Really enjoyed this books. I was gifted this book and enjoyed the story line a lot. I would love to read something else by this Author

4.5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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Thankyou #netgalley #nataliesymons #boyleanddalton for the arc copy of this book for a honest review .

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- Frank was the most love character I’m this story , yes he is rebellious and foul mouthed, but when he accept his mother’s forgiveness, I become soft and loving the character all along .
- heavy and emotional thriller. Not any kind of genre that is straight to the point of mystery and crime, it has a original writing to it that makes you wondering how and why.
- not my typical go to book but this was a great story.


❤️Shaye.reads

Ok, so I haven’t read a ton of gritty mystery books lately so this was a bit different than my normal reads the past few months. The writing was so visceral I could envision the “busted and disgusted” town and all the different characters. I felt how depressing this world was and while I didn’t like it- I wanted to forge ahead and figure out what the heck was going on and find out the answers to all the unanswered questions.

Frank was my favorite thing about the book. Her life was so abysmal and sad. She was surrounded by dysfunctional adults and poverty. Yet despite all her hardships, I love that she cared so much for her sister Boots and even her father. She is tenacious, fearless and enveloped a lot of strength for a teenager.

In terms of the mysteries themselves, I was really surprised by the multiple twists that happened. I did NOT see them coming. I didn’t love all of them (because it’s not how I wanted the story to go) but thought they were really well done.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 / 5
Takeaway: a coming-of-age tale fueled by dark secrets involving murder and truths worth lying for.

4.5 - rounded up to 5.

Goodness, this book hit hard in a few different areas. A girl’s relationship with her father, no matter his transgressions and mistakes; forgiveness and love; a will to survive despite all the circumstances… those are a few of the themes that I loved in this book.

Probably the most poignant moment was when Frank forgave her mother. I cried, and cried some more when she discovered Bernie’s Barbie.

So many layers to this story. It’s more than a coming of age story - it’s a good lesson in forgiveness and how we choose to view our parents.

Very different type of book, nevertheless I enjoyed it big time! Recommending this to all my friends

Book Review: Lies in Bone by Natalie Symons

Disclaimer: I was kindly gifted an eARC of this book via Netgally in exchange for an honest review.

Frank, her sister Megan (known as Boots) and her father Chuck move to the small town of Slippery Elm to look after her ailing grandmother. Frank starts to uncover many of the town’s secrets. She soon realizes that she can’t trust anyone in the eerie town, not even her father who has been accused of murdering two young boys when he too was only a boy. One of those boys happen to be his brother and Franks uncle that she never knew existed. Then another murder rocks the town and Frank is forced to question everything she has always believed.

The story is told from Frank’s point of view. A young sixteen-year-old that was forced to grow up too quickly. Frank is a very straight forward to the point kinda gal. She never holds her tongue and lets you know exactly what she is thinking. I loved her relationship with her younger sister, Boots. Frank has a hard exterior with everyone around her except with her sister. Elma, Franks mother, walked out on them many years ago and Frank adopts a motherly role for her sister. Frank was my favorite character. She seems stubborn but soon grows on you. With everything she has had to deal with you really start to sympathize with her.

I have never read a thriller quite like this one. The narration and characters were so original and well thought out. The plot was engaging and fast paced with tidbits of information that keep you engaged. I still think about this story and the characters. It’s a very atmospheric story and at some points I felt like I was standing next to Frank peering up at the old, abandoned houses. This story has sad moments that remind you how unfair life can be, but this made the story feel more realistic and relatable. I had a great time with this one and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys heart-wrenching coming-of-age story, a mysterious whodunit, and Bruce Springsteen.

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On Halloween 1963, eleven-year-old Chuck Coolidge and his brother Danny are lost in a toxic smog covering the steel town of Slippery Elm, Pennsylvania. When the smog lifts, half the town is sick and twenty people are dead. And Danny is missing.

Now, over twenty years later, Chuck's teenage daughter Frank plots escape from this "busted and disgusted" town. When a murdered child is found in the river, investigators link the crime to the disappearance of Danny in '63, and Frank's life is turned upside down. In the face of her worst fears, she must uncover her family's dark past if she wants to keep her sister Boots from the hands of The State. Led to discover the unimaginable truth about Danny's disappearance, Lies in Bone culminates in a shocking eleventh-hour reveal and an emotionally charged finale.⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

From Page 1 I knew I wasn’t going to put this book down. That is rare! Let me begin by saying that the writing is superb and the detail is something quite special. Natalie Symons truly transports us to the character’s world. I felt like I was there watching this story unfold in real life. The attention she pays to detail in giving a clear and vivid picture of what things look like, sound like, and feel like is so appreciated. It’s like watching a movie or play.

Two sisters and their father are living alone and must move back to the father’s childhood hometown, Slippery Elm. Slippery Elm carries many secrets and the residents are odd, to say the least. Everyone in the town has secrets and are facing their own demons. The two sisters must endure an unstable life and a truly wild ride as they navigate their way through their adolescent years. The book is chock-full of good guys and bad guys and we don’t really know who is who throughout the book. What a head spinner it is.

We get total closure which I like but not until the very end. Great read and as they say, “unputdownable”!

Thank you to Natalie Symons for a copy of this book. I am so happy to say that I have read it and loved it.

There was a lot to unpack with this book, but it was designed to be so. The lead character, Frank and her sister Boots lead a very unsteady childhood after their mother departs and they are left with their father. Frank is forced to mature faster than most children as she is faced with loss, adversity, and many other mature themes. The grittiness of the time period, the loss of a mother, a distant father, and attempting to unravel the past made for a very interesting read and one that leaves the reader uncomfortable and reaching for the next page.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own!

I've seen this debut novel on bookstagram a few times, with great reviews. It sounded like one I'd like and I'm happy to say it was definitely awesome. This story builds in suspense as you read. The characters are well developed and there are many twists and turns I was not expecting. 

Taking place in the small town of Slippery Elm, Pennsylvania. In 1963, Chuck and his brother Danny are biking through the woods that are thick with toxic fog from the steel town. When the fog lifts, Danny is nowhere to be found. What really happened to Danny has remained a mystery, even after his body is found years later.

In 1987, Chuck and his 2 daughters head back to Slippery Elm to care for his sick mother that's never gotten over the loss of her son Danny. The town is not happy to have him back, thinking he had something to do with the death of his brother. When another child is found dead in the woods soon after they arrive, Frances (Frank), Chuck's older daughter sets out to find the truth about what happened so long ago. 

I loved how the author wrote the town if Slippery Elm. The town has been deteriorating throughout the years, and is like a character in itself. There are many characters in this book, and I loved following Frank's compelling journey through the book to find out the truth. 

So good. If you love True Crime, and thrillers, you will definitely enjoy this one I think.

Natalie Symons, in her first novel, "Lies In Bone" showcases her writing talent. An award-winning playwright, she is also an excellent writer and storyteller. "Lies In Bone" is a story of a young woman growing up and seeking the truth about her father's troubled past. Francis (Frankie) and her sister must accompany their father as he returns to his hometown to care for an invalid mother. The sisters find the mother is not so invalid so they question their reason for being there. Frances seeks to find answers and learns of her uncle's disappearance while with her father many years ago. Another young boy was murdered in that time period and her father found his body. To add to the troubles, Frankie mourns her mother, longing to know the truth about her exit from their lives. Her sister is too young to remember her but is aching for maternal love and still wears the boots their Mom owned, earning her a nickname of "Boots". None of the stories or disappearances add up for Frankie as she seeks to find the answers to her own life and the lives of the past.

Ms. Symons reveals the turbulence of teenage years and those of a troubled teen and town in her debut novel. The character development, the emotional burdens all are deep and well written in this excellent novel. I highly recommend it as a must-read for those who love books about young people, mysteries, and the effects of trauma. Thanks to #NetGalley#LiesinBone for the opportunity to read and review this excellent book. I hope to read more from Natalie Symons.

If your looking for a dark mystery thriller look no further. This book is I tense but so worth it. Great writing great plot .

Heartbreaking story of love and family and survival and resilience with memorable characters and vivid descriptions it is also the story of The disappearance and murder of young children over a period of a few decades

In October 1963, two brothers are out for bike rides clad in their Halloween costumes as a fog rolls into town. Chuck, dressed as Spiderman, loses track of younger brother Danny, dressed as Huckleberry Hound. He is lost and the truth of what happened to Danny would remain a mystery. In December 1987, Chuck Coolidge and his two daughters head back to Slippery Elm, Pennsylvania to care for his ill mother who has never gotten over the loss of Danny. Teenage Frances “Frank” is unhappy to move to this rundown town. But she promised her mother, who left the family, that she’d always care for her younger sister Megan “Boots”. The residents of Slippery Elm don’t welcome Chuck back with open arms as people have long thought he was responsible for the death of his younger brother and another young boy found dead in the woods soon after. When another child turns up murdered, old wounds open up and growing up becomes harder than ever for Frank.

Lies in Bone is the type of book that once you start it, you can’t put it down. The characters are unforgettable, starting with teenage Frances “Frank” Coolidge, who has to become the grownup in the family far too early. She is forced to face life’s ugliness including the aftermath of a local murder. Author Natalie Symons skillfully presents the darkness and despair of Slippery Elm, a once prosperous town that has been deteriorating since the closing of its steel mill. You can envision the crumbling, boarded-up buildings and once stately homes. Even during her darkest days, Frank remains tough and resilient, with the ever-present music of Bruce Springsteen to help her along.

This is a beautifully-written debut novel. At its heart, it’s a moving coming-of-age story yet it is also a compelling murder mystery filled with lots of suspense. Do yourself a favor and read it.

"His words cut into me like a blade tearing flesh. But I refused to bleed."

If Bruce Springsteen and Stephen King
co-wrote a psychological thriller it would be Lies in Bone by debut author Natalie Symons. Her words, her turn of a phrase, her dialogue and her storytelling are akin to the best of songwriters and novelists.

I don't know how to do justice to the heartbreaking, frightening, and bittersweet story of sisters Frank (Frances) and Boots (Megan) and their never stood a chance father Chuck except to say that I had such a visceral experience reading this book that by the end I was shaking and had tears streaming down my face.

The opening is chilling as we meet 11 year old Chuck riding his bike with younger brother Danny on Halloween in 1963. Out of nowhere a toxic fog covers their small mining town. When it clears half the town is deathly ill, many are dead and young Danny is missing.

Over 20 years later Chuck is raising his teen daughter Frank and little sister Boots on his own. They move back to the town that considers Chuck a murderer, wishes it was Chuck instead of Danny that disappeared and encounter a sweet little girl named Bernie that will break everyone's heart.

Frank quickly figures out, as she listens to Springsteen, that it's a "town full of losers." As she tries to figure out what really happened to Danny we meet a cast of original characters worthy of any found in a 1,000 page King novel or Springsteen New Jersey saga. They are at once fascinating and despicable except Ray. A true best friend for Frank.

The startling reveals are shocking and yet not unrealistic. I was often surprised and had to remind myself to keep breathing. Frank is a stoic heroine I am honored to know.

If you read only one more book make it Lies In Bone. It will remind you why you love writers and reading books.

I received a free copy of this book from the author for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

Lies In Bones is a disturbing mystery but a realistic view of murder. The main character, Frank ( who is a young girl ) and her sister Boots are unhappy after their father moves them to his mothers because their mother up and left. She and her sister try to make the best of it but there are dark secrets that Frank knows nothing about. Why has her mother left them? What is the smog that came and went? What happened to Chuck?
Her father,Danny, was with his brother on a Halloween night when they were kids and the brother went missing. No one knows what happened but the town and Danny’s mother blame him.
This is an involved story and the reader is hooked to find out all that is going on. A book you won’t forget!

This was a wild ride and I loved it, such a gripping read with a really cool gothic feel with vivid imagery i actually felt like i was in the smog alongside them. it was creepy, it was intense it was perfect.

Thank you Publisher, NetGalley and Author for this advance ebook copy in return for an honest review!

Lies in Bone by Natalie Symons was really something amazing!
This was one heck of a story and I'm so honored I was able to read a advanced ebook copy!

This is the type of coming-of-age story that I freaking can get into. The mystery, the plot, this storytelling is something outstanding!

Our protagonist Frank a teenage daughter to Chuck is a badass! She sets out to discover what happened twenty years ago to her dads brother and this crazy old town she calls home!

This dark extraordinary story had me so intrigued I didn't want this one to end! And to me that deserves a five star rating in my book!!!
This small town has a mystery and I loved how intense it got!
The characters are all amazing and dysfunctional. The setting is freaking creepy and wild!
And to top it all Symons writing is fabulous and one I was glued to till the very end of this story!
She is brilliant at building up the tension to breaking point and the creepy setting really adds to the atmosphere. Awesome job here!.