Break the Bodies, Haunt the Bones by Micah Dean Hicks

September 2, 2024 1:11 PM

The factory town of Swine Hill is full of the dead. Most of the living residents are haunted by ghosts as the town's hopes have died generation after generation. Two young haunted residents of the town, a brother and sister, must find a way to survive as the town teeters on the edge of extinction and violence.

Jane's ghost feeds on secrets whispering to Jane what people are thinking and feeling even if she would rather not know. Her brother, Henry, is haunted by a genius ghost obsessed with solving seemingly impossible problems, but without concern for whom he may hurt in finding a solution. Their mother is haunted by a ghost whose need makes her touch scorching hot. And their father, scarred from his wife's burning touch, wanders the town seemingly neither living nor dead.

posted by miss-lapin (6 comments total)

I'm not even done with this book yet but I'm enjoying it so much and it's perfect for those wanting to get into the spooky time of year. It's atmosphere is perfect for curling up with a cup of tea on a fall evening all wrapped up in a cozy blanket.
posted by miss-lapin at 2:08 PM on September 2

This looks perfect. I'm almost done Bury Your Gays, and will start this next. I'm following right behind you. :)
posted by Literaryhero at 6:31 PM on September 4 [1 favorite]

I hope you enjoy both these books as much as I did. I read both of these books for different book clubs. The discussion we had about this one was really great. One of those rare occasions where everyone loved it even people who were dubious about it in the beginning ended up loving it.

But I will warn you, I ended up crying during this book. And I was not alone. So be prepared for heartbreak.
posted by miss-lapin at 7:22 PM on September 4

But I will warn you, I ended up crying during this book. And I was not alone. So be prepared for heartbreak.

I'm not there yet, but so far this book is nuts. Thanks for the great recommendation.
posted by Literaryhero at 2:55 AM on September 8 [1 favorite]

It is bonkers, but it's a testament to the author that the world he built and the characters in it feel so real.
posted by miss-lapin at 10:28 AM on September 8 [1 favorite]

So it starts out just regular bonkers, but quickly gets real dark and becomes a hard read. Definitely a solid book, and the end is hopeful, but getting there is rough.
posted by Literaryhero at 5:33 AM on September 17