Catship reviewed Down among the sticks and bones by Seanan McGuire
Mhm :)
5 stars
Yes I like this one too.
187 pages
English language
Published Nov. 7, 2017 by Tom Doherty Associates.
4 stars
(66 reviews)
Twin sisters Jack and Jill were seventeen when they found their way home and were packed off to Eleanor West's Home for Wayward Children ... Jacqueline was her mother's perfect daughter--polite and quiet, always dressed as a princess. If her mother was sometimes a little strict, it's because crafting the perfect daughter takes discipline. Jillian was her father's perfect daughter--adventurous, thrill-seeking, and a bit of a tom-boy. He really would have preferred a son, but you work with what you've got. They were five when they learned that grown-ups can't be trusted. They were twelve when they walked down the impossible staircase and discovered that the pretense of love can never be enough to prepare you a life filled with magic in a land filled with mad scientists and death and choices.
sifuCJC reviewed Down Among the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuire (Wayward Children, #2)
A fun quick book
4 stars
The first book established the characters, so this book is short and fun.
Sergio reviewed Down Among the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuire (Wayward Children, #2)
Review of 'Down Among the Sticks and Bones' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
A strong follow-up to the first Wayward Children novella. Not a lot to say here, other than I thought it was really well written, almost lyrical, and the way it uses the readers preconceptions about fairy tales and their tropes and plays with them was enjoyable as well. The small scope and character focus also helps it do a lot within the relatively few pages it spans.
Pentapod reviewed Down Among the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuire (Wayward Children, #2)
Review of 'Down Among the Sticks and Bones' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
Second book in the Wayward Children series, this book steps back and tells the story of Jack and Jill (Jacqueline and Jillian) who we met in the first book. Their upbringing, how and where they came to find a door one day, and how they found themselves in a dark moor, where vampires and mad scientists adopted them and turned them into the people we met in the first book. Nothing really surprising if you've already met them in the first book, but a fun continuation of the series.
Books That Burn reviewed Down Among the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuire (Wayward Children, #2)
Review of 'Down among the sticks and bones' on 'Storygraph'
5 stars
Down Among the Sticks and Bones is calm and dark, unafraid of gore; more interested in the slow transformation of two people distorted by ill-fitting molds, suddenly released to find very different paths with new kinds of darkness, surety settling in their bones.
This was a (relatively) calm way to learn more of a very strange and haunting story that was briefly described in Every Heart a Doorway. I'd been intrigued by Jack and Jill and I loved this opportunity to learn more about them. There's a lot of care here, for the characters and the audience. At several points the unnamed narrator tells us that a particular very bad thing happens, and trusts us to manage our own imaginations as to whether we'd like to dwell on gory details. Certain kinds of darkness are left unsaid, while others are dragged into the light, given no shadows in which to …
Down Among the Sticks and Bones is calm and dark, unafraid of gore; more interested in the slow transformation of two people distorted by ill-fitting molds, suddenly released to find very different paths with new kinds of darkness, surety settling in their bones.
This was a (relatively) calm way to learn more of a very strange and haunting story that was briefly described in Every Heart a Doorway. I'd been intrigued by Jack and Jill and I loved this opportunity to learn more about them. There's a lot of care here, for the characters and the audience. At several points the unnamed narrator tells us that a particular very bad thing happens, and trusts us to manage our own imaginations as to whether we'd like to dwell on gory details. Certain kinds of darkness are left unsaid, while others are dragged into the light, given no shadows in which to hide.
It's a horrific tale, darker somehow for the feeling of creeping inevitability granted by knowing how it ends before it's begun. It's about the journey when we already know the destination, and I treasure the path this pulled me along. If you were comfortable with the kind of darkness and horror in the first book then you'll likely be fine with this one. It feels like slowly probing the edges of a certain level of grim atmosphere and familiarity with death, turning over tiny pieces of something shattered and exhaling slowly when it's as bad as you thought, but no worse; you already knew it had broken.
This was a (relatively) calm way to learn more of a very strange and haunting story that was briefly described in Every Heart a Doorway. I'd been intrigued by Jack and Jill and I loved this opportunity to learn more about them. There's a lot of care here, for the characters and the audience. At several points the unnamed narrator tells us that a particular very bad thing happens, and trusts us to manage our own imaginations as to whether we'd like to dwell on gory details. Certain kinds of darkness are left unsaid, while others are dragged into the light, given no shadows in which to hide.
It's a horrific tale, darker somehow for the feeling of creeping inevitability granted by knowing how it ends before it's begun. It's about the journey when we already know the destination, and I treasure the path this pulled me along. If you were comfortable with the kind of darkness and horror in the first book then you'll likely be fine with this one. It feels like slowly probing the edges of a certain level of grim atmosphere and familiarity with death, turning over tiny pieces of something shattered and exhaling slowly when it's as bad as you thought, but no worse; you already knew it had broken.
settingshadow reviewed Down Among the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuire (Wayward Children, #2)
Review of 'Down Among the Sticks and Bones' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
So, I'm curious: has Seanan McGuire ever...read a book? Does she know what they are and how they work? Because I kind of like her schtick, but it's profoundly not a novella. By which I mean, Down Among the Sticks and Bones only has any sense of narrative structure and emotional payoff in retrospect in the events of Every Heart a Doorway, it's prequel. And the murder mystery in Every Heart a Doorway doesn't actually make any sense until you read Down Among the Sticks and Bones. I spent a lot of time frustrated by the murder mystery of Down Among the Sticks and Bones because it felt like cheating to have a murder mystery when the rules turned out to allow resurrection. Down Among the Sticks and Bones makes that slightly more palatable (although not really until book #5 is it really addressed).
As a standalone, this works barely …
So, I'm curious: has Seanan McGuire ever...read a book? Does she know what they are and how they work? Because I kind of like her schtick, but it's profoundly not a novella. By which I mean, Down Among the Sticks and Bones only has any sense of narrative structure and emotional payoff in retrospect in the events of Every Heart a Doorway, it's prequel. And the murder mystery in Every Heart a Doorway doesn't actually make any sense until you read Down Among the Sticks and Bones. I spent a lot of time frustrated by the murder mystery of Down Among the Sticks and Bones because it felt like cheating to have a murder mystery when the rules turned out to allow resurrection. Down Among the Sticks and Bones makes that slightly more palatable (although not really until book #5 is it really addressed).
As a standalone, this works barely at all. Jack and Jill are flimsy characters and the plot is basically nonexistent, with the book fizzling just as it should be hitting a climax. Where it does succeed is where Seanan McGuire seems to excel: a beautifully depicted setting (in this case, a canonical horro movie) and a rich fairy tale-esque theme. It's beautiful reading, but when the spell breaks I'm still at WTH did I just read?
ansate reviewed Down Among the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuire (Wayward Children, #2)
Review of 'Down among the sticks and bones' on Goodreads
2 stars
It's not a sequel :( :( :([return][return]it's a prequel that doesn't tell us much that wasn't covered in Every Heart a Doorway. :( [return][return]I want to know what happens NEXT
Enno reviewed Down Among the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuire (Wayward Children, #2)
Review of 'Down Among the Sticks and Bones' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
I didn't know what to expect from a prequel book that tells the story of Jack and Jill, but this was beautiful.
fiainros reviewed Down Among the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuire (Wayward Children, #2)
Review of 'Down Among the Sticks and Bones' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
There are so many things to love about this book, where do I start?
The easy first is that this book can be read in one sitting or two of my bus commutes. I love books of all sizes, but right now, that length is perfect! Thank you, Seanan, for writing both behemoth and small books we can enjoy.
I love how this book explores how a person is who they are and also how they can change, and how they are still the same person. I love how this book shows the harm parents can cause to children by forcing them into boxes rather than let them be who they are. I love how this book explains how we got two amazing characters in the previous book.
I loved the descriptions and the art!
I will be diving into Beneath a Sugar Sky next, and continuing through to her …
There are so many things to love about this book, where do I start?
The easy first is that this book can be read in one sitting or two of my bus commutes. I love books of all sizes, but right now, that length is perfect! Thank you, Seanan, for writing both behemoth and small books we can enjoy.
I love how this book explores how a person is who they are and also how they can change, and how they are still the same person. I love how this book shows the harm parents can cause to children by forcing them into boxes rather than let them be who they are. I love how this book explains how we got two amazing characters in the previous book.
I loved the descriptions and the art!
I will be diving into Beneath a Sugar Sky next, and continuing through to her latest Wayward children release. I highly recommend for everybody!
Maika reviewed Down Among the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuire (Wayward Children, #2)
Review of 'Down Among the Sticks and Bones' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
Book #2 of McGuire’s ongoing Wayward Children series. Here we break from the main story to delve into the backstory of twin sisters Jack and Jill, two characters from the first book. Going into it, I was a little skeptical about deviating from the main story so soon. But I thoroughly enjoyed this decidedly dark tale and appreciate the additional depth it adds to Jack and Jill’s respective roles in Every Heart a Doorway.
B. Zelkovich reviewed Down Among the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuire (Wayward Children, #2)
Review of 'Down Among the Sticks and Bones' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
Jack was my favorite character in the first book so I loved this one. Now all I want is to find out what hapoens when they go home!
Wetdryvac reviewed Down Among the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuire (Wayward Children, #2)
Review of 'Down among the sticks and bones' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
A fascinating bit of nifty.
Kattas reviewed Down Among the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuire (Wayward Children, #2)
Review of 'Down Among the Sticks and Bones' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
McGuire returns to her world of wayward children to explore the backstory of two of the most interesting characters from the first novel, Jack and Jill. The story and characters were compelling, although the setting itself at times threatened to upstage the drama of the main characters. My only complaint is that the brevity of this novel detracted from its impact - it felt at times like it was rushing to the conclusion, but that may be simply a side effect of having finished reading a much, much longer novel immediately prior to starting this.
patchworkbunny reviewed Down Among the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuire (Wayward Children, #2)
Review of 'Down Among the Sticks and Bones' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
I enjoyed Every Heart a Doorway for the way it explored portal fantasy tropes but it only went so far, what with a whole host of characters packed into a novella. This is why Down Among the Sticks and Bones is the better book, because is takes just one of those stories and tells it fully. It is the backstory of Jack and Jill (or Jacqueline and Jillian) and is standalone (although I think if you're going to read both books, start with the first).
At its heart is a cautionary tale for parents. One, children are not accessories or status symbols, and two, you shouldn't force a child to be something they are not. Their high-achieving parents wanted a boy but they got twin girls. Their father encourages Jillian to do boy things and their mother dresses Jacqueline up like a princess. They force more and more gender based …
I enjoyed Every Heart a Doorway for the way it explored portal fantasy tropes but it only went so far, what with a whole host of characters packed into a novella. This is why Down Among the Sticks and Bones is the better book, because is takes just one of those stories and tells it fully. It is the backstory of Jack and Jill (or Jacqueline and Jillian) and is standalone (although I think if you're going to read both books, start with the first).
At its heart is a cautionary tale for parents. One, children are not accessories or status symbols, and two, you shouldn't force a child to be something they are not. Their high-achieving parents wanted a boy but they got twin girls. Their father encourages Jillian to do boy things and their mother dresses Jacqueline up like a princess. They force more and more gender based restrictions on the girls as they grow, both becoming miserable in their shaped identities.
So yes, let your kids do what they want to do and be who they want to be. When the twins discover a door into another world, they get a chance to be new people despite having to apprentice to a vampire and a mad scientist.
As it's a prequel of sorts, you know that they are cast out of the world where they feel like they belong, so the book has a bittersweet tone throughout. It's no wonder Eleanor West's Home for Wayward Children needs to exist, it's so sad.
I love how this series of novellas is structured, a tempting glimpse of other worlds in the first book and then the characters get individual books to explain what happened when they stepped through their portals. The third book is about Rini and Sumi and a confectionery based nonsense world, which I'm looking forward to. I hope there are more books planned in this series too.
mageofmip@books.solarpunk.moe reviewed Down Among the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuire (Wayward Children, #2)
Review of 'Down among the sticks and bones' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
4.5/5
I wasn't expecting to like this one more than Every Heart a Doorway, but I did! Jack and Jill weren't my favorite characters from the firs book, so I didn't think I'd be as super sucked into this book as was with EHaD, but I was pleasantly surprised! This leaves me with high hopes for Beneath the Sugar Sky, because Sumi is my favorite character.
Subjects
- Sisters
- Magic
- Boarding schools
- Schools
- Twins
- Fiction