Wake the Bones 

Critical Evaluation

The incredibly detailed descriptions of animal carcasses are squeamish and rough to get through in the beginning chapters, and for 77 pages, the plot of Wake the Bones is slow and uneventful. The author pens a love letter to rural Kentucky and paints the characters beautifully, from their sunburned faces to the dirt coating every inch of exposed skin. However, I can see a reader putting this book down before the heartstopping action begins. Through multiple points of view, we get a few questions answered, but many more remain unanswered. What happened to Laurel's father? What prompted her mother to start making appearances?
Postpartum depression is included in the book's description, but without more information from Anna Early, it is not explained in flashbacks. And why is Ricky the only young adult not to have a chapter with his point of view? He goes from flirty to distant when he finds out Laurel has settled into farming for the foreseeable future, but nothing during the story's arc gives him depth or a strong sense of loyalty to the friend group. In the end, he plays a large role in the story, but for much of the narrative, he does not make an appearance. Overall, this book is tense but unsatisfying. I would recommend it for a reader specifically interested in Southern Gothic fiction, but in a general reader's advisory I would not add Wake the Bones. 

Creative Use for a Library Program

  Forensic Anthropology STEM Class: Connect to the animal bones in Wake the Bones. By partnering with a local museum or forest ranger station, guide teens in animal bone identification. Guide them in discovering an animal's cause of death and clues about their lifestyle (Long Island Science Center, n.d.). If this program is popular, consider expanding into a forensic anthropology series that could include identifying human skeletal remains by photograph with the appropriate scientific partnership. 

Book Talk

Laurel Early works with the animal carcasses dotting her family's land. The Early farm is a natural cemetery for predators and prey, but what will Laurel do when death comes for her and everyone she loves? Generational trauma, small town gossip, and a town marked by hard times can make it difficult to see the beauty in Dry Valley, Kentucky. If Laurel runs far away, perhaps she can escape an early death like her mother faced years earlier. 

Reason for Inclusion

Rather than come of age in a new environment, the main character starts the story by coming home after flunking out of college. She abandons her education, which could have resulted in a career outside of her hometown, and returns to the family farm to pay off her student loans. There are no big plans to leave the farm for an independent future. Her adventure comes in confronting a family mystery and finding the power within. These narratives seem harder to find. Laurel says, "I'll bloom where I'm planted," and she does (Kilcoyne, 2022). Not every character is similarly satisfied with their hometown, but the main character struggling and living at home mirrors an experience that many young adults can identify with.   

Potential Challenges and  Defense Preparation

  Wake the Bones does not have a history of censorship. However, mature content is often challenged for reconsideration, especially when the stories have LGBTQ+ or POC main characters. In addition to LGBTQ+ characters, mental and physical abuse, sexual content, suicide, and substance abuse are mature topics featured in this book. There is also a disclaimer before the book about dental trauma, postpartum depression, and animal death. What is good about the disclaimer is that it preemptively warns parents about topics in this novel. A strong reconsideration policy is the best defense.