Bone Gap by Laura Ruby Book Review

Written by Laura Ruby

Published by Balzer + Bray in 2015

ISBN: 9780062317605

Plot Summary: Finn is a kid in the town of Bone Gap Illinois who suffers from a condition called face blindness where he can't tell the difference between people's faces. Finn witnesses an abduction but can't remember any details of the kidnapper because of his disability. People don't believe him that she was kidnapped and just think that she ran away. Petey is the only one who believes him and they strike up a relationship. Finn is hospitalized after getting into an accident while riding his horse and the kidnapper visits him asking how to make Roza love him. Roza tries to escape but fails so the kidnapper takes her to a castle. The kidnapper has the ability to make people see what he wants in a special place called the Fields where Finn is able to rescue Roza after a series of challenges from the kidnapper known as the scarecrow. Finn is hailed as a hero and a brave person for rescuing her. 

Critical Analysis: This book was a great story that was interweaved with some magic as well as things that actually occur in real life. It talks about the themes of identity versus appearance and how we try to portray ourselves to others in a different way than what we truly are. It was interesting reading through the novel and seeing how people perceive others that are different than them. Bees are a strong motif throughout the story as Petey has a very prickly personality and her work with bees tends to reflect in the ways that she interacts with others. People don't always reveal their true selves sometimes until they are called upon to make sacrifices or step up in situations. 

Review: Kirkus Book Review

A teenage boy wrestles against forces real and imagined in a small, rural town named Bone Gap.Finn was the only one to witness the kidnapping of brother Sean’s beautiful girlfriend, Roza, at the spring festival. But when he looks at mug shots, all the faces look frustratingly similar. Meanwhile, a tall man with eyes like ice who demands her love traps Roza in an ever changing netherworld. But Roza is determined to find her way back to Sean and Finn’s backyard, no matter what the cost. Told from the viewpoints of multiple Bone Gap citizens, this inventive modern fable whimsically combines elements of folklore, mythology, romance and feminism. Finn starts out as a daydreaming cipher, but when he discovers he has a condition called “face blindness,” his vague character comes into sharp focus, and his mission to battle the tall man becomes clear. Both Roza and Finn’s love interest, Priscilla, develop over the course of the magically real journey into strong women to be reckoned with, while the secondary characters, including a sassy beekeeper, wise chicken farmer and self-aware horse, are charming and memorable. And if the transitions between reality and fantasy are a little rocky and the worldbuilding occasionally a little thin, it can be forgiven due to the sheer ambition of the refreshingly original plot.

Connections: Students can research invisible disabilities and how they affect the people around them who might not always show them. 

https://invisibledisabilities.org/what-is-an-invisible-disability/ 

More books by Laura Ruby 

The Wall and the Wing ISBN 978-0060752552

Lily's Ghosts ISBN 978-0060518295



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