Synopsis:

In the spring of 1995, Nate Cartwright has lost everything: his parents are dead, his older brother wants nothing to do with him, and he’s been fired from his job as a journalist in Washington DC. With nothing left to lose, he returns to his family’s summer cabin outside the small mountain town of Roseland, Oregon to try and find some sense of direction. The cabin should be empty. It’s not. Inside is a man named Alex. And with him is an extraordinary little girl who calls herself Artemis Darth Vader. Artemis, who isn’t exactly as she appears.

Soon it becomes clear that Nate must make a choice: let himself drown in the memories of his past, or fight for a future he never thought possible. Because the girl is special. And forces are descending upon them who want nothing more than to control her.

Review:

What a quirky story from the author we all know and love for his cosy, heart-warming novels! This latest offering (though it is actually a rerelease) is a science fiction/thriller mashup. It will have you wondering about the scale of the entire universe, while simultaneously perched on the edge of your seat as you read, worrying about what lies ahead for our trio of characters.

As you may be able to guess – since it’s a Klune novel – these characters are two men and one young girl, and yes, we do get found family. We primarily follow, and see things, through the perspective of Nate, a journalist from DC who takes a trip to his parents remote cabin to clear his head and figure out his future. What he finds there are people – Alex and Art, and they are running from something big and bad.

On the surface this book may sound like it will be a fun, whimsical road trip adventure with similar vibes to his much loved Cerulean Sea books. The Bones Beneath My Skin is in fact much more mature, though the heavier themes are approached with care.

The plot is speedy. We, or the characters, barely get chances to catch our collective breaths between the anxious running and hiding and running they all are doing. Despite this though, we do manage to spend quality time getting to know the characters. Nate slowly manages to break down the barriers around who and what Alex and Art are and their backstories and it’s fantastic to read.

My biggest, and only real negative was a very detailed sex scene. I have nothing against them, but felt very out of place and didn’t fit the tone of the rest of the book at all.

Overall, I really, really enjoyed this book. Nate was so-so as a character, but Art and Alex more than made up for him, and I loved how the more serious undertones of the book were kept from being too-much by Klune’s always wonderful way of writing and delivering stories with lots of heart.

Thank you to @bookbreakuk@panmacmillan for sending me this gorgeous copy.