Bones & All

A book with an interesting premise and complete failure in execution that makes it a good trash read & nothing more. The writing itself wasn't unmanageable (enjoyable, perhaps?!), what bothered me most were the characters and their relationships. Maren, not Karen as noted multiple times to be an unusual but pretty name, is ~not like other 16 yo girls~. In fact she loves reading, wears black a lot, criticizes other ladies for wearing makeup, makes note of how said ladies look “older” than they are, and does not often make friends with girls. She eats people, and is basically a thief/murderer as the story goes on. But she feels bad about it, never bad enough to stop–just guilty enough to mention so but also excuses her actions because she is desperate. Now, I can understand her stealing to eat when she is completely hopeless but it is frustrating to have her straddle this line of being good and doing bad things that aren't too bad because she says it's okay. Other things of note, all her “victims” are male and love interests. She meets other eaters like herself, one of whom says of the few women he eats, he only eats the ones that are bad. As in liars. Because he is the one who deserves to make that call.

If this was something they could not help at all, I might be able to tolerate it?? Or if they were just cruel and did this for fun. But no, not at all. She would say stuff like “So and so” deserved to die or had it coming. So did they have it coming?? Or is this just something she has to do to survive? Heaven only knows.

The “I don't have a lot of girl friends” idea was mentioned explicitly at least four times throughout the book. Many minor bumps in the road are caused by the women in this story and Maren is but one of the cast making generalizations of women. Good lord, I can't believe I read so much of this!! It was such a quick and easy read though. I was finished before I knew it. If anything, this is inspiring me to do the exact opposite–to write someone who actually is creepy, someone self-loathing and self-pitying just like Maren–except I won't waste my time winning the sympathy of my readers.

Apparently the author isn't much different: in the acknowledgements, she notes that people think it is funny or bizarre that she is a vegan and wrote a book about cannibals. Like I give two shits. Write whatever you want, special snowflake.

Note: I received an Advanced Reader's Copy of this book from a Tor.com giveaway.

[i might collect some of my favorite terrible quotes later. i could cry. I'm so amused at this atrocity.]

4.5 stars. Definitely unlike any book I've read before.

This was a very interesting book. I almost want to re-read it and see if I missed something because, I have a feeling I'm missing why it won an award– not trying to bash I'm just curious to the reason.

I did finish the book but, I wasn't sure what the ending goal would be the whole time or where the author was taking us so, when it did end I wasn't at all prepared yet, at the same time it was a fitting ending. I don't know how else it would have ended to be honest.

I probably just missed the message that was trying to be sent... not sure.

Decent read though. I would recommend it to people just to see what they thought about it or if they saw some of the little twists.