I loved this so much! It was riveting and twisty and got my pulse racing! Great story! ( )

The story touches on kidnapping and domestic violence. As I was reading it, my initial reaction was that using this trope was weak and the story wouldn’t be good. I’m still lukewarm to it, but it wasn’t a terrible story.

Mattie and William live in the mountains, alone, away from other people. Mattie has no memory of life “before William,” and she’s isolated from other people. Only William travels into town for supplies. The couple live off the grid. The meat store is closely monitored by William and rarely does Mattie ever go into the store. Mattie mustn’t upset William. Otherwise she suffers the consequences—physically.

Of course, things aren’t what they seem up in the mountains and Mattie finds herself fighting for her life. It’s not just William she has to watch for. There’s a creature in the woods. A creature that’s not fully illustrated by Christina Henry but outlined just enough to add to the sense of unease you’re already feeling from Mattie’s so-called “normal” life.

Read the full review here: https://pencilnubbin.substack.com/p/review-near-the-bone ( )

This was the first of Christina's books that I have read and it won't be the last. I enjoyed this slightly gory escape from the mountain and the horrors that are chasing Mattie. I loved the inner monologue in Mattie's head as she realizes who she is and what is going on. Loved the outcome for William. ( )

4.25

I really enjoyed this. A page turner with a unique premise. However it did leave some unanswered questions. ( )

I don't think I've read anything quite this dark recently. I knew going in that Henry tends to write at the darker end of what I am comfortable with, and this was even more so than expected. It does a fabulous job of bringing to the page a particular type of B-grade horror movie.

And while I absolutely loved it, I can't think of a single person, horror fan or no, to whom I could honestly recommend it. Henry has outdone themself in terms of WTAF.

I've seen in some other reviews complaints about the ambiguity, and the fact that there are story threads not resolved. I loved this -- this is not a story of resolution, it is a story of beginning. Almost as if it is a prequel to a very different story. And while I would be fascinated to find out how that story could come from this one, I'm not sure that I want to read it.

some rather rambling thoughts, all of which are at least some spoilery:

* I had to put the book down about 20 pages from the end, just to take a breath, because I hadn't expected more than one person to make it off the mountain
* the juxtaposition of the human and cryptid monsters, their capriciousness, and the way that both make things worse for our protagonist is so well done
* I get the narrative reason for Mattie to make their own resolution, their own justice, but it frustrated me as a plot point
* the fact that there are no children at the beginning of the story made no sense. The sense that came as the story continued was awful. ( )