🍯HONEYSUCKLE AND BONE🦴 by @misstrishatobias is a YA mystery steeped in Jamaican lore! Thank you to the author, @netgalley and the publishers, @zandoprojects and @dreamscape_media for the e and audio-ARCs.

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An 18 year old just out of H.S. is heading to Jamaica to be an au pair for the summer for the prestigious and politically connected Hall family. The only problem is that she is not who the papers that got her the job says she is.

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This was definitely a solidly YA read. I have some mixed feelings about it but mostly enjoyed it. I really liked the gothic atmosphere, landscape descriptions, duppy lore and the mystery. However, I just could not stand the main character! I think that was partly intentional - she is a young, anxiety-ridden person just trying to survive and keep her secrets up. But she certainly struggles to tell the truth and has an uncanny ability to rationalize or excuse her bad decisions. She survives on half-truths and easily conjured lies. She also struggles to mind her business, but that is pretty true of most citizen sleuths so I will give her that one! All in all I found her character pretty selfish so it was hard to enjoy following her story.

I did however love the gothic Jamaican folklore vibes so I would give this one a 3 star.

I wanted to like this book so much but in the end I just didn’t. It felt unfinished. For me, the writing lacked descriptors, place setting, and character motivations.

A gorgeous gothic novel that grips you from the first page and refuses to let you go. Tobias has a gift for writing flawed characters who are so deeply human that you can't help but root for them. I loved this book.

The imagery in this book was breathtaking. I was on the edge of my seat while reading, but also mentally somewhere in the Caribbean sucking down a rum punch while the cool salty breeze blew in off the ocean. 10/10 would recommend.

This is less of a horror story and more of a story about ghosts and the past haunting you. In Honeysuckle and Bone we follow Carina, who has come to Jamaica with some secrets. She's swapped places with her friend Joy, as an au pair to the wealthy Hall family. The Hall family are connected to Jamaican politics and have some secrets of their own. Their sweeping estate Blackbead House holds secrets and when Carina starts to feel a strange presence she believes a duppy is haunting the household.

The author does a great job mixing in Jamaican culture and the image people have in their mind of Jamaican even those of the diaspora compared to the reality of living in the country. Carina knows that this country is her mother's homeland and she feels Jamaican but at the same time there's a disconnect because it's her first time stepping foot in the country. She doesn't have the accent or the vernacular down. Some of their little superstitions go over her head.

I didn't find it believable a wealthy American girl would au pair for a wealthy Jamaican family, glorified vacation or not. But I could move past that gripe as the story started piecing together. It took some time for Carina's secrets to be revealed and I would've liked them to be woven more through rather than dumped in succession in the last 25%.

The voices actually felt youthful and fresh as did the situations here and with so much YA right now built off nostalgia that was a nice thing. The mystery was slowburn but the cast of characters is entertaining enough to keep reader's attention.

This bone-chilling read kept me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end.

- Though categorized as YA horror, this story gives you a bit of everything: horror, suspense, thrill, paranormal, comedy, and mess/scandal.

- I loved the friend group in this. Ora was my favorite, as she truly carried the comedy and had me laughing out loud. The character banter and Carina's internal dialogue were some of my favorite things to read in this story.

- I was raising my eyebrows only a few pages in, and the suspense just continued to build. When I say I want to be on the edge of my seat, this book is what I mean.

- Although the slow burn of reaching the twist was VERY agonizing, it stressed me out in the best way. The wait was defintiely worth it because I didn't see it coming AT ALL. I had many theories while reading and had to go back and tweak them as more information was revealed. However, the ending was nowhere close to being part of ANY of them.

- I felt like I was watching a TV show while reading. This book would be great as a TV series.

- As far as the audiobook experience, at first, I wasn't feeling the narrator all that much however, they grew on me. I liked that they used a Jamaican accent for the characters, as it enhanced the story's setting.

- After reaching the end, my opinion that Carina was not a good person didn't change. I understood that fate played a significant role. However, I still feel she could've made so many better decisions. Joy deserved better, and I will die on that hill. While I'm glad Carina got some closure, I also think she had a lot of internal issues she needed to deal with.

Overall:
I really enjoyed this book! I can't wait to read more from this author.

This was such a mysterious, emotional, yet fun read.
Carina's character was definitely the angsty teen trope but once you find out everything that she's really been through, it's understandable. I loved the big reveals, the background duppy storyline, and the budding young love.
I highly recommend this read.

Honeysuckle and Bone is a thrilling debut YA gothic horror offering from Trisha Tobias. Set in the exotic backdrop of Jamaica, it delivers a tale of gothic folklore, familial intrigue, and cultural references.

Publisher’s Synopsis: “Carina Marshall is looking to reinvent herself, and what better place to do it than Jamaica, her mother’s alluring homeland where she conveniently has access to an au pair gig for the wealthy and powerful Hall family. After months of being the target of vicious rumors and hate online, Carina might have found everything she wants at the luxurious Blackbead House: a world of mango trees, tropical breezes, and glamorous parties―and a place to disappear.”

Mini Review: Carina is running from secrets and tragedy in her past, and her idea is to use her mother’s homeland for a new start. The problem is that secrets rarely stay buried. Although she creates community with her new job, something isn’t quite right about this estate in paradise. Working for the Hall family, Carina will have to confront more than just the ghosts from her past. She will have to contend with the duppy ghosts at Blackbead House as well.

I loved the Afro-Caribbean context of this novel, and the exploration of folklore with a hint of thriller. If you’re looking for a novel that has culture, family lineage, high society glamour and secrets, then you might enjoy this book.

Original review posted on Goodreads 1/31/25:

I really struggled with the pacing of this story; 40% of the way through nothing major had really happened, and what had transpired wasn't really anything to write home about. I know with a paranormal mystery you don't want to reveal everything RIGHT away, but the tension wasn't ramping up; it was a lot of little samey-samey "oh no, bull imagery is threatening her! Wait, it's gone." moments interspersed with the monotony of Carina's nanny job and her giving herself pep talks about keeping it together.

I skimmed for the next almost-40% of the book until we finally got to the flashback/backstory about what happened between Carina and Joy, and then all the other secrets tumbled out after it in rapid-fire fashion. But when I look back on what was revealed in that last 20% of the book, almost NONE of that connected to the first 40%. If your story's secrets have a lot to do with this family in particular, why are they barely present in half of the book? Carina had one back-and-forth conversation on-page with Mrs. Hall on her first day, and the only time she really interacted with Mr. Hall was her welcome dinner, which was mostly recapped for us after the fact. And perhaps I missed the reasoning in my skimming, but it was incredibly convenient that Joy happened to get this nanny job with the ONE family in Jamaica that Carina had a connection to.

I was interested to see Jamaica as the setting, but aside from brief flashes here and there, there wasn't much local "flavor" that made me feel like we were there, aside from the characters' patois dialogue, descriptions of the tropical flowers in the garden, and mentions of the duppy haunting Carina. Carina herself comments multiple times about how she's been spending so much time at this very white-washed, sanitized house that she hasn't gotten to experience the REAL Jamaica, and like, girl: same!

Ultimately, this really felt like a debut novel, and one that could have used more retooling. An editor to get in there and point out the pacing issues and cut the fat off the tedious parts to get to the meat of WHY am I reading YOUR specific ghost story? What's grabbing me in your words and stopping me from putting this down? Unfortunately...not much.

18-year-old Carina who has a shadowy past, finds herself in the enigmatic Blackbead House. Tasked with caring for the Hall family's children, Carina quickly discovers that this luxurious façade hides dark secrets. Trisha Tobias crafts a suspenseful narrative woven with Jamaican culture and folklore, creating an atmospheric read that keeps you on edge. Carina’s flawed yet relatable character development, alongside the engaging dynamics with Ora, Simone, and Josh, injects humor and warmth into the story.

This book surprised me. I was turning pages so fast ready to read what happened next. After reading this book I’m definitely ready to read more from the author.

Honeysuckle and Bone follows a young woman heading to be an au pair for a wealthy family in Jamaica. Carina isn't who she says she is and is running from something in her past. She is pretending to be her friend and just wants to do her job and get paid.

I struggled to relate to Carina because you don't have much in the way of character background until almost the end of the book. She came off as very fake, which makes sense in the end but was a struggle for me.

I didn't realize it was considered young adult, which is fine, but maybe that is why some of the deeper story was missing? This is a debut novel for the author.

Thank you to NetGalley, Trisha Tobias, and Zando/Sweet July Books for the opportunity to read it. I have written this review voluntarily and honestly.

Very nice young adult debut. I liked the storyline and the characters. I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it.

For a debut novel this was quite intriguing. Carina the FMC has gone to Jamaica but not as herself. She poses as a nanny for a wealthy family and as we can imagine secrets come out and ghost are afoot. I loved how the story read very mysterious. It lead me to think more secrets where being hidden then their actually was. I quite enjoyed Carina because I felt she could resonate with girls in real life very well. Idk that many would run away to Jamaica but hey a girl can dream.

Honeysuckle and Bone by Trisha Tobias is a must-read! If you enjoy a good dramatic YA mystery, this book is for you! It has an FMC that you will find nerve-wracking immediately! There's a weird family, impending drama at every event, and certain demise. But that's not all! There's also lurking danger, crazy adventures, jaw-dropping discoveries, a major scandal, and a budding, somewhat forbidden, romance. I was clutching my imaginary pearls reading the last 100 pages. I don't typically read YA novels and I was pleasantly surprised at how good it was. I highly recommend it. Go get it!
#HoneysuckleAndBone #NetGalley

3.75 ⭐️

🌈 Rainbow Ratings:
Representation: 8
Atmosphere: 7
Intrigue: 7
Narrative: 8
Build-up: 7
Originality: 8
Wow Factor: 7

I truly enjoyed Honeysuckle and Bone! In this atmospheric YA novel, Carina Marshall escapes to Jamaica for a fresh start as a nanny to the Hall family, but soon discovers that Blackbead House—and the people in it—harbor chilling secrets. As mysterious occurrences threaten her new life, Carina must uncover what’s haunting her before it’s too late.

This book was a fun mix of thriller, horror, romance, and mystery. I appreciated how interconnected the story felt and loved that all my questions were answered by the end. The narrative was unique and well thought out, weaving key horror tropes into a fresh and engaging plot. While parts of it felt a little slow, the story was crafted in a way that kept me hooked until the very last page.

Thanks to the author and Hear Our Voices Tours for the ARC in exchange for an honest review! Check out my IG (@blackgirlbujos) for a cover recreation inspired by the novel.

Some of my favorite quotes:
"Not everything that have sugar sweet."
"Shame should be a moment I pass through, not a home that I live in."

Now listen… horror isn’t my thing, but I’m trying. The cover grabbed my attention, and the synopsis was mysterious. With that being said, this read more like a paranormal thriller novel… and I’m not mad at that.

I’m not familiar with Jamaican mythology or lore, but this has definitely intrigued me, and I want to learn more. Carina is an 18-year-old who is trying to figure out life. She’s a bit messy, but I mean, she’s eighteen. No one has life figured out at that age. Fleeing a bad situation, life gets real for Carina as her past comes back to haunt her. With Aaron’s help, Carina has to figure out what is happening in this house before it’s too late.

The pacing wasn’t great, and it took some time to get into this story; however, once the story picked up, it was hard to put down. The characters were well-developed, and there was an interesting plot twist. There were moments of wondering how I felt about Carina. She makes some questionable decisions but also shows growth as the story goes along. I also loved that you saw the growth of the secondary characters, and they all had chemistry. I was a fan of Aaron and Carina. There was a bit of a triangle, but that was handled pretty well.

Tobias does an amazing job of immersing the readers in an immersive setting in Jamaica. As someone who has never been there, she had me ready to book a flight. I loved how she tackled the colonial impact on Jamaica. Since this is Tobias’s debut novel, some things could be improved upon. However, she does a phenomenal job of being authentic and handling such human emotions. This story has a high “re-readable” factor for me.

The mystery, the mystery!

This one for sure is a page turner! I am horrible at trying to figure out the mystery but I tried lol and failed.

Carina traveled from New York to Jamaica to work as a nanny for a well known family. While working for the family she is starting to uncover secrets while keeping a secret of her own. Her guilt, however, tries to get the best of her. She will discover that her new friends may be able to help with the guilt and a little more.

Even though this is a thriller, it still made me want to start planning another trip to Jamaica.

Thank you to my tour group and publishers for this ARC! The book is already out but this was super fun and had the perfect amount of suspense and humor to keep my interested.

Twisty and eerie. I love how atmospheric this setting was and the audiobook narrator kept me glued to my seat and my attention at a 10! Is this a debut? This was great either way.

Unfortunately, I DNFed this book at 20% in. The setting's description were beautiful but the setup for the plot was a little slow and I could not get past the way the teens talked and texted. They used what I assume are authentic Jamaican phrases and slang, but all the improper grammar and words I didn't know in the dialogue and text messages bothered me.