Flowers in Bone Cages

by Sophie Glynn

This book contains material that may be triggering for some readers.

After being admitted to hospital for anorexia at the age of sixteen, Irene learns that the only person who she needs saving from is herself.
Caught within the cruel grips of depression and anxiety; Irene's adoration of her boyfriend becomes one of the only reasons she decides to stay. 
However, as the beautiful minds of those surrounding her deteriorate, Irene’s support network vanishes.


Imprisoned by the voices in her head, she loses track of reality; stepping closer to death each day.



If you liked Marya Hornbacher's 'Wasted', this book is for you!

Genres: Poetry, Mental Health

279 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 14, 2014

Reviews

[Aneira Diant · Rating 5 out of 5]

So beautifully written, it makes my heart ache.

[chris · Rating 2 out of 5]

Overall this was a great idea for a story but it lacked a solid foundation to build one from.
This was another author I found through Tumblr.
The story follows a young girl who is struggling with family issues and an eating disorder. She goes in and out of hospitals, that don't seem to help her resolve the underlining reason for her eating disorder and self hate.
First, this was a really good idea for a book. And I generally I liked the main character, and setting of the story. And the sentences were also very beautiful and amazing.
The issues I had though, were many in the overall story telling. The main character didn't hook me like she should have in the first 10-15 pages. I should have been captivated to the page with her. I wanted to be but I wasn't. I should have been glued to the book, totally bought in on her and her journey. The main character is supposed to evolve, to be called to a journey, called to action as a reluctant hero so she can "save the day". And I didn't see that evolution and growth in her with a dramatic resolution at the end.
The other characters lacked variety and unique characteristics, and were way too long winded in their speeches and/or letters. Also, a lot of them sounded too alike (they all seemed too eloquent in their dialogue and their letters). Pacing was an issue for me, too much dialogue thick with beauty and not enough action slowed the story down too often to a snail's pace.
And lastly, the layout design of the book was extremely distracting. Why they had some paragraphs together, and others with spaces between, I do not know. And some sentences were in italics and others had a line through them (I assume it was meant to be underlined) was unnecessary and distracting as well.
Beautiful sentences, nor a good idea for a story are not enough to carry it through when there are problems in the foundation.
Normally I would not have finished a book that didn't hook me in the first 10-15 pages but I wanted to see if it would pick up at all. It did not.

[Johanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Flowers in Bone Cages” is an extremely emotive journey through an adolescent girl’s struggle with an eating disorder. The novel is beautifully worded and it is obvious that the author has gone to great pains to ensure that her writing sufficiently conveys the isolation, sadness, and anxiety that plague the protagonist. Irene, the protagonist, is typical of many adolescent sufferers of eating disorders in that she strives to make those around her happy at great personal cost. She is frequently self-depreciative towards herself and her talents and struggles immensely with a positive world view. The plot was quite stagnant and I often felt as if the author were repeating the same ideas but worded slightly differently. Although there are a number of grammatical errors and I feel as if the author could have been more succinct in her writing, the story is beautifully moving and relatable for those who have encountered mental illness in their lives. This is a story for the lost people who are unsure about recovery but do not want to exist in a state of sickness.

[Geena · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted so badly to love this book because of the message. And so many parts of me did love this book. Some of the sentences were so beautiful and so eloquently written that I couldn't help but get chills.

However... there were so many grammatical errors, punctuation problems, misplaced sentences... I don't know I just couldn't find myself swooning over this book like I'd hoped I would. The main character, Irene, she felt very vague... I know she was telling her story of mental illness but I didn't find myself connecting with her the way I would have liked to. I picked up this book due to recommendation because I myself struggle with mental illness, similar to Irene, and the overall message of this book really hit me hard and made me emotional and I found it so beautiful that 70 to 80% of the time the small errors didn't really matter. But other times, I found myself catching the wrong use of "your" or "you're", "its" or "it's", and it felt really disconnected and unprofessional. The author would write such profound paragraphs but have these little errors and it left me feeling confused at times.

Overall, this book serves a purpose and I find the message of it very beautiful, although heartbreaking. I did enjoy the book and I have recommended it to friends who I feel would be in need to hear some of Sophie Glynn's wisdom, but I just wish it would have been easier to overlook some of those errors. There were far too many.

[Tania]

i cant even rate this book because its not actually a book that draws you in, and makes you want to read it but one that is so blatantly honest that you read it just in hopes that it gets better for the characters. it makes you question wonder about life not only for yourself, but for other people. it hurts to read and yet you cannot stop, because you have no idea how the characters are ever going to make it out alive. it makes you wonder how really free we people are and makes you realize that sometimes we really truly are stuck. you don't continue reading because its entertaining, you continue because you're desperate for there to be a way out. i am yet to find a healthy exit for the characters but dear god please let there be.

[Hannah · Rating 2 out of 5]

This author has a naturally beautiful and lyrical voice, but is clearly unstudied in the craft of writing (or grammar, or punctuation...). Once she spends time studying the craft she will be a force to look out for. This narrative feels like raw talent waiting to be refined. A compelling voice but a bad story, poorly rendered.

[Amanda Starshine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book for its rawness ans a particular monologue spoken by Holly in the middle of the retelling of her experience that really spoke to me. This book really should be added to the "best eating disorder books" page without a doubt.

[chris hughes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic

It is so well written and very relatable. Very nice book. I would definitely recommend it to a friend. One of my favorites.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four stars only because the novel had multiple typos and bad punctuation, to a point where it began to be intrusive.
Some really beautiful metaphors.