Bone Gap - Review

Bone Gap

By: Laura Ruby

Publication: March 3rd 2015 by Balzer + Bray

345 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Mystery, Magical Realism

Source: Free audiobook from Audiobook Sync several years ago

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Goodreads description--Everyone knows Bone Gap is full of gaps—gaps to trip you up, gaps to slide through so you can disappear forever. So when young, beautiful Roza went missing, the people of Bone Gap weren’t surprised. After all, it wasn’t the first time that someone had slipped away and left Finn and Sean O’Sullivan on their own. Just a few years before, their mother had high-tailed it to Oregon for a brand new guy, a brand new life. That’s just how things go, the people said. Who are you going to blame?

Finn knows that’s not what happened with Roza. He knows she was kidnapped, ripped from the cornfields by a dangerous man whose face he cannot remember. But the searches turned up nothing, and no one believes him anymore. Not even Sean, who has more reason to find Roza than anyone, and every reason to blame Finn for letting her go.

As we follow the stories of Finn, Roza, and the people of Bone Gap—their melancholy pasts, their terrifying presents, their uncertain futures—acclaimed author Laura Ruby weaves a heartbreaking tale of love and loss, magic and mystery, regret and forgiveness—a story about how the face the world sees is never the sum of who we are.

The description of Bone Gap is deceiving. The description seems to indicate that the people of the town are familiar with and aware of the mysterious and magical "gaps" in the town. However, that wasn't really true. They are familiar with people who want to and do leave the town. So no one was surprised when Roza disappears. They think she went back to Poland or just moved on in her travels. After all, she showed up suddenly. Why not leave suddenly too?

But Finn is not convinced. He witnessed an exchange between Roza and a man. Roza appeared to go with the man willingly, but Finn just felt that something was off. And his unusual way of describing the man has left everyone around him a little unbelieving. Eventually, Finn is the only one left looking for Roza. He will never give up because he feels like he could have stopped the kidnapping if only he'd realized sooner that Roza was in danger.

I loved Finn's story with Petey. Their relationship. How it builds. They way they were with each other. How Petey had Finn's back and figured out something very important about him that no one who knew him had figured out--even Finn himself. I loved the bees, the horse--Night---Finn's best friend Miguel. I even really liked Sean even though I won't say that I loved his character. And Roza. She was lovable.

I didn't enjoy the Rudes. Or the Scarecrow. Or really the magical aspects of the book. Without spoiling anything, I always seem to struggle with this particular type of magical element in stories.

I feel like my review isn't as thought out as I'd like for it to be, but I waited so long to type it up that I already felt like I was beginning to forget things about the story. Bone Gap was more enjoyable than I expected. I found myself more involved in the characters than I imagined I would be. Yet I still ended up feeling like I wasn't completely satisfied and struggled with the magical elements--especially considering that I must have missed that this was part of the story as who knows how long ago I actually read the description and added this to my TBR list. Regardless, Bone Gap gets 3 Stars. Have you read Bone Gap? What did you think? Let me know!