Book Review: The Bones of Me - engaging story told in a fresh and brave style
Written by: Kel Duckhouse
Publisher: Flying Eye Books
Setting: Modern Day
Reading Age: 11+
This statement isn’t exactly going to be a shocker, but, if you are a book reviewer, then you end up reading a whole lot of books. As such, many of those books can end up being a bit, well, boring. Usually, that’s because the reviewer has read another five books just like the book they are currently reviewing. This is why ‘The Bones of Me’ proved such a delight to my eyeballs; I’ve never read a book like this before.
This is author Kel Duckhouse’s debut novel, though you’d never know it, as ‘The Bones of Me’ is such an assured read you’d be convinced the author had written a dozen or more books before. It’s a punchy page-turning story in more ways than one.
Punchy in the sense that the taught tale follows aspiring boxer Molly as she learns the ropes. Punchy too, because the swift striking, and dangerously dynamic verse and prose will leave you breathless.
‘The Bones of Me’ is not told in a conventional novel kind of way, instead, it feels more akin to a Viking Saga. Playing with rhythm, word positioning, onomatopoeias, rhyme, and pacing, the unusual structure of ‘The Bones of Me’ makes for a surprising and original
read.
Stand-out chapters utilise rapping, training montages, and thrilling boxing bouts to startling effect. Put simply, the writing style is wonderful. Sure, for some it might be a little marmite, thing is, I love marmite.
The story is terrific too. In contrast to the unusual writing style, the plot is satisfyingly simple and straightforward. It’s a genre tale, one in which Molly must overcome adversity and her own-self doubts to achieve her dreams. Think Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky retold for a modern audience. Molly is an authentic character. Her voice, mannerisms, and behaviour are expertly captured. As a reader, I was utterly invested in her and her journey from beginning to end.
And what a journey it is. Molly’s world is rocked when her brother is arrested for a crime he didn’t commit. Or did he? Molly’s detective work leaves her filled with doubts as long-hidden family secrets are finally revealed. To say more would be to spoil twists and surprises, suffice to say, ‘The Bones of Me’ will hold your attention until the very last page.
If you’re looking for a book with something a little bit different going on, then ‘The Bones of Me’ is for you. This is a hugely engaging story told in a fresh and brave style. Absolutely essential.
Thank you to Flying Eye Books for sending us a review copy of 'The Bones of Me'.
'The Bones of Me' is released on 06/10/22. You can pre-order it on the Flying Eye Books website by clicking here.
