A Stir of Bones

A Stir of Bones (2003) Nina Kirki Hoffman

I really liked A Fistful of Sky, as well as all of Nina Kiriki Hoffman’s short stories that I have read in various anthologies, so I put A Stir of Bones on my Christmas wishlist. It’s a very short book–only 211 pages long–so I was saving it for when I didn’t have a lot of time to read.

Well, I had to get my blood drawn, so I grabbed this book to read while I was waiting. Got several chapter read, and then headed back to work. However, after dinner I picked up it back up and couldn’t put it back down until I finished it.

In A Stir of Bones, Susan Blackstrom wants to escape. A chance meeting with her childhood friend Julio and his friends allows her a small escape, as well as an adventure. Okay, I realize that’s a terrible synopsis, but it’s hard to describe without giving anything away. Perhaps it would be better to say that despite the fact that the characters in this story are teenagers, I still thoroughly enjoyed the story–and I tend to find books about teenagers frustrating.

I love the way that Nina Kiriki Hoffman writes. There is something about her mix of characters and storytelling that I find nearly perfect. At times, the writing seems sparse, yet I still feel all the detail and ambiance, as well as the emotions of the characters.

I also really like Susan. She is unhappy, yet more together than any teenager should be. It is also interesting how the story is much dependent upon the time period. In 1981 much of what seems commonplace today was unusual then, or simply would not have happened. In that I am thinking specifically of Susan’s mother, and that actions that one would expect her to take would have been, for her at that time and that place, unimaginable.

As we chomp at the bit and expect constant, ever faster progress, it is easy to forget how far we have come in just a few years.

This book is excellent, and I’m looking forward to reading the other books that she has written.
Rating:9/10

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