*eARC kindly provided by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children's Book Group via NetGalley*

I LIIIIIKED this! I'm always a fan of dark, fucked-up books with dark, fucked-up characters, especially if moral ambiguity is a huge part of the story. But I did get bored sometimes; it was SO slow, and there was quite a lot of repetition. If I had to hear how "Nita let out a breath" one more time, I was gonna lose it. haha. (Of course, I read an eARC, so I'm really hoping many of those lines or similar ones were cut out in the final version!). I did like her character, though, and the tentative friendship she formed with Kovit, a zannie who becomes her reluctant ally. And I liked the dissections (ha) of what it means to be a monster and how multifaceted everyone is. I can see why people are loving this book; it's definitely good. I just wasn't the biggest fan, though I'm interested in the sequel, especially after that ending!

Rating: 3.5 stars

Not for the faint of heart, this gritty, spine-chilling, intense, and violent read is for fans of thrillers such as Michael Crichton, Stephen King, and Dexter. Part of this well-written story were almost a little too much for me to read.

Nita lives for dissecting the “Unnaturals” so her mother could sell those parts in the black market. That is until the day her mother brings her a live boy to dissect. This causes her to question everything she ever believe about “Unnaturals.” Not Even Bones is one twisted book. No one in this book, including Nita, could be considered a "good" person. So anyone who is looking for likable characters, this book is not for you. However, if you are looking for a book which looks at the lines between "good" and "evil" then this book has plenty for you. While the characters are morally ambiguous you do understand why they act in the manner they do. Schaeffer builds a world where vampires, unicorns, zannies, etc. are real and there's nothing magical about any of them. This book classified as a "fantasy" or "urban fantasy" but "science fiction" may be a more accurate description as there are a lot of biological explanations of unnatural abilities and anatomy. Of course a book about dissection there is lots of blood, so this book is not for the squeamish. Alongside its examination of morality, this book also looks at the consequences of labeling people and it affects one's self-worth. Ultimately Not Even Bones are for those who are looking for a bloody twist on how the world deals with those who are considered different.

I really enjoyed this novel with its clever commentary on morality and government institutions as well as the dark anti-hero characters. No one here is  stark lily in a sea of black, but is instead another layer of grey in a landscape of ambiguity. 

The plot and cast of characters is vastly different from what I have come to expect from the Young Adult genre, and it is refreshing. While the Nita and Kovit are not the most approachable of characters, they are nonetheless strong, collected, admirable and, at times, sympathetic. 

Rebecca Schaeffer's writing is immersive. She had me feeling anxiety, horror, suspense, and relief as Nita struggled to survive. She also left me reeling in shock by the novel's end, leaving me hungering for the next installment of this series. 

For all of its complexity and captivating power, readers who are squeamish should be warned that violence and gore are vividly described. 

Note: A longer and more in-depth review will appear on my blog on Saturday, August 25th.

Well I found this book delightfully bloody. It's what was promised--but I find not every YA book delivers on the allure of blood. It's not gothic creepy--more slasher-flick, monster-horror creepy. Very fun and fast read, with decently adept writing. I also very much enjoyed the rumination of what it means to be a monster. Perfect October read.

This is a YA book that I’d recommend with caution, but I enjoyed it. There are scenes of violence, and some scenes that are really gory, and the main characters are pretty morally grey. 
Nita is not your normal teenager. Living with her mother, Nita has always had an affinity for cutting things. She turns a blind eye to some of the jobs her mother does, but she will dissect bodies and help with the sale of parts on the black market. However, when her mother brings a live boy back and asks Nita to cut him Nita cannot bring herself to do so. 
Very interesting!

I received an eARC of Not Even Bones by Rebecca Schaeffer from Netgalley, and I am so excited to share my thoughts on this bloody, poignant, monster book! Read on to find out why I gave it 5 stars.

So if you follow me on Goodreads you will see that I gave this book 4.5 stars, but honestly, it’s worth rounding it up to 5. The more I think about this one the more I love it. This Savage Song really is an excellent comparison, as Not Even Bones delves deep into issues of immoral and amorality, what it means to be a monster, and where monsters lurk in everyday life.

“Stories here didn’t get neat endings tied up in a bow.”

The main character of the story, Nita, was instantly relatable to me. She enjoys listening to show tunes while she dissects monsters. As someone with both a background in science and signing, I found my new best friend. But there is so much more to Nita! She has a very complicated relationship with both of her parents and the rest of the Unnatural world of monsters. I almost got a Mother Gothel vibe from her mother, with Nita being the sheltered protected Rapunzel.

The pacing of the book is the one critique I had. There’s a section in the middle that gets repetitive, but overall it didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the story.

The real meat of the book is in its themes. Nita struggles to feel like a proper human in a lot of ways. She worries that she doesn’t grieve correctly, or empathize correctly. Issues like human trafficking, unjust incarceration, racism (or speciesism in this case), and the objectification of people take the forefront. All of these elements kept me thinking, and I was fascinated to see how the characters in the book related to these themes.

“Most people weren’t working with people who reveled in the pain of others. Right?”

More and more lately, I am finding books that include primary characters that aren’t always the good guy. Rin from The Poppy War is the first example that springs to mind. It forces the reader to consider that in some instances a net positive change for the world can require negative acts from an individual. Seeing the effect of those negative choices and actions is so important. I love seeing this addressed more frequently.

If you can stomach some gore and blood in your dark fantasy, then keep an eye out for this one on September 4th!

All quotes are taken from the eARC and are subject to change.

Nita dissects supernatural creatures at her mother's behest and they sell the body parts on the black market. Nita enjoys her dissection but she is a little scared of her mother, for good reason, and when she defies her she finds herself in a cage ready to be sold on the black market herself. 

I enjoyed this depraved little story. The characters are compelling if somewhat... despicable and the hook is original and well sustained. I will probably seek out the next one even though it isn't perfect. I do think the plot is unfocused at times, flitting from one thing to another but there's a good foundation and I feel like it's going to be a series that will get stronger as it goes. I hope I'm right!

However, I could not finish Not for Bones. 

DNF- I couldn’t connect with Nita as a character. I did feel sympathy for her being sold by her mother to the black market in the Amazon jungle (assuming she is right about that). However, outside of that, I couldn’t connect with her, Mirella or Kovit. It made no sense that her father would let her mother do such a thing (and maybe all this is explained later but I was never hooked enough to continue with the book to care enough to find out). 

What most disappointed me was how much potential this book had- I did request it and I did want to read it. I hadn’t read a “necro” book before and was excited to read something different. The suspense, potential to build between empathy and revulsion (aka The Girl With all the Gifts by Carey) was definitely there but never accomplished. Nita could’ve have been made much more complex rather than making her someone who just was able to turn a blind eye to what her mother did if the body came back did. If we could explore her thought process during dissection… and then make that go deeper when her mother came home with a living body… make the characters more 3D and their interactions more dynamic, it could’ve made the ability to care and get lost in the thickening of the plot, the character conflicts much more palatable.

This is definitely one of those books that I’d recommend with caution, but I enjoyed this far more than I thought I would initially.
Nita is not your normal teenager. Living with her mother, Nita has always had an affinity for cutting things. She turns a blind eye to some of the jobs her mother does, but she will dissect bodies and help with the sale of parts on the black market. However, when her mother brings a live boy back and asks Nita to cut him Nita cannot bring herself to do so.
Nita’s help in the boy’s escape sets in place an awful chain of events that results in Nita being kidnapped and put in a cage. People are intrigued by her ability to cut off pain and heal herself. They are prepared to pay serious money for her, and so we watch Nita in her desperate attempts to escape.
I don’t want to give the details away, but things are not what we’re led to believe. There seems to be clear hints of some kind of plot that Nita is unaware of. A lot of violence, and some sinister characters/events but there was an attempt to portray the humanity of characters who, in many eyes, would be seen as monsters.
A huge thank you to NetGalley for letting me read this.

Nita has always had an interest in anatomy so jumping into the family business didn’t seem like a bad thing when it let Nita study the corpses her mother brought home. You see, there’s a market for the body parts of supernatural beings and Nita turns a blind eye to how her mother acquires these beings in the interest of her studies.

Nita however never expected her mother to show up one day with a live boy captive and still expect Nita to still procure the necessary body parts for profit. This is the line that rattles Nita to her part in the family business and when she defies her mother then next thing Nita knows the tables are turned and she’s waking up in her own cage having been captured on the black market.

Well now, it would probably go without saying that Not Even Bones would not be a read for the faint of heart. Gone are the super special heroine who uses her super special powers fighting the evil of the world and in walks dark and twisted Nita and her diabolical mother. Yep, a bit of a gruesome tale right from the start but certainly a creative young adult paranormal fantasy read.

This one has the urban fantasy feel being set in a world like ours only with paranormals existing among the humans but does take place in areas not often used in novels. Nita is also completely different than regular characters with the Dexter comparison really showing. Not sure I ever really “rooted” for her but some may and her story was certainly compelling. This is one I’d recommend to those looking for a more dark and twisted read out of the norm.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Gritty. Blood-drenched. Action-packed. This book met all my expectations! DON'T read this book while eating a nice meal, especially the bits about dissection.

I learned more than I need to know about the disassembly of human anatomy, and it was fascinating. But what makes this book a stand-out is the way it raises gruesome "what if's" and holds up a mirror to the reader's face. What if your body parts were about to be sold off to the highest bidder. What would you do to escape? What lines would you cross?

There are so many things I loved. Nita has depth. Fear of her mother, who brings home the corpses Nita dissects. Fear of the world around her. She learned at an early age to keep her mouth shut to avoid betraying her family's dark secrets. And fear, once she comes to understand the part she plays in the dangerous black market for supernatural body parts, of who and what she is. She thought her role was okay. Why not cut them up, they're already dead? But is it?

Not Even Bones takes the reader into an enchanting fantasy world that forces them to think closely about the way we categorize people, and whether it's fair or inherently prejudiced. It keeps the turning pages until it finally reveals Nita's fate.

Highly recommended!

Review will post 9/28 on thewingedpen.com.

I went into this book not really knowing what to expect and it took me a little bit to understand what the unnaturals were. There were so many twists in this book and they were executed perfectly by Schaeffer. I loved the little bit of gore with reminders about morality from an unexpected source. This book was wonderful and I need another one - stat!

This book was an intense, quick read, and I can't help but wish I could get my hands on what must be the forthcoming sequel. Schaeffer builds a dark, believable world, and pulls no punches with the gore. This book isn't perfect- some elements are stilted, and the descriptions are sometimes lacking. Because this is a first novel, though, I'm interested to see how the author grows in the next book. And quite honestly, the book is gripping. This will be an easy sell to reluctant readers who aren't bothered by a bit of gore. It's definitely not for the faint-hearted, and the levels of body related horror might be a bit too intense for many teens. That said, I personally am looking forward to this author's next entry.

This was so unique and something that I didn't even know I needed!  I am completely blown away by not just the story, but the entire world that this author has created.  And also that ending WOW!!  

My favorite part about this book has to be the world.  I love monster books and Schaeffer takes a whole new spin on the monter/paranormal world.  She has created some unique characters and they were all 100% creepy and amazing!  I didn't think I could be surprised or learn anything new in this genre and she has managed to totally surprise me and teach me so many new things!

I also loved the ick factor!  Nita loves to dissect monsters and the author doens't shy away from showing how addicted Nita is to this part of herself.  It's strange and gross and just so cool!

If you are looking for something completely different than anything else on the shelf you need to pick this one up!  It's amazing!

If you like your YA on the gruesome side, NOT EVEN BONES is definitely up your alley. A bloody, macabre, and masterful take on the supernatural.

Wow! I have to agree with the other positive reviews I read. This book is not for the faint of heart (or stomach). It does dive into the uncomfortable, sad and unfair world of human trafficking, but with a supernatural twist. It focuses on the world of illegally acquiring supernatural beings who possess highly desired abilities, and selling them to buyers on the black market. The heroine is badass, complicated, and not easy to morally define. This was delightfully gruesome, and amazing for doing right for others and getting retribution in the process. If you cannot handle graphic bodily details. be warned. But this kept me hooked, and everything points to a sequel. It does end on a huge cliffhanger ;) Well done, Rebecca Schaeffer!

I received this as an EARC on net galley for an honest review. I gave this book a 4.5/5 stars. At some parts I felt as though it was a little too much. When I heard this was like dexter I needed to read it and I'm glad I did. Being a criminal justice major I find that I enjoy books like this more than some people would. I did love the weird aspects but sometimes I understood what others were saying. That being said I really did enjoy this book and would recommend it to someone who thinks it sounds good and is okay with some weird aspects.

This book was amazing! It was everything I've been wanting in a book for the last couple years, but haven't been able to find. It was tightly-paced and character driven, and every time I thought I knew what was going to happen it took a sharp turn in the opposite direction. Rebecca plays with the conventions of the suspense and horror genres, and I loved every second of it. The characters leave you wondering about ethics and holding the monster within at bay, without ever feeling preachy or overbearing. Overall, this book was amazing and I'll be shoving it in everyone's faces come September 4th.

Not Even Bones was one of the most unique fantasy books I've read in a long time. I loved that the fantasy elements were interwoven in our world in believable yet unique ways. Monsters, both new and old, are a very real part of this alternate world and our MC is one along with her mother. 

Nita reminded me very much of Dexter. They both love what they do, though Nita doesn't do the killing, yet they have soft spots for their family. But when Nita goes out on a limb and it betrayed, she's stuck in the world she's been working for her whole life. 

The side characters in this one were utterly fantastic. I love Mirellia and how she seemed to be Nita's first ever friend. I wanted a little more from her parents, however. They aren't in the story for very long before Nita is sold but I think I wanted a little more from her father, specifically, to better understand the family dynamic. The mother was a no nonsense monster. She slaughtered monsters to continue her fortune and seemed to be very good at it. Her father, however, seemed to not belong. He stayed back in the states to sell their products but also keep up pretense that they were a normal family. I honestly didn't understand how he could let his wife and only daughter leave for three years to hunt monsters all over the world. He seemed to have minimal contact with his family and it doesn't seem to fit with Nita's love for him. 

Our two MC's in this one aren't heroes by any means. Nor are they good people at all. But Rebecca Schaeffer does a fantastic job of making me care for them. I wanted them to escape and find their lives again. Korvo tortures people and eats their pain, yet I felt sorry for the situation he was stuck in. I thought he deserved better. I wanted Nita to go home to her father and dissect things again. I was rooting for her to escape the island and enroll in college. These are anti-heroes for sure but that didn't make their plight appeal to me any less. 

The twists and turns of this one kept me guessing and rethinking everything I thought I knew. The ending cliffhanger had me wanting to throw my kindle at the wall in frustration and shock. It was a great twist, leaving me itching for the next one. That's exactly what a good cliffhanger does.