Review: Near the Bone

Near the Bone by Christina Henry
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thanks so much to Netgalley and Berkley for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is how you do a horror and thriller combo! It was just the right blend of scary and mysterious.

Mattie lives high in the mountains with her husband, William. While checking their animal traps one day during the winter, she finds a dead fox on the path, cut open but not eaten or taken by the predator that killed it. What follows is classic horror movie - discovery of a creature, the hunt, other people getting involved, and the long night fight for survival... and the author has done an amazing job at that.

But where the book truly shines is in the element of character. You see, the creature in the cold, dark forest isn't the only monster that preys on Mattie, and sometimes, you don't have the sharp claws and vicious fangs to reveal a predator's nature... sometimes, humans are the worst monsters of all.

While this book definitely shows that dark side of human nature, it also excels at showing the resiliency, hopefulness, and brave sides of humankind as well.

Highly recommended. For non-horror fans, this one is only moderately scary in the creature-feature department. If you like thrillers, the horror in this one probably won't phase you much.

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