Down Among The Sticks and Bones Readalong

[Kitty G Books]

Hello everyone! I'm hosting our readalong for Down Among The Sticks And Bones by Seanan McGuire. This officially starts in April, but feel free to post if you've already read it or started it :)

I read this when it first came out and really enjoyed it. To me it feels quite different from the first in the series as it focuses just on Jack and Jill, and I felt like there was a lot to sink my teeth into. Let me know below what you think as you go!

Share your thoughts with everyone as you read... and please remember to hide any spoilers between < spoiler> and < /spoiler> tags, like this: (view spoiler)[This is a spoiler! (hide spoiler)]

[Jessica]

I liked this book, I read it a few months ago. I believe i gave this 4 stars. I felt slightly detached from everything in this novella, and I think this was due to the writing style and the narration choices. I enjoyed seeing Jack and Jill's background story, but I think it was a bit too melancholic for me and slightly macabre. Also, the talk about what a family is supposed to be like and the gender roles/stereotypes some children are forced into felt a little heavy handed at times.

[Keri]

This one left me torn. On one side, this book was just utterly depressing. I was reading it and just waiting for something, ANYTHING positive to happen... Nope... However, the writing was so DANG good, I had to keep reading. I definitely enjoyed it and will read the others in this series.

[Shelby M.]

Just started this one!

[Kelsey]

I was really nervous about this book, since I loved the characters of Jack and Jill in Every Heart a Doorway (they were my favorites), but I wasn't crazy for the first book overall, especially the more gruesome and morbid elements. I get squeamish. Also, I generally dislike vampire stories.

I was pleasantly surprised! I think there are a couple of reasons this book ended up really working for me, and the most important is the writing style. McGuire uses the sort of wise, omniscient narrator voice for most of the book that I really love, and I don't remember the first book being like that at all. And despite the ominous tone, setting, and subject matter, there was actually much less explicit blood and gore.

[Shelby M.]

I also love McGuire's writing style! I didn't enjoy this one quite as much as Every Heart a Doorway, as I found myself missing the school elements and learning about the portal worlds in general. I loved getting Jack and Jill's backstories!