When the Bones Sing out now from G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers; 352 pages
Content Warning: Death, foul language, violence, gore, mild sexual content
About the Author: “Ginny Myers Sain lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and has spent the past twenty years working closely with teens as a director and acting instructor in a program designed for high school students seriously intent on pursuing a career in the professional theatre. Having grown up in deeply rural America, she is interested in telling stories about resilient kids who come of age in remote settings. She is also the author of Secrets So Deep” (Bio from Barnes & Noble).
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For the past three years, Lucifer’s Creek, Arkansas, has learned to live with its ghosts. Deep in the Ozark mountains, it’s a place where more than two dozen hikers have gone missing, only to be found buried in the forest months later. Though the women in seventeen-year-old Dovie’s family have always heard the dead sing from beneath the ground, she doesn’t believe in their so-called powers. But Dovie can hear the bones singing, too, and despite her skepticism, her gift always leads her to the graves no one else can find. Her role is to help the sheriff quietly and, in turn, help grieving families find closure. But simple answers aren’t enough for her best friend, Lo, who is being tormented by shadows and voices. He is convinced that the dead hikers don’t want peace, but they want revenge for what happened to them. Although some believe the monster is the Ozarks howler, Dovie and Lo aren’t convinced. The only place to find answers is deep in the mountains, and the two of them will have to hunt down the predator before even more people suffer.
This book completely consumed me in the most beautiful way, thanks to Sain’s lyrical writing style. There is a quiet, building dread that lingers throughout the book, emphasizing the severity of the situation in Lucifer’s Creek and informing the reader of the fragile state of their community. Emotions are the main course in When the Bones Sing, and grief, guilt, fear, and love are all displayed in their rawest form. What stayed with me, though, were the characters. Dovie is a powerful protagonist without being overbearing, and her voice is vulnerable in a way that makes her grief more impactful. The bond between her and Lo is not initially romantic, and I appreciated Sain’s choice to keep their relationship secondary in the story. Something about a genuine friendship-turned-romance in this book comforted me throughout, and I knew Dovie and Lo would support each other through the worst times, no matter what. Another great part of this book is the attention to detail. Even minor side characters are full of personality and history, a factor that strengthens the bond between the citizens of Lucifer’s Creek. This isn’t a fast-paced mystery, but Sain’s ability to hold the reader’s attention with her beautiful writing style distracted me from the slower pace. For thriller fans who like emotionally dense stories with dark themes, When the Bones Sing is the perfect choice.
Callie Andrews, Pine Reads Review Writer, Social Media, and Web