To the Bone is one of the darkest novels I have ever read, and the fact that it's a YA with such foreboding themes was a little surprising for me, but it works. This is a historical fiction novel with a sapphic romance mixed in, but the core of this is survival, and the choices people make when they have no other options and are desperate.

This book won't be for everyone, but for me, the theme, the writing, the characters, and the slow building darkness to the tale all worked together to create an unforgettable read.

A stark look into the "Starving Time" suffered by the Jamestown colony in the early years of settlement, this novel will haunt you afterwards. The author did an excellent job weaving archeological evidence into the story, giving the reader a deeper understanding of this time period and its impact on the indigenous groups as well as the colonizers.

This book would work well in a ELA/History core class while studying early colonization in the Americas.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.

i actually did not expect where this story was going at all i'm going to be so honest

to the bone follows ellis, a young woman who's indentured to henry collins as a houseservant. we follow ellis throughout what seems like around a year. throughout the year she falls in love with a young colonist named jane and starts realizing how dangerous her owner is.

first of all this book is pretty short; on my phone it said it was around 158 pages, which is usually half the length of a full ya novel. i think this book could've benefited from some length as well; the romance between jane and ellis could've been expanded upon more. i came out of the book feeling disjointed; the writing is very succinct and short, and i think readers would probably benefit from some longer prose.

i thought this book was interesting; i requested it on a whim, which is why i was so surprised at where the book went; by the ending i was like wtf i don't remember seeing this in the blurb at all. i had never heard of the starving time before i read this, so it was cool that the author explored a side of history not many people might know about. i felt so bad for ellis btw she was going through like ten layers of hell every single day henry collins needs to be dealt with.

ultimately this was a fast, short book that explored a very sad and interesting side of history. i would recommend it if you like horror or historical fiction, because the end starts leaning toward horror.

To quote a text to my friend "Now I have to write a review and my only thoughts are ahhhh"
Should I have read a book with a warning about cannibalism when it is one of my greatest fears? No, no I should not have. Did I do it anyways? Clearly. Now I will refuse to sleep for a week, thank you very much.

Thoroughly disturbing, entirely terrifying, and completely disgusting, this is everything a horror book should be!

First off, I really enjoyed the writing style of this book. It’s a stream of conscious from first person POV of the MC, giving it a bit of a poetic feel. This historical fiction/horror that takes place during the Starving Time at Jamestown. If you know anything about that time period you can probably imagine the many trigger warnings that come with this book. While the story is fictional, many of the people referenced were real. For me, the most horrific part of the book is knowing it is based on true events.

The book focuses on colonialists, told from the POV of Ellis, a young girl who came to America as an indentured servant, hoping to find her father. Ellis has many fears and anxieties, constantly pinching herself and pulling out her hair as a way to try to cope with these. She fears being alone, she fears she is a “bad girl”, she fears the way she wants to be with and kiss her friend Jane, she fears disappointing her employer Henry, she fears what he will do to her when she disappoints him. The tension of this story slowly builds up to a horrific ending.

Overall, I really enjoyed the writing style and I found the story interesting and horrifying. I interpreted this as being a depiction of a horrible thing that happened that colonists put themselves through because of their selfishness and greed. However, after reading the author’s note I was disappointed because it appeared the author was more sympathetic toward colonizers, saying the situation of the Starving Time could have been avoided if the colonists had listened to John Smith and didn’t break the peace treaty by leading an attack on indigenous people. While, yes, they should not have attacked, it ignores the bigger problem of people coming to someone else’s land making demands and doing horrific things. My initial rating was 4 stars, but not sure how I feel now.

One sentence description: A story of sapphic romance, fear, and colonization, and the horrific experiences during the Starving Time in Jamestown, Virginia.

I see that this is labeled as set in the "Starving Time" of James Fort --a real event in colonial United States history.

I think it is wrong to label this as "a moving and tragic love story".

The content warnings were as follows:
"Please be advised that this novel includes depictions of domestic abuse, cannibalism, and self-harm."

Was I prepared for this to be the first person account of someone slowly starving to death? No.
Was I prepared to read a drawn out account of a starving woman doing what she can to abort her own baby? No.
Was I prepared for the presence of the dead fetus -- outside of the body? No.

These things BELONG in a content warning. Full stop.

I am a reader who is sensitive to content in regards to infants and babies, and I was hit with the pregnancy subplot. For context, I was diagnosed with PTSD after I almost lost my own life, and the life of my son in a trauma birth. I check content warnings for this reason.

Everything in the summary is true. The sapphic romance, the abuse from her employer. The only things in the summary that I feel make up 80% of the novel feel like footnotes. Namely "Set in the Starving Time" and "the terrible shortage of food they are facing as winter draws near."

I was not prepared when I read this. I honestly didn't think of this as a "Tragic Love Story" but WAY heavier on the disturbing horror of living in a colony where people are starving to the point of cannibalism. There is disturbing imagery in regards to a pregnancy and domestic violence. It was IMMENSLY darker than I thought it would be. It almost feels irresponsible to call it a "tragic and moving love story" --because that's not what is going to stay with the reader.

I leave with giving it 3 stars, because it was well written. I liked Ellis. I just don't think the summary well represents the novel as a whole.

A colonial tale told from the perspective of a teenaged indentured servant girl. Readers get the experience of the horrors and starvation of Jamestown from a young teen’s perspective. Uneducated and without family to take care of her, Ellis is a nervous girl in search of acceptance. She is in a relationship with Jane, a carefree girl in the colony who has a loving family who lets her run around and do whatever she wants.
When Ellis’ employer forbids her from spending time with Jane after seeing them interact, she is condemned to spend most of her time with her sickly, depressed and pregnant mistress. In addition to dealing with witnessing and experiencing domestic abuse at the hands of her employer, Ellis must contend with the dwindling food supplies and rations in the colony.
She is expected to cook and provide meals for her mistress and employer and then in turn eat last. But as the weather turns colder, the grain rations are cut more and more. Mysteriously, her employer doesn’t look like he is affected by the hunger that is gnawing at everyone else. Let me just say, her boss is a narcissistic jerk and is engaging in greedy and disgusting action when no one is looking. It’s mentioned in the trigger warnings.
I really appreciated a different perspective on this time period. A perspective from someone who would have had to rely on gossip and hearsay to learn about the politics. But also someone who would have made honest and earnest observations themselves about the people who were in charge. This book really hits on the devastation the female colonists felt at coming to a new land only to be starved to death and watch their arrogant leaders and men try to bully their way to food and land in a disastrous manner.

Thank you to PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group | Rocky Pond Books and Netgalley for the advanced copy of the book. I don't typically read horror stories but I found the concept of this novel to be super interesting. The idea to focus the Jamestown colony through the eyes of horror really highlights the violence of colonialism. My largest issue with this story was the execution. I liked Ellis' point of view especially considering she was in the colonies because it was her last option, but the pacing felt lackluster. I think if the story had been longer I think it could have had a stronger ending. The horror and gore were especially descriptive and jarring which was a little much for me but added to the ambience of the story. Overall I wish it were longer. I feel like another 50-60 pages could have created a better rounded story.

"This gripping, shocking, and exquisitely crafted survival story reveals the truth of America's colonial history in a powerful new way - visceral and breathtaking.

After the long journey from England, Ellis arrives in America full of hope. James Fort is where a better life will begin for her: where she will work as an indentured servant to Henry Collins and his pregnant wife, gain financial security, and fall deeply in love with bold, glorious Jane Eddowes.

But as summer turns to fall, Ellis begins to notice the cracks in this new life - the viciousness of the colonists toward the Indigenous people and the terrifying anger Henry uses to control his wife and Ellis - leaving her to wonder if she has sentenced herself to a prison rather than a new home.

Then winter arrives and hunger grips the Fort. Ellis is about to learn that people will do whatever it takes to survive.

To the Bone is a riveting story of survival and horror that forcefully overturns the mythos of the American settler. It will stay with you, forever."

That cover is a cover I'd hang on my wall as art.

This book was one I was not expecting. There was some history I was unaware of or really never really knew about. I was intrigued and needed to keep reading to find out what happens.

I am torn between giving this three and two stars. It’s a truly heartbreaking book and I don’t think I wasted my time with it. There were quite a few things I liked, such as the relationship between Jane and Ellis. It felt realistic and there’s nothing I love more than realistic relationships.
The characters, on the other hand, didn’t seem as real to me. Maybe if they’d been described in more detail or if Ellis had talked about them more, I would’ve felt attached to them. As it is, I find them alright, but not interesting at all.
The length of the book is proportionate to its contents though, so I was happy that it didn’t drag too much and was a quick read.
Now my main issue with the book is that I feel it lacks a certain depth that I would’ve liked from a book about colonialism. Yes, the things talked about were heartbreaking and truly touched me, but it wasn’t anything new. There were no groundbreaking narratives or perspectives as I would expect from this kind of topic. This didn’t make me dislike the book, I simply think its potential wasn’t used to full extent.
Well, since I’d like to end this review on a positive note, I’d like to mention the writing, which I enjoyed immensely. It’s actually so fitting for a book set in that time and was easy to read.
I might consider reading another book by this author, that would depend on the contents.

I chose this book to read because we are always looking for updated historical fiction for our high school library. I would have liked to be able to read this book and recommend it, but it was hard to read. Very disjointed and too many duplicate words. I am looking for books geared to reluctant readers.

This was an interesting book. It was hard for me to get into it because I wasn’t really invested in any of the characters (I was thinking about Spider but I knew a dog wouldn’t fare well in the Starving Time). I understand it was a horrific time (and this book does deliver on the horror) but it was horrific in more layers than this novel touched upon. I’m left feeling a bit unsettled after reading this which feels like the perfect reaction to a book depicting colonization. Ellis was an interesting choice for a narrator. I felt like her limited perspective shined more light on the tragedy of her own life than it did the tragedy of colonizers stealing land, food, and lives from the indigenous people. While Ellis’ story was tragic I didn’t think it was the biggest tragedy. I will say her limited perspective did lend more horror and dread to the tone. Ellis became an indentured servant in the colonies after her mother and sister died and she hopes to find her father who left and didn’t return.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC. This story was beautiful historical fiction pulled from historical nonfiction. I have to say the beginning was a bit slow for me to get into, but I find that common with most historical fiction novels. Once the story gets going you truly connect with the characters.

To the Bone was a tense historical fiction story about a girl name Ellis, newly settled in an American colony. As the weather grows cold and the food runs low and people begin to turn against each other, the book twists into the horror genre.

First things first, I was worried stepping into this book that it would glorify colonialism and all that (which is icky). But I was pleasantly surprised! I can't really speak to if the representation was FLAWLESS, but it seems like the author made a genuine attempt at tackling the issue while keeping it historically accurate. The character often thinks/talks about how they are stealing land and shouldn't be there, and the Author's Note at the end of the book goes more into the language used and the history behind it all.

Second, I am not sure I would call this book YA. It starts off alright, but gets a bit disturbing towards the end, and tackles some more adult subjects. (See TWs below.) It may be better for older teens or the "New Adult" audience.

Third: my actual review! I really liked this book! It was short, fast-paced, and the perfect amounts of dark and twisted. I did swing between loving and hating the writing style--it was very unique and prose-like, which I adore. But it annoyed me when the same things were described or thought over and over again (Jane, wickedness, hair pulling, etc.), which was definitely part of the "style" of this book and an intentional quirk of the main character. The repetition just made these elements lose their punch or intrigue or whatever you call it. Other than that, I really enjoyed To the Bone! It would be perfect for anyone looking for a historical fiction that swings more towards horror.

Trigger Warnings! (may contain spoilers)
>> Colonization: The story is about a group of colonizers and colonization. There are brief references to genocide. The settlers also use racist language and have racist views towards the indigenous people.
>> Lesbophobia: The main character has a relationship with another girl and thinks she is "wicked". She is told so by the man she works for.
>> Abuse: The main character lives with and works for a married couple. The man is abusive towards his wife and her.
>> Pregnancy: The woman becomes pregnant and the main character helps her abort/miscarry with herbs.
>> Self-harm: The main character often anxiously picks at her skin, pinches her arm, and pulls out her hair.
>> Cannibalism: People. Starving. Om nom nom.
Also just lots of blood and gore and disturbing stuff especially towards the end of the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This book was brutal. Brutal and heartbreaking and it left me with a lump in my throat as I finished it. I am not a history buff so I’m not going to comment on the historical accuracy/inaccuracy I’m sure there’s other reviews that could do it more justice.

Since we didn’t know the age of any of our characters, I’m not quite sure how to look at Ellis. She is naive in a lot of things in the beginning and seems a little young at times but older in other instances. The trio of friends was so sweet and I was dreading so much finishing and seeing things fall apart. Ellis and Jane were so cute when they were together and I hate so much it turned to tragedy. Henry was the worst and I was waiting for someone to just smack him in the head and it came way too late. I felt so bad for his wife honestly. You could tell he was a creep and an abuser from the beginning and Ellis wasn’t able to see all the obvious red flags.

It was never said if Rowan was gay or ace because he said he wasn’t interested in girls but my head canon was he was ace. He was also my favorite character.

If you enjoy books with historical settings or just books that depress you I would say this was a good and super quick read. Also if you want cannibalism to be a main theme it’s not a huge part of the plot. Neither is the sapphic relationship really.

I feel like I should sit on this one for a bit before reviewing, but I want to get this out… I adore Alena Bruzas. I was so incredibly moved by Ever Since and so I had to trust that Bruzas knew the scope of this story and the gravity of telling this story. Bruzas tells this story from the pov of the colonizer, which had me a little nervous at first. I was wondering what I was supposed to be feeling.

Ultimately, this was a truly heartbreaking story that was written so well. Bruzas KNEW what she was doing. This is a historical fiction based party in factual truth, and it tells the story of an English settlement in Virginia, living off and claiming native land they had no right to.

I can see that this is one that will probably have polarizing views, but I found it to be such a captivating story. The work on restoring native lands to their rightful owners is something I have been learning more about in the past few years. I implore you to check out the author’s note AND the trigger warnings.

Fascinating look at the Jamestown period through a new lens. Telling the story through the eyes of a female indentured servant allows the exposure of the behaviors and intentions of the (male) leadership class. The constraints of being poor and of being a woman become apparent... as well as how they are prevented from aligning themselves with other oppressed populations in order to gain power.

The author's note is valuable in illuminating what is based on fact... and the book provides resources for further exploration of this period in history.

I was gripped from page one, before I even knew if I was going to like the book. This book could appeal to folks who like historical fiction, and folks who like suspense (even if they don't usually read the two genres together!). There is so much conflict deftly woven into the plot: conflict between social stratas, Native Americans ("country men" or "salvages") versus colonists, man versus woman, and man versus nature. Ellis slowly realizes throughout by the actions of others how little right she and the other settlers have to what they assumed could be theirs. Ellis may be afraid to go beyond the walls, but it becomes clear that staying inside the walls is no safer. Her questions cause ire in Master Collins, and she begins to lose herself in trying to be a "good girl."

Does the dog die, and other questions: <spoiler> When Rowan dies, his dog Spider is forgotten about but survives inside the walls -- Ellis struggles to save Spider from being eaten by Rebecca and manages to get the dog beyond the walls. She struggles with the guilt of having taken food away from someone who may have otherwise survived, just as she struggles with the guilt of desiring Jane and the guilt of doing what others have been doing to survive -- eating the dead. At the very end, I am happy to say it does not appear the dog dies. </spoiler>

I am still consumed with thoughts of this book, and rethinking over parts of it for hints of what may come beyond the pages -- is there hope?

Following a young woman who is an indentured servant in 1609 Jamestown, this historical fiction
explores several horrors, including colonialism, hunger, misogyny, and homophobia.
I enjoyed the atmosphere of this novel, there was so much tension, dread, disgust, and despair, and the sensation of all of that was very palpable. The historical setting was interesting and incorporated a lot of real details and events. The writing style felt a bit detached, but I think it worked with the general vibe. It felt cinematic in a way, and I could definitely picture this as a horror film.
Thank you to Penguin Teen for the ARC!