My thoughts on the Bones of Faerie

I liked the novel. I liked being thrown into it. Yes, I could see how it might be confusing. And yes, the same thing can annoy me in other fantasy novels at times. (Sometimes I'm patient enough to go with the flow. Other times I give up.) When the book relies on world-building it can be tricky. But for some reason, I didn't mind in this case. True, not all questions were answered. And a bit more back story could have helped things along. But I like to piece some things together myself. And having the author explain each and every thing all at once, all at the beginning, wouldn't make for great storytelling either. I thought not-knowing added to the mystery of it.

With fantasy--especially in series and I don't know if this will be a series or not--but if an author is all action, little explanation we as readers complain because there are unanswered questions and it can be confusing. But if we get a book that is all explanation--all set up--and little action, then we complain that nothing happens and that there is no plot. I've read dozens (and dozens) of first-books-in-the-series where we spend 200 out of 300 pages just waiting for the action to start. And they're not all that fun to read. You hope that the second book improves and the action can finally start rolling along.

Of course, there are exceptions to the rules. Alcatraz versus the Evil Librarians, The Lightning Thief, etc. Books where you're drawn in immediately and stay hooked. But most fantasy is somewhere between the two extremes of too much and too little.

I'm curious if a reread would make a difference? I read this one in April--late April. And so my memory is a bit fuzzy now. Some books are great the first time through when you're caught up in the 'and then what happens' of it and then the second reading, you begin to pick out all the little 'flaws' and 'quirks' that didn't quite work for you. I've had it work the opposite way too. Where a second reading un-confused me and left me loving it.

It could be a mood thing as well. For me, the timing of this one was perfect. I'd just finished a really sludge-worthy book that had kept me bogged down and frustrated. I was looking for a quick read. An entertaining read. Something short and satisfying. For me, this book did that well. It got me out of the funk I was in. I loved the opening chapter. And it held my interest from that point on.

Bones of Faerie

I first heard of this book during the Read-A-Thon. I can't remember who read it, but I remember that they liked it. I then happened to stumble upon this book group and y'all were reading it. So I jumped in.

Well, I hate to say it, because I hate it when books disappoint me, but this book just didn't do it for me. I didn't hate it with a passion, because I did finish it. But, I had some real problems with it.

In the wake of fantasy YA and middle grade books like Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, and Fablehaven (among so many others) books in this genre really have to step up their game. They need to have everything that makes an adult novel great. They can't just be "simplistic" because they are for younger people. And, essentially, that's how this book came off for me. Nothing seemed developed enough, not the language, the backstory, the plot, the characters, or the relationships.

I spent most of the book in a state of confusion. (Michelle seemed to share some my general confusion.) Why was there a war between Faerie and our world? When was this war? Are there still faeries? What's the deal with the mother? What's the deal with the abusive father? What really happened with Cam? How do people get powers--is it from birth or not? Why is Matthew randomly a werewolf? (I didn't realize werewolves were faeries. So, are there vampires too?) What is the scope of the Faerie world and our world? Why are the plants so mean? Who are these people in the other town? (I can't keep them straight or how they relate to each other.) Why does one of them stare so much? Why does Liza have such a strong power? Why doesn't the author develop any backstory when she plops us into the middle of the story? What the hell is going on in general?

These questions were answered in the book, but the answers just weren't satisfactory, for me.

Urgh. So you see my frustration. It started off as such a great idea too. The first chapter really had me wondering. But it just didn't develop into a full-bodied story.

Did I just really miss something here? Am I expecting too much from my YA and setting myself up for disapointment?

My Thoughts on Bones of Faerie

I enjoyed reading Bones of Faerie. It was a book that once you picked it up, you couldn't put it down. The friendship between Matthew and Liza was interesting and entertaining. The imagery of the plants and tree attacking was great to read.

That said, this book had a lot of problems. Readers never find out what the war between faerie and humans were about. We know they didn't get along but had it always been that way? For a book that is set in the aftermath of such a horrible war, that could have been done much better.

The writing was good but readers were not able to get attached to most of the characters. I also wanted to know more background information on the other characters such as Matthew's grandmother. Though the idea for this story was great, I just wanted more.

Am I the only one who thinks there will be a second book?

The Bones of faerie

No one has posted yet, so I thought I would go ahead. I finished this book weeks ago, so have forgotten quite alot already with regards to small details. I found the story very confusing, especially in the beginning. I had to reread some parts a few times. At the same time I was intrigued to want to know more - and so therefore kept reading. I had wished the story didn't end, as I was eager to know what was next for the many characters I had gotten to know.

As an adult I enjoyed the book well enough, but I don't know how many young teens would. I actually gave the book to a 13 yr old girl who reads constantly. She started the novel, never finished it and then returned it to me within a week.

I'm curious to know what you thought.

Reading List: May-September

May: Bones of Faerie by Janni Lee Simner
June: The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
July: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larsson
August: The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
September: Queen of the Road: The True Tale of 47 States, 22,000 Miles, 200 Shoes, 2 Cats, 1 Poodle, a Husband and a Bus with a Will of its Own by Doreen Orion

Polls: June through September

Please vote for the books you'd like to read from June to September.


June 2009: Classic Literature

• A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
• The Chosen- Chaim Potok
• Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
• Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
  
• Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
• The Awakening by Kate Chopin
  
• Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
  
• The Great Gatsby by F.Scott Fitzgerald
• The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
  
• The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway

July 2009: Mystery/Crime

• Bone by Bone by Carol O'Connell
• Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder by Joanne Fluke
• The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Steig Larsson
• Beat the Reaper - Josh Bazell
• The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga
  
• The Reader by Bernard Schlink
• The Language of Bees by Laurie R. King

August 2009: Middle Grade Fiction

• The Name of This Book is Secret by Pseudonymous Bosch
• The 39 Clues by Rick Riordan (first book in a series of 10)
• The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
• The Unnameables Ellen Booraem
• Savvy by Ingrid Law
• The Invention of Hugo Cabret - Brian Selznick
• The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane- Kate DiCamillo
• Horns and Wrinkles - Joseph Helgerson

Setpember 2009: Travel Writing

• Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
  
• 1,000 Places to See Before You Die by Patricia Schultz
• A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson
• Journeys of Lifetime: 500 of the World's Greatest Trips by National Geographic
• Brunetti's Venice: Walks with the City's Best-Loved Detective by Tony Sepeda
• Undress Me in the Temple of Heaven by Susan Jane Gilman
• The Geography of Bliss: One Grump's Search for the Happiest Places in the World by Eric Weiner
• Queen of the Road: The True Tale of 47 States, 22,000 Miles, 200 Shoes, 2 Cats, 1 Poodle, a Husband and a Bus with a Will of its Own by Doreen Orion

Young Adult Fiction Tiebreaker Poll

We have a four-way tie for our YA selection. Please vote for your top two. We'll discuss the 3rd Friday in May instead of the 2nd to give everyone time to find and read the winning book before we discuss.