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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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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
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 ...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 ...more
Once this book hits the shelves and readers all over the world pick it up, YA Fiction will never be the same again.
Because this book doesn’t sugarcoat. Because it treats its teenage readers like adults. It expects them to understand and plunges them into a world that is, yes, dark and, yes, gruesome and, yes, extremely raw.
But readers can handle it.
One too many times, YA main characters turn soft or give the impression that they are invincible in body and spirit when in fact a simple kiss from ...more
Because this book doesn’t sugarcoat. Because it treats its teenage readers like adults. It expects them to understand and plunges them into a world that is, yes, dark and, yes, gruesome and, yes, extremely raw.
But readers can handle it.
One too many times, YA main characters turn soft or give the impression that they are invincible in body and spirit when in fact a simple kiss from ...more
Even YA readers require depth, of which this book has none.
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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 ...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
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 ...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 ...more
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 ...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 ...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 beenso! 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 gettingtootraumatized. No shying away from issues 'cause it's ...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 beenso! 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 gettingtootraumatized. No shying away from issues 'cause it's ...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 ...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 ...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.
I don't care about Dexter, but This Savage Song? Sign me up.
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 ...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 ...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
Nov 09, 2018
Clemlucian (🏳️🌈the villain's quest)
rated it
liked it
Shelves:
young-adult,
3-stars
“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 story of a ...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 story of a ...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
Boy was this a snooze fest
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 ...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 ...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
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
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 Bonesabsolutely 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 Bonesabsolutely 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
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 ...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 ...more
Aug 03, 2019
Pippa DaCosta
added it
**UPDATE** I found a cheaper paperback on Amazon UK.
***
This sounds like it's right up my street but no kindle version in the UK? It's been out nearly a year. Paperback $10. I'm not going to spend $10 on an unknown-to-me author. C'mon, publishers. Where's the kindle version? It's not rocket science.
***
This sounds like it's right up my street but no kindle version in the UK? It's been out nearly a year. Paperback $10. I'm not going to spend $10 on an unknown-to-me author. C'mon, publishers. Where's the kindle version? It's not rocket science.
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!!!!!
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 ...more
In ‘Not Even Bones’, Rebecca Schaeffer has given life, as gory, twisted, and fantastical as it ...more
Such a unique world/setting, this book was gory and intense. Also that ending WTF
For fans of dark fantasy, Not Even Bones needs to go to the top of your TBR pile. I mean, truly dark fantasy. Bloody fantasy populated by morally grey (VERY grey) characters, where no punches are pulled, everyone suffers, and the bad things that happen cannot be undone.
Warnings: This book can be gruesome at times, and the violence is graphic.
Summary: Nita dissects the bodies of monsters and helps her parents sell pieces of them on the black market. Then she gets betrayed, and ends up in the ...more
Warnings: This book can be gruesome at times, and the violence is graphic.
Summary: Nita dissects the bodies of monsters and helps her parents sell pieces of them on the black market. Then she gets betrayed, and ends up in the ...more
Umm, aren’t you supposed to like the main character? Or is that not needed...
Beginning:
The main characterNuts Nita had potential. She’s not only a helper to her mother’s schemes and greed, but she’s also a victim. She had opportunities to show how she’s human, how she’s conflicted, who she wants to be.
Instead she shows every indication that she’s an asshole. Her mother may have killed the unnaturals, but, as she’s said multiple times, she is the one who dissects them. It would be understanding ...more
Beginning:
The main character
Instead she shows every indication that she’s an asshole. Her mother may have killed the unnaturals, but, as she’s said multiple times, she is the one who dissects them. It would be understanding ...more
Want to see more bookish things from me? Check out my youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfer...
3.5/5 Stars
Ever since Nita was a little girl, she has worked for her mother dissecting the corpses of unnaturals and selling their body parts on the black market. One day, her mother brings home a live boy and tells Nita to dissect him. Nita instead decides to set him free, angering her mother. She then awakens the next day in a glass cage, the newest product to be sold on the black ...more
3.5/5 Stars
Ever since Nita was a little girl, she has worked for her mother dissecting the corpses of unnaturals and selling their body parts on the black market. One day, her mother brings home a live boy and tells Nita to dissect him. Nita instead decides to set him free, angering her mother. She then awakens the next day in a glass cage, the newest product to be sold on the black ...more
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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
Other books in the series
Market of Monsters
(3 books)
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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.”
—
11 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.”
—
7 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.”
