This is an extremely dark, upper YA book about Jamestown. The cover is gorgeous, but don't let it fool you into thinking this is a sapphic historical romance. This is a harrowing historical fiction book that happens to feature sapphic characters.

The characters and their relationships aren't necessarily the focus, but the book has this foreboding sense of doom that Bruzas conveys well. Ellis, our main character, was wonderfully written, which stood out to me. Being a YA story with an adult tone, it lost a bit of the depth it could have had if it had been more firmly written for one of those age brackets.

This was a short and easy read with gorgeous prose. It works well if you know of Jamestown in 1609-1610 or completely unaware. Definitely recommend this!

Thank you so much to Penguin Group and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book early in exchange for an honest review!

3/3,5⭐️

First, thank you NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group | Rocky Pond Books for the ARC.

To the Bone by Alena Bruzas is a YA novel set in America, precisely in James Fort, between 1609 and 1610, during the “Starving time”.

Overall, it was a swift read and I liked Ellis, the main character.

I would have liked to see more development of the relationship between Ellis and Jane, but at the same time, considering the length of the novel and the fact that the romance isn’t its main focus, I understand why the author chose to write it that way.

I also enjoyed reading about this particular time in history, which is not talked about enough, and its horror.

Although I wasn't fond of the writing style, I quickly got used to it.

This is surely one of those books that will stay with you forever, no matter if you liked it or not.
Anyway, I strongly recommend checking out the trigger warnings before reading this book since it deals with various heavy topics.

A story about the starvation of a colony that ends in cannibalism.... based on true American colonial history. The story focuses on a indentured servant girl, her forbidden romance, her abusive master, and the lengths of survival she will go through. Ellis is an indentured servant, forced to endure the constant physical abuse from her master... the only comfort she has is her love for another girl, Jane. Ellis knows her love is forbidden but what she and Jane has is undeniable. Yet the closer she gets to Jane the harsher her master becomes. When the seasons begin to change the new life of the colony that has left England begins to change as well... and for the worse as hungry begins to grip the colony and soon madness will descend upon them. Ellis will soon discover how far people will go to survive and will be forced to do and endure unspeakable things in order to survive. This was a brutal look into real colonial history and it's not exactly the best read. Ellis is so groomed and it's just not a great time because you are constantly reading about her getting abused and it's not for everyone. The story wasn't as compelling and as interesting as I was hoping for a bit of horror history, and I would say that if you like more naive protagonist and slow life stories, I'd give it a go otherwise I'd steer clear.

Release Date: September 10,2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group | Rocky Pond Books for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*A story about the starvation of a colony that ends in cannibalism.... based on true American colonial history. The story focuses on a indentured servant girl, her forbidden romance, her abusive master, and the lengths of survival she will go through. Ellis is an indentured servant, forced to endure the constant physical abuse from her master... the only comfort she has is her love for another girl, Jane. Ellis knows her love is forbidden but what she and Jane has is undeniable. Yet the closer she gets to Jane the harsher her master becomes. When the seasons begin to change the new life of the colony that has left England begins to change as well... and for the worse as hungry begins to grip the colony and soon madness will descend upon them. Ellis will soon discover how far people will go to survive and will be forced to do and endure unspeakable things in order to survive. This was a brutal look into real colonial history and it's not exactly the best read. Ellis is so groomed and it's just not a great time because you are constantly reading about her getting abused and it's not for everyone. The story wasn't as compelling and as interesting as I was hoping for a bit of horror history, and I would say that if you like more naive protagonist and slow life stories, I'd give it a go otherwise I'd steer clear.

Release Date: September 10,2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group | Rocky Pond Books for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

This is a survival story, but whose survival should we truly be caring about?

To the Bone takes place in James Fort, Virginia, between the years of 1609-1610. I’d tell you exactly how we know that, but it’s kind of a spoiler. James Fort was the first village established at what eventually would become the Jamestown Colony, the first complete English Colony in what would one day become America.

It’s here in James Fort that our protagonist, Ellis, has found herself in a quandary. She came to America as an indentured servant to the Collins family, knowing her father had already made the crossing some years prior, but he’s not in James Fort and she can’t simply go and find him. Her mistress is miserable, her master both intrigues her and makes her uncomfortable, she isn’t comfortable with the way her fellow Englishmen treat the indigenous peoples, and she knows there’s no way she can be with Jane, the girl she loves. Ellis only wants to be a good girl, but it seems every choice she makes only leads her further and further down paths of wickedness.

Bruzas uses the weather as an effective metaphorical storytelling tool to help move the plot along in this book: The story starts in summer, with long days, sunshine, and food to eat. There’s never an abundance of food, because they have to ration, but with the sun and the river and her friends Ellis is never too miserable. As the days grow shorter and colder, the characters and their circumstances change, bringing on the direst and darkest of circumstances toward the very end of the book.

What makes this book a five star read is not only Bruzas’ impeccable storytelling talent and her dedication to telling as authentic of a story set during the “starving time” winter as possible, but also in making the reader think of this philosophical quandary: was this survival story ever truly about Ellis? Or was this survival story about the indigenous people of America, whose lands were being raided, crops were being stolen, livestock were being butchered, families were being torn apart, and whole histories were being destroyed with every month that passed by and with every English ship that landed on the Atlantic Seaboard?

The ending of this book is very much up for interpretation. I have my own thoughts. The pacing in this book is implacable, just like colonization is. It’s merciless, just like genocide is. It pulls no patience for the young adult audience it's targeted to, and I’m glad, because someone has to tell young people the truth and they sure don’t teach it in school.

Horrifying, but beautifully written. An unexpected but satisfying five star read.

I was provided a copy of this title by the publishers and the author via Netgalley. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.

File Under: 5 Star Review/Body Horror/Historical Fiction/LGBTQ Romance/Literary Fiction/Standalone Novel

I really don't even know what to say about this. It was dark and raw and once you start reading you really just can't put it down.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC of this book!

I teach high school history and let me just say, wow. To the Bone is a gut-wrenching yet fascinating account of the early years of Jamestown. I knew about the struggles, starvation, and cannibalism, but this account and Ellis' voice was incredibly powerful and I was hooked from the start. To me, this book FELT like its setting and characters. It felt stark and grim, like Jamestown. The voice of the characters, especially Ellis, grew more frantic as the story progressed, just as it would have done in reality. This was exceptionally well-done and I've already started book talking it to my history students!

Thanks to Rocky Pond Books for access via NetGalley. All opinions below are my own.

I have an obsession with story set in pre-colonial America, especially the early days of settlement. This takes place in James Fort in 1609, which puts it right in my sweet spot. I love the stories of survival and hardship in the hope of a better life. This one follows an indentured servant who has gone from a relatively comfortable life in Europe to an oppressed servant in the colonies. Her father previously immigrated and promised to bring them once he was established, but he has gone missing, and her mother has died. so she finds the only way she can to get to the new land. Her new master is cruel and the mistress is ill with pregnancy. As they approach winter, the colony struggles with the native people and lack of supplies. The story goes from being historical fiction to outright horror in the last quarter starvation makes people do things that you would not imagine.

This one has a very slow pace if you were looking for pacey horror, this one might not be for you. Think Get Out in colonial times, we settle nicely into the day the day life and slowly begin to have creeping horror as more and more unusual moments pile up. It does get quite gory in the end so be prepared for that. I think the characters were all quite realistic to the time and while there is a more queer subplot, I think this one is quite believable, especially after you read the afterword.

Did you wish that those little hardcover Dear America books with the fancy ribbon bookmarks had more gut-wrenching tragedy and explored the absolute limits of human suffering? Also lesbianism and cannibalism? Yes? No? Either way, you've gotta read this one.

This book had me in a choke-hold. I'm rattled. It's going to end up in my top five of the year, for sure. I can't believe how good this was. The narrative voice was perfect, and I'm not going to stop thinking about it anytime soon; Ellis both stirred and broke my heart with every scene.

There is a lot to come to terms with here, on an emotional level, on a historical level. Set during The Starving Time of colonial America, the lives of those living in James Fort quickly descend into the despair of starvation, with ambition and pride serving as the nooses around their necks. This is a book where the dread is palpable and while you know to anticipate the worst, you, or at least I, couldn't have foreseen the absolute worst of it.

This book, truly, speaks for itself. The Author's Note was fascinating (do NOT read it first, my God, you will regret it-- let this one unfold on its own first), but I firmly feel that the work needs no explanation. If you are a horror fan that isn't afraid of tragedy, please give Ellis a chance to tell you her story.

This novel is amazing! The horror and reality of this historically accurate story is deftly tackled by the author who very obviously took great care in researching and representing everything as faithfully as possible. The terrible truth is that even though this event takes place in Colonial Virginia the domestic violence within is still very prevalent in today’s society. Several of the characters were real people but this author really gave them life. Fantastic book!

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.