Review: Bone Gap

Bone Gap by Laura Ruby
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This review is also found on Goodreads! :)
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Actual Rating: 3.9 stars
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Magical realism confuses the hell out of me; I won't disguise that truth. I've had to research the difference between magical realism and fantasy, because as I was thinking of what to write in my review, I kept wondering why I'm not fond of magical realism whereas I love fantasy. The former is grounded on the world as what we perceive as real as opposed to the latter, in which the setting and characters are completely made up.

Surprisingly, Bone Gap was not as complicated as I thought it would be. I was able to enjoy and follow the story because it was still comprehensible. Yes, the circumstance was out of place because it was laced with fantasy. I found myself getting frustrated for any lack of explanation or background on the fantastical elements, and I desperately wished that it will be explained at the end. Of course it wasn't. This is magical realism after all--it's confusing and all that is magical will not be demystified. This may explain my aversion to the genre--I like things that make sense, that can be untangled to an extent.

However, my frustration with the parts where things started getting absurd was offset by the growing endearment I fostered towards the characters. The alternating point of view gave each character a unique voice I've grown to love. Among them, my favorites are Finn and Roza. Roza's point of view was written so beautifully. Determined and sure of herself. She doesn't let anyone tell her what to do, a quality that is often both frustrating and admirable for heroines. Finn, on the other hand, was the fragile one but teeming with courage. He was written with so much care, and his point of view is often written off with humor, but balanced with an aching sadness. I think I know what Roza sees in the boy. I found myself wanting to mother and fuss over him (ugh, I think I'm getting old).

At this point, I cannot say anything remotely bad about Ruby's writing. The beauty of her words, sentences, and phrases just gently tugs at you, and you find yourself falling in love with her characters no matter how wounded or frail they are.

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Disclaimer: Excerpts below are from the book. Copyright © 2015 by Laura Ruby:

"It is nice. But a pretty face is just a lucky accident. Pretty can't feed you. And you'll never be pretty enough for some people."

"But the world does keep turning even when you're miserable, in case you didn't know that..."

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