May’s Book of the Month is this year’s Printz Award winner, BONE GAP, by Laura Ruby. When I first talked about this story, I called it both lyrical love story and chilling mystery. I’m going to add mythic retelling to the description. My second time through, the Persephone themes shone through much more strongly for me. This is a richly textured story with some really gorgeous prose.
To the people of Bone Gap, Finn always seems to have his head in the clouds. When beautiful Roza disappears, Finn has trouble identifying her kidnapper, even though he was with her when it happened. Without any clues, people stop believing him, including the police and his brother Sean, who has lost more than any brother deserves to lose. Just as Finn feels Sean slipping away, he begins to find himself with Petey. The town of Bone Gap is full of secrets and magic, including talking corn, a huge black horse that appears out of nowhere, and the terrifying man lurking at the fringes of Finn’s vision.
This highly original story is about love and beauty and seeing what no one else can. I think the author did a terrific job of weaving her ideas throughout the entire narrative, so that themes come and go and slowly build right up to the powerful conclusion.
Have you read BONE GAP? What did you think?
--Lynn
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