ARC Review: The Bones Beneath My Skin by T.J. Klune

Blurb:

In the spring of 1995, Nate Cartwright has lost everything: his parents are dead, his older brother wants nothing to do with him, and he's been fired from his job as a journalist in Washington DC. With nothing left to lose, he returns to his family's summer cabin outside the small mountain town of Roseland, Oregon to try and find some sense of direction.

The cabin should be empty.

It's not.

Inside is a man named Alex. And with him is an extraordinary little girl who calls herself Artemis Darth Vader.

Artemis, who isn't exactly as she appears.

Soon it becomes clear that Nate must make a choice: let himself drown in the memories of his past, or fight for a future he never thought possible.

Because the girl is special. And forces are descending upon them who want nothing more than to control her.

Jewel's rating:

"Are we going on an adventure?"

Sci-fi and speculative fiction were my first loves. When I was growing up, these stories helped me escape life and took me on journeys through endless possibilities. To this day, when I read a well written sci-fi novel, I am transported into the story and I relish every moment. In fact, TJ Klune could not have written a story more suited to my tastes if he had climbed inside my head before sitting down to write. This is my jam.

Like so many of TJ Klune's stories, The Bones Beneath My Skin is about family. It's about loss and grief and love. And it's about bonds and trust and adventure. But this story is also very different. And wonderful. And I've got the book hangover for the ages. So saddle up, hoss, an adventure awaits!

Nate Cartwright is lost. He's numb with it. Everything he's built, everything he's become, has crashed, leaving him adrift. After inheriting the family cabin in middle of nowhere Oregon, Nate decides to go there to figure out what comes next. He did not expect what he found. A man named Alex and a strange little girl who calls herself Artemis Darth Vader.

Alex is lost, too, and has been for a very long time. His only purpose left is Art. Keeping her safe. You see, Alex knows grief and he knows loss, but he also knows what family is and that is Art. Trusting the stranger that shows up at the cabin is not on his agenda. But Art sees something more. Something maybe they all need.


Artemis Darth Vader is the awesomest of awesome 10 year old girls. She is both as you would expect, and completely different. She likes to read, to try new things, to go on adventures. She has a way of getting under your skin that you don't even see coming. She is a delight. She might like bacon a little bit, too.

What happens next, though, was something wonderful and terrible and while I figured some things out, other things were a total surprise. I loved having the story unfold through the eyes of Nathaniel Cartwright.

The writing? So fucking amazing. Engrossing. The romance? Some may find that disappointing, since it's rather muted. The characters? Entertaining and solid. For myself, I enjoyed every moment I spent within the pages of this story. Every. Single. Moment.

Life, as you know it, is about to change.

Your adventure awaits.


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ARC of The Bones Beneath My Skin was generously provided by the author, in exchange for an honest review.

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Happy adventuring!