A creepy, sticky and magical book that reads like the quintessential summer read. WAKE THE BONES has a special quality about it. I loved the setting of this book. I loved the Southern Gothic, midsummer feel of Dry Valley and it's very creepy woods. Everything about Kilcoyne's writing just oozes creepy: the monsters, the ghosts, the forest, the bones, everything. It's wonderfully atmospheric and eerie. Things definitely get weird at times, but I just couldn't look away the deeper and deeper I got into this story. It took me a while to warm up to our MC, Laurel, but as family secrets come to light and Laurel learns about the demon haunting her woods and her place in that story I really came around to her. I love the comradery between Laurel and her friends and this concept of them being a found family for each other. Each character was unique and compelling. The narrator for the audiobook did a great job achieving what Kilcoyne was trying to do with this story and capturing the feel of this book. WAKE THE BONES is a genre-bending, horrific and creepy gem of a book about sacrifice, ghosts of the past made present, and consequences that I really did enjoy.

This was exactly what I was looking for when I read this synopsis and I’m so glad that I was able to read an early copy because it was the perfect winter read for me. It was dark and gritty and felt incredibly realistic even with the addition of magic.

I’m writing this review a few months after reading the book and I can still vividly recall so much of what I read, which is impressive considering how bad my memory is. But the entire atmosphere of this one was just so well done that I can still feel that creepy vibe when I think about it. And I mean that as a compliment.

The characters were fully fleshed out and their different relationships were so complex and well executed and it made the stakes that much higher since I was so invested in them all. The magic and everything was also just so dark and gritty and it just fit the setting so well.

I don’t even know how to talk about this one other than the vibes were perfect and the story flowed beautifully. I just really loved this book and I’m excited to read more by the author in the future.

Before I get into the review, I need to say a quick thank you to both NetGalley and the publishers over at Wednesday Books for giving access to the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. Wake the Bones is a New Adult Fantasy/Horror novel about a group of friends in a middle of nowhere town. A few want to get out. A few want to stay. But all must deal with the horrors living in the foundations of the Early Farm. Wake the Bones comes out on July 12th and is available for preorder now.

I explained the plot of this novel so vaguely because, to me, this novel is The Raven Cycle plus horror. The vague magical realism with no clearly defined rules, the group of friends consisting of one girl and one boy who like each other and two gay teens who eventually get together, nature magic, a semi-threatening forest. Not to mention that each of our four characters basically have characteristics of the Raven Cycle characters. Isaac is abused by his father. Ricky has a lot of the rougher edges that Ronan in TRC. Gansey’s character is mostly portrayed by Garrett. This is a book that is almost all vibes with very little plot. I liked the spooky atmosphere. I liked the way the small town felt like a true small town. It feels like the author knows a lot about tiny specks of towns in the rural U.S. I wish there was just more depth there.

Maybe this book would be better for the people who are big Fantasy readers or the ones coming at this story from the Horror side of things. This book just never gave me enough. Not enough scary moments, not a strong enough magical system, not enough depth of characters. The moments that really caught my attention were the chapters with Christine (a side character). I felt like there was so much to this side character that I would have loved to get more into as the story went on. The writing style is a flowery language that I know so many people love. I’m just still feeling torn on this one.

Let me start off by saying I was under the assumption this was more of a paranormal book. In actuality, it’s more about young people finding their place in their world and the magic that they hold both real and inside. I’ve seen it reviewed as horror but I really did not get that feel. There were parts of the book that were a little hard for me to follow. Some of the story line was just completely off the wall for me. This is obviously just my opinion simply because I normally would not pick up a book regarding magic powers. However, I do think that the story is very well written. The characters are very thought out in depth and you get to know them well as they struggle to find out who they are and accept the people they are and each other. Even though this is not my typical type of storyline I will say that this author is very talented. I was very impressed with the authors ability to keep me reading even though at times I was thinking this is absolutely crazy. If you’re into magic this is a good read.

**I was provided an electronic ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for honest review.**

Elizabeth Kilcoyne's Wake the Bones is a rural small town horror with paranormal flair. Readers follow Laurel as she returns to her hometown after dropping out of college. When it becomes clear that Laurel's land is haunted, Laurel may be the only person able to prevent death from coming to the area.

I liked pieces and aspects of this story. The clear strength in Wake the Bones was the atmosphere. The hot, humid, farmhouse summer was in every page and the pull of the woods and the land was something tangible. The creature when it first appeared was a wonderful throw to fairy tales and Kilcoyne even made deliberate mention of Rawhead and Bloody Bones. Unfortunately, for me, the pacing and tension were very inconsistent. I liked Isaac and his story line, but combined with Laurel's story and the addition of Ricky and Garrett and their characterization it came across as an imbalance and the author trying to explore too many things at once.

I do think the allegories to escaping a home that has become harmful were clever and intentional, but I almost think the impact was lessened by the way the plot lines were handled with inconsistency.

Overall, I was left feeling just okay about this story, though I would not hesitate to read this author's works in the future.

Thank you to the publisher for giving me this ARC in return for an honest review

Laurel grew up on a rural farm with the 4 boys that make her life. Having dropped out of college, she helps her uncle harvest tobacco and works as a taxidermist on the side. She has hidden powers that allows her glimpse how the bones she uses dies. Until one day, the bones rise into a creature she’s never seen and tries to kill her. Her powers are more than they seem, but will it be enough to kill the devil and ghosts haunting her farm and trying to harm her?

I liked this book! It’s been a while since I have read a good horror book, and it had all favorite elements, witches, ghosts, eerie atmosphere. I loved the diversity and LGBTQ representation, and in a way that is so true to the south. It definitely was an eerie story, and I didn’t know which way it would go through most of the story. The ending was a little long and ranting for my taste, it could have ended sooner, but I enjoyed the author wrapped up the storylines we were following. Overall, I thought it was pretty good. 3/5

DNF at 50%

I really wanted to like this book and tried so hard to read to the end, but I just had no interest in continuing on and felt as if I was forcing myself to read it, so I finally threw in the towel.

The setting for Wake the Bones is a small town in Appalachian Kentucky, and since I live in a small town in Appalachian Kentucky, I was immediately intrigued. The story centers around Laurel and her 3 best friends and how an evil awakened on Laurel's family farm threatens everything they hold dear. The author is very talented at describing her settings and creating a moody, spooky atmosphere, but the pace of the book is so slow and the 4 main characters and a 5th side character are all unlikable to the point that I just didn't care what happened to them. Once the evil starts to manifest, things got a little more interesting, but then went right back to great descriptions and slow movement with people I found bratty and annoying.

I recommend folks give this one a shot. I know I'm not the intended audience for this book and given how well the author describes scenery and builds atmosphere, I expect I might enjoy some of her future work.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Intense and atmospheric which are difficult to pull off, especially for a debut novel and writer. Kilcoyne has a ton of promise, interested in reading more

There is something deeply haunting about this book. It’s in the flow of the writing, the deep grief of the story. It’s raw and it’s aching and it’s just so grimly beautiful. Kilcoyne has proven herself to be a force, and I cannot wait to see what she writes next.

I hope this author continues writing more horror novels, you just can’t find them like this anymore. Such a unique and creepy atmosphere, and while others had different opinions, I found that the slow pace added to the build up and didn’t feel like a detriment to the story for me.

I was so excited to read Wake the Bones as I love Southern Gothic stories and the cover is spot on, but this ended up not being for me. The pace felt slow and the structure meandered a bit.

What I kept waiting for was more spookiness and less romance. I'm sure this will appeal to other readers for the atmospheric feel and concept. Unfortunately, it wasn't for me personally.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced reader' copy.

What an interesting read. Full of YA angst and witty dialogue I was drawn into the story immediately. Creepy!

Thank you NetGalley for this arc

Dark and creepy in all the best ways! I really enjoyed everything about this book and will definitely look for more to read by Kilcoyne.

this book was dark and thoughtful and relatable but also magic and was written in a way that was so satisfying to get lost in. i adored it, and i felt it had a really powerful message of home, living with grief and found family.

I really enjoyed this book. I can't wait to check out more books by this author. I loved the writing style.

This book would have been better if it wasn’t so tremendously slow. The beginning is hard to get into and the end brings no payoff to the beginning adjustment to the pace. While the premise is interestingly unique, the characters don’t provide much relief from the book’s pacing. All were mildly enjoyable, as was the book itself.

The writing of Wake the Bones is likely what I enjoyed most, though it was somewhat dampened by a rather lackluster ending. I enjoyed the horror, and the magic, and I absolutely loved the characters, but somehow the end just feel a little flat for me. It all felt oddly too easy, even with the sacrifice being made. At the very least, the friendships are a reason to come back to this world, but I do think more could've been done when it comes to motivation of the antagonist, more information about Anna, and what exactly Laurel even accomplished in the end at all.

A pretty entertaining book that I think just falls flat with the landing. I'd absolutely read more about these characters, though!

wake the bones is a moody, beautifully written story that will sink its claws into you and not let go. the horror is slow burn as is the romance, which slowly pulls you into the world in the best way. the reveals and ending are definitely worth the read!

This was just not for me. I couldn't get into the prose at all but I pushed through about 25% and then literally forgot I was reading it for a few weeks. Don't want to taint it with a rating since I didn't get far enough in to evaluate it. This might be better read in audiobook form.
I read a few other reviews and saw it being compared favorably to The Raven Boys and The Night Circus, both books I also DNF'd 😂 I think similarly that this will be a really big hit with that crowd as both of those books were absolutely huge in fantasy YA circles, known for their imaginative stories, had a gothic storyline, and beautiful prose.

Thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for the arc.

This novel is clever, gripping, and brimming with potential. I read the entire thing in a matter of two days, itching to get back to the narrative that was being revealed to me just as plants grow from the earth. Kilcoyne is able to expertly craft her lush Southern gothic narrative, alongside her own created folklore system. Her ability to describe the otherwise creepy, gory, and surreal parts of her plot is definitely the standout of this novel. The characters inhabit their small town well, especially our memorable heroine. There is little negative to find here that cannot be attributed to a first-time author coming into their own.

Not only is this book one to recommend for someone on the hunt for a haunting summer read, but I would also say that this is an author to keep a very close eye on to see what she decides to do next! This is just the beginning of a very interesting career— a definite recommendation!