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Not Even Bones
(Market of Monsters #1)
by
Dexter meets This Savage Song in this dark fantasy about a girl who sells magical body parts on the black market — until she’s betrayed.
Nita doesn’t murder supernatural beings and sell their body parts on the internet—her mother does that. Nita just dissects the bodies after they’ve been “acquired.” But when her mom brings home a live specimen, Nita decides she wants out — ...more
Nita doesn’t murder supernatural beings and sell their body parts on the internet—her mother does that. Nita just dissects the bodies after they’ve been “acquired.” But when her mom brings home a live specimen, Nita decides she wants out — ...more
ebook, 368 pages
Published
September 4th 2018
by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
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Rebecca Schaeffer
Yes. It is available on Amazon, as well as Book Depository, Barnes and Noble, Chapters, Indiebound, and any other major retailer where books are sold
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Start your review of Not Even Bones (Market of Monsters, #1)

Many will call my main characters monsters. Many will call them villains.
They would be right.
I wrote this book for the people who watched movies as children and screamed, "why don’t you just kill the bad guy already???" For the people who watched heroes proselytize on screen and said, "It’s not that simple." For the people who watched the villains with fascination and whispered softly, where the normal, good, proper people wouldn’t hear, “I want to see their story.”
This, my friends, is their st ...more
They would be right.
I wrote this book for the people who watched movies as children and screamed, "why don’t you just kill the bad guy already???" For the people who watched heroes proselytize on screen and said, "It’s not that simple." For the people who watched the villains with fascination and whispered softly, where the normal, good, proper people wouldn’t hear, “I want to see their story.”
This, my friends, is their st ...more

Wow, so.... the "Dexter meets This Savage Song" comparison really encapsulates this? This was not the most well-written thing I have ever read but I really really enjoyed my time reading it. This is a deeply fucked up book, in a good way. You know how sometimes, you read YA fantasy and you just feel like it could have gone darker and it doesn’t? Not Even Bones just keeps Going There.
Not Even Bones follows Nita, a girl who dissects other supernatural beings for the black market - until she’s sold ...more
Not Even Bones follows Nita, a girl who dissects other supernatural beings for the black market - until she’s sold ...more


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Fantasy stories often have magic potions that are made up of the body parts of living creatures, even in Harry Potter, where bits of unicorn can be put into potions or wands - but where do those parts come from? NOT EVEN BONES explores that grim and unsavory concept in the form of Nita and her family, dealers in the magical black market, selling magical body parts to collectors, perverts, and criminals. Nita enjoys her work, with a blood ...more

Nita has always had an interest in anatomy so jumping into the family business didn't seem like a bad thing when it let Nita study the corpses her mother brought home. You see, there's a market for the body parts of supernatural beings and Nita turns a blind eye to how her mother acquires these beings in the interest of her studies.
Nita however never expected her mother to show up one day with a live boy captive and still expect Nita to still procure the necessary body parts for profit. This is ...more
Nita however never expected her mother to show up one day with a live boy captive and still expect Nita to still procure the necessary body parts for profit. This is ...more

Sep 23, 2017
sofia (sam willows)
marked it as to-read
okay but why is this synopsis literally everything I’ve ever wanted from a book in my life

Sep 24, 2018
Beatrice in Bookland
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
best-of-2018
"Betrayal is a bloody business."
This book is completely fucked up. That's why I love it so much.
The headline speaks the truth, this is a perfect blend of Dexter's blood and gore and This savage song's monsters. You're never going to find a more original young adult book, do yourself a favour and pick Not even bones up.
Are you tired of protagonists who have one goal that they never achieve because of their one true love?
Are you tired of protagonists who couldn't care less about their survival (un ...more
This book is completely fucked up. That's why I love it so much.
The headline speaks the truth, this is a perfect blend of Dexter's blood and gore and This savage song's monsters. You're never going to find a more original young adult book, do yourself a favour and pick Not even bones up.
Are you tired of protagonists who have one goal that they never achieve because of their one true love?
Are you tired of protagonists who couldn't care less about their survival (un ...more

find this review and others on biscotto's books!
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Originally, I’d given this 4 stars on goodreads and honestly?
I don’t know why. I loved this book. Why would I give it 4 stars? Not Even Bones was everything dark and morally grey I wanted in a book for so long. Screw 4 stars. This deserves all 5 of them.
Past Mith was not thinking, evidently, but current Mith—me!! current me!—is thinking. And I say that this book is a solid debut and you need to pre-order if you can.
If you’re like me, you’ve p ...more
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Originally, I’d given this 4 stars on goodreads and honestly?
I don’t know why. I loved this book. Why would I give it 4 stars? Not Even Bones was everything dark and morally grey I wanted in a book for so long. Screw 4 stars. This deserves all 5 of them.
Past Mith was not thinking, evidently, but current Mith—me!! current me!—is thinking. And I say that this book is a solid debut and you need to pre-order if you can.
If you’re like me, you’ve p ...more

**SPOILER FREE**
Personal Rating: i'd let this book murder me and toss me to the bottom of the Amazon River
Recommended For: Those that go NOOOOOO WHYYYYYY whenever a protagonist chickens outta doing something seriously fucked up but would've been so! fucking! juicy to watch!
This book plunges unapologetically into the darkest parts of humanity. No selective filter that only presents the "cool" sides of violence while protecting you from getting too traumatized. No shying away from issues 'cause it ...more
Personal Rating: i'd let this book murder me and toss me to the bottom of the Amazon River
Recommended For: Those that go NOOOOOO WHYYYYYY whenever a protagonist chickens outta doing something seriously fucked up but would've been so! fucking! juicy to watch!
This book plunges unapologetically into the darkest parts of humanity. No selective filter that only presents the "cool" sides of violence while protecting you from getting too traumatized. No shying away from issues 'cause it ...more

Everything about this book — from the cover to the tag line — seems like it’s for me. Sadly I was quite disappointed.
I liked Nita well enough. She didn’t come across as developed and I found it sort of hard to root for her {excluding the captivity part} because I wasn’t invested in her story. My favorite character was Kovit and I did like the interactions between him and Nita.
Plot wise, it was sort of meh. There isn’t any sort of world building or explanation for the hows and whys. The relatio ...more
I liked Nita well enough. She didn’t come across as developed and I found it sort of hard to root for her {excluding the captivity part} because I wasn’t invested in her story. My favorite character was Kovit and I did like the interactions between him and Nita.
Plot wise, it was sort of meh. There isn’t any sort of world building or explanation for the hows and whys. The relatio ...more

"𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐩𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Yesterday I finished 𝕹𝖔𝖙 𝕰𝖛𝖊𝖓 𝕭𝖔𝖓𝖊𝖘 and gave it 4⭐! Even though it was missing something for me to give it five stars, it doesn't mean it's not fascinating. I loved the characters, they were really well developed, the magic which was really unique, loved the writing style, story line and everything. Nita was one fierceless girl and I admired her since the beginning lol. Also I could see the relationship building between Nita and Ko ...more
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Yesterday I finished 𝕹𝖔𝖙 𝕰𝖛𝖊𝖓 𝕭𝖔𝖓𝖊𝖘 and gave it 4⭐! Even though it was missing something for me to give it five stars, it doesn't mean it's not fascinating. I loved the characters, they were really well developed, the magic which was really unique, loved the writing style, story line and everything. Nita was one fierceless girl and I admired her since the beginning lol. Also I could see the relationship building between Nita and Ko ...more

May 25, 2018
Amy Risner
rated it
it was ok
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
2018-books,
2018-arcs
ARC provided by HMH via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
I truly wish I loved this book more! I feel like the description was made for me. Anything that’s compared to Dexter gets my vote. But this was such a huge disappointment for me. As the synopsis says, Nita dissects bodies of “unnaturals” for her mother to sell on the black market. But after a betrayal, she becomes a victim herself; locked away in a cell and tortured.
To be honest this book gave me major Hostel vibes. There are cha ...more
I truly wish I loved this book more! I feel like the description was made for me. Anything that’s compared to Dexter gets my vote. But this was such a huge disappointment for me. As the synopsis says, Nita dissects bodies of “unnaturals” for her mother to sell on the black market. But after a betrayal, she becomes a victim herself; locked away in a cell and tortured.
To be honest this book gave me major Hostel vibes. There are cha ...more

Jul 12, 2017
emi
marked it as to-read
The synopsis says "Dexter meets This Savage Song"
I don't care about Dexter, but This Savage Song? Sign me up. ...more
I don't care about Dexter, but This Savage Song? Sign me up. ...more

I love how messed up this world is and how equally messed up the MC is because I have never read anything like this before. The story is unique and well crafted, although I was a bit bored in the middle due to the slow pace (hence the lack of a star). The romance is a very slow burn - I was rooting for Kovit and Nita since their first meeting and this ship BETTER sail because now I am hella invested. Also, Fabricio can piss right off :) There is so much potential for where the story could go, I
...more

'Nita had learned a long time ago—you don’t want to know anything about the person whose body you’re taking apart.'

I'm not entirely sure how to describe my love for this dark, bloody, absolutely brilliant book . . . mostly because it's so dark and bloody. And somehow that's the best part of it??? What I love the most is that this book doesn't hold back but punches you with full weight. It's like a gory breath of fresh air. It's weird and messed up in all the most fascinating, thoughtful ways ...more

I'm not entirely sure how to describe my love for this dark, bloody, absolutely brilliant book . . . mostly because it's so dark and bloody. And somehow that's the best part of it??? What I love the most is that this book doesn't hold back but punches you with full weight. It's like a gory breath of fresh air. It's weird and messed up in all the most fascinating, thoughtful ways ...more

4.5 stars
This book is FANTASTIC! It's fresh, it's exciting, it's got all the nitty gritty plus a morally questionable protagonist.
I loved reading it just for how different it is compared to traditional YA. It was darkly fascinating and was kind of like a train wreck you can't help but watch. (Except that this book is the furthest thing from a train wreck.)
It's got a lot of dark characters, and basically nobody in this story is a completely good person. They've all led to one person or another's ...more
This book is FANTASTIC! It's fresh, it's exciting, it's got all the nitty gritty plus a morally questionable protagonist.
I loved reading it just for how different it is compared to traditional YA. It was darkly fascinating and was kind of like a train wreck you can't help but watch. (Except that this book is the furthest thing from a train wreck.)
It's got a lot of dark characters, and basically nobody in this story is a completely good person. They've all led to one person or another's ...more

Mar 09, 2020
Cortney LaScola - The Bookworm Myrtle Beach
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Very cool, very unique story line. I felt a little lost at the beginning, definitely could have used some explanation about a lot of stuff. I even checked to make sure this was the first book at one point.
But once I got into the story, the questions started to get answered, and I ended up really, really enjoying it
Very excited to continue this story with Nita and Kovit!
But once I got into the story, the questions started to get answered, and I ended up really, really enjoying it
Very excited to continue this story with Nita and Kovit!

*4.5/5 stars*
“When did you cross over into serial killer territory, Nita?”
This is such an underrated gem! I haven't been quite this hooked while reading a book in too long.
Not Even Bones follows Nita, who dissects people. She lives in a world where unnaturals are hunted for body parts, which have various effects (from lessening pain to drugging etc). Her mother hunts unnatruals, Nita dissects them, then they are sold on the black market for parts. Things has always been that way. Nita would ...more
“When did you cross over into serial killer territory, Nita?”
This is such an underrated gem! I haven't been quite this hooked while reading a book in too long.
Not Even Bones follows Nita, who dissects people. She lives in a world where unnaturals are hunted for body parts, which have various effects (from lessening pain to drugging etc). Her mother hunts unnatruals, Nita dissects them, then they are sold on the black market for parts. Things has always been that way. Nita would ...more

“Pain. Everyone is always in pain. Whether it’s a loose hangnail, a sore joint, a cramped back muscle—something. No human is never not in at least a minute amount of pain."
⭐️⭐️⭐️
While this book didn't leave me angry and pouncing in my bed way after my bedtime, it also didn't happen to be a pleasant read. I'm ambivalent. Not Even Bones is not a bad book by any standards, in fact, I think it's better than most YA Fantasy I've ever read but it also didn't blow my mind.
Not Even Bones tells the stor ...more
⭐️⭐️⭐️
While this book didn't leave me angry and pouncing in my bed way after my bedtime, it also didn't happen to be a pleasant read. I'm ambivalent. Not Even Bones is not a bad book by any standards, in fact, I think it's better than most YA Fantasy I've ever read but it also didn't blow my mind.
Not Even Bones tells the stor ...more

May 07, 2020
Candace Robinson
added it
I can’t help but love morally gray characters! 😍

Jan 12, 2020
may ➹
marked it as to-read
I accidentally typed “not even vibes” while frantically searching for this in my library catalogue because I just found out that there’s a Thai main character and that’s EXACTLY how I’m feeling hearing about the Thai rep 2 years late!!!!!

You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight
4.5*
I love a dark book. Sometimes, books that are advertised as "dark" don't end up being such. Worry not, because Not Even Bones absolutely delivers on all promises of being messed up, while still managing to tell an intriguing story. I have seen some reviews that mention trigger warnings but... I wouldn't even know where to start, so I'll just say this: 'tis not for the squeamish among ...more
4.5*
I love a dark book. Sometimes, books that are advertised as "dark" don't end up being such. Worry not, because Not Even Bones absolutely delivers on all promises of being messed up, while still managing to tell an intriguing story. I have seen some reviews that mention trigger warnings but... I wouldn't even know where to start, so I'll just say this: 'tis not for the squeamish among ...more

This was hella weird, but in the best way possible.
I wouldn’t be exaggerating at all when I say that NOT EVEN BONES is my most anticipated 2018 YA read (and I say YA because there’s Queen Schwab’s VICIOUS coming out, which is adult). I mean, dissecting monsters and selling them online to shady customers? *crashes though the door to enter dramatically*. I AM SO HERE FOR THIS. Plus, you know, one of the comp titles for this one was Schwab’s This Savage Song, and I mean ... come ON. This is guarant ...more
I wouldn’t be exaggerating at all when I say that NOT EVEN BONES is my most anticipated 2018 YA read (and I say YA because there’s Queen Schwab’s VICIOUS coming out, which is adult). I mean, dissecting monsters and selling them online to shady customers? *crashes though the door to enter dramatically*. I AM SO HERE FOR THIS. Plus, you know, one of the comp titles for this one was Schwab’s This Savage Song, and I mean ... come ON. This is guarant ...more

The only thing modern literature needs is a pair of psychopathic best pals who escape a black market and burn shit down together....and when I tell you this book SERVED that

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Nita doesn’t murder supernatural beings and sell their body parts on the internet—her mother does that. Nita just dissects the bodies after they’ve been “acquired.” Until her mom brings home a live specimen and Nita decides she wants out; dissecting a scared teenage boy is a step too far. But when she decides to save her mother’s victim, she ends up sold in his place—because Nita herself isn’t exactly “human.” She has the ability ...more
Nita doesn’t murder supernatural beings and sell their body parts on the internet—her mother does that. Nita just dissects the bodies after they’ve been “acquired.” Until her mom brings home a live specimen and Nita decides she wants out; dissecting a scared teenage boy is a step too far. But when she decides to save her mother’s victim, she ends up sold in his place—because Nita herself isn’t exactly “human.” She has the ability ...more

First of all, I'd like to thank Hallie over on Twitter for making my #bookishwish come true.
This book is dark and deeply messed up.
This book is billed as Dexter meets This Savage Song. I'm gonna be real with you, I didn't like Dexter and I couldn't get through 20 pages of This Savage Song, but I was very much interested in this book. I like horror and the idea of a teenage girl dissecting corpses her mom brings home is deeply chilling. I don't think I had any idea how much until I got into the ...more
This book is dark and deeply messed up.
This book is billed as Dexter meets This Savage Song. I'm gonna be real with you, I didn't like Dexter and I couldn't get through 20 pages of This Savage Song, but I was very much interested in this book. I like horror and the idea of a teenage girl dissecting corpses her mom brings home is deeply chilling. I don't think I had any idea how much until I got into the ...more

This is a breakout bloody good book (pun totally intended), and if you don’t like blood, the idea of autopsies, or a lot of gore, I would stay far far away. But if you’re anything like me, and you don’t keel over at the thought of body parts being cut off (I know someone who does), and you’re looking for the most original dark fantasy this Fall (some would definitely call it horror), look no further.
In ‘Not Even Bones’, Rebecca Schaeffer has given life, as gory, twisted, and fantastical as it m ...more
In ‘Not Even Bones’, Rebecca Schaeffer has given life, as gory, twisted, and fantastical as it m ...more

Where do I even start with this review? This book was just so unusual and gorily delightful that I was just surprised out of my reading stupor. It's been a while since a book captivated my attention like this one has, but it did.
This book stars Nita, who cuts up supernatural beings on her cutting table. The book is hailed as Dexter meets Savage Song, but I think that's a bit of a misnomer. I think it's more like I, Zombie. In any case, the book is not for the faint of heart, there are really gor ...more
This book stars Nita, who cuts up supernatural beings on her cutting table. The book is hailed as Dexter meets Savage Song, but I think that's a bit of a misnomer. I think it's more like I, Zombie. In any case, the book is not for the faint of heart, there are really gor ...more
topics | posts | views | last activity | |
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What's the Name o...: SOLVED. YA or slightly older, Dark Fantasy. Teenage girl works with mafia, selling magical creatures' body parts. She prepares the body parts and her mother sells them. Read between 2017-2019. Spoilers ahead. | 5 | 16 | Dec 30, 2020 03:50PM | |
Challenge Corner: Market of Monsters Series by Rebecca Schaeffer -> Starting August 29th, 2020 | 17 | 13 | Oct 21, 2020 07:31PM | |
East Polk SRP 202...: Not Even Bones | 1 | 1 | May 29, 2020 08:48AM | |
YA Buddy Readers'...: Not Even Bones (Market of Monsters #1) by Rebecca Schaeffer - Restarting October 1st 2019 | 49 | 94 | Oct 03, 2019 12:01PM |
Rebecca Schaeffer was born and raised in the Canadian prairies. Her itchy feet took her far from home when she turned eighteen, and she hasn't returned for more than a few months here or there since. You can find her sitting in a cafe on the other side of the world, writing about villains, antiheroes and morally ambiguous characters.
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I read a lot of books and have a lot of opinions, so the ...more
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I read a lot of books and have a lot of opinions, so the ...more
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“Pain. Everyone is always in pain. Whether it’s a loose hangnail, a sore joint, a cramped back muscle—something. No human is never not in at least a minute amount of pain.”
—
18 likes
“He snorted. “You do remember that I’m on the wrong side of the cage now?”
She turned to him, and the floor was cool against her cheek. “I’m pretty sure we’re both on the wrong side of the cage.”
—
10 likes
More quotes…
She turned to him, and the floor was cool against her cheek. “I’m pretty sure we’re both on the wrong side of the cage.”