Ne parlerò più avanti perchè devo decisamente metabolizzare questa meraviglia.
Assolutamente consigliato, racconti weird del più alto livello, intrisi del folklore dell'est europeo.
Da leggere per gli amanti del genere, brividi assicurati.

Ne parlo QUI ( )

Interestingly, I literally have no memory of how this book managed to be in my possession. Reading the back cover description (which I did once I set the book down), it's really not one that I can see myself even picking up. There's nothing wrong with it, it just isn't in my typical sphere of interest.

However, as is usual, I often start the next book in my TBR pile months after purchasing it, and I have to assume that's the same situation here. I read the first fifty-ish pages and, while there was nothing wrong with the book, I just found these felt more like anecdotes than stories, and I simply couldn't get into them.

As I said, it was only after I decided to not carry on with the book that I read the back cover and kind of went, huh? How'd I end up with this one.

It's not a horrible book, it's well written, it's just not for me.

I can sum this one up in two words: LOVED IT!

Told as a series of short stories, I adored the way THE BONE MOTHER was presented. Each tale was preceded by a photograph and I found that those photos gave a face to the characters in each vignette.

The tales themselves were very dark. They all came together,( mostly), at the end, to tell a story of pure evil. Told from Ukranian/Romanian points of view, these characters named horrors that I admittedly know little about: The Holodomor, for instance. Easily over 3 million dead, yet most Americans I've met know nothing about it. Why? References to Kristallnacht, and other horrific events in history also appear, all of which add to the darkness and brutal honesty of this volume.

In some ways, though, these tales do have a lighter side to them-isn't it often the darkest of times that bring out the best in people? These characters sacrificed and loved each other, despite the often miserable lives and events they faced. In that way, this book SHINES.

The writing was gorgeous and descriptive without being overly wordy. The presentation just blew me away. The photographs, the stories, the horror, the love and finally the darkness of it all-combined they make THE BONE MOTHER.

My HIGHEST recommendation!

*I received this paperback from the author with no strings attached. I read it, loved it and here we are!* ( )

Oh, wow! I think I may have found my new favorite horror author!

Well, new for me, anyway. He's been around for many years but mostly as a short story artist. But after meeting him and listening to him speak at a convention, I knew I had to read his work. Sharp mind, deep horror sensibility. :) But even without meeting him, this book is an awesome treat.

Ukranian in flavor, we have all the Slavic influences at the fore. Each story in here makes up a much larger picture of the surrounding area filled with VERY creepy influences. You know, like the Night Police, parents eating their children, mass starvation, government-sponsored assassinations, children never growing up, Strigoi, old witches feeding children worms, and a dark mystery that weaves through every story in the best possible way.

Sound cool? It gets better. Demchuk has a WAY WITH WORDS. At first, I thought he was writing in a minimalist way, but it's better than that. He writes like poetry.

The rhythm to his writing is more than compelling. It takes over your heart and pumps your blood for you. I generally never get scared with horror books. Generally. But this one managed to burrow under my skin and wrap around my spine, making me twinge with every new creepy reveal.

I'm totally thrilled. It's like Angela Slater decided to focus on horror. :) My eyes are wide open, now. I'm going to keep a very sharp eye on this writer. :) ( )

Wonderfully creepy stories about people who are not what they seem. I liked the eastern European folklore and how it was seamlessly inserted to recent history and present day. The style was unique, like putting together pieces of a puzzle to figure out what was going on, but in a a good way. ( )