Friday, August 28, 2020

#BookReview: Every Bone a Prayer by @ashleyblooms






Synopsis: The Lovely Bones meets Where the Crawdads Sing in this remarkable, magical debut set in Appalachia.

Recommended by NPR, Buzzfeed, The Millions, Good Housekeeping, Bustle, POPSUGAR, and more, and praised by Dorothy Allison, Kiese Laymon, Kim Michele Richardson, Alix E. Harrow, Kat Howard, Sam J. Miller, Silas House, and others!

In her rural Appalachian holler, ten-year-old Misty's closest friends are the crawdads. Misty can speak to them, to the birds, to the creek, to everything outside, and she understands how they think. She knows that if she could just speak to her parents in the same way, she could stop all the fighting. But it's too hard.

Strange things start to happen in the holler. When her friend William takes their friendship too far, Misty's need to connect is greater than ever, but it's hard to talk about what you don't understand. This is the story of one tough-as-nails girl whose choices are few but whose imagination is boundless, as her coping becomes a battle cry for everyone around her—a beautifully honest exploration of healing and hope.


Goodreads
Amazon

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
My Review: This was a very interesting story to read.  I will say to make sure to read the trigger warnings below this this review.  This book is fairly deep and dark and very good.  This powerful story about overcoming dark and disturbing things and breaking free is one that I won't soon forget.  Every page is better than the last and I could not put it down.  


Parts of this story are so breathtaking and beautifully written.  And the message is so real that once you start this one you won't be able to stop. 



Go Into This One Knowing: Depictions of Sexual Abuse between children, Domestic Violence, Emotional Abuse, Portrayals of Evangelical faith, Death, and Body horror/grotesque imagery. 






Review

"Every Bone a Prayer evokes the magic of my favorite childhood stories - thrilling, but eerie - but it's also a painful, beautiful, and necessary examination of trauma and autonomy." - Buzzfeed

"Every Bone A Prayer is a difficult, important, and beautifully rendered story of generational trauma, survival, and healing. The characters I met within its pages have stayed with me, their names and stories etched on my memory." - NPR

"A beautifully rendered coming-of-age tale for a wide range of readers." - Library Journal

"In this haunting debut novel, Blooms makes a mystical exploration of the hidden power that lies within and the strategies assault survivors can undertake to regain a feeling of ownership over body and mind." - Booklist

"This is the kind of book we need to set literary expectations for a new decade. It's so textured, so layered with love and so wonderfully terrifying, intimate and magical." - Kiese Laymon, author of Heavy: An American Memoir

"I have loved Every Bone a Prayer since I saw an early draft years ago, loved Misty, her family, her secret talents, and the way she sees the world around her, from the crawfish in muddy water to the ghostly trees she runs past in the night, to the trailer park where she and her family barely survive. This is a book and a writer I highly recommend." - Dorothy Allison, author of Bastard out of Carolina

"Haunting and healing, Every Bone A Prayer is a powerful debut that will leave its mark on readers' hearts." - Kim Michele Richardson, New York Times bestselling author of The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek

"I couldn't stop reading Ashley Bloom's raw-boned language that carried me on young Misty's journey. While the weight on her skin threatened to take her under, the current of hope had me rooting for Misty to rise up. I can't wait to see this book shoot into the stratosphere." - Leah Weiss, author of If the Creek Don't Rise

"Ashley Blooms sings in an authentic mountain voice that reminds me of another great coal-country elegist: whatever the family Bible may record, she and Hazel Dickens are surely the closest of kin. Like a hawk over a hollow, Blooms both soars and sees all." - Andy Duncan, author of An Agent of Utopia

"Searing and soothing, honest and elusive, Every Bone a Prayer is a gift. It's the pure truth, told slant." - Alix E. Harrow, author of The Ten Thousand Doors of January









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 Disclaimer: "All opinions are 100% honest and my own."  Thanks to Goodreads and Amazon for the book cover, about the book, and author information. Buying via these links allows my site to get a % of the sale at no cost to you. 

FTC Guidelines: In accordance with FTC guidelines regarding endorsements and testimonials for bloggers, I would like my readers to know that many of the books I review are provided to me for free by the publisher or author of the book in exchange for an honest review. If am compensated for any reviews on this site I will state that post has been sponsored. 




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