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The BookBrowse Review
The BookBrowse Review
Published December 4, 2024
ISSN: 1930-0018
The BookBrowse Review
Published December 4, 2024
ISSN: 1930-0018
Contents
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Literary Fiction
Historical Fiction
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Poetry & Novels in Verse
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Biography/Memoir
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True Crime
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| Critics: |
On the run from her own dark secrets, a teen girl becomes the nanny for a prestigious family on their Jamaican estate, where she quickly discovers even paradise may be haunted.
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.
Once there, Carina finds herself settling right into her busy, but comfortable, new life. Yes, the family runs a tight ship, and yes, there is some tension between the Halls, but Carina is content flying under the radar and hanging out with her new friends―not least, the handsome and charming Aaron. But when inexplicable things start happening to her in the house, only getting worse each night, Carina realizes that someone, or something, is out to get her. Is it the Halls? The house itself? Or is her own past catching up with her? With Aaron's help, she must figure out what is haunting her, and fast, before she's forced out of Blackbead House for good.
Honeysuckle and Bone is a deliciously atmospheric and utterly spooky young adult novel following an imperfect yet courageous teen as she seeks to remake herself in the homeland she always idealized, discovering that new beginnings don't always come easy.
"The story's ominous elements contrast vividly with the beautiful ones, and the portrayal of the luxurious Jamaica the wealthy enjoy stands in stark contrast to that of those who are less fortunate… A deliciously dark and mysterious debut." —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"Lush and alluring…[the] first-person-present narration fosters tension while immersing readers in the sights, sounds, and culture of Jamaica." ―Publishers Weekly
"Tobias brings lots of ghostly atmosphere to her debut, with evocatively described hauntings in the sweltering Jamaican heat. Carina's growing friendship with the other young staff members―and one burgeoning romance―nicely ground the plot, and her search for the identity of the duppy contains plenty of twists…[T]hose in it for the eerie vibes and buried secrets will be satisfied." —Booklist
"Rich and haunting, Honeysuckle and Bone is an eerie ghost story that delves deep into an exploration of identity and class. Tobias's masterful handling of a teenage girl's exploration of grief and her homeland shapes a propulsive narrative that you won't want to put down." ―Joelle Wellington, author of Their Vicious Games
"A beautifully lush and haunting gothic tale, Honeysuckle and Bone is both a chilling mystery and a heartbreaking portrait of all the ways grief leaves its mark. I gasped at every shocking twist and harrowing reveal as Carina unearthed the dark secrets of Blackbead House and discovered that no matter how far she ran, the ghosts of the past were always right behind her." ―Linda Cheng, author of Gorgeous Gruesome Faces
Trisha Tobias is a writer, editor, and Fordham University graduate. She is a recipient of the 2018 Walter Dean Myers Grant and a 2019-2021 Highlights Foundation Diversity Fellow. Trisha lives in North Carolina. Honeysuckle and Bone is her debut.
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