Near the Bone by Christina Henry

Jan 28, 2021 megs_bookrack marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: 2021-releases, horror-gothic-to-read, arcs-to-read

Horror. Survival. Monster.

ARC received!!! Thank you so much, Berkley.

I love Henry's dark imagination. Give me more! ...more

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Jan 28, 2021 Charlotte May marked it as to-read · review of another edition

If Christina Henry writes it then I will read it.

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Feb 28, 2021 Rachel (TheShadesofOrange) rated it really liked it

Shelves: horror, 2021-release

4.0 Stars
This was such an engrossing horror novel! After reading several of her novels, I have come to realize that Christina Henry knows how to tell a good story and she proved it again with this new release, Near the Bone.

This is the kind of horror novel that will really appeal to thriller readers like myself who love the tropes surrounding kidnapping stories. Mattie is a compelling protagonist who is stunted by her early captivity and clearly suffering from Stockholm Syndrome. Her social and ...more

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Feb 16, 2021 Jessica Woodbury rated it liked it

Shelves: horror, arc-provided-by-publisher

There is a lot going on here, but weirdly I find myself wishing it had still flexed more plot muscle despite having at least three plots. I liked the pitch but I didn't love the execution.

The one plot that does dive in deep here is Mattie and her origin story. When we meet her we immediately know things are not right. It isn't just that her husband is overprotective, it isn't just that she's isolated, after just a few pages it's clear that this is Not a Good Situation. I would have liked a slowe There is a lot going on here, but weirdly I find myself wishing it had still flexed more plot muscle despite having at least three plots. I liked the pitch but I didn't love the execution.

The one plot that does dive in deep here is Mattie and her origin story. When we meet her we immediately know things are not right. It isn't just that her husband is overprotective, it isn't just that she's isolated, after just a few pages it's clear that this is Not a Good Situation. I would have liked a slower rollout, as you move further into the book the flashbacks go on far too long and can get repetitive, it would have been nice not to have most of that insight a third of the way into the book.

Into this Not Good Situation comes two other things, one potentially good and one very bad. There is a monster, which is obviously the bad thing. But there are also some monster hunters (they call them cryptids, so yeah, those kinda guys) who could be a way out for Mattie, but could also provoke her husband into violence against her or against them.

The main issue I had with this book is that we don't really build up to anything. We just repeat a few variations on the same encounter. The Evil Husband is the kind of unstoppable evil we often find in horror, which is a concept I think someone could really play around with, but while it works very well in the first half, in the second half it almost disappears. The Monster plot seems to just show up when things are getting too easy. And somehow we spend tons of time just sitting in a cabin doing nothing. The pacing felt off to me, and while I do like horror to raise and then diffuse tension, neither worked the way I wanted. It took me a long time to read, much longer than I expected at first. Great pitch, just lacked follow through.

This is horror, so I know lots of folks don't bother with content warnings but I will still let you know that the violence here is quite detailed. There is also domestic violence (obvi) and sexual assault (also obvi) but I think it's worth noting for the record. Also dead animals. ...more

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Mar 06, 2021 Steven rated it it was amazing

Shelves: netgalley-or-publisher, read-in-2021, horror, mystery-thriller-mayhem

Thanks so much to Netgalley and Berkley for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is how you do a horror and thriller combo! It was just the right blend of scary and mysterious.

Mattie lives high in the mountains with her husband, William. While checking their animal traps one day during the winter, she finds a dead fox on the path, cut open but not eaten or taken by the predator that killed it. What follows is classic horror movie - discovery of a creature, the ...more

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Apr 13, 2021 Stephanie (That's What She Read) rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2021-release, creepy, arc-netgalley

3.5
Christina Henry's Near the Bone blends together fantastical monsters with very human ones. Mattie lives in an isolated cabin with her husband William. She is not allowed to leave the cabin, and her life has been dictated by his religious fanaticism and abuse. After a strange creature makes its presence known and draws the attention of a group of cryptozoolologists, there is a lot of monsters Mattie has to overcome. The descriptions of domestic abuse might be triggering for some people. Mattie ...more

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Mar 12, 2021 Debra rated it really liked it

Shelves: netgalley

Survival is the name of the game!

Mattie is trapped on a mountain trying to survive -- from what and from whom?

Mattie cannot remember a time before she and her husband William lived on the mountain. But what she does remember is not to make her husband upset - EVER! When she finds the mutilated body of a fox in the woods, they begin to suspect that perhaps they are not alone on the mountain after all. Soon Mattie and William hear noises in the night - loud shrill noises. The forest gets quiet. S ...more

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Jan 16, 2021 Jeri rated it really liked it

Shelves: netgalley, e-books

I enjoyed this book. Though it does have some graphic domestic physical violence that may make some readers very uncomfortable. It also has all the classic horror elements to it with isolation and something stalking in the woods. The story kept me interested and reading at a pretty quick pace to find out what happened with Mattie.

I was given an eARC by the publisher through NetGalley.

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Feb 22, 2021 Irene rated it it was amazing

This was a heart pounding horror, set in a desolate cabin on a snow covered mountain where one woman tries to survive more than one kind of monster.

Mattie knows no other kind of life than being beaten and abused while spending her days working on her never ending chores in an attempt to avoid the brutal punishments her "husband" will mete out if everything is not done to his satisfaction. Mattie has not seen or spoken to another living soul but William for what she estimates to be about 12 years ...more

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Feb 16, 2021 Becky Spratford rated it liked it

Review in the April 2021 issue of Library Journal: https://www.libraryjournal.com/?revie...

And on the blog [link live 4/5/21]: https://raforall.blogspot.com/2021/04...

Three Words That Describe This Book: disturbing, compelling, creature feature

Draft Review:

Mattie lives off the grid in a cabin on the side of a mountain with her older, emotionally and physically abusive husband. She is clearly an unreliable narrator because she knows nothing of the outside world and has flashbacks to her past, me ...more

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Apr 06, 2021 The Reading Raccoon rated it really liked it

Shelves: read-as-an-arc

Near the Bone is a atmospheric horror novel about an isolated and abused young wife living a pioneer style lifestyle in a cabin on a snowy mountainside. Over the next three days her world will turn into a twisted nightmare as a large predator appears in the woods. With the monster comes other people and Mattie finds herself facing strangers for the first time in a decade.

Mattie lives with her much older husband in a cabin in the woods. Her life is dedicated to chores and following the strict de ...more

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Oct 16, 2020 Chelsea rated it it was amazing

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review.

I recently finished The Ghost Tree by the same author and loved it, and I was so thrilled that I loved this one just as much! A sad and scary tale of domestic abuse twisted together with some creature horror. I thought this was very well done, though I did want just a little more of the creature part of the story. Also big trigger warning for some seriously upsetting domestic violence scenes. 4.5 stars.

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Apr 15, 2021 Josh Hedgepeth rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2021-most-anticipated

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The short version:
This was a solid book that was an absolute thrill to read. The characters are a little one dimensional, but it's a fun novel that would likely please fans of Stephen King. Imagine if you took a bunch of horror genres and mashed them together, and this is what you'd get. A man gone mad meets creature feature meets a survivalist tale.

The long version:
I read this in about a 9 hour period b Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The short version:
This was a solid book that was an absolute thrill to read. The characters are a little one dimensional, but it's a fun novel that would likely please fans of Stephen King. Imagine if you took a bunch of horror genres and mashed them together, and this is what you'd get. A man gone mad meets creature feature meets a survivalist tale.

The long version:
I read this in about a 9 hour period but about 80% of it was over one stretch of time. I honestly did not want to stop. We enter a story about a young women, Martha, living in a secluded cabin high on a mountain with her controlling abusive husband. One day, Martha is out doing her chores when she comes across these huge bear like foot prints, but the size concerns her. As the story progresses, we slowly start to realize that something isn't quite right, with the foot prints and her marriage.

The story continues, revealing itself to be an amalgamation of several classic horror stories. We have the maniac killer. We have a creature feature. We have survivalist horror. The story itself is okay. The writing is easy to read and obviously compelling. However, I didn't feel like it really broke the mold outside of the fun mash up of horror genres. There's also an issue with our characters being somewhat one dimensional. This is especially true for the abusive husband. Henry uses the King-technique of creating villains that lack nuance and whose only purpose is for the reader to hate. Don't get me wrong, it makes for compelling writing (there's a reason King does so well), but lets not pretend it's anything more than what it is.

The issue doesn't stop with the husband though. There are other characters around the young women's age who act in ridiculous ways. Sure, it fits their age, but the negligence and stupidity continues into some pretty extreme situations in ways that I find hard to believe. They seem a little too quick, at times, to forget exactly how bad their situation is. Nevertheless, Henry creates a sufficiently compelling plot with characters that I care enough about to stay invested in what's going on.

Big picture, the books great. If you like Stephen King, you'll probably like this. It's not ground breaking, but it's a solid ride. Honestly, I would love to see this turned into a horror flick. I'll definitely be checking on Henry's other works too because she knows how to a write a fun story.

PS: the audiobook was solid as well; the narrator does a great job with everything I think. ...more

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Apr 12, 2021 Shannon (It Starts At Midnight) rated it really liked it

Shelves: read-for-review, 2021, april-2021

You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight

Wow so this was dark and messed up! I don't even know where to begin with trigger warnings, frankly. So if you can't do dark and brutal, this isn't the book for you. But if you do enjoy darker fare, it's compulsively readable and impossible to put down.

Mattie is sequestered alone in a creepy cabin in the creepy woods with William, who is legit the grossest person in the whole world. I am ...more

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Apr 10, 2021 FV Angela rated it liked it

Shelves: horror, read-in-2021

Near the Bone is a quiet, slow-to-build horror story featuring monsters both human and fantastical. The main protagonist, Mattie, is a young woman living with her "husband" in the middle of nowhere. She's lived in terror of the repercussions of disobeying him for as long as she can remember, so she keeps her head down and follows her routines. Until they discover a monster on their mountain and three cryptozoologists show up to investigate.

I won't even go into content warnings, there are too ma ...more

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Mar 22, 2021 Steve Stred rated it really liked it · review of another edition

** Edited as review is now live on Kendall Reviews! **

Big thanks to Netgalley and Berkley for approving me to read this.

I’ve seen a number of people rave about Henry’s work over the last few years, but none of it really grabbed my interest. That is until I read the synopsis for ‘Near the Bone.’

If you’ve read any of my reviews or even my own work, you know that I LOVE anything based around the woods, snow and massive creatures. Henry could’ve pitched this to me with those five words if I worked ** Edited as review is now live on Kendall Reviews! **

Big thanks to Netgalley and Berkley for approving me to read this.

I’ve seen a number of people rave about Henry’s work over the last few years, but none of it really grabbed my interest. That is until I read the synopsis for ‘Near the Bone.’

If you’ve read any of my reviews or even my own work, you know that I LOVE anything based around the woods, snow and massive creatures. Henry could’ve pitched this to me with those five words if I worked at Berkley and I would’ve said “YES!”

Diving in, I was pleasantly surprised with how easy Henry writes, which let me devour this over the course of a few sittings.

What I liked: Husband and Wife, William and Mattie live in a small cabin, high up in the mountains. They live a simple, isolated existence that is ruled by William’s cruelty and abuse. Mattie can’t remember her life before William. As flashes of her life before start to come through, it’s pushed aside when a massive, unknown creature makes itself known.

Henry has crafted a thriller/creature feature here that gallops along. The characters are very strong and you connect with Mattie immediately. You want to see her survive and overcome everything, especially as we learn more and more about her back story.

The character of William, as despicable as he is, was really well done and made for a great ‘evil’ for Mattie to battle and ultimately use as her reason to survive.

I must say, even though we get far too little of the beast itself, every single time we get scenes with it, they were amazing. Absolutely top notch shivers and terrifying moments.

What I didn’t like: For this reader things really went from point A to point B to point C. Maybe it’s the sheer volume of books that I’ve read and in this particular theme, but none of the ‘reveals’ or moments meant to give me ‘ah ha’ moments were surprising. Saying that, that didn’t diminish from my enjoyment and frankly as Mattie confronts her past, I was happy to see things go the way they did.

Why you should buy this: Well, did you not read how I said it was about the woods, snow and a creature? If that doesn’t get you excited, how about a strong female lead who continues to survive no matter the costs? Henry has really crafted a fantastic thriller here and there were scenes in here with the creature that will stay with me for a long, long time. ...more

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Feb 09, 2021 Jessica (a GREAT read) rated it really liked it

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest and voluntary review. I was in no way compensated for this review.

TRIGGER WARNINGS: Abuse, sexual abuse, controlling spouse

Christina Henry’s Near the Bone was without a doubt one of the most chilling reads I’ve ever read! There was so much horror to this novel and not all of it was monsters! I mentioned the trigger warnings forefront this time because this book is deeply seeded into some scary things. The book itself is still am ...more

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Dec 18, 2020 Andrea rated it it was amazing

cw: This book contains graphic depictions of domestic abuse.

I don't even know where to begin! Let's start with the fact that I adored this book. Tight narrative, tense plot, absolutely terrifying. Author Christina Henry clearly knows how to write a horror novel.

The book is told through the eyes of Mattie, a young woman of indeterminate age. It begins as Mattie is checking traps for rabbits and finds a mutilated fox. She's confused - animals don't mutilate their prey, they consume it. But Mattie ...more

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Oct 12, 2020 Katie rated it liked it

This could have been a really good creature horror book or a really good heavy issue book, but it suffered from combining the plots. I stayed invested to see how it all played out, but it never hit that true horror tone for me since Mattie is already so traumatized by William by the time the monster in the woods comes into play that all of her emotions seem muted. The descriptions and behavior of the monster were both creepy and intriguing, but so many of its actions and presence was indirect or ...more

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Apr 11, 2021 Amy Walker - Trans-Scribe Reviews rated it it was amazing

There's something about Christina Henry's books that make them really hard to put down, and Near The Bone is no exception. From the very first page to the heart pounding final pages, the book had me hooked.

The story follows Mattie, a young woman living in a remote mountain cabin deep in the woods with her husband William. William, who's much older than Mattie, is a harsh man, one who will only have his way and beats any kind of fight out of Mattie to achieve those ends. Because of this Mattie be There's something about Christina Henry's books that make them really hard to put down, and Near The Bone is no exception. From the very first page to the heart pounding final pages, the book had me hooked.

The story follows Mattie, a young woman living in a remote mountain cabin deep in the woods with her husband William. William, who's much older than Mattie, is a harsh man, one who will only have his way and beats any kind of fight out of Mattie to achieve those ends. Because of this Mattie begins the book a fairly broken person, one with little to no self esteem or belief in herself, a young woman living in constant terror that her husband will find something she does angering and will beat her.

Having been with William as long as she can remember Mattie has no sense of what the outside world is, and can barely remember ever seeing another human. She's not allowed out of the cabin unsupervised except for the occasional chore. She's not allowed to read anything but the Bible. She's a prisoner in her life.

This all changes one day when Mattie is checking the rabbit traps close to their cabin and comes across the mutilated remains of a fox. Not just that, but there are strange bear-like tracks in the snow, large tracks of a huge creature that seems to move around on its hind legs. Mattie shows this to William, and the two of them follow the trail until it mysteriously vanishes.

The next day William decides they'll investigate some nearby caves, hoping to find the creature's lair. What they do find is more bizarre and terrifying then they ever expected, however. Things only get worse though when they run into another human, a young man in strange clothing and carrying gear that Mattie doesn't recognise. This begins a series of horrific events as more outsiders arrive on the mountain, searching for this strange creature that seems to be stalking people through the woods. Now Mattie has to not only survive this unknown monster, but her enraged husband who's determined to keep Mattie away from the outside world.

Near The Bone is told from Mattie's perspective, and she makes for an interesting narrator. Having been kept in isolation for much of her life, and raised by a vicious man, it soon becomes clear that she has a very narrow view of the world. Mattie can only relate things through her experiences, and there are times during the book that she struggles to put things into words, even to the reader. Over time we learn more about Mattie, as she begins to slowly unlock her older memories thanks to the events going on around her, and we see how she ended up the woman she is.

This is one of the more fascinating parts of the book, and it's possibly more frightening than the strange creature killing people in the forest because of how human and real it is. It soon becomes clear that the events of this book aren't set a hundred year ago or more, which it first seemed to, and that Mattie is so isolated from the real world that she's essentially living in the past. Learning how Mattie went from living in our world to becoming a captive on a remote mountain is one of the biggest mysteries of the book, and is unlocked slowly as Mattie recovers the secrets of her past. These scenes are not only fascinating for the answers they provide, but are some of the most emotional moments of the book. Things like Mattie remembering what a grilled cheese sandwich is and the way it connects her to her mother, or tasting chocolate for the first time in over a decade. These tiny moments are close to heartbreaking as we see Mattie discovering these tiny parts of life that we all take for granted, but change her entire world.

There's a very human story at the heart of this book, one of a young woman living through extreme trauma and abuse, and it makes the book so much better than if it were just a group of people being picked off by this strange monster. There are times where William is the more frightening of the two monsters that are stalking Mattie, and the level of fear she has for him is not only understandable, but so terrifyingly real.

That being said, the creature in this book is so frighteningly fascinating. We never get a clear look at this thing, we never find out what it really is, and that's one of the most infuriating and brilliant parts. I wanted to know what this thing was. I wanted to know how it could be so huge but move almost silently. I wanted to know why it mutilated animals and people. I wanted to know how smart it was. And I wanted to know where it had come from. But, I also know that knowing all of that would have taken away a lot of the mystique of this thing. As such, I was more than happy to get tiny glimpses, to only see it briefly, and to be put in the same situation as the people on the mountain. The times where the creature turned up were some of the most tense, well paced moments of the book, and I loved them.

Near The Bone is a horror story where more than horror is thrown at the characters. William or the creature alone would have been enough to carry this book. Either one of them was frightening enough to be the main threat, but to throw both of them at Mattie and the reader? Well, it meant that you were never able to relax, were always on the edge of your seat, and always desperate to keep reading more.

I loved the incredibly real horror of being a captive, of being abused and broken by a human being, as well as the completely alien horror of being hunted by something otherworldly. There are few writers who'd be able to weave two very different narratives like that together so well, whilst also making Mattie's journey so engaging and emotionally resonating; but Christina Henry is able to do it with such amazing flair. This is a book that no horror fan should miss out on. Absolutely perfect. ...more

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Apr 09, 2021 Lisa Wolf rated it really liked it

Shelves: horror

There is a menacing, eerie feel to Near the Bone right from the start, and the cover absolutely nails it. Near the Bone is the story of Mattie, a 20-year-old woman living in isolation on a snowy mountain with her husband William. Mattie cooks, cleans, checks the snares — always under William’s watchful eye. Every night, she does her other wifely duties, because as William reminds her each day, a man has to have sons.

The plot bursts into action when Mattie finds the body of a fox on a trail near ...more

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Apr 11, 2021 Tammy rated it really liked it

The nitty-gritty: Henry's latest is a fast-paced suspense story with some very dark elements.

I had a lot of fun with this book! After having some issues with Christina Henry’s The Ghost Tree, I was a little worried going into Near the Bone. But it ended up working a lot better for me, I think mostly because it was a much more tightly focused story. If you’re a fan of horror stories that are set in remote snowy mountain locations, then you will probably enjoy this too. However, there are a couple The nitty-gritty: Henry's latest is a fast-paced suspense story with some very dark elements.

I had a lot of fun with this book! After having some issues with Christina Henry’s The Ghost Tree, I was a little worried going into Near the Bone. But it ended up working a lot better for me, I think mostly because it was a much more tightly focused story. If you’re a fan of horror stories that are set in remote snowy mountain locations, then you will probably enjoy this too. However, there are a couple of trigger warnings I want to mention above and beyond your standard horror triggers, so do beware that the story includes physical abuse, kidnapping and implied rape, just in case you are sensitive about those issues.

Mattie can’t remember a time before she lived on the mountain with her husband William. Her days are spent cooking and cleaning and checking the traps in the woods for rabbits, and her nights are spent performing her “wifely duties” so that William can have a son someday. Mattie isn’t allowed to leave the cabin without William’s permission, and she must obey his every word, or there will be consequences. She isn’t allowed to go into town for supplies, and she isn’t allowed to speak to strangers, either. But one day, a couple of things happen that change everything. William and Mattie are checking their traps when they spot the signs of a large predator in the area. Bears aren’t too unusual, but this one leaves huge prints in the snow and only walks on its hind legs. When they follow the prints, they are horrified when they lead to a cave filled with animal bones and organs—sorted into piles.

When a group of cryptozoologists wander into William’s territory, searching for the very monster that William and Mattie have just seen evidence of, all hell breaks loose. William will do anything to get rid of them, even shoot them if he has to. Mattie has suddenly realized that the appearance of Griffin and his friends might offer her an opportunity to escape, and the monster—unseen but lurking high in the trees of the forest and ready to swoop down on the unsuspecting humans—only wants to rid its mountain lair of the intruders once and for all.

Near the Bone was a super fast read, mostly because the suspense was so well done that I just had to keep reading. Henry is really good at creating tension in her stories, especially here where we have a couple of mysteries going on at the same time. The “monster” is never really seen, which makes it even scarier, in my opinion. We know it’s huge and can creep silently through the forest, and it appears to be intelligent, which adds another level of terror. We also have the mystery of Mattie and how she came to be living with William. Henry drops hints here and there as Mattie starts to regain her memories, so it’s not too hard to piece things together. Still, I was riveted by her story—as horrible as it is—and even though the resolution wasn’t a huge surprise, I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough to find out what was going to happen. Add in the setting—a cold and snowy, secluded mountain top—and you have a fantastic recipe for suspense.

As you can imagine, William is a horrible man, and in my opinion he’s the real monster in this story. He kidnapped Mattie when she was eight and forced her to live with him. He regularly beats her if she doesn’t follow his directions or if she asks too many questions. As punishment, he often withholds food, so she’s always hungry. He forces her to wear old fashioned clothing like long skirts, and because there’s no electricity in the cabin, chores like laundry must be done by hand. Worst of all, he’s been raping her since she was a young teenager, something she dreads every night at bedtime. Mattie has forgotten most of her life before she came to the mountain, but now those old memories are starting to come back. One of the most harrowing scenes in the book takes place late in the story as Mattie remembers exactly what happened the night William took her from her home, which was worse than any scene involving the monster.

I thought Mattie’s character was really well done and believable. She’s only about twenty and she’s spent most of her life in a horrible situation, so she doesn’t have a real sense of the danger she’s in. She believes all the nonsense that William has spewed out over the years, and even though she’s not happy, she doesn’t have anything to compare her life to. That is until a few events start to jog her memory and she realizes she was taken away from her other life, one with a caring mother and sister. It turns out Mattie is actually pretty smart, despite her lack of schooling and the way William has kept her in the dark about nearly everything. I also liked her brief interactions with the monster, who she seems to have a connection to, and even though the rest of the characters are being terrorized by it, I was never worried about Mattie, for some reason.

The last half of the story veers into slasher territory, and there are a few delightfully gruesome scenes involving the monster. Henry ends her story before everything is resolved, and I was OK with that. If you enjoy horror, both the graphic and the psychological variety, you’ll probably have a good time with Near the Bone.

Big thanks to the publisher for supplying a review copy. ...more

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Mar 31, 2021 Mogsy (MMOGC) rated it liked it

Shelves: review-copy, audiobook, horror

3.5 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2021/04/05/...

Are you hankering for something scary, but can’t decide whether you want a survival horror, creature feature, or a bloody slasher? Believe it or not, Near the Bone has elements from all of these to satisfy any mood, and what’s certain is that Christina Henry had only one goal in mind when writing this book: to put her readers constantly on edge.

Our protagonist is Mattie, a young woman who lives on the mountain with her h 3.5 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2021/04/05/...

Are you hankering for something scary, but can’t decide whether you want a survival horror, creature feature, or a bloody slasher? Believe it or not, Near the Bone has elements from all of these to satisfy any mood, and what’s certain is that Christina Henry had only one goal in mind when writing this book: to put her readers constantly on edge.

Our protagonist is Mattie, a young woman who lives on the mountain with her husband, William. For as long as she can remember, it has only been the two of them, eking out a meager existence from the wintry woods surrounding their tiny cabin. For one thing, William goes to great lengths to ensure they aren’t disturbed, warning off anyone who gets close to their property. Mattie herself is forbidden from talking to anyone or straying too far from the cabin. In fact, she is not allowed any outside contact at all. Her whole world revolves around serving William, cooking and cleaning for him, and to one day bear him the sons he so wants. But no matter what Mattie does, she can’t seem to please him. And whenever William is disappointed, he gets nasty with his insults and beats her mercilessly.

One day, Mattie is out checking the traps when she comes across the carcass of a fox that has been brutally ripped apart, as well as the nearby tracks of some mysterious creature—tracks that are much too large to have been made by any known predator. Determined to hunt and kill it, William goes into town for supplies, leaving Mattie at the cabin alone when two college students show up at the door, claiming to be cryptozoology enthusiasts. They’ve heard tell of a monster up in these mountains and are on a mission to seek it out. Horrified, Mattie tries to stop them, telling them they’re in way over their heads. Whatever this creature is, it’s dangerous and unnatural. However, rather than heed her warnings, one of the strangers seem more curious about Mattie, asserting that he’s seen her before. But that shouldn’t be possible, since Mattie can’t recall the last time she’s been in the presence of another person other than her husband. All she knows is that the students must leave. She doesn’t know what would be worse—that the young men would run afoul of the bloodthirsty creature, or if William found out they had been at to his home and had spoken to her.

The author wastes no time setting up the scene for a helter-skelter race for survival as Mattie and her new companions attempt to escape a nightmare scenario with threats coming at them from every direction. First there’s William, an enraged and fanatical madman armed to the teeth and who won’t hesitate to murder them all to prevent Mattie from leaving him. And then there’s the monster, a frighteningly intelligent creature capable of evil and great violence, which has its sights set on the humans who had invaded its home. All of this is set to the backdrop of the cold and forbidding mountainside, miles from civilization with no cell coverage. Our hapless characters are tired, injured, and ill-equipped for the weather and terrain, in no condition to fight off anything—human or supernatural—that’s hunting them.

There’s also a traumatic backstory for Mattie, involving kidnapping, child abuse, and domestic violence that might make this book a tough read for some. Heartbreaking as well were her constant feelings of terror and anxiety, from the years of intimidation and pain William had inflicted upon her. If I’m being honest, I personally found this thread surrounding our protagonist and her past to be far more mysterious, upsetting and horrific than any of the parts featuring the monster. Henry pulls no punches when it comes detailing the awfulness of Mattie’s existence, though it’s not done in a way that feels overly gratuitous—just keeping things real.

In fact, the story actually loses much of its grip on me in the later parts, as Mattie attempts to make her escape from the mountain with the college students. Here, the book takes on more of the tone of a teen slasher flick featuring helpless, naïve kids who are cluelessly stumbling around the woods trying to evade an axe murderer. While it was still suspenseful, the plot does become more pedestrian at this point, with over-the-top scenes of blood and gore as well as tacky unrealistic dialogue by characters that undermined what should have been a downright terrifying scenario.

Ultimately, it was undoubtedly the smaller, subtler moments of horror in this book that were more effective, and which resonated more powerfully with me. For this reason, I was also not as bothered by the vagueness of the ending, since I felt it was appropriate that some of the mystery be preserved, but I can also understand why some might be frustrated by the lack of answers or explanation of the creature. Overall, Near the Bone can’t be rightly called a popcorn or “light” read since it contains an abundance of overly dark and disturbing themes, though it does go by rather quickly, and there’s certainly enough to give one a quick shot of fright if a no-frills, fast-paced horror is what you’re in the mood for. ...more

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Apr 17, 2021 Zoey Erby rated it it was ok

Shelves: arcs, thrillers, horror

*I was sent an ebook of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

Okay I wanted to like this book, I really did. I didn't hate it, but I just could not vibe with it. It felt like the book was having an identity crisis. It couldn't decide if it wanted to be a domestic thriller with a big twist, or if it wanted to be a claustrophobic creature feature horror book. It tried to be both and it just didn't work out very well. You got two partially developed themes which both had poten *I was sent an ebook of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

Okay I wanted to like this book, I really did. I didn't hate it, but I just could not vibe with it. It felt like the book was having an identity crisis. It couldn't decide if it wanted to be a domestic thriller with a big twist, or if it wanted to be a claustrophobic creature feature horror book. It tried to be both and it just didn't work out very well. You got two partially developed themes which both had potential. I just wish that Henry had chosen one or the other because they both felt like afterthoughts. How do you have a cohesive story that really just consists of two afterthought plots? They were just both so underdeveloped and there was a problem with convenience. And so much happened "off-screen" that it took away from the more gruesome horror aspect. I have no clue what the creature looks like. I have no idea what it wanted, what its level of intelligence was. All of these things were skirted around and never fully developed.

Speaking of not fully developed, what about William? Don't get me wrong, I don't care about him as a person but what were his motivations? Why did he do the awful thing that he did, what was the process behind that? We get this cognitive dissonance out of Mattie pretty early on, but there was nothing to incite it, nothing that would have triggered these memories. It's important that she starts having these memories, but for it to make sense, there has to be something that triggers these sudden memories. Without it, it's just that she randomly started having thoughts for the sake of convenience and so now her behavior is going to change-- Oh look! A monster I guess? The abusive aspect of the story felt incredibly lacking in nuance. Which is a problem that I feel like I see in a lot of novels with domestic violence as a plot device. The abuser is always so one-dimensional, they hurt for the sake of hurting, they never have a "nice" (or just pretend nice) side. But like, realistically, would there not another faker side to the abuser where they just behave like a normal person? Let me stress that I don't think that abusers should be written as sympathetic characters or written as to appear justified. I just want it to feel more realistic, less forced and just clunky. Where is the Willam that got her there in the first place? This kind of leads me into my next problem, the characters all felt flat, even Mattie felt pretty flat. The dialogue felt forced and also kind of clunky.

There are some positives, I think that the twist was really shocking and creative. The horror scenes that we do see were very visceral and gruesome. Henry really knew how to set up the horror in the book and follow through in a way that kept the reader on edge. The use of description in general was very adept. I felt like I was in the moment with the characters, there was depth in their emotions (if not their personalities) that was very well done. I don't think that Henry is a bad writer at all. I just think that the premise as a whole, just didn't end up working out for me.

The concepts were there, but the execution just wasn't for me. Once again, if this had just been a domestic thriller with Mattie trying to escape her husband and the two of them just playing cat and mouse on the mountain, that would've been great. That could've gotten developed so much more and added so much more nuance to the characters. Or if it were a book about a couple trying to survive on the mountain while being hunted by the monster, that would've also been really cool! But as it stands, it just wasn't for me. Hopefully I can read another of her books sometime and improve my overall opinion of her as a writer! ...more

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Apr 14, 2021 Stormi (BMReviewsohmy) rated it did not like it

I am really bummed about this but I do believe this will be my last attempt at reading Christina Henry, I need to just realize that she was a one hit wonder with me as out of the four books by her I have read I only loved Lost Boy.

Mattie lives with a horrible man who is very abusive and they live out in the mountains alone and he won't let her do much of anything. He does let her go check their traps where she found something strange. There was a dead animal with some very weird prints in the sn I am really bummed about this but I do believe this will be my last attempt at reading Christina Henry, I need to just realize that she was a one hit wonder with me as out of the four books by her I have read I only loved Lost Boy.

Mattie lives with a horrible man who is very abusive and they live out in the mountains alone and he won't let her do much of anything. He does let her go check their traps where she found something strange. There was a dead animal with some very weird prints in the snow. She tells William about it and he is not happy about something be there on their mountain. It could attract unwanted attention. He also thinks it's big so it would be a lot of meat if he could kill it.

They find it's cave and it doesn't act like a normal creature as they find bones divided up, skulls all in one place, etc. Later that night the creature comes close to their cabin and leaves a warning of some sort. Mattie thinks it was mad they went to it's cave.

While out looking for the creature they meet Griffin who it seems is cryptid fan and when he sees Mattie he thinks she looks familiar. Him even talking to Mattie get's her into trouble by William. Griffin though it seems can't quit worrying about her and decides to have his friends come with him to find them which just gets everyone in trouble.

I find it hard to describe without giving something away but it basically ends up being them trying to survive against William and a creature.

I absolutely hated this story from the get go and almost gave up on it several times. William was so abusive, I wanted to reach into the book and hit him! I couldn't get over this horribly unlikeable character and the abuse he inflicted on Mattie though almost half the book. Who wants to read that? Not to mention some of the things you learn William (trying not to spoil) It made my blood boil. I want to read a book that is entertaining not hate it so bad because of the characters. Then I got to where I didn't like Mattie cause I couldn't see why she stayed. I would have took my chances and ran!

Once about 60% gets there and they are trying to survive on the mountain it got a bit interesting but I was already so mad at it that it didn't really do anything to help my thoughts of the story. Then you never even get to know what the creature is as it never explains anything. You verily get any descriptions of it. To be honest I think this story would have been the same without the creature. William would have tried to kill everyone with or without the creature.

I think the only character I kind of liked was C.P. as he had some fun dialogue!

I know a lot of people have enjoyed this book and so I really think it wasn't a book for me. Barb said it best when she said it was more like a domestic thriller with a bit of supernatural thrown in. It just wasn't what I hoped and it will take a lot to get me to read this author again and I am sad. I was going to DNF it and I should have and Barb told me to go ahead and do so and I should have listened because I couldn't get my mind past the first half of the book. This was by far the worst of the ones I didn't like from here. :( ...more

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Apr 16, 2021 Suranne Young rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: fans of dark horror/fantasy

Shelves: favourites

this review contains spoilers.
the story follows Mattie, a young woman living an isolated life in a cabin on a mountain with her husband William. she cannot remember a time before her life with William but throughout the story she slowly starts to regain memories of her mother and sister.
when Mattie discovers a fox carcass she alerts William and they discover that there is a mysterious creature with them on the mountain that wasn't there before. we are never given an accurate description of the this review contains spoilers.
the story follows Mattie, a young woman living an isolated life in a cabin on a mountain with her husband William. she cannot remember a time before her life with William but throughout the story she slowly starts to regain memories of her mother and sister.
when Mattie discovers a fox carcass she alerts William and they discover that there is a mysterious creature with them on the mountain that wasn't there before. we are never given an accurate description of the creature so its left more to the imagination which I do like as sometimes descriptions of terrifying creatures actually make them less scary for me personally.
William decides they need to hunt this creature and they discover its cave where it has enormous piles of bones and organs all organised into categories. it is never explained why the animal behaves in this way which again adds to the mystery but it would have been nice to figure out why it behaved so peculiarly.
the story is very fast paced. it takes over a matter of about four days and is a very gripping read. every chapter ends with a hook that makes you just want to keep reading until the end.
something I did really like about this is that the creature doesn't go after everyone, only those who appear weak. this again isn't explained and is only figured out in the last few pages but is very different from most other books I have read with a deadly creature as they usually target everyone.
the killer twist in this story is that William was Matties mothers boyfriend and he killed her and stole mattie away. she had been missing for twelve years hence why the hikers on the mountain recognised her. William had taken her away and led her to believe they were married so she could never leave. this was very shocking and was effectively told through Mattie memories coming back.
the ending for me was strange. I think I wanted the book to drag out a bit more but I do also understand why it ended the way it did. Mattie simply went into the barracks to get an ambulance for c.p. and when they asked her name she said Samantha. this was effective as she had accepted who she really was and no longer saw herself as property of William. I would have liked an extension to see her return back to the town and hopefully get reunited with her sister heather who we never really get closure on whether she is dead or alive.
overall I absolutely loved this book, hence the five stars. Christina is one of my favourite authors and I was gripped from page one. I can't wait to read even more of her books and I think any fans of dark fantasy and horror should read this.
...more

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Apr 16, 2021 Celeste rated it really liked it

Shelves: horror, paranormal

I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher, Berkley Publishing Group, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Near the Bone is the story of Mattie, a young woman living alone on a mountain with her abusive, much older husband. Something isn’t right on the mountain. Something besides the abuse Mattie can never seem to escape. A new creature has made the mountain its home. It’s huge, a master at staying hidden, and far too intelligent to be a bear or any other average predat I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher, Berkley Publishing Group, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Near the Bone is the story of Mattie, a young woman living alone on a mountain with her abusive, much older husband. Something isn’t right on the mountain. Something besides the abuse Mattie can never seem to escape. A new creature has made the mountain its home. It’s huge, a master at staying hidden, and far too intelligent to be a bear or any other average predator. Can Mattie find a way to escape them mountain, and leave both of her monsters behind?

I flew through Near the Bone in less than 24 hours. I’ve never read anything by Christina Henry, but I found her prose to be compulsively readable. There’s something about her writing style that really drew me in. It’s like the words just disappeared from the page, leaving a movie of sorts in their place. And while this is a novel about a preternatural creature, and while there are a handful of other characters in the narrative, this is largely a character study of Mattie. I loved watching her reclaim her courage and her voice over the course of the novel, as well as her mission to uncover her own past. She was without a doubt the star of the show.

While the story was incredibly compelling, there was a lack of depth outside of Mattie’s internal story that left me feeling a bit dissatisfied. If it were a movie, Near the Bone would have been a made-for-tv, SyFy cut, not a big-budget HBO or theatrical release. This could totally be an issue on my end, though, instead of with the book itself. I tend to find a lot of horror novels a bit shallow, and I think this is because my first loves of the genre were Dean Koontz and Stephen King. As both of these authors tend to pen chonkers, I think it’s an unfair comparison to make with shorter novels, but it’s one that I can’t seem to help making. However, Near the Bone fared better than most in my mind due to the depth of Mattie’s story. I just wish a bit more of that wonderful depth had been applied to the creature itself, and to the mountain survival scenario.

If you’re in the market for a well-paced survival horror with a compelling protagonist and a slim page count, Near the Bone should definitely be at the top of your list.

You can find this review and more at Novel Notions. ...more

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Mar 26, 2021 Katie (Melting Pages) rated it really liked it

My final rating is a 3.5.

This was good! Nothing groundbreaking, but still enjoyable. This was also the first book by this author that I’ve ever read and I would definitely try out some of the other books that she’s published after this one. I did read through this one quickly, and it did a good job of pulling me in.

Right from the very beginning, I guessed what happened to Mattie and why she was living in a cabin with William. I think if you’ve read many thrillers, or are a true crime fan it’ll b My final rating is a 3.5.

This was good! Nothing groundbreaking, but still enjoyable. This was also the first book by this author that I’ve ever read and I would definitely try out some of the other books that she’s published after this one. I did read through this one quickly, and it did a good job of pulling me in.

Right from the very beginning, I guessed what happened to Mattie and why she was living in a cabin with William. I think if you’ve read many thrillers, or are a true crime fan it’ll be extremely obvious. I think for me that kind of lessened the impact of the reveals of Mattie learning about her past, but it was still pretty sad and shocking to watch her go through everything.

A lot about this book was predictable, and in terms of the plot, it was pretty straightforward and simple. That isn’t to say it wasn’t enjoyable though, I just don’t think that I could consider this a new favorite. I think this is an easy horror book to get into, and I personally wasn’t jumping at every turn so I think it would be a good beginner book for horror.

I do want to point out that there is quite a lot of physical and emotional abuse happening in this book which could easily make some people feel uncomfortable. Mattie is also kept confined to the cabin and surrounding areas, and mentions being contained in small places for extended periods of time.

I liked the characters well enough, with the exception of William who was a terrible human through and through. Even though he was terrible, he made a great villain and a great contrast to Mattie and the group of people that end up on the mountain. Then there was C.P. who was pretty bland and didn’t really feel like he added much to the story for me, because it easily could’ve been another character in his place. As for the monster itself, the fact that it was always left as this vague thing in the woods added to the creepiness of it all.

I do wish that we had gotten more closure at the end of the book, as it was definitely more open ended which isn’t always my kind of ending. I did however really like the idea of what makes a monster, and how we view this creature who is doing horrible things versus William, who is a human who does monstrous things.

Overall, it was a very enjoyable read and I think that a lot of people are going to like this one! ...more

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Apr 13, 2021 Chandra Claypool (WhereTheReaderGrows) rated it it was amazing

I absolutely love Christina Henry. This is my fourth book, and new favorite, by her. I started this last night and finished this morning and I'm glad work took some of my attention after I was done so that I could sit with this for a bit.

As with all books I intend to read, I steer clear from reading any reviews so that I'm not influenced in any way with how I may feel. I can imagine that some people wanted more monster from this read and at first, I did too... but then I realize that there is P I absolutely love Christina Henry. This is my fourth book, and new favorite, by her. I started this last night and finished this morning and I'm glad work took some of my attention after I was done so that I could sit with this for a bit.

As with all books I intend to read, I steer clear from reading any reviews so that I'm not influenced in any way with how I may feel. I can imagine that some people wanted more monster from this read and at first, I did too... but then I realize that there is PLENTY of monster throughout this read. But let me go back a little bit.

Mattie is young, isolated and living in a constant state of fear. Not from some new monster that seems to have come to her part of the mountain. But from her asshole of a husband who repeatedly beats her and has a desperate need to "plant his seed" (uff, I hate this terminology) and get some sons, as God supposedly demands of him. But this new creature that shows up, while absolutely terrifying and unlike anything they would ever encounter, could also be her salvation because now others have come and maybe... just maybe... she'll be saved.

So look, I was hooked from the get go. There's something about this type of story that just sits on my heart. I would've loved some more creature feature moments, but ultimately, I found myself ridiing right along with Mattie - suffering through her memories, hair prickled at the thought of either monster, hope for the potential escape. Even at the end when I noticed the pages were thinning and the story was about to close, I wanted MORE. But when I truly think of this, this isn't so much about these monsters, but about Mattie and her character. And that final scene when she looked back and saw those eyes. Well, it got me. And quite frankly, I was rooting for more than just her. Well done, Henry.

Yeah, somehow this got to me emotionally and I would recommend not going into this expecting this blood and gore creature horror novel... and instead let the suspense and foreboding get to you while putting yourself straight into Mattie's thick longjohns and petticoats. But don't get me wrong, there's still plenty of bloody goodness to suit you too. ...more

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Apr 08, 2021 Negan88 rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorite-reads-of-2021, horror

What You Can’t See Can Kill You!

Christina Henry’s Near the Bone was my first of her works that I have picked up. I really enjoyed it! Which I am glad because there are quite a few other titles of hers that really interest me. First off, if you are a fan of Darcy Coates then you will probably love Christina Henry!

Near the Bone is a story shrouded in mystery that Henry slowly pulls back the veil inch by inch. Mattie, or Martha, is a young woman estranged from the rest of the world. She lives on a What You Can’t See Can Kill You!

Christina Henry’s Near the Bone was my first of her works that I have picked up. I really enjoyed it! Which I am glad because there are quite a few other titles of hers that really interest me. First off, if you are a fan of Darcy Coates then you will probably love Christina Henry!

Near the Bone is a story shrouded in mystery that Henry slowly pulls back the veil inch by inch. Mattie, or Martha, is a young woman estranged from the rest of the world. She lives on a mountain with her husband William who is very cold, strict, and controlling. In other words he is abusive to Mattie. When their life in seclusion is threatened by a mysterious beast William decides it is God testing him. That he must kill the beast in order to prove he is faithful, and he will be rewarded.

Mattie is a beaten and broken down young woman. She keeps getting odd flashes in her mind that William says are not real, and they aren’t memories. However, she feels as though something isn’t quite right. She is much to fearful to anger William though due to the repercussions, and continues on in her daily routine.

When strangers threaten to encroach upon their land in search of the mysterious creature William decides he must take action to not let that happen. Mattie starts to feel a little more odd about her visions or memories. Something doesn’t feel right. Will the creature undo them? Will strangers ruin their secluded life? Or is it all simply in Mattie’s head?

Christina Henry writes very well, and reveals things at an even pace. Keeping just enough suspense to keep you turning that page, but not making you wait in limbo until the end. The story was fresh, fun, and sometimes the things you can’t fully see are just as scary if not more so than what you can. With many evil aspects to this story it will have you grow very attached to some characters, and loathe others.

I give Near the Bone by Christina Henry four and a half stars out of five stars. I felt that it was a brilliant story, and there was so much that was happening that I kept having questions. I wanted so badly to reach into the book and strangle some people! This story is pretty much a double whammy. I only deduct half a star because I yearned for a bit more in the ending. One aspect that I wanted to know what would happen. However, overall I loved the entire journey! Until next time, my friends. ...more

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