Paperback - 256 pages
ISBN 13: 978-0399246777
Released: February 15, 2011
Publisher: Macmillan
Author's Website: Clare B Dunkle
Buy it: Amazon
Obtained: Publisher / Blue Slip Media
Genre: YA
Series: N/A
Book Order:
1. By These Ten Bones
There's hidden places all over this land-old, old places. Places with a chain for them to chain up the wolf when it's time.
A bone-chilling tale of werewolves and love, set in medieval Scotland
A mysterious young man has come to a small Highland town. His talent for wood carving soon wins the admiration of the weaver's daughter, Maddie. Fascinated by the silent carver, she sets out to gain his trust, only to find herself drawn into a terrifying secret that threatens everything she loves.
There is an evil presence in the carver's life that cannot be controlled, and Maddie watches her town fall under a shadow. One by one, people begin to die. Caught in the middle, Maddie must decide what matters most to her-and what price she is willing to pay to keep it.
A bone-chilling tale of werewolves and love, set in medieval Scotland
A mysterious young man has come to a small Highland town. His talent for wood carving soon wins the admiration of the weaver's daughter, Maddie. Fascinated by the silent carver, she sets out to gain his trust, only to find herself drawn into a terrifying secret that threatens everything she loves.
There is an evil presence in the carver's life that cannot be controlled, and Maddie watches her town fall under a shadow. One by one, people begin to die. Caught in the middle, Maddie must decide what matters most to her-and what price she is willing to pay to keep it.
My Rating: 
My Opinion:
BY THESE TEN BONES (BTTB) was an enjoyable read, though I admit that I had a few issues with the novel. If anything, it has more to do with the manuscript's age and what was accepted by agents and publishers back then. But first, let's focus on the good, shall we?
Clare knows how to make generally likable, strong heroines. She also knows how to weave an interesting plot and write vividly beautiful descriptions. I think that these two elements alone encouraged me to continue reading this novel.
This is a historical paranormal book. It is based in Scotland, and is about a werewolf curse. I thought that, while most authors focus on present day, this was an excellent way to incorporate two interesting features and making it unique.
There were two issues I had with the book: the POV, and all the descriptions. The POV, third person omni, did not specifically follow Maddie; instead, I felt more like a ghost following each character around. On one hand, this kept the story flowing constantly, but on the other, I did not connect fully with Maddie and Paul until much later in the story.
As for the descriptions, I've gotten used to reading lots of debuts which avoid full descriptions. It has been encouraged for writers to provide the bare minimum so readers can use their imaginations to fill in the blank. When I read page after page which describes this and that, I tend to skim because I don't care about all that information now. That happened to me when I was younger too, while reading the Harry Potter books.
While those two complaints are somewhat hefty ones, regarding a reader's experience, I do not believe they will ultimately ruin the book for most. If a person reads BTTB first, and finds he/she does not enjoy it, I hope he/she will not automatically dismiss Clare as an author. Her more recent works were extremely enjoyable for me, and I think they will be for most readers too
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