Kazumi Reads

Plot Summary:
In Bone Gap, Illinois there aren't any mountains or hill...there is nothing but gaps. For Finn, Bone Gap is the place where his mother left him behind and trapped his older brother, Sean, forever. Finn is known as the Space Man who never looks anyone in the face. The thing about Finn is that he isn't clueless or empty-headed: he just has a hard time remembering faces. When Roza was kidnapped, Finn saw the man who took her, but, for some reason, he couldn't remember his face. Although everyone blames Finn for being unable to identify Roza's kidnapper, he never stopped looking unlike Sean. Just when he was about to lose hope, Finn sees the same man who took Roza and, when he tries tell the sheriff and Sean, no one believes him except for Petey (aka. Priscilla). Finn has had feelings for Petey for a long time, but, when the black mare mysteriously showed up in his barn, the mare finally brought him and Petey together. The problem is that Petey is the only face he remembers, which is strange because he can't remember his own face. As Petey and Finn dive into their relationship, Roza is trying desperately to escape from the man that took her, but something strange is going on because one moment she is in a house with unbreakable windows and then a castle out of a fairytale. What exactly is going on in Bone Gap where a person can be taken away in an instant and faces become unforgettable. In this riveting story where reality shifts, Finn must find Roza before it's too late.  

Critical Evaluation:
I really did not expect this story to turn out the way it did. My first impression is that it's a typical young adult mystery, but it intertwines mystery, fantasy, suspense, and romance into a story where two people who were lost and found again. I really thought Finn was in love with Roza, but it's actually quite the opposite. Finn literally brought Roza into his world so it's only natural that he would be the one to bring her back home. Roza and Finn have this relationship that isn't based on romantic love, but on a different kind of love that two lost souls need to find their place in this world. As for Petey, the love that Finn feels for he isn't only genuine, but forces Petey to realize that he loves her for who she is and not what she looks like. Love is the underlying theme of this story because it was the loss of love that made Finn and Sean's mother leave, but it was the want and need for love that provided the happiness and hope that everyone needed. I really didn't know what to expect when I read this story, but I am happy I did! 

Information about the Author:
According to the author's website:

Laura Ruby writes fiction for adults, teens and children. She is the author of the newly-released YA novel BONE GAP, as well as the Edgar-nominated children's mystery LILY'S GHOSTS, the ALA Quick Pick for teens GOOD GIRLS (2006), a collection of interconnected short stories about blended families for adults, I'M NOT JULIA ROBERTS (2007), and the forthcoming middle-grade trilogy YORK. She is on the faculty of Hamline University's Masters in Writing for Children Program. She makes her home in the Chicago area.

Genre:
Teen Contemporary Fiction, Teen Fantasy, Teen Romance

Reading Level/Interest:
Grades 9 & up

Books Similar to Bone Gap:

• The Weight of Feathers by Anna-Marie MacLemore
• More Than This by Patrick Ness
• Magonia by Maria Dahvana Headley

Awards & Recognition:
From Amazon.com:

“It’s a novel about actual changes in worldview, and all its science and myth and realism and magic are marshaled, finally, to answer crucial questions about empathy and difference, and the way we see people we love.” (New York Times Book Review)

“BONE GAP marks Laura Ruby as one of fiction’s most original voices. She is capable of moving you to tears, terrifying you on deep and dreamlike levels, and making your heart shout with happiness. This book is magic realism at its most magical.” (E. Lockhart, author of WE WERE LIARS)

“Ruby’s novel deserves to be read and reread. It is powerful, beautiful, extraordinary.” (SLJ)

“With rich characters, captivating world building, and a stunning secret at its heart, BONE GAP is utterly bewitching.” (ALA Booklist (starred review))

“Cleverly conceived, and lusciously written.” (Kirkus Reviews (starred review))

“The real magic in Bone Gap is the discovery of love, an idea many stories misrepresent but Bone Gap explores with the utmost honesty and truth.” (Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA) (Starred Review))