7.31.2005

Book Review: By These Ten Bones

By These Ten Bones by Clare B. Dunkle

SUMMARY: A mysterious young man has come to a small Highland town. His talent for wood carving soon wins the admiration of the weaver's daughter, Maddie. Fascinated by the silent carver, she sets out to gain his trust, only to find herself drawn into a terrifying secret that threatens everything she loves. There is an evil presence in the carver's life that cannot be controlled, and Maddie watches her town fall under a shadow. One by one, people begin to die. Caught in the middle, Maddie must decide what matters most to her-and what price she is willing to pay to keep it. (excerpted from the inside flap)

OPINION: I am not ususally a big reader of books about creatures of the night, but this one drew me in right away with its vivid medieval village setting and sensibility. The village people believe in the supernatural, yet resort to very natural ways of dealing with the evil they sense around them. The violence in this book is largely the work of the villagers themselves as they try to expel the dark presence lurking in their valley. But the creature seeks revenge, and only Maddie can stop him once and for all. This short book will attract readers of historical and supernatural fiction alike through skillful characterization and suspenseful pacing.

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