Synopsis

When the Bones Sing is a young adult Southern Gothic mystery that follows Dovie, a teenager with a mysterious gift for hearing the echoes of the dead through their bones. When a local girl goes missing in the Appalachian mountains, Dovie becomes entangled in the search for the truth as long-buried secrets, family history, and ancient folklore begin to surface. Blending supernatural elements with atmospheric suspense, the novel explores themes of grief, identity, community, and the enduring connection between the living and the dead.

Notes

Pg. 5

The closer we get to the edge of town, the stronger I feel that mournful hum rattling through me. Kind of soundless song. Nana was right -- the bones are loud tonight.

Pg. 13

I hear Sheriff and Jonah huffing and puffing behind me, but there's no way in hell they're gonna tell me to slow down. Their delicate man-egos won't let them admit they can't keep up with a seventeen-year-old girl.

Pg. 28

It's a mutual scorn. We think he's a swaggering charlatan, and he resents the fact that our little family are the only ones in all of Lucifer's Creek who aren't under his righteous thumb.

Pg. 32

I feel the warmth of Lo's arm against mine and I breathe in his familiar scent. Cedar and burnt sage and a hundred other things I can't name. It's warm and comforting. Like walking into a familiar kitchen and smelling something wonderful, and maybe a little mysterious simmering on the stove.

PG. 76

• Ok the preacher of the local church is creepy... and so is his congregation... i would not be shocked if something wrong was going on there.

Pg. 93

It seems so strange to have dusk during the day, but that's what this sudden darkness feels like. Like night has settled way too early on Lucifer's Creek.

• There is definitely a foreboding happening with the sister hikers. They are going to die for sure.
• The preacher is guilty of something but I don't think he is the bad guy. I think he will be another victim.

Pg. 107

• Whatttttttttt, so it isn't just Lo seeing ghosts! What if the body they found wasn't even his though? Or is he dead? So many questions!!!!

pg 118

Nana and I are seeing the same dead boy lurking outside the house, and on top of that, out of the blue, Daddy's telling me that he can't say for certain if Mama ever left town.

pg 140

• Why do I feel like the dad or his friend Ira are guilty of something. Or that Her dad, her mom, Ira and the preacher something happened a long time ago when her mom went missing and Lo's mom drowned.

Pg. 149

• ok now I definitely think Lo himself is a possibility... so many potential murderers. Could it be more then one?

Pg. 179

• Gahh!!! I had a super sneaky suspicion when he mentioned the sin for the father falling to the son, that he was hinting at being Lo's father. Plus the white rose on his mother's gravestone, placed there by the preacher.

Pg. 267

Hannah plays me like a fiddle, drawing her sorrow across my spine like a bow. She's plucking my tendons and strumming my muscles. Leading me right to her.

Pg. 331

I will tell you a story of a pretty white rose,
It is true but oh how sad,
Of a poor young woman whose heart was pure gold,
But cruel she was treated by her lad.
She was found one morning in a cold, cold stream,
Where he threw his love there to drown,
With that rose between her teeth. As if she seemed to say,
I want to wear this rose in my crown.

Review

Another gorgeously written book by Ginny Myers Sain. This book was so beautiful, mysterious, captivating, thrilling, and sometimes even scarry. The way she hides the darkness of humanity in seemingly supernatural ways. The twists and turns she writes gives you whip lash! If you love spooky thrillers and mysterious, but a touch of real human emotion. Her books are such an amazing read! I couldn't put the pages down, I had to continue flipping through to solve the mystery. There are so many hidden secrets to uncover, and you follow web after web till at last they lead to their answers. Highly recommend reading any of her books!!!