Definitely captured my attention and kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. I didn’t figure out this mystery on my own. I was shocked 😳! Totally unexpected ending!

Thank you Penguinteen Putnam books and Netgalley for the gifted arc in exchange for an honest review.

First of all what a gorgeous cover! I can't stop staring at it, it's aestheticly pleasing. This book caught my attention because of its premise. It follows a teenage girl Dovie, who has this extraordinary ability—she can hear the bones sing to her.

Dovie lives in Lucifer’s Creek, a small town known for its hiking trails, but also for the eerie disappearances of hikers over the past three years. Each time, Dovie is the one who finds their bodies, using her unique ability to hear the bones sing. Since her mother and nana also had this ability and her family don't go to church, the locals call her a witch. While they blame a monster for the killings, Dovie suspects otherwise. When her best friend Lo starts seeing the ghosts of the dead hikers, they decide to seek the truth and put an end to it.

What I love about this book is that it doesn’t take the easy route of forcing supernatural elements onto the reader. Dovie herself doesn’t believe in magic, which kept me guessing until the very end. I wasn’t a fan of the romance angle, but it didn’t take away from my enjoyment. The pacing is moderate, and while I usually don’t like books that dwell too much on preachers and religious sins, this one balanced it well. Honestly, I enjoyed it, kept me hooked, and I loved the characters.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Ginny Myers Sain for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for When the Bones Sing coming out March 4, 2025. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I really enjoy this author. I think she has a lot of stories that are earthy and real. She writes beautifully. I really enjoy the characters. This book was labeled as a southern Gothic story. I thought the original premise of the story was really interesting. The idea of bones singing to her would be interesting to explore. I enjoyed the first half of the story. I think things were a little more muddled during the second half. I think it turned more into a relationship with Dovie. I think that she deserves to have that, I was hoping for more of a Gothic story. I would definitely check out more books by this author.

"When the Bones Sing" is another gothic YA novel from Ginny Myers Sain that really kept my attention.

Dovie, a 17-year old girl, has a strange magic within (despite not actually believing in magic). She is able to locate dead bodies through a connection to the bones. It is a skill constantly being put to the test as a possible serial killer is on the loose in her small town in the Ozarks.

With the help of her childhood best friend, Lo, Dovie must confront the past and present to stop the killings from happening once and for all.

This was a fun read filled with surprises. It was also such a quick read as well. I didn't want to put it down.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers for selecting me for this ARC. I have enjoyed every book I have read by Ginny Myers Sain and can't wait for the next one.

Ginny Myers Sain needs a little treat because oh my god, I love the way this human writes. The Southern gothic vibes, the mystery, the characters, etc.--it was just so good. The mystery was so twisty and compelling, and the setting was so atmospheric and well-realized. The characters were so well done and I loved our MC and watching the way her relationships unfolded. This was just such a great story, and I cannot wait for more from this author.

This has SUCH an interesting premise. And SO much potential. BUT this fell a bit short for me. Lucifer’s creek could be so much more, and I think so could Lo and Dovie. But mamas diary was such a good plot point. I enjoyed this, but I just..needed an OOMPH.

This was such a twisty, fantastical mystery full of Southern Gothic charm. Healing women, "burn the witch" townspeople, religious fervor in the town pastor who has his own secrets, a creature in the woods. I really liked the atmosphere of this book. It felt like I was taking a break from my hike up the Ozarks and came upon the only town for miles where weird things were happening. I loved the twists, the red herrings, the reality of the situation in the end. Dovie is an excellent narrator, and I felt her emotions very strongly. Her relationship with Lowen and the family friendship throughout generations was just so beautiful to me. I liked the speculative elements as well. Overall, a really good book. There was a random romantic buzz (not the one between Lo and Dovie) that I didn't care to have be there. I don't think it really added all that much. If you love books of this style, definitely check this one out! I read an ebook copy, but I feel like the audiobook would be really good as well.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Young Readers for the eARC.

When the Bones Sing had such an interesting premise and I really liked our main character. I enjoyed my time with this book and will look forward to future works by this author.

Book Summary:

Dovie was four years old when she first heard the bones singing - they led her to the first of many buried bodies. Now Dovie is 17, and she’s helped uncover 23 bodies in the last three years.

That’s a lot of bodies, especially for a town as small as hers. None of them were local, which makes things all the stranger. Something has to change, and with the return of Dovie’s best friend, now may just be the time for something drastic.

My Review:

My favorite thing about diving into a new Ginny Myers Sain book is that I never know what to expect. All of her books have been different, incorporating paranormal elements to create something wholly unexpected. So, obviously, I was looking forward to When the Bones Sing.

When the Bones Sing is a tense murder mystery with several familiar thriller tropes to spice things up. It is an isolated town with seemingly incompetent sheriffs, religious pressure, and more. The way Ginny Myers Sain combines these elements makes it unique.

Okay, the paranormal bits also helped on that front. Dovie herself was a fascinating character, even without the fact that she could hear the bones singing. Her family story feels directly tied to the larger story, but it takes time to unfold.

Overall, I enjoyed When the Bones Sing. It’s not the strongest book in the set, but it’s still a decent read with an atmospheric storytelling style.

Highlights:
Paranormal Thriller
Singing Bones
Small Town Lore & Drama

Trigger Warnings:
Missing People
Dead Bodies

⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3/5 stars

This had an interesting premise but struggled to keep my attention. I did enjoy the descriptive writing and spooky elements. It also kept me guessing as to the “who done it.” Thank you to netgalley and Penguin group for a free copy of this ebook in exchange for my honest review.

I really, really wanted to enjoy this book. It has all the right pieces, but for me, it just didn't quite land. Maybe I'm just tired of reading about the poor small towns struggling to survive and the protagonist that doesn't quite fit in. My last two books have fallen under that trope, and neither one held my interest the way I wanted them to. Also, everything that happened to Dovie and Lo to move the plot along seemed a little convenient and forced. It felt a bit disingenuous, like the plot was driving the characters instead of the characters driving the plot. I guessed the plot twists about halfway through the book, and I am not normally good at that. Overall, it was an ok book, just a bit predictable. Maybe I just was not in the mood 🤷🏼‍♀️

I received this ARC courtesy of NetGalley, in return for my honest review.

Ginny Myers Sain delivers an eerie, atmospheric thriller with When the Bones Sing, a haunting blend of Southern Gothic, supernatural mystery, and small-town folklore. Set in the isolated town of Lucifer’s Creek, Arkansas, this novel weaves together chilling disappearances, ghostly hauntings, and a protagonist caught between skepticism and the undeniable power of the dead.

A Town Haunted by the Past

For the past three years, hikers have been vanishing without a trace in the Ozark mountains—until their bodies are unearthed, their bones crying out for justice. Seventeen-year-old Dovie comes from a long line of women who can hear those bones sing, though she refuses to believe in the magic that runs through her blood. All she cares about is helping the sheriff locate the remains and bringing closure to the families of the lost.

But when her best friend Lo begins seeing the shadows of the murdered hikers, their desperate whispers urging him toward the truth, Dovie is forced to reconsider what she thought was impossible. Something in the hills is responsible for these deaths—something that won’t stop until it’s uncovered.

A Lyrical and Unsettling Mystery

Sain’s prose is rich and evocative, wrapping the reader in the eerie, mist-laden atmosphere of the Ozarks. The sense of place is so vivid that the forest itself feels alive, hiding its own dark secrets. The tension builds masterfully, blending real-world fears—missing persons, isolation, unsolved crimes—with folklore elements, like the legendary Ozarks Howler, a creature rumored to stalk the trails.

Complex, Relatable Characters

Dovie is a strong yet deeply conflicted protagonist, torn between the logical world she wants to believe in and the supernatural forces she can’t escape. Lo, haunted by restless spirits, adds another layer of emotional depth, struggling with fear and responsibility as he tries to piece together what the dead are desperate to reveal. Their dynamic is both heartfelt and raw, grounding the story in friendship and determination even as the darkness closes in.

A Perfect Blend of Horror and Mystery

What makes When the Bones Sing so compelling is its seamless blend of mystery, folklore, and horror. The novel keeps readers on edge, unraveling its secrets bit by bit while delivering chilling, hair-raising moments that linger long after the final page. Fans of The Dead and the Dark by Courtney Gould and The Taking of Jake Livingston by Ryan Douglass will find themselves utterly captivated.

Final Verdict

Dark, immersive, and utterly haunting, When the Bones Sing is a must-read for anyone who loves supernatural mysteries drenched in atmosphere. With its gripping plot, deeply human characters, and chilling twists, this book will have readers racing through the pages while keeping one eye on the shadows.

I really enjoyed this book…a bit supernatural, a bit folklore, a bit romantic, a bit adventurous, with a bit of a suspenseful, dark Gothic feel to it.

First, and to me foremost, Sain excelled at her world-building here. I felt the dark but beautiful woods of the rural town of Lucifer’s Creek, Arkansas tucked into the Ozark Mountains. The location itself felt like a character.

And speaking of characters I fell for Dovie and Lo hook, line and sinker. Their complicated and tragic pasts were so very vital to who they were, and I felt them on a personal level that made me care about and become invested in their story. I also loved the juxtaposition of reality to magic and how Dovie and Lo skirted/embraced the two.

The story at its most basic level is about friendship…those deep intertwinings of body and soul that are so visceral and intimate they are hard to describe to others (or even to ourselves).

I found this book very well done on every level.

My sincere thanks to the author, NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers for providing the free early arc of When the Bones Sing for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

This was such a fun, creepy read! I loved the story and Dovie. How the story ebbed and flowed- somewhat predictable yet addictive at the same time. I couldn’t put it down and absolutely enjoyed every single page!

Dove is known for finding the bones of the dead, and she sets out to try to understand why exactly there are so many of them in her small Ozark town, hoping to put an end to it.

I love magic, supernatural, atmospheric stuff so this one was a win for me. The descriptive writing helped me feel the frantic energy and stress that the characters were experiencing. There aren’t that many characters introduced, so I started off thinking it was obvious who the murderer was, but I ended up being surprised and the twist was pretty wild. I finished the whole thing in one night, so it clearly held my attention and kept me wanting to see what happened next. And I thought the connection between Dove and Lo was really sweet.

17 year old Dovie continues her family’s legacy of feeling the bones of the dead when they sing. This power has come in handy for the past 3 years with the influx of the missing/murdered hikers visiting their small Ozark town. Enough is enough and Dovie and her friends embark on a journey to find who is responsible.
This was my first book by Ginny Myers Sain and I am hooked! Filled with drama, mystery, suspense and horror When the Bones Sing was impossible to put down. I loved the Ozark mountain town setting it enhanced the suffocating feeling throughout the book. I will say that this did feel more intense and scary than I was expecting with a YA book but overall I loved it. I think fans of Kate Pearsall, Erin A Craig and the Stalking Jack the Ripper series will love this book too!
Thank you Penguin Teen for sending me an ARC for an honest review!

My thanks to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons/Penguin Random House for the ARC of "When the Bones Sing" in exchange for an honest review.
Take my word for it, when these bones sing, they're louder than the Crawdads and the Herald Angels combined. And these skeletal leftovers are only one of the many scary supernatural elements that haunt this chilling, yet heartfelt thriller. Rich in atmosphere, it can raise your goosebumps even as your feel terribly worried and protective about the two main characters.
The bones belong to the bodies of dozens of brutally murdered and buried hikers who took to the woodsy trails among the Ozark mountains. In the nearby small Arkansas town, the only person who hears the plaintive insistent vibration of the bones is 17 year old Dovie. For the last few years, she's s taken up the gruesome task of following the sounds to lead the sheriff to the burial spots.
Though her community's filled to the brim with ancient superstitions and ghostly lore, Dovie doesn't think of her otherworldly talent as magic in any way, but merely an acquired trait handed down to her by her grandmother and mother. But among the suspicious townsfolk , she's an outcast they're wary of.......especially since she'll have nothing to do with the town's fire-and-brimstone preacher, Brother Turley.
What weighs even heavier on Dovie's mind is the delicate mental state of Lowan, her lifelong friend since childhood. Also steeped in uncanny local traditions from his grandmother Lo sees the restless, vengeful spirits of the murdered hikers, demanding he find their killer.
As Dovie and Lo's deep friendship develops into something more, they put themselves at terrible risk in hunting whatever fiend stalks the Ozark trails. Shocking twists erupt as these two young people, attuned to ghosts and monsters, face a climactic reckoning with the evil they've searched for. (And you won't be able to turn the pages fast enough. )
Had a wonderful time immersed in this book, which reads like an alternate Halloween version of 'Where The Crawdads Sing' . Suspense, chills, surprises.......and a boy and girl whom you want to envelop with huge caring hug. What's not to like? (Unless you're easily spooked......)

March 3 update: TikTok post for release
A teenage girl can ‘hear’ bones and lead the sheriff to bodies. Lately, there are a lot of bodies. The novel's strong voice drew me in immediately and kept me immersed in this unusual, dark world.

When the Bones Sing took me by surprise. It's much darker than I expected, in really good ways, and it's a rare book that acknowledges the aftereffects of trauma. The strong yet vulnerable main character, her tormented best friend, their outcast families, the generational burdens, and local lore brought to life in the vivid Ozarks setting made this a standout reading experience.

There's good depth and characterization here. The romance bits are sensual and sensitive, and don't overwhelm the plot .I enjoyed the suspense, thoughtful exploration of old beliefs, ghosts, friendship, and love. Honoring elders and the victims and their families made this a particularly moving read. I liked the depictions of hypocrisy toward pracictioners of herbal healing, spellcasting, divination, and dowsing.

Highly recommended for horror and supernatural thriller readers comfortable with crime scene details, danger, and disturbing material, and themes. Thank you, PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group | G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers, for the eARC for consideration. These are solely my own opinions. 

I'll post on TickTock closer to the release and add the link.

Twisty and suspenseful, this book gripped me with its plot twists. A murder mystery wrapped in folklore magic and generations of secrets. The ability to have so much history between characters with out revealing anything too early is beautiful, also the little bit of romance thrown in there is perfect. 100% recommended for anyone who likes spooky stories

Everything Ginny Myers Sain writes is an auto-read for me, and this book was another example of why! I didn't even read the description, my confidence in this author is 100%. I have every book she has written, and I was #blessed when I was approved for an ARC of her newest book, #WhenTheBonesSing 😍😍😍 For two days, I lived in the Ozark Mountains with Dovie and Lo; fully consumed into their lives, and emotionally tied to their souls. It was that deep. Magical realism × thriller, this book is perfect for absolutely everyone who wants to extend the reality of the world just that little bit, for the sake of an absolutely breathtaking experience. You will feel all of the feels. This book was everything I was looking for and more. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you #PenguinTeen and #netgalley for blessing me with the ARC of this amazing novel! 😘