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- Cozying UpIf you read my reviews all the way to the end, you may have noticed a disclaimer that frequently goes, “This ARC was provided by [publisher or author] via NetGalley.” NetGalley is a website that connects authors and their publishers with potential readers and reviewers. This summer, they ran a program called Camp NetGalley.
Participants needed to chose a book from a smaller then usual selection and then review it by August 13th. I narrowed the choices down to two and ultimately went with the more unusual choice for me.
Gingerbread Bones is described by its author (Lindsay Lovise) as a “YA horror/thriller/paranormal romance.” If Tinker was a bit outside my comfort zone of cozy mysteries, this was WAY outside it. I remember that I picked it because I had enjoyed the previous YA books I had read. But this most certainly is not John Green.
The story begins with Georgie and Hamish Leider being driven to an isolated location in the woods of Maine. Their stepmother is a parenting influencer and has worked with a television production company to create a reality show called “Forged in the Forest.” The idea is to take a group of troubled teens to the woods and straighten them out through hard work and survival techniques.
As you meet the other participants, you also wonder why they were cast. There’s Madison who is super smart, but pushy; Paxton who is obviously rich and thinks every woman wants him; Desiree who complains long and loud all the time; Ava who is quiet most of the time; Talia who doesn’t want to do anything; Mack who is quiet in a deep, foreboding way; plus Devon, Alicia, and Theo. Add in a survival expert (Rick), a psychologist (Mazie), and two camera ops catching every moment.
The book continues with lots of teenage angst and grumbling until they arrive at the filming site—an abandoned summer camp. When the teens wake up the next morning, Rick and Mazie are gone and their tents are shredded. Was it a wild animal attack? Or were the campers abandoned? Of course, the camera men are still there… Hmmm.
I should say that horror is not my thing usually. I like the show Supernatural and the movies of Jordan Peele (Get Out, Us, Nope), but I hate jump scares and gratuitous violence or gore. To be honest, since I missed that Gingerbread Bones was horror when I picked it, I did consider not finishing it when I realized what was happening. This is where Camp NetGalley worked out for me. Because I had made a commitment to review the book, I stuck with it. And I’m glad that I did.
Gingerbread Bones was released today (August 4th) and is perfect for those of you think of August as just the precursor to spooky season. So grab for PSL and curl up with this suspenseful, supernatural tome and enjoy!
4 lattes out of 5