I really wanted to love Ink and Bone by Lisa Unger—the concept sounded super cool and right up my alley. But I ended up DNFing it twice. I just couldn’t connect with the story or characters, even though I gave it a fair shot.

It’s one of those books where the idea is great, but the execution didn’t quite work for me. I know a lot of people really enjoy it though, so maybe it just wasn’t the right fit.

3.5⭐️ (Rounded up to 4⭐️)

This was a long winding journey with a LOT going on. I enjoyed the overall atmosphere and the creepy vibes of The Hollow. The connections between people and the spirit realm felt read well done - there was so much to dive into. I did find the book to be on the verge of overly drawn out and the ending (especially the epilogue) was not super satisfying, dropping this one from a solid 4 to a 3.5 star read for me.

This was an intense read — I stayed up late into the night feverishly turning the pages, wondering what would happen next. Loved the paranormal elements, and all the twists and turns!

Strengths

Unique World-Building: The concept of a world where knowledge is restricted and books are illegal is a captivating hook that draws the reader in.
Fast-Paced Plot: The story is action-packed, with danger lurking around every corner. There's a good balance between thrilling moments and character development.
Compelling Characters: Jess is a relatable protagonist, caught between his loyalty to the Library and his desire for truth. The supporting characters are well-developed and add depth to the story.
Weaknesses

Black and White Morality: The line between the good guys (who want knowledge to be free) and the bad guys (the power-hungry Librarians) can be a bit simplistic at times.
Cliffhanger Ending: The novel ends on a cliffhanger, leaving some plot threads unresolved. This may frustrate readers who prefer a more conclusive ending.
Overall

Ink and Bone is a thrilling debut that lays the groundwork for an exciting series. If you enjoy fast-paced adventure stories with a unique dystopian setting, this book is a great choice. However, be prepared for an ending that leaves you wanting more.

This book had a great main storyline but had just way too much boring background about the main character and her history/relationship with her mother. It seemed to be the same thing on repeat. The book also went on much longer than it needed to. I think the stuff at the end was relevant to the overall series but not this book in particular.

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A page turner that kept me seated until i had read the whole thing

Thank you Netgalley for this copy for an honest review

Another intricate and compelling thriller from Lisa Unger! I don't read a lot in the paranormal genre, but I enjoyed it in this case; it gave the story some additional twists that I wasn't expecting. As with Unger's other novels, the characters were flawed and layered and real.

I did get a bit of whiplash at the end when the little girl is saved, and I'm still a little confused about what happened. Yes, the paranormal "signs" were there, but logically, I didn't follow. I don't think that was explained well enough.

My only ongoing beef with Unger is her tendency to over-describe and go heavy on the exposition. I think that is partly her style, but I also think the story could be edited to make it tighter and faster paced. A lot of the exposition was repeated throughout the book and among different characters, so midway through, I started skimming these sections.

An enjoyable thriller from a fantastic writer. I would recommend to anyone who enjoys a good, page-turning mystery.

I loved reading as I kid but struggle to find time as an adult. It’s often impossible to sit down to focus. While this book was not memorable overall, I’m sure it’s not you, dear book, it’s me.

Wow! Is all I can say. This is one intense book and so worth reading. This book is considered to be book 3 in The Hollows series. I loved this book! The characters are amazing, especially Finley. She's a firecracker! Read it, you won't be dissapointed.

was so fascinated by the hollows I will be visiting this town again.

Where is Abbey......... Seriously I want to know she was not mention in the parade....

Time to look for more books by Lisa Unger

The Hollows gets what it wants, no matter what.

My thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, I didn't have time to finish this book, and cannot provide substantial feedback. What I read was fun!

I've read several books by this author and have always enjoyed everything I've read, so I was looking forward to reading this book. I must say it didn't disappoint. This book was easy to read and fast paced and kept me wanting to read more. I highly recommend this book.

This book somehow came across my reading pile about 5 years or more ago. I am finally getting around to it and now I know why I ended up not picking it up each time. There is nothing wrong with the book, it just isn't a book that appeals to me. The story moves too slow for me. The characters with their very messy lives comes across unappealing too.

The heart of this story for me is about dysfunctional families who rub each other the wrong way. There doesn't seem to be a single healthy relationship in here. Mostly it is because the characters cannot communicate with each other. They don't use their words. They think they know better and try to over compensate. Or they just flat out are miserable louses who cheat and make bad decisions. I loathe reading from the point of view of a person who consistently makes stubborn bad decisions because they are "rebelling". Or because they are trying to "find themselves". Whilst these characters are multi-dimensional, their shallowness at times depresses me.

Finley seems to be the focal point of this story. She is stepping into a role that her grandmother is vacating... a psychic who can see the dead. She steps in to help a private investigator her grandmother works with. There are no manuals to how to use Finley's gift. She does her best through her grandmother's support and the teachings of a mentor that I'm not sure if she's dead or alive. There are several incidents in this story where I'm not sure if it is a memory, an encounter with a ghost or a dream. After a while, I didn't care and just wanted to power through this book. By power, I mean I grit my teeth to the end to find out what happened and ensure I could check this long over due review off my list. I am never going to get those few hours back. I don't regret it, but I think of all the other books on my TBR that I could have been reading instead.

The ending of this story is one of hope and brings about much needed closure for each of the families involved. It does leave a possible next book with Finley now taking a more active role in solving cold cases. This mystery is recommended to reader who like psychic themes and broken families.

And what did you read in October? I like to reach for chilling thrillers I might have missed. Ink and Bone does not disappoint and would make a great movie! The ability of psychics fascinates me and the author convincingly describes Eloise’s gift which her granddaughter shares but hasn’t embraced in the same way. They journey together while helping look for a missing young woman.
It’s a keeper!

I love a good thriller and was intrigued by the description. It started off strong and then just fell flat.

I recently bought a new kindle after my old one broke. For some reason I was unable to download this title from the cloud onto my kindle, therefore I will be unable to review this title. I am sorry for any inconvenience caused

The best that I've read in quite some time. Lisa Unger has done it again , Murder ,suspense , mystery at it's finest. When you pick it up, it's impossible to put it down.

This book took me a lot longer to read than it should have. This has something to do with it being a different type of book than what I normally read. It is very well-written, describing the abduction of a child and the family's struggle with coming to terms with it.
There are a lot of subplots that are not immediately apparent but as the story unfolds, it becomes clearer how they tie together.
I have not come away from reading this book as a fan of Unger's but I will definitely check out some of her other books.