Bones of Faerie (Bones of Faerie #1)

Reader reviewed by Rachel

(for a summary of Bones of Faerie, try  http://www.simner.com/bonesoffaerie/  or Amazon.com)

I really enjoyed reading this book. When I first picked it up, I thought it would just be something short to read until I found a good novel, but I was hooked as soon as I started reading. The main character Liza, as well as the supporting characters,  is really well written; they all seem like real people. The plot is exciting from the very beginning, and I really felt like I was living the story with the characters. I was never bored reading this book, and the end left me happy but really hoping for a sequel. And luckily, there is a sequel! (Faerie Winter, out April 5, 2011. I'll deffinately be reading that). I'd recommend this book to any teen, especially if you like post-apocalyptic or fantasy reads.

Reader reviewed by Adriana

I didn't give this one 4 stars because I felt it could have been better and it doesn't match up to other fantasy reads that I think excel both in story and writing (like Marr's Wicked Lovely and Werlin's Impossible). The novel blends faerie with an apocalyptic war, as well as a werewolf boy and other humans that possess magical powers. I think this was part of the problem for me - there was too much thrown in and sometimes I just felt like it was very cluttered. Liza is a teen who lives in a town that has survived after the "War". The War refers to a time when the Faerie world and the Human world collided. Liza's father is a firm believer that magic can only do harm, and that you can't trust it. So he was able to save the town on this premise, but has since become completely intolerant to any magic (which kind of touched on a theme of discrimination and ignorance). When Liza's baby sister is born and has signs of possessing faerie magic, Liza's father kills her and leaves her on the edge of the forbidden forest. Eventually Liza's mother leaves and Liza herself starts to get visions which indicate she also has magic. Liza also leaves and one of the other town's teens follow her (he is a werewolf). Liza wants to find her mother and doesn't want her father to find out she has magic. There are several more plot twists that follow, like Liza traveling to an abandoned St. Louis, MO, where an arch calls to her (the Gateway Arch), as well as her encountering a town where magic and humans co-exist. I think teens will enjoy the read simply because of the faerie element, but I think there are better reads out there in this genre.

Reader reviewed by Katy LaPlace

It was a really great book and my only complaint with it was that it was somewhat short at only 247 pages. The book is set in a future where faeries appeared in the modern world and waged a war against humans. As a result of the war, the modern items we take for granted such as cars, televisions, planes, radios, etc. have all been destroyed and nature has been infected with faerie magic. Trees attack humans, rocks glow with an unnatural light that burns at the slightest touch, and as such, all magic has been cast out as evil and dangerous. After the death of her magical sister (at her father's hands) and the disappearance of her mother, Liza is distressed to find that she is starting to exhibit signs of having magic as well. As such, Liza runs from her abusive father and sets out on a quest to find her mother. Overall, I really did enjoy this book! The characters and setting were both complex and entertaining, and I would definitely read a sequel.

Reader reviewed by Bookmac

Okay, so this is definitely a quick read, don't let the page numbers fool you, this book is thin, the pages are almost double spaced. But anyway, despite the shortness I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Reader reviewed by stephanie

Reader reviewed by Aryanna Draeger

Title: Bones Of Faerie Author: Janni Lee Simner Publisher: Random House Number Of Pages:247

Summary from jacket flap: The war between humanity and Faerie devastated both sides. Or so fifteen-year-old Liza has been told. Nothing has been seen or heard from Faerie since, and Liza's world bears the sacrs of its encounter with magic. Corn resists being harvested; dandelions have thorns. Trees move with sinister intention, and the town Liza calls home is surrounded by a forest that threatens to harm all those who wander into it. Still, Liza feels safe. Her father is strong and has protected their by laying down strict rules. Among them: Any trace of magic must be destroyed, no matter where it is found. Then Liza's sister is born with faerie-pale hair, clear as glass, and Liza's father leaves the baby on a hillside to die. When her mother disappears into the forest and Liza herself discovers she has the faerie ability to see-into the past, into the future- she has no choice but to flee. Liza's quest will take her into Faerie and back again, and what she finds along the way may be the key to healing both worlds. Janni Lee Simner's first novel for young adults is a dark fairy-tale twist on apocaluptic fiction- as familiar as a nightmare yet altogether unique

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Review: I got Bones Of Faerie on Friday and finished it last night. It is tragic and upsetting in some parts. I can't say that it was happy in some parts though because really it wasn't. I loved Liza, Matthew, and Allie and absolutely hated Liza's father Ian. He was extremley terrible. I almost cried a couple of times and am a little disappointed that the Faeries in the book didn't have wings or most fairy things. One thing I did like though is that almost every child had a different magical power

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