Hi everyone! I am back much sooner than I thought I would be. I have a couple of shorter books that I want to finish before I tackle my longer ones. I also wanted to read this book while it was still cold out. It has been snowing like crazy where I live. If it’s the same for you then I hope you are staying warm. If you want, you can check out my reviews for the other Christina Henry books I have read. Now, let’s talk about Near the Bone.

Content Warning: Domestic Violence, Sexual Assualt, Infant Loss/Miscarriages, Animal Death, Gore, Discussions and Depictions of Grooming

Mattie lives an isolated life with her abusive husband, William. She lives in fear of the violence he inflicts upon her and does her best to avoid angering him. Their isolated lives are disrupted by the presence of a strange creature that is on the hunt. William sets out to kill this creature, but he is not the only one looking for this mysterious monster. A group of strangers claiming to be cryptozoologists appear on the mountaintop. Mattie realizes that she might have a chance to escape. To do that, she will need to face two monsters.

Near the Bone was a solid horror novel with plenty of intrigue and gore. This book made my stomach churn for more than one reason. Between the scenes depicting abuse and gory monster kills, there are plenty of scares in this book. With that being said, it is a little on the predictable side but that didn’t detract from the overall impact of the novel. I am always down for a story where the main character finds their inner strength and breaks free from unfortunate circumstances. Near the Bone delivers plenty of chills and thrills. If you like horror in an isolated setting or a monster-centric horror novel, then this is the book for you.