learn to enjoy the simple pleasures of life.
But when a tragic turn of events makes Chicory leave her home, she will have to look for a new place to live. However, people there might not take kindly to her exotic ways of life. Would she be able to adjust to her new life without her grandmother and friends to support her?
Bones Picked Clean is a coming of age gothic tale about growing up, loss, and survival. It talks about the simple pleasures of life and what it means to love someone.
My Take on Bones Picked Clean:
If you like folklore about creatures hidden deep in the mountains and forests, you’ll love Bones Picked Clean. It has just the right amount of supernatural in it to keep you hooked. The writing is simple and lyrical.
I’m a goner for atmospheric books, especially if the setting is gothic. Luckily, Bones Picked Clean takes place in a far-flung area in Appalachia, and there were definitely some eerie creatures and spirits hidden within the pages of the book. Not too horrifying to give you a nightmare, but spooky enough to make you hold your breath.
The characters are easy to sympathize with and relate to. I loved the easy friendships, and the found family tropes in Bones Picked Clean.
Surprisingly, what sets this book apart from the others for me is not the supernatural element, but the natural. I adored Chicory and Hawk’s camaraderie; their friendship as children and their blossoming love when they grew up is just as natural and wild as a forest. It reminded me a little of a disciplined version of Wuthering Heights’ Heathcliff and Cathy as kids.
Sometimes the story abruptly flipped among different characters, so it was a little difficult to catch up at times. However, you quickly get the hang of it. The pacing might seem slow in a few places. Nevertheless, I didn’t mind it much because the characters are relatable and I was interested in every one of their struggles.
I also loved how the author deals with the subject of growing up. Chicory and her friends solving their problems in the best ways they know, gradually falling into places that were always meant for them, and trying to be there for friends. It all felt very comforting to read.
For readers who love to curl up with a comforting gothic book in hand, you will love Bones Picked Clean.
Recommended for:
Ages 16+ due to a few explicit scenes and mild cursing.
About The Author Of Bones Picked Clean
Jen Poteet dwells in foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains with her family and menagerie of pets. She has written two novels Secondhand Heart (a gothic romcom) and Bones Picked Clean (a coming of age tale set in modern day Appalachia) and written and illustrated a children’s book A Night Under the Circus Tent. When not writing unconventional character driven fiction she can be found at Black Sheep Studios the tattoo studio she owns with her husband.
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