Book Review: Bones & All by Camille DeAngelis

Image (c) Macmillan Publishers

Bones & All by Camille DeAngelis
Publication Date: March 10th, 2015
Format: Physical ARC

Maren Yearly doesn’t just break hearts, she devours them.

Since she was a baby, Maren has had what you might call "an issue" with affection. Anytime someone cares for her too much, she can’t seem to stop herself from eating them. Abandoned by her mother at the age of 16, Maren goes looking for the father she has never known, but finds more than she bargained for along the way.

Faced with love, fellow eaters, and enemies for the first time in her life, Maren realizes she isn’t just looking for her father, she is looking for herself. The real question is, will she like the girl she finds?

I received an Advanced reading copy of this book from the publisher for the 'Bones & All Street Team' on Goodreads. I was not compensation for this review in any way. I'm just a reader/ reviewer who just happens to love to read.

This book is centered around a girl named Maren who, at a young age, consumed bodies. There's no real reason honestly- she just has an urge to consume flesh. Only her mother knew what was going on and her life was held down because of it. Despite how accepting this woman was, on Maren's 16th birthday... she was left to her own devices with only her birth certificate and a bit of money.

She at first feared that she was the only person who consumed bodies. At first, that seemed like the worst thing in the world, but once she started finding more people like her... I'm beginning to think that maybe things would have been better had she not find others like her. Although each person she finds like her are different in their own way- one of them only eats bodies when they are dead and another eats when they feel the person doesn't deserves to live anymore.

Despite their differences, Maren grows up on her adventure to find out about her past and the exact reasons why her mother decided to leave her. She learns and discovers that, even with people like her in the world, there are still worst people out there... and, simultaneously, finds that there are kind and sweet people.  

 This is a book that not everyone will like, I think. Although, despite its content and what's involved, nothing is really written in bloody detail. There's enough written to know that it was clear that someone was killed and consumed but that's all you really know. I'm okay with that. I feel like the lack of detail was a wise decision from the author. So for those who might be worry about the gory details, you can relax. It's not bad.

I would still recommend this book, especially towards those who are looking for a strong heroine in fiction. Maren seems like an odd candidate but despite her indecisiveness and worry about her future, she still walks on with her head held high. When it comes to facing my future, I feel like she inspired me that despite how bad things are I can still walk forward. 

Overall: I'd actually recommend this to all of my female friends or, really, anyone who loves reading about a strong female lead. I love this book and I'm glad I've gotten a chance to receive an early copy of this book. Get this book when it's released in stores.

(Originally posted on A Court of Ink and Paper, previously known as Cosying Up With Books)