I was LOVING this book until the last 3 pages of the book caused me to deduct 2 stars. I was convinced that this was going to be five stars for me because the historical backing of this novel was on point and was making my history heart/teacher super happy. The history used for the Starving Time in Jamestown and the explanation of indentured servants was so good. The ending was such a waste of time and if I had a physical copy of this book, I would have thrown it. I am debating recommending this book to my students because the historical content is splendid, but the ending was a disappointment.

This is the story of Ellis, an endured servant, who came to America with her owners, as part of colonization. The story includes death from starvation, cannibalism, and death. Ellis witnesses so much in her early years. Master Collins deserved what he got in the end. Definitely a hard book to read. Thank you to Ms. Bruzas, Penguin Group, and NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I received a free copy from NetGalley. Very difficult topics described by a narrator/main character with a very limited knowledge base, about a very difficult time.

I was intrigued by the synopsis and eager to dive into this book. The concept of following a woman in the 1600s, navigating harrowing experiences while engaging in a taboo relationship, had me hooked. However, the writing style—primarily composed of sentence fragments—made it difficult for me to fully connect with Ellis as a character. I’m unsure if this was a deliberate choice by Bruzas, but it left me feeling detached. The collapse of the colony and the desperate measures taken were compelling, yet the focus seemed more on a stifled love story than fully exploring these fascinating themes. That said, if you enjoy this style of writing and are curious about the struggles faced by early colonists, this book could be a good starting point.


*Thank you to Alena Bruzas, PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group | Rocky Pond Books and Netgalley for the ARC copy. I am freely leaving my honest review.

This is a book that sets many settler-colonial notions of the settlement of "the new world" on its head. I appreciated the realism in the portrayal of the colonists attitudes; this is something that is often whitewashed out of many texts. While some actions by the protagonists seemed somewhat unbelievable for the time and place, I think it is a text that will challenge many teens' preconceived notions about early america.

I didn't expect to cry while reading this or stumble upon cannibalism, but here we are. It was short and at times, I always feared that I'd be disappointed by the ending, but it was one that hit hard and while I was not always invested in the characters, I did want to know how it ends. It was an alright book overall,

Many thanks to NetGalley and Rocky Pond Books for providing me with an eARC of To the Bone in exchange for my honest review!

As a grim book that focuses on the evil of colonialism, I appreciate what this goes for, even if its execution doesn't feel as nuanced as it could have been. This does depict Ellis with a limited POV that can leave me wishing I could broaden the perspective and absorb more details. That being said, this book succeeds at creating a horror tone that meshes with the layers of its tale.

Overall, I'm officially rating To the Bone 3.5 out of 5 stars, which I'm rounding down to 3 three stars.

Oh. My. Gosh!

I started reading and thought this was an exciting fiction novel. I couldn't believe the harsh climate and experiences Ellis faces. She has come to what will become America as an indentured servant. Her family is gone. Her mother and baby sister have died. Her older sister doesn't recognize Ellis as family. Her father left for the new world and hasn't been seen. He said he would send for the family when he could.

What starts out as a possible future quickly turns deadly as winter comes and the colonists are not prepared.

It turns out, this is historic fiction, and wow.... the notes following the novel are insane. Some of the characters and their activities were made after real people. I will definitely recommend this to my students.

I was given the opportunity to read this title by NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

The year is 1609 and Ellis has recently arrived in James Fort with Henry Collins and his wife to serve as their help. Ellis hopes to find her father but instead finds a companion in Jane. Master Collins begins to become more controlling as Ellis and Jane spend more time together and the food starts dwindling.

This was a very intense book, and although historically accurate, it could make some readers uncomfortable. I enjoyed the story for the most part but felt it dragged quite a bit in the middle, and for such a small book that decreased my enjoyment quite a bit. I did like how progressively dark this book became as I continued reading. The author's note at the end of the book ties the story up nicely and I do recommend reading it to get the full scope of the book.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Following the story of a young indentured servant living in Jamestown during the starving time, To the Bone explores the horror and the inhumanity the colonizers experienced. The main character, Ellis, is limited in life by her impoverished upbringing, the demanding oversight and beliefs of her master, and the limitations of the colony. Ellis has some dreams, but minimal courage to pursue. The people  around her age are far more lively and push her beyond her comfort zone, often getting her in trouble. When she starts to have feelings for Jane, she is shaken to her very core. The weather begins to turn, after an unsuccessful growing season, and the local indigenous peoples will no longer help, and the colonists are pushed to the end of their humanity. Ellis' world crumbles around her as she is subsumed by fear.
While this is based on the Starving Winter at Jamestown, it took me a while to realize that this was the moment in history being explored. The beginning has an almost otherworldly, or at least alternate history, tone about it. It was a little jarring as a reader to feel thrown in without a firm sense of place or time. My biggest critique of the book, however, was the repetition of Ellis' thoughts. She felt very limited, which I guess is the point, but I could never really feel invested in her. She kept thinking, saying and doing the same things over and over again without learning. She had the same doubts, fears, and feelings. She felt flat and it made it hard to keep going. Even as the tension rose and the horrors increased, she still seemed to focus on the same things. It was frustrating. The romance made sense in the story, though I felt it was overshadowed by the other hardships faced. The other characters also seemed fairly flat, though they did change over the course of the story. While it was an interesting premise and setting, I was a little let down by the characters.

I've always been fascinated with Jamestown, even more so after a visit a few years ago where we could see what recent archeological excavations had uncovered. So when I realized that this story was placed in Jamestown (even though the narrator never explicitly said it), I was pretty pumped. I think the author did a good job of conveying what life was like from the perspective of a young indentured servant girl, and just how hard and desperate the Starving Time was. The winter of 1609-1610, the colonists were under siege by the Natives, had no opportunity of resupply, and were still woefully oblivious to the realities of life in the New World. Bruzas drew on the proof of cannibalism that has been uncovered and worked the real-life "Jane" into the story in an effective way. My only criticism is that the narrator is <i>so</i> simple that I had a hard time truly connecting with her. I understand the author's choice in vocabulary and speaking style, and I think it achieved what she wanted, but reading an entire book that felt like it was written by an 8-year old was challenging.

I didn't realize this was a teen book when I requested it, and unfortunately I am personally not super into teen fiction. That being said, I think we will most likely purchase a copy for our teen collection.

I was mildly disappointed with To The Bone. With the description, it had enormous potential to dive a bit deeper into the psychological effects that displacement, abuse, and hunger have on the human mind. It fell just short of the mark of shocking me, however heartbreaking the situation. That being said, I feel like the length of the book is just right. The writing was exquisite, as the description claimed, and I was entertained. For me, it fell short of convincing me that these were real people that I should care about; I failed to be able to suspend my belief throughout reading. That's on me.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to review this book. All opinions are my own.

A very unique approach of colonization with a horror touch.
I didn't expect this book to go in the direction it did.
I had fun reading but the thre stars are because I had hard time to go in to it at the beginning.

Thank you so much for this novel. I opted not to finish this novel. I really was intrigued by the historical setting but this novel was not for me.

A harrowing historical tragedy, not for the faint of heart, this left me conflicted. To the Bone is told from the point of view of Ellis, an indentured servant girl in the English colony of Jamestown. The setting and cover of To The Bone captured my interest, and I thought Ellis’ internalized struggle with her feelings for another girl, Jane, were well done, but the stream of consciousness writing style fell a bit flat and felt repetitive. I think that it might’ve worked better as a novel in verse in capturing the story in a more concise but equally emotional way. I also wanted more depth to the characters. I did appreciate the author’s note at the end and that she acknowledged the wrongs of the colonists and the historical context, and it was very well researched.

This book mixes aspects of historical fiction and horror and made for a quick and thrilling read. While I definitely was glad the book veered off from Ellis obsession with Jane, it takes a quick and startling turn into one of the darkest times in Jamestown history, the starving time.

Review: Ever Since was one of my favorite books I read last year, so I was really excited to get my hands on an ARC for this. Unfortunately, I was left disappointed. In general, while the story was interesting, I never felt connected to the characters. It always felt like they were just too far away to grasp, too far away to connect to.

Synopsis: It’s 1609 at James Fort, and Ellis has recently arrived from England with Henry Collins and his wife, who she serves as their indentured help. To orphaned Ellis, James Fort is an opportunity – a fresh start in a new world. And now that she has fallen for the bold and glorious Jane Eddowes, she feels even more hopeful about her future. Foolishly hopeful, for soon she comes to understand the horrible realities of her home: the crimes that her fellow settlers have committed against the Native Americans there, the terrible shortage of food they are facing as winter draws near, and the cruelty of her employer, both to her and to his pregnant wife. Ellis will call upon all her fortitude, but will it be enough? Gripping, shocking, and exquisitely told, this is crucial U.S. history seen through the eyes of an extraordinary fictional teenager.

To the Bone was an interesting look into the settlement of Jamestown and other early colonial settlements, but from the perspective of the girls who endured so much in those early days. I highly recommend this to anyone looking for a gritty historical fiction book that is not about WWII.

Wow, this is truly a heavy read. This book tells the story of colonialism from a unique standpoint; a queer teenager girl. This book tackles many horrible things that happened during that time including resorting to cannibalism. I found this book to be really heavy and sad, but wished it had a bit more depth to the actual characters. I would say read at your own caution and check trigger warnings!