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A Stir of Bones Nina Kiriki Hoffman Penguin Group © 2003 |
With her home life collapsing on her and no where to go, Susan finds herself willing to do anything to get away from her harsh reality. So, when she accidentally overhears a discussion between an old friend of hers and two others about exploring an old, cryptic house, Susan is willing to jump in on this opportunity. However, she soon finds that this house is more than just an ordinary, spooky house; it, like her, holds many secrets within its walls. House actually becomes like a person, as it was a mind of its own; a mind only Susan can understand and communicate with. Also, this house has a ghost, named Nathan, who is about the teenagers' age, who soon becomes their friend as the group tries to figure out what they have gotten themselves into. Susan is eventually accepted by this group, as all of the unique characters come to a true realization of themselves. Things finally seem as they are going right for Susan, when her tyrannical father discovers that she is doing some suspicious activity. He takes his frustration out on Susan's mother, and Susan feels directly responsible for her mother's beatings. Cross and depressed, Suzy contemplates suicide, and comes dangerously close to doing so. This plot keeps the reader going until the end, when Suzy's friends are able to help her out of a seemingly hopeless situation.
I loved this book for its creative and intense story line. Also, the descriptive phrasings were amazing. I almost felt like I knew each character, and the scenes were so well described that I could picture the whole entire book perfectly. Another positive was all of the strings were tied up at the end, and the reader can assume everything is going to be all right. I would recommend this book to any other eighth or ninth grader looking for a thrill.
~ Elena Svenson, grade 8, Boardman Center Middle School