Lies in Bone by Natalie Symons – Review

A huge thank you to Boyle & Dalton and Natalie Symons for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

// Book Content Warnings: death, murder, kidnapping, pedophilia, alcoholism, mental illness, self-harm, eating disorder, attempted drowning, homophobia (slurs), racism, sexual harassment, sexual assault, violence // – There are some graphic and disturbing scenes in this novel, so please educate yourself on the content warnings before reading, as I might have missed some.

// Quick Statistics //

Overall: 5/5 Stars

Plot: 5/5 Stars

Setting: 5/5 Stars

Characters: 5/5 Stars

Writing: 5/5 Stars

Memorability: 5/5 Stars

// Quick Review //

Lies in Bone is a curiosity-inducing novel that examines the fragility of humanity and truth through the lens of a teen in the 80’s. Full of family secrets, lies, and discoveries, Natalie Symon’s thrilling novel took me on an electrifying ride with its vulnerable and realistic characters.

// Other Information //

Publisher: Boyle & Dalton

Page Count: 402 pages

Release Date: September 6, 2021

Series: None

Genre: Fiction, Adult, Young adult, Coming of age, Mystery, Romance, Suspense, Thriller, LGBTQ+

// Book Description (from Goodreads) //

Told by a tart-tongued young woman with a love of Bruce Springsteen, Lies in Bone is at once a mystery and coming-of-age tale fueled by dark secrets involving love, murder, and the truths worth lying for.

On Halloween 1963, eleven-year-old Chuck Coolidge and his brother Danny are lost in a toxic smog covering the steel town of Slippery Elm, Pennsylvania. When the smog lifts, half the town is sick and twenty people are dead. And Danny is missing.

Now, over twenty years later, Chuck’s teenage daughter Frank plots escape from this “busted and disgusted” town. When a murdered child is found in the river, investigators link the crime to the disappearance of Danny in ’63, and Frank’s life is turned upside down. In the face of her worst fears, she must uncover her family’s dark past if she wants to keep her sister Boots from the hands of The State. Led to discover the unimaginable truth about Danny’s disappearance, Lies in Bone culminates in a shocking eleventh-hour reveal and an emotionally charged finale.

// Characters //

Lies in Bone boasts a large cast of realistic and complex characters who are utterly human. I felt such deep connections to many of the characters, especially Frank, the main character whose story Lies in Bone tells.

Frances (Frank) Coolidge is a fiery, determined, and responsible teen whose family is anything but functional. She’s the best big sister who’s always looking out for her little sister, Boots. Frank’s entire life is thrown upside down when her family moves to Slippery Elm to take care of her grandmother. Frank meets her best friend Ray, the taboo gay kid in a small town, and begins to adjust to her future in a dreary small town in a house full of secrets. Frank learns things she never knew about her family, specifically that she has a missing uncle, Danny. Her dad, Chuck, apparently neglected to tell her that on Halloween 1963, his little brother went missing and his own mother thought he was responsible. Frank begins her own investigation into the family secrets that her grandmother and father refuse to discuss. She refuses to give up until the very end, she is determined to solve a 20+-year-old cold case because it is just too personal.

One of my favorite characters, Ray, is Frank’s best friend. I loved the realistic inclusion of a gay and POC character, and the criticism of homophobia. Ray is a relief in the continual darkness of a small town in the ’80s that is wrapped up in murders and disappearances.

Frank’s mysterious and seriously messed up father, Chuck Coolidge, is a bundle of good and bad. I have mixed feelings about him, just as Frank does. To be honest, Frank, the 16-year-old, is more responsible than her father. To give Chuck some grace, he was looked upon as the murderer of two young boys at a young age, one of the boys being his own little brother. But still, his actions are questionable.

Now, while I may love Ray, I love Boots a whole lot more. She is the most adorable character who is just along for the crazy and disturbing ride. I felt so sorry for Boots, as she is a young child experiencing the horrendous events in this novel.

One of the aspects I most admire about this book’s characters is the growth all of them undergo. I was able to watch Frank and Boots grow up and adapt amidst the chaos.

// Writing and Setting //

The novel was full of fast-paced and slower-paced sections that balanced out perfectly and created a thrilling adventure. It was dark, twisted, terrifying, and disturbing. I loved reading about the dark corners of the small town of Slippery Elms during the late ’80s.

The novel takes place in the ’80s (I love, love, love media set in the ’70s-’80s) in the decrepit small town of Slippery Elms that has a history of child disappearances and murders. The atmosphere was chilling and sinister, adding more to the suspense of the story.

// Plot //

There were so many twists-and-turns and ups-and-downs throughout Lies in Bone that I was shaking with anticipation. Discovering answers to questions burning in my mind was satisfying yet torturous since more mysteries were introduced along the way.

Frank describes the moment her life began to plummet into darkness as the ominous move to Slippery Elms to take care of her grandmother. The start of the novel builds up deliciously to an apogee full of thrills. Murder, disappearances, family secrets, town secrets, crooked characters, and shady events can all be found within the pages of this anxiety-inducing novel.

I truly do not want to say much about specific events in this novel, as every little discovery was a magnificent discovery for me and I do not want to ruin that experience for everyone else.

// Overall Review //

Lies in Bone is one of the most thrilling novels I have read in a long time. It has paved its way onto my list of favorite books. It was perfect in many aspects and kept me intrigued until the very end.

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