Bone Gap
Publisher: Faber Children’s Books
When Roza goes missing from Bone Gap, no one is surprised.
Finn knows Roza was taken by a man whose face he can't remember - yet no one will believe him.
This beautifully written story weaves Finn and Roza's narrative together with subtle magical realism and references to Greek mythology. Most interesting is the novel's handling of the perception of beauty: Roza receives unwanted attention for her beauty, whereas Petey is considered awkward and ugly. Yet both girls develop the same mistrust of men.
The novel deals with dark material, hinting at a traumatic sexual assault without going into details. The mentions are so subtle and surreal, younger readers are unlikely to pick up on this, and simply relish the fantasy elements and romance - whereas older readers can enjoy how a difficult subject is handled.
Bone Gap is a stunning novel that won the Michael L Printz Award 2016, the top young adult literature accolade in the US.
*contains some references to sex and assault.
