4.5

I'm having a hard time deciding where to start this review. This book is excellent. I will start with that.

I read Alena Bruzas' first novel, Ever Since, and absolutely loved it. I fell in love with her writing, the way Bruzas tells a story, and how successfully she was able to pull me in to what was happening from an emotional standpoint. Needless to say, I was very eager to get my hands on this, her sophomore novel. This book? So very different. So, so different. But I enjoyed it immensely all the same -- albeit for different reasons.

From the very first page of this I was immersed in this story. I truly felt like I was a shadow on the wall, like I was transported to this time in history and walking along side our main character, Ellis, while things were happening. It was actually a very unique perspective, because it didn't feel like I was living in the main characters head so much as being able to snap my fingers and follow along with a real life person experiencing a real life event in our very real and dark history. Kind of like being part of an immersive history channel episode.

This was an exceptionally dark, but wonderfully crafted story. I could feel this overwhelming sense of dread pulsing as an undercurrent throughout each page of this book that gradually got louder and louder until you were in the thick of exactly what you knew was coming. Just phenomenal storytelling. I only wish that we were able to dive a little bit deeper into some of the other characters -- but part of me wonders if her decision not to do that was intentional.

I think Bruzas did an excellent job handling very sensitive subject matter with care while also not holding back from showcasing the brutality that was the reality of that time (much of which hasn't truly faded as much as we wish it to be true). I also appreciated the fact that she went out of her way to post about trigger warnings (VERY IMPORTANT, please take note of these and proceed accordingly) and discuss her approach to some of those sensitive issues in her acknowledgments.

I walked away from this with a desire to learn more about this chapter from our history book, and immediately found myself on the internet looking into the real life events that inspired this story. So I think it's safe to say that this book did its job well.

Shout out to the narrator for the audiobook as well - I think this is an excellent book to consume via that medium, should you be inclined to do so.

I also want to acknowledge how incredible I think it is when an author can write stories that vary so drastically from each other. It makes me very excited to read whatever comes next, not only because I know I enjoy her writing, but also because I have no idea what kind of story it will be.

Excellent.

4.5 stars

This book was SO good and just utterly horrifying. I grew up near Jamestown and visited several times for field trips, and remember how shocked and shortchanged I felt when I got to college and found out there was cannibal lore in the history there that I had never been told. When I saw that this book was set in Jamestown during the Starving Time, I was excited and intrigued, and hoping it wouldn't gloss over the details like my schools had. Well. It did not. I can't believe this is YA, despite the protagonist's age, because it is DARK.

Ellis is a teen girl who arrives in America full of hope for a new life in 1609. After the plague deaths of her mother and sister back in England, Ellis secures an indenture with Henry Collins and his pregnant wife. She spends her off time exploring the settlement and the surrounding forest with the beautiful and free-spirited Jane, and their best friend Rowan. But as summer turns to fall and then winter, the settlers' relationships with the natives sour and the carefree warmth of the new world grows sharp teeth. Despite their fear of the Powhatans, the colonists soon realize that they have the most to fear from their own neighbors, as the fight for resources turns deadly. 

This is a short read, and I highly recommend if you have any interest in history, but caution you that while there are trigger warnings at the start of the book, there are some things that might upset readers that are not explicitly listed there, so be careful! I have a feeling this one will get a lot of bad reviews, but I binged it in a night and have been thinking aout it for days since. It is bleak, but worth it. Thanks to Penguin Teen and the author for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC. This was a very vivid account of settlers coming to the new world. It was very graphic and very violent, not for the faint of heart. The book was hard to follow occasionally, almost as if the names and info was given too quickly or all at once. It was interesting but very bleak.

3,5

it was incredibly shocking, although at the beginning it was quite boring, BUT then everything somehow started to change and I can't take my eyes off this book, and it still makes me sick and again shocking from what is happening.

I definitely wouldn't read this a second time, but for the first and only time, it's wow.

I really love the perspective this book explored. Ellis is young, uneducated, but looking for a better future where she can be free and happy with someone who loves her. She catches glimpses into the problems of the world she lives in (the abuse she and her mistress receive from her master, the mistreatment and disrespect colonial groups imposed on indigenous peoples, and the senselessness of vilifying homosexuality), but she remains trapped in limbo. As a member of her society, she has little influence and even less power, unable to change the dark realities she faces or rise up to be the powerful heroine many YA books advocate for. However, I think the story of a girl who doesn't fill the "chosen one" role, but instead simply lives her life and endures some truly horrific things, her story and the internal journey she goes on to grapple with who she is and what she believes is even more important than a powerful girl-boss story. We all have to grapple with cognitive dissonance between what we believe to be good and our treatment of others, both as an individual and as a society. We all have difficult decisions to make that have permanent impacts on our own lives and the lives of those around us. All in all, this is a valuable story about a significant period in early US history, and one that explores the hopes and dreams driving early colonizers without excusing the atrocities committed while pursuing those goals.

Content Warnings: domestic abuse, starvation, cannibalism, LGBTQ prejudice

Language: Mild
Violence: High
Drugs: Mild
Sex: Moderate

It feels like this would be a hard book to recommend to anyone because it’s so dark, but I’m still glad that I read it. The setting and time period was obviously well researched. The minimal writing style placed me in Ellis’s head and did an incredible job of amplifying the tension. This was a refreshingly short and interesting historical horror novel,,

Well, that was awful. I mean that in the best possible way, because this book follows our narrator through some truly grisly events. The fact that the prose is quite spare and direct only adds to the effect, because our narrator Ellis describes some truly upsetting things in a deeply matter-of-fact tone. Please read the content notes provided in the front of the book, as this story is technically based on a true crime early in US history. It's... wow, it's rough.

Going into this, I thought it would be horror in a more genre-specific sense of the word. In fact, the author brought horror novel sensibilities to a book that, from what I can tell, follows historical events with as much accuracy as possible, with a few slight adjustments for narrative cohesion. It was really good, but as someone who's been reading a lot of depressing nonfiction, oof, some parts were rough reading.

4.5*, partly because it was so engaging, partly because I think the author effectively conveyed the things she wanted to get across, and partly because the extensive notes in the back solidified my sense that she was making a concerted effort to walk a careful line between empathizing with suffering people while also acknowledging the issues of colonialism and violence that caused the situation in the first place.

Thank you to the publisher for the ARC. My thoughts are my own and left voluntarily.

This is a young adult novel, which I forgot. It’s dark. It’s very dark. I definitely believe this book would be suited for someone older, or a very mature teen who won’t be as disturbed with the dark themes in the book. I’m well above the target age for this book and I was still bothered. I understood what it was about beforehand but I was quite tempted to stop reading when the little doggie Spider appeared because I knew. Probably the one thing that was enjoyable in this book was Ellis’ blossoming friendship and relationship with Jane. The romanticism of the colonists was a bit of a letdown. We know that they weren’t good people at all. The disjointed, stream of consciousness narration might be jarring to some. (Thank you NetGalley)

This book wasn't quite what I expected. The subject matter of people starving to death has to be dark, but I never truly connected to the horrors. Bruzas hits on a bunch of topics-starvation, cannibalism, the atrocious acts against Native Americans, mental health, abuse, and a sapphic relationship. None of these had the depth that I had hoped for.
It's not a terrible book and a quick read if you're in the mood for such.
#NetGalley

It was hard for me to get into it because I wasn’t really invested in any of the characters. I loved the historical part of the story and I also enjoyed the dark horror second half. But I didn't like the romance parts at all.

"To the Bone" by Alena Bruzas dives into the dark and unsettling world of colonial Jamestown during The Starving Time, blending historical fiction with horror. The story follows Ellis, an indentured servant, as she navigates the brutal realities of life in the colonies. Her limited perspective adds a layer of psychological intensity, amplifying the horror of both her personal struggles and the broader tragedies unfolding around her. While the historical elements are fascinating, some readers may feel the setting could have used more detail to fully immerse them in the time period.

The novel's shift from romance to horror feels jarring at times, but the growing darkness kept me hooked. The relationship between Ellis and Jane starts strong, though it eventually takes a backseat to the grim atmosphere and eerie events. While the minimalist writing style works for Ellis's limited understanding of her world, it sometimes makes it hard to grasp the deeper societal conflicts. Overall, it's a quick, thought-provoking read, but those expecting a more fleshed-out historical narrative or romance might feel a bit underwhelmed.

DNF @ 23% (or pg 60)
I really wanted to read this as a historical perspective on Jamestown and the Indigenous Peoples, but oh gosh, I just COULD NOT get past the FMC. I understand why it was written this way, but I just couldn't wrap my head around it 🤷‍♀️

I really thought this was going to be a great book. I love historical fiction, especially when horror is thrown into the mix, but this really just missed the mark for me. I understand why the book was written the way it was, but the writing was too choppy and disjointed, even though that was the point. Plot points were brought up and never went anywhere. I found it to be so slowly paced that it took me five days to read less than 300 pages. I was unimpressed with the way the Indigenous people were written in this book. The real horror is how people can become monsters when tragedy strikes. Idk…. This was very disappointing and I should have DNF’d it.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange of an honest review.

I’m afraid to close my eyes. After reading To The Bone by Alena Bruzas, I can’t shake off the feelings of dread and discomfort. It’s a tough read with lots of content warnings including cannibalism, murder, racism, blood, gore, starvation, and violence related to colonialism. For this queer horror young adult historical fiction, I need an immediate palate cleanser. It was brutal, disturbing and dark. ARC was provided by Rocky Pond Books/Penguin Teen via NetGalley. I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

CONTENT WARNING: mental illness (suicidal ideation, trichotillomania), violence, rape, homophobia (historically accurate), racism/racist language (historically accurate), murder, cannibalism

To The Bone is a chilling story telling the true story of the earliest European colonizers on in Jamestown, Virginia during “The Starving Time” of 1609-1610. I initially was drawn in by the mesmerizing voice of Ellis, an indentured servant and the book’s narrator, and the promise of a lesbian relationship with her neighbor, the middle-class Jane Eddowes. Tangled in with Ellis and Jane’s budding relationship is the narrative of the slow failure of the colony through starvation, repeated interactions with local indigenous people, and the savagery of some high-ranking members of the colony.

I found this to be an accurate account of the Jamestown colony and early American colonialism, though some of Ellis’s thought patterns on the indigenous people and her sexual identity might feel a bit anachronistic. I did appreciate the author’s lengthy endnote and selection of sources used for research, which makes me feel that sharing a selection from the book with older students would make for an engaging addition to a social studies unit on the Jamestown colony. The fact that a number of characters were based on real people added to the feeling of authenticity and could make this valuable in a creative writing classroom as an example of how to integrate archaeological evidence into character-building for historical fiction.

4/5 stars

Historical fiction is always a good way to learn about a time period you might not have known otherwise. Now, I'm not American or I might be able to claim more knowledge, but I didn't know more than the very basics of British colonisation (mostly from Pocahontas, I'm ashamed to say, although I did know it's not very accurate, and from a TV show a few years ago called Jamestown. That series was set a few years later than this book, though.)

Ellis has come from England, indentured to one of the Jamestown colonists as his maid. She's hoping to gain her freedom and a piece of land. But as she learns more of Jamestown's secrets, she finds that things aren't as she was told.

This isn't a book you read for fun. It's grim. That's the whole point of it, it's as accurate as it can be with what's known now about Jamestown, but it is difficult to get through. Worth it, definitely, but don't pick it up looking for a light fun read.

I can't say that I enjoyed this, but I can say that I'm glad I read it, and I hope that more people read it, because I think it's one that needs to be read and talked about and just known about. Don't skip the author's note at the end.

Highly recommended.

Content warning; violence, (period accurate) racism and sexism, cannibalism. This is set during the Starving Time in Jamestown.

first of all read the tws i wasn’t prepared for the body horror in this book so if you’re sensitive to that i wouldn’t recommend this book👩🏻‍🦯

this was a quick read outside of my usual genre. i would’ve appreciated some more historical context throughout the book since i didn’t have much going into it. this book is told from the perspective of ellis—the writing is easy to understand and reflects ellis’ character well. the story itself is harrowing and dark 😭 i’m still not 100% what the purpose of telling this story is though, definitely read the author’s note at the end

thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for the e-arc!

**I was provided an electronic ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.**

Actual rating: 3.5

Alena Bruzas presents To the Bone, a historical fiction in the era of the Jamestown Settlement of Colonial America. Readers follow fictional indentured servant Ellis as she navigates her experiences as a young colonist during the time period known as the Starving Years.

This story is fictional, but is heavily based in truth and incorporates stories of real people at the time. Ellis is fictional. A good portion of the other characters and their actions are not, though Bruzas does take some artistic liberties in fictionalizing them. I am a reader who has been to the Historic Triangle many times and the Voorhees Archaearium at Jamestown Settlement is among my favorite museums.

Bruzas truly paid homage to the stories of these people as well as being respectful of the fact that she, and the vast majority of Americans including myself, are settlers on stolen land.

I respect Bruzas' writing. I hope it will bring more interest in the history within the young adult demographic. That being said, this historical fiction, while based in fact, has much in common with the horror genre. There is much suffering of a wide variety of types. Starvation, abuse, miscarriage, use of abortifacients, cannibalism, and more. This book is not pleasant to read. It is not intended to be. It is not a joyous or entertaining experience. As such, I am struggling to rate it. I feel the need to round up because I think Bruzas accomplished her goal well with this book.

I hope this novel finds its way to the right audience as I truly appreciate Bruzas' efforts with To the Bone.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

This book. This book has my whole heart. I absolutely adored this! From the incredible characters, to the plot, to falling in love with everything so quickly- I couldn’t put this down. I highly recommend this! It really just sucks you in and makes you never want to leave. In my opinion, those are the best books and I couldn't get enough.

To the Bone by Alena Bruzas is an enthralling story of survival and horror that forcefully overturns the mythos of the American settler.
An enjoyable and dark YA historical fiction novel.
A well written story that I couldn’t put down once I started.
The writing captured my attention and kept me glued to the pages.
They were right this book will stay with you, forever.