Book Review: The Bones Beneath My Skin

The Bones Beneath My Skin is sci-fi/romance book written by TJ Klune. This is the second novel of his I’ve picked up to read after being intrigued with his unique approach to vivid worlds and relatable themes with Under the Whispering Door last year.  The Bones Beneath My Skin isn’t one of Klune’s newer novels though, but is in fact one of his earlier published works from back in 2018.  The story of the novel follows Nate Cartwright, a down on his luck ex-journalist who is pretty much at the lowest point of his life both personally and professionally. After the recent tragic death of his estranged parents, Nate is surprised to learn they actually left him their summer cabin up in Oregan along with his father’s pickup truck. With little grasp on where his life is currently leading him, Nate decides to move up to the cabin for a few weeks to try recuperate and figure out how to fix the trainwreck that has become his life. This plan falls apart as soon as Nate arrives at the cabin however, as he discovers the property has two unwelcome squatters in the form of a gruff, well-built man named Alex and a truly extraordinary little girl by the name of Artemis Darth Vader.  Nathan soon learns there’s more to the pair than just being simple squatters and the world they are running from is hot on their heels and whether he wants to or not, Nate is caught right at the centre of it all.

The narrative core of this book is defined by the dynamic between Nate, Alex and Artemis.  While a fair portion of sequences occur throughout the course of the book, its primary element is the relationships these characters share with one another.  It helps in that case that I can praise that aspect of the story as its strongest component. It’s becoming clearer to me with each of his books that I pick up, that one of TJ Klune’s biggest strengths is his character work.  Nate is the main character and a lot of the story is presented through him, so it helps TJ Klune built his backstory and personality in such a comprehensive manner.  You really relate to his struggle with being ostracized, both personally and professionally.  His struggles make him more human in my opinion and it in turn helps him form the key connections with these two random people that have been thrust into his life.  When the book takes its time and focuses on these more intimate moments, it easily grabs your attention and rewards your investment. 

Where the narrative does somewhat struggle however is it’s more action-orientated moments.  The book has stakes which need to be established and TJ Klune does that by putting the story through the motions of big, bombastic sequences much akin to an 80’s sci-fi thriller. There’s nothing overly wrong with the way these moments are presented and they do work to keep the story moving forward.  I do however feel these sections of the book never feel as natural or captivating as the character-driven sections. These sections often pop up quite abruptly and fizzle out just as quickly with little to no actual repercussions applied on the narrative from their inclusion. I just felt like they were there to serve a purpose from a mechanical standpoint as apposed to actually adding on top of the other key strengths the book holds.

In terms of pacing and tone, I rather enjoy the books approach to both points despite some minor inconsistencies.  When the book chooses to take things slow and really define the character dynamics between the three central characters, it’s honestly some of the best parts of the story.  Seeing the barriers both Nate and Alex initially setup slowly crumble with the help of Alex and her inquisitive persona makes for some really endearing reading.  It helps that so much of the book centres on the character dynamic too, it makes up for when the jarring action segments make their presence known. Tonally the book does try to tread a fine line between light-heartedness and maturity when the moments call for it.  I think there’s more successes on this approach then there are failures, but that doesn’t mean there weren’t any.  I think the issue I noted was how little nuance there is in the transitions between these moments. There one particular moment in the book where I feel TJ Klune loses all sense of subtlety in his approach to be mature in his expression of homosexual romance and while it’s not a deal-breaker by any means, it does sadly stick out for the wrong reason.

The Bones Beneath may have some minor blemishes, but on the whole it’s still a thoroughly engrossing read which works at its absolute best when it focusing on characters and their relationships.  There’s a truly endearing aspect behind the books writing that makes you feel like you’re a part of this journey rather than simply a reader.  It’s a story which hones in on its best aspects when it matters and that to me more than makes up for any inconsistencies it showed along the way.  TJ Klune is definitely becoming a name worth paying attention to with the way he’s able to craft stories beyond the realms of the standard world while simultaneously grounding them in deeply relatable aspects and The Bones Beneath Us is no exception to that description.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐