Publishing Info: June 13, 2017 by Macmillan
Source: Scribd
Genres: Adult, Fantasy
Date Completed: July 5, 2018
Find it on the web: Buy from Amazon // Goodreads
Related Posts: In an Absent Dream (Wayward Children #4), Lost in the Moment and Found (Wayward Children #8)
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 was surprised by and interested in EVERY HEART A DOORWAY but wasn’t quite sure how the rest of the books would tie in so I was excited to continue on! I was glad to see that DOWN AMONG THE STICKS AND BONES was about Jack and Jill because I really loved Jack in EVERY HEART A DOORWAY and she was my favorite character in the book.
DOWN AMONG THE STICKS AND BONES takes us to the door/portal world that Jack and Jill discovered and then left. I really loved getting into their story and it was interesting to see those pieces of their life before they discovered the door, their time in the world where they belonged, and really how everything went wrong from there. It was interesting to see two characters in a world and how Jack and Jill interacted with the world, each other, and the other residents there. It added another dimension to this particular story with two new residents instead of just the one, and it was also interesting how each girl really found their place as well as started to discover who they were and what they wanted… or thought they wanted.
I love how short these books are buuuuut I’ve also felt like both of these could have used just a bit more somewhere. I don’t think the story needed to be longer in DOWN AMONG THE STICKS AND BONES but it is interesting to think about how this series is structured. The first book kind of had the whole plot all in one book and this book was more of a prequel, really. It told Jack and Jill’s story in their world — their first trip and discovery, how their lives changed while they were there, and how they ended up leaving. It’s a really interesting series construction and I’m even more curious to see what comes next. Since it’s a unique concept, it’s a little hard to grasp but I’m impressed and intrigued!
Kept Me Hooked On: Darker worlds. This was sort of a vampire world but had many other aspects that made it so much more. It was interesting to see the sort of dark concepts that were normal here, as well as other gender norms.
Left Me Wanting More: Plot Development. I love the short length of these books but I wish there was just a bit more time spent here, learning more about the world and the people in it.
Addiction Rating
Read it!
I really enjoyed the concept, execution, and emotion involved in this book. I think this one doesn’t read as well as the next two do but I really enjoyed this a lot.