Don’t let the young adult book classification dissuade you from reading this book. It was an incredible book that is perfect for both teens and adults. I can’t say enough good things about this book. The characters hook you into the plot and I was so emotionally involved with wanting them to stay safe. The mystery was twisty and kept me guessing the whole time. I can’t wait to buy a copy to give to my teenage daughter.

I’m so excited to be able to review this fantastic Book. This book is absolutely fantastic and I wasn’t able to put it down from start to finish. The book kept me guessing right up until the last couple of chapters and had me on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen at the end. Thank you for this advanced copy. I can’t wait to read more from this author.

I loved this book. The storyline was very intriguing and kept you guessing throughout the book. It was well written. The characters were great. I fell in love with Dovie and Lowan and hoped they found peace and happiness.

I do not give 5 stars very often, especially not a pure 5 stars (rather than 4.5 rounded up), and I very rarely take the time to read a physical book, but this was everything and worth the time. Probably my favorite book I’ve read this year and I slowly savored it like it deserved. It was so haunting and beautiful and creepy and lovely and sweet and exciting and I loved it. So so good.

A spellbinding mystery set in the eerie, folklore-laden Ozarks—an ideal backdrop for a story where secrets won’t stay buried and magic hides in plain sight. This book hits the sweet spot of mystery with a touch of magic, my favorite genre! It’s got suspense and a hint of the supernatural.

One line stuck with me: "But sometimes you have to bleed. Sometimes it's the only way to heal." That sums up the heart of this book- unearthing old scars and buried truths throughout.

If you're a fan of mysteries with a dash of the mystical, you’ll be pulled in from page one. The Ozarks setting wraps around you like a fog, and each twist feels chilling and magical. Grab a cozy blanket (and maybe a flashlight), because this book will keep you turning pages well into the night!

Reading When the Bones Sing by Ginny Myers Sain was like stepping into a world that’s as haunting as it is beautiful. Sain masterfully captures that eerie southern gothic vibe—small-town secrets, mysterious disappearances, and a girl who hears the bones of the dead calling to her. I couldn’t get enough of the Ozark setting, with its misty trails and ghostly folklore that make you feel like you’re right there in Lucifer’s Creek, Arkansas.

Dovie, our main character, is raw and compelling; she’s skeptical of her own “gift,” even though it has this dark pull over her life. Her connection to the dead is intense, especially with so many locals vanishing on the trails, leaving behind nothing but questions. And then there’s Lo—Dovie’s best friend, who’s haunted by shadows, visions, and the lingering presence of the missing souls. His struggle to make sense of it all gives the story an emotional depth that balances the suspense.

This book dives into dark, unsettling themes of loss and mystery but also tackles what it means to trust in yourself and face things others might not believe. It’s a gritty, atmospheric read that left me wanting to explore more of Sain’s ghostly, layered storytelling. If you’re a fan of supernatural thrillers with a southern twist, When the Bones Sing will definitely send shivers down your spine!

I loved the story. It had mystery, a touch of magic , a little bit of horror. It is a story about residents of a small town in the Ozarks of Arkansas. I loved the character development. I loved the feeling of being immersed in the community. Even now, after completing the book, I find myself still thinking about the story and the people contained within it..

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve read another of her books and it usually goes the same way, the beginning part of the books drags but by the end I can’t stop reading. Same goes for this book. It starts out slow but it’s interesting to learn about. I think this one is a little more unique and played into the supernatural bits a little more which I really like. This is becoming one of my favorite genres. I look forward to reading her next book.

This book was the perfect way to end October (even though my review is late). It had suspense and tension and deep connections and plot twists. It was filled with self discovery, generational healing and supernatural fascinations. I felt so deeply for Lo and was rooting for his healing through the whole book!

5/5 ⭐️

A twisty small town paranormal mystery!!

The beginning of this book was just okay but caught my attention enough to keep reading because I wanted to know what happened. I am SO glad that I kept reading because this book was nothing I expected and one of the best books I’ve read this year! Just when you think you know what’s going on you’re thrown another way.

This is a southern small church town gothic mystery about a girl who can hear bones of the dead sing to her. The sherif of her small town comes to her when a hiker comes up missing, which is happening more often than not and she helps him find the remains of the dead. She starts seeing ghosts and wants to know why so many people are dying and who is killing them so her and her best friend, Lo go searching for answers.

Thank you NetGalley for sending this book to me for my review!

Holyyyyyyyy SHIT. This was WILD. SOOOOOO FUCKING GOOD.

Especially the last like 25%. That was…. Gosh I have no words. I was about to cry when a certain someone was thought to have died and the pure relief when they weren’t. And Xan, oh sweet baby. The poor baby.

Dovie and Lowan are top notch and I absolutely love how their relationship wasn’t forced. They were friends who slowly and steadily made the ascension to lovers, when they were ready. Dovie had to realize she was ready for something with Lo before it did and I absolutely love that.

Y’all, this book blew me away! This is the 4th book I’ve read by Ginny Myers-Sain and this is definitely runner up behind her debut Dark and Shallow Lies. 🙌🏻

Another super atmospheric read, very much southern gothic vibes even though it was taking place in the Ozark Mountains. We have mystery, romance, a small town setting, and a hint of magic and a paranormal aspect. This book just instantly drew me in with how unique it was for the FMC to be able to “feel” the bones of the deceased called out to her like a song. Ahhh chills! To think about what that would do to a person mentally being someone that bones call out to when they are lost is just such a deep thought. Considering this is YA, Ginny Myers-Sain has a way of brining her characters to life with such depth.

She’s crafted a mystery with so many red herrings that I didn’t see several twists coming until they were practically in my face. I SUSPECTED and my suspicion was correct but this was still a mystery until the end. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

These characters. A piece of me will remain with these characters. Dovie. I already talked about her but her heartache and troubles run deeper than that as do Lo’s. Lowan Wilder reminds me of someone I know and I was fascinated with and FELT for this boy. His outcome in the ending was unexpected but I love Lo! And Xander. A mysterious stranger who will leave a mark on both of them.

I just loved everything about this story. It’s fast paced and thrilling. The myth/ legend of the Ozark Howler, the magic and possible ghostly apparitions, the mountains, the mystery of the missing hikers…. an easy 5 star read that will linger. 🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️

Part of what a reader looks for in a Gothic novel is the sense of place that contributes to the dark mood— Lucifer Springs, Arkansas, has it in spades. An isolated community that takes its name from the sulphur-scented waters of the local hot spring, the town relies on tourism from the local hiking trail to keep going.

17-year-old Dovie comes from a long line of women who are able to hear the bones of the dead sing; this tendency (don't call it magic, Dovie does not believe any of that) as well-known as the existence of the Ozarks Howler, a monster whose terrifying screams are a harbinger of death. Dovie has been getting the call a lot lately from the local sheriff to head into the hills to locate the bodies of missing through-hikers. She finds them, too, in numbers that <I>should</I> be alarming.

And then when Dovie's best friend, Lo, returns from his short-lived escape from Lucifer Springs, haunted by the ghosts of the dead hikers, it's clear that somebody has to figure out what's going on.

Atmospheric, full of local quirks and color, this book has everything a spooky-suspense reader would want, plus sympathetic and fully rounded characters.

Thanks to NetGalley and Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers for the eARC in exchange for my unfettered opinion.

This is an author thats new to me, but boy will I be keeping an eye on Ginny Myers Sain from now on. The writing was incredible, I cant really describe it, but reading it really felt like being at home in the Appalachians to me, and I loved every minute of reading this one.

A book that almost feels like it would have been whispered about deep in the hills of my families home in West Virginia giving me a solid read for Halloween night.

A generational gift finds Dovie working with the police to uncover the dead and with hikers going missing she finds that the bones aren’t the only thing being dug up in this mountain town where secrets run deep and monsters howl when death approaches.

As mentioned above this book immediately made me feel like I was back in the small town my grandparents grew up in where God is good and the strange are whispered about and maybe there’s a cryptid in the woods warning us of tragedy to come. Sinking into this world happened so quick and we were immediately off to the races on this mystery wrapped up in a bit of magic…if you believe in that stuff anyway.

Our characters were great and Dovie was so funny in ways that actually made me laugh out loud she was tough and had a smart mouth that I enjoyed every second of. Her relationships with her family and others who understand her gift were a fun contrast between the professional and the more folklore like understanding of the talent and I enjoyed that too. I think where this book benefits is where it goes the line between the supernatural and reality in that you can almost argue both ways which side is real and which isn’t and I couldn’t stop reading to see if we would ultimately solve the question.

This is a great and quick read that I very much love and that cover is so stunning I can’t wait for everyone to read it!

**special thanks to the publishers and netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review**

This was a good read! It will keep you captivated from beginning to end. It does drag on a bit in the middle but otherwise pretty good.

Blew me away! Such a great read! Mesmerizing with its deep feeling and imagery. I was immersed into the ozarks from page one, a great story with great characters, full of mystery. It was like a decadent dessert for my brain, so wonderful, I love this author’s books! I’m so sad that I finished it, will definitely read again!

This was a new to me author and I loved this story. The cover was calling for me to read it and then it’s definitely one that you shouldn’t judge from the outside! So good!

This book has it all. Mystery, romance, superstition, horror, twists and turns!! Being from rural Arkansas, this book hooked me early. I loved the characters, the stories, and the writing. Please read this book!!

5/5 stars. Hikers have been coming up dead in the hills of the Ozarks. Dovie has the gift of hearing their bones sing and is able to find their bones to put them to rest. But are they really at rest? Dovie’s best friend, Lo, has his of gift. Teaming up they try to find out, why are so many people coming up dead?

I really liked this book. A supernatural thriller, it’s full of suspense, magic, and powers that will leave you wanting more. The characters are well thought out and you can feel their personalities and emotions through the pages. The twist at the end will have you in wow. #Netgalley #arc #goodreads