Down Among the Sticks and Bones

Starred review from March 13, 2017
“Everything comes down to blood” in McGuire’s bittersweet, heartbreaking novella. Identical twin sisters Jacqueline and Jillian Wolcott (introduced in Every Heart a Doorway) were raised to behave and obey. Only their grandmother, Gemma Lou, told them “they were clever, they were strong, they were miracles,” but their time with her was short. When they’re 12, the twins discover a winding staircase in a trunk; it leads to a door, to a land under a blood-red moon, and to a choice between the Master, a vampire, and Dr. Bleak, a scientist with the power to bring the dead to life. Jill stays with the Master, while Jack is apprenticed to Dr. Bleak. As years pass, Jill, under thrall to her master, longs for the day he’ll grant her immortality, becoming bitter and cruel. Jack enjoys learning the ways of Dr. Bleak’s power and falling in love with the beautiful, reanimated Alexis. When Jill commits a shocking act to prove her worth, Jack must choose between her sister and revenge. McGuire’s exquisitely written fairy tale is about the choices that can alter the course of a life forever, lost innocence, and what it is to love and be loved. Agent: Diana Fox, Fox Literary.

April 15, 2017

This is the story of twin sisters Jacqueline and Jillian. Jacqueline is quiet and well mannered, princess-perfect--at least when she meets her mother's approval. Jillian is strong in character, always looking for adventure, and her father loves her so. He would have preferred a son, of course, but you do what you can with what you have. The girls quickly learn that their parents are manipulative and their love is just a facade. When they turn 12, Jacqueline and Jillian discover a winding staircase in a trunk that leads them to where they need to go--to discover magic, family, death, and themselves. VERDICT This stand-alone "prequel" to Every Heart a Doorway focuses on two intriguing characters from that book. Beautifully crafted and smartly written, this fairy-tale novella is everything that speculative fiction readers look for: fantastical worlds, diverse characters, and prose that hits home with its emotional truths.--KC

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