Down Among the Sticks and Bones | A Reread

Down Among the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuire
Series: Wayward Children #2
Published by Tor.com on June 13, 2017
Genres: Fantasy
Pages: 187
Goodreads

Twin sisters Jack and Jill were seventeen when they found their way home and were packed off to Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children.
This is the story of what happened first…
Jacqueline was her mother’s perfect daughter—polite and quiet, always dressed as a princess. If her mother was sometimes a little strict, it’s because crafting the perfect daughter takes discipline.
Jillian was her father’s perfect daughter—adventurous, thrill-seeking, and a bit of a tom-boy. He really would have preferred a son, but you work with what you've got.
They were five when they learned that grown-ups can’t be trusted.
They were twelve when they walked down the impossible staircase and discovered that the pretense of love can never be enough to prepare you a life filled with magic in a land filled with mad scientists and death and choices.

I think I have to preface this review by saying that one of my favourite characters is Jack so having an entire book based on both hers and Jill’s experience within their world. I adored everything about the world and watching the two identical twins head on completely different paths and become exactly who they both wanted to be no matter what the consequences.

As I mentioned Jack is one of my all-time favourite characters and learning all about her and her habits was the most fantastical elements I adored it. There was something mystical formed in the science of it all and it was a really interesting but wonderful way to look at all of this. I really enjoyed how much it contrasted with Jill’s life within the castle walls and her journey to be something monstrous. I thoroughly enjoyed their walk through the town which highlighted and exaggerated their sibling relationship and also their differences. It was beautifully written and brilliantly done and it still remains one of my favourite part of this series.

I also love the relationship between Jack and Alexis, it was well written and seemed to be a natural progression. I also loved how Jack’s OCD was brought into it without it being too much of a step away from what was going on. Again it was natural and brilliant to read, I just loved the added details and I think it made me love her all the more as a character.

My favourite part of this book was actually learning about the twin’s background and the way it shaped them into the people they became when they eventually tumbled into the Moors. I loved the idea of watching a parent having so much control over a child’s life yet completely missing the damage that they were inflicting. It was such a realistic viewpoint on parenthood.

My worst thing and I think is going to be a recurring theme when I start to review the other books in the series. I think these books move exceptionally fast and I would have loved for there to have been more time spent in this world and seeing the characters in what would become their natural habitat.

Please please please read this book and this series. I think there is so much great writing in this series that there needs to be a reaction to that! So read it, because I need people to fangirl.

What are some of your favourite books or series? I would love to hear all about them!