In this riveting middle-grade fantasy, New York Times bestselling author David Elliott and E.M. Elliott tell the story of a forest-dwelling boy forced to confront the mysteries of his life.
★ Booklist, starred review ★ Kirkus Reviews, starred review
Trapped in a dark forest with his cold-hearted parents, Bonebag leads a cruel and isolated existence. However, he feels deep in his bones that things weren’t always this way: he has known happiness before. Why does it feel like it was in a past life?
When Bonebag discovers a locket that burns him to the touch, and a ghostly girl beckons him into the deep woods, he must grapple with the riddle of where he came from and how he came to be. Only then can he begin to rewrite his fate.
From New York Times bestselling author David Elliott and his son, E.M. Elliott, this powerful middle-grade fantasy will take readers on a quest that tackles the mystery of belonging with high-octane twists and turns along the way.---from the publisher
320 pages 978-1662620003 Ages 10-13
Keywords: fantasy, friendship, family, mystery, scary. forest, finding yourself, identity, quest, belonging, mystery, standing up for your values, 10 year old, 11 year old, 12 year old, 13 year old
*****
Other reviews:
★ "David Elliott (Bull, 2017) and his son E. M. Elliott combine their talents to tell a dark, immersive tale that never loses its sense of hope. Friendship and family emerge as themes as plot threads come together in surprising ways, but the visceral descriptions, entertaining pickpocket parlance, and original folklore are what make the story unforgettable."—Booklist, starred review
★ "Genuinely scary, deliciously dark, and full of unexpected turns, this work about standing up for what you know is right, even when the stakes couldn’t be higher, impresses and delights with its rich worldbuilding and invigoratingly inventive language... Darkly thrilling; will keep readers turning pages until every riddle has been solved."—Kirkus Reviews, starred review
""Compelling... best for readers who enjoy darker, more unusual fiction and don't mind being patient with the narrative."—School Library Journal
