Bones of Faerie (Hardcover)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: faerie folk, clear hair, Franklin Falls

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

It has been 20 years since the war between faeries and humans destroyed everything. Liza, a teenager living in what was once the Midwest, has always been taught that magic kills. When Lizas mother gives birth to a faerie baby with hair clear as glass, her father abandons the infant on a hillside to die; Lizas mother then runs away, and Liza begins to have magical visions of her own. Petrified that her powers might cause death, Liza flees into the woods with her friend Matthew, only to be attacked by deadly trees and rescued by a woman with magic. The plot quickens as Liza realizes that the woman is connected to her mothers past, knowledge that propels Liza into a dangerous journey into the land of Faerie, in search of her mother. Debut novelist Simners style is poetic (A land of steel and glass, of towers and sharp angles. A sky the color of dried blood), but she only vaguely describes Lizas world. Its hard to understand how, for example, a faerie differs from humans with magical powers, or what triggered the cataclysmic faerie war. Despite the murkiness, the plotting is strong, and readers will want to stay with Liza until her questions are resolved. Ages 12–16. (Jan.)
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From Booklist

Simner’s first novel for YAs is an attention-catching twist of two piping-hot speculative scenarios—a postapocalyptic-wasteland journey layered upon a faerie-world-intruding-upon-our-own setup. A war between our world and a faerie world has left the planet a ruined and perilous wilderness. People huddle in the remains of towns, afraid to venture out at night, and swiftly put to death any child suspected of having been infected by the faerie fallout. When Liza discovers that she may have magical abilities, she flees town, and eventually seeks out answers in the equally ruined faerie realm. Simner’s world-building leans heavily on atmospherics in lieu of specifics, and the foggy descriptions of magic are even tougher to get a handle on. But the mood is strikingly dark, and questions regarding humankind’s tendency toward suspicion and xenophobia will loom large in readers’ minds. Much information is frustratingly withheld from both Liza and the reader, and many questions are left unanswered, but this will still garner a share of fans for its unusual and unsettling vision of a magically dystopian future. Grades 7-10. --Ian Chipman

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Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers (January 27, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375845631
• ISBN-13: 978-0375845635
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.7 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #27,548 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Post Apocalyptic Faerie Tale, February 3, 2009

By	Lisa "Fantasy fan" (Plano, TX) - See all my reviews

Wow, this was a very imaginative and well written book. The trend towards faeries in YA books is nothing new. This book however takes a totally fresh spin on the subject.

The heroine is plucky,determined and brave. She suffers the loss of her Mother and sister, and physical abuse at the hands of her Father. Despite this she is not bowed down. I love her!

The setting is a post-apocalyptic world in which small towns survive in isolation, afraid of faeries and magic. This is result of the war between Faerie and humankind. Both sides have been devastated.

For romance lovers, there is a subtle romantic interest woven through. I don't want to give away anymore of the plot- buy the book yourselves, and enjoy!

All in all, a wonderful read both for YA and not so YA.
I hope there is a sequel.
If you are a fan of Melissa Marr and Holly Black, you will love this book.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The consquences of your actions, February 28, 2009

By	Vania Stoyanova "Reverie Media Book Reviews" (Atlanta, Ga) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Overall, this book was a great story filled with adventure and the price we're all willing to pay to survive. The writing at times got irritating due to its repetitive nature. For example, on one single page I read:
"and I looked in the mirror and saw--"
"I screamed, and I screamed I saw--"
"I fled from him, and as I fled I saw--"
I shut my eyes, and behind closed lids I saw--"
This sort of pre-vision dialogue certainly became noticeable and therefore irritating, and distracting. The imagery throughout the book is well written and familiar. For example I loved, "Oak and maples and elms all reached toward the rain, sighing happily as water soaked through their leaves and into their roots."

The plot moved, though sometimes slow. The beginning started off right, fact-paced and exciting, the middle, during the journey outside, it all became slower. The end, again, picks up leaving you on the edge of your seat and rooting for the characters. Throughout the whole book you feel for Liza and you keep hoping she finds what she is looking for, physically and emotionally.

The characters, all, are well defined and concrete though, not to say that they are perfect. I am left at the end wanting to learn more about Tara, Caleb,Kate and Matthew's history. I feel like I still don't know enough about them. For the story itself--good enough. For me and my overzealous imagination--I wanted to know everything.

Liza is sucha strong character, so kind and caring and passionate.But above all else she is majorly self-sacrificing, which is a wonderful point for young girls to take away from the book. Allie, the young, sweet healer, is a reliable friend and a deeply caring individual filled with unconditional love. Yet, she's smart and knows her limits. Matt's character is much in the same way very protective and strong and throughout the book the reader really gets a clear glimpse into his maturing and evolving personality. I found it endearing to read how Liza and Matt's relationship grows-- both become so reliant on each other and love blossoms in the most unexpected circumstances. Liza's parents though, are one of the characters that leave you wanting more, especially her mother, Tara, who by the end of the book you realize has a long history in this world, much of which is hugely relevant to this story.Her father--well, I'm glad for his outcome.

What I mostly enjoyed about this book were the allusions to us and the current events surrounding us everyday, mainly war and the outcomes of war. Liza learns, among other things, that there are two sides to each story. And even though you might have grown up thinking, "these people are the bad guys" that doesn't make you the good guy. This book really makes one think about how war effects each and every individual, even years after it may be over. There are repercussions and no one is without fault. We must all live with our mistake, yet except people for what they are , not shunning them because they are different.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Bones of Faerie, May 17, 2009

By	Yan - See all my reviews

Bones of Faerie was beautifully crafted, delightfully entertaining, and a wonder to read. The constant flashbacks and future visions flowed smoothly with the rest of the tale and the transition between the two worlds ingeniously linked.

I found the sudden twist of the fear of the unknown turning into a positive form truly pleasing. Never would I have imagined it so, the following shadow morphing into the past.

What I would have liked in this book was a bit more depth of the War. The cause of the war and the struggles, but mostly how Liza's mother, Tara, played a part in the War. I wanted to know a bit more about her past, and how she came to be. Like what many have said, Bones of Faerie skimmed the surface but never got delved beneath it.

The characters were also on the fence. Some had wonderful traits and development and some fell short.

Overall: An easy and quick for those who enjoy faeries and fantasy. The tone of the tale is almost similar to that of The Hunger Games especially in the post-apocalyptic sense. Nevertheless, Bones of Faerie stands differently from it and can still be enjoyed by those who might have not liked Games.