New Book Review - The Bone Door by Frances White

Name - The Bone Door 

Written by - Frances White 

Narrated by - Honi Cooke 

Published by - Hanover Square Press

This one was quite a journey to listen to, emotionally draining at times, dealing with some hard and brutal stuff, quite a lot of twists and skillful unraveling of plot, but also a bit too long or over explaining at times. But overall, certainly one of the surprises of the year so far.

The story details the journey of Hop and the strange companions he picks up along a mysterious labyrinth while being chased by a dark being. The kids have all seemingly lost their memories, and throughout their journey they slowly regain knowledge of what they are and how they came to be trapped in the maze.

The characters are portrayed brilliantly and their emotional journey is sure to resonate with readers. But despite their age, this one is definitely a book for adults with its serious subject matter and depiction of mutilation and death all throughout. Yet, it is also a book of hope, of second chances and the fact that even the most hopelessly damnable character has some inner goodness.

Another strong point is the mesmerizing world building, keeping me guessing what might be in store in the next chapter. The heavy themes are present dispersed between detailed and deliberately slow reveals as the author attempted to continue enchanting.

Honi Cooke did a masterful job of narrating, creating distinct voices for each of the characters, giving them unique personalities, and also conveying the emotional content quite brilliantly.

My only real complaint is that some of the dialogues and interactions just seemed to drag a bit too much, unnecessarily lengthening the prose. About 100 pages could have been cut off, making the book a tighter and compacter experience; then again, maybe the author was trying to emphasize the emotional depth even further somewhat.

Nevertheless, I thoroughly enjoyed this one and will give it 4 out of 5 stars.