The Road of Bones

by Anne Fine

Yuri grows up in a country where no freedom of thought is encouraged – where he is told what to cheer for and who to believe in, where even the neighbours are encouraged to report any dissension to the authorities.

But it is still a shock when a few careless words lead him to a virtual death-sentence – sent on a nightmare journey to a northern camp amid the frozen wastes. What, or who, can he possibly believe in now? Can he even survive? And is escape possible . . . ?


From the Hardcover edition.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Young Adult, Historical, Fiction, Childrens, Coming Of Age, War

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Though readers often find themselves inadvertently laughing aloud as they read Anne Fine's novels, as she herself admits, "a lot of my work, even for fairly young readers, raises serious social issues. Growing up is a long and confusing business. I try to show that the battle through the chaos is worthwhile and can, at times, be seen as very funny." In 1994, this unique combination of humour and realism inspired the hit movie MRS. DOUBTFIRE, based on Anne's novel MADAME DOUBTFIRE and starring the late comedic genius Robin Williams.

Anne is best known in her home country, England, as a writer principally for children, but over the years she has also written eight novels for adult readers. Seven of these she describes as black - or sour - comedies, and the first, THE KILLJOY, simply as "dead black". These novels have proved great favourites with reading groups, causing readers to squirm with mingled horror and delight as she peels away the layers in all too familiar family relationships, exposing the tangled threads and conflicts beneath. (It's perhaps not surprising that Anne has openly expressed astonishment at the fact that murder in the domestic setting is not even more common.)

Anne has written more than sixty books for children and young people. Amongst numerous other awards, she is twice winner of both the Carnegie Medal, Britain's most prestigious children's book award, and the Whitbread Award. Twice chosen as Children's Author of the Year in the British Book Awards, Anne Fine was also the first novelist to be honoured as Children's Laureate in the United Kingdom. In 2003, Anne became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and was awarded an OBE. Her work has been translated into forty five languages.

Anne Fine lives in the north of England and has two grown up daughters.

Reviews

[Jimmy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Road of Bones is an exhilarating book! Well thought out and amazingly written by Anne Fine. This book talks about the hardships of living in a totalitarian state. The book is great, highly recommend it. This book has it all. How poor yuri is robbed of his youth and forced to work through his entire childhood. This is no way for a child to live through his little energetic and wonderful years. Why is there such cruelty? No one should be robbed of their precious years , especially your early years. Not being able to speak your mind. If doing so meant being arrested like a criminal and sent to forced labor camps. That's no life for a child, it isn't a life for anyone. How would you feel if you were robbed of your youth would you? Would you oppress the rage or let loss the tame less rage.? You decide....

[Leanne · Rating 2 out of 5]

A reading experience... I read it.

The only reason I decided to plod on with this is because i enjoy the idea of a middle grade book being about a communist regime.

[Meg Walters · Rating 1 out of 5]

have had this book since I was probably 10 years old, I remember picking it out in Waterstones as a birthday present from my great aunt and I have never ever managed to finish it till today 14 years later les I just feel there's no point to this book? You can draw references to the Russian Industrial Revolution I feel the history around this time warrants a better story to be told? While I find myself rooting for Yuri I'm sure there are other works of fiction based within this time period that are better. After reading Heather Morris' books that so excellently weave fact with fiction but emote you to appreciate and reflect on the times the books are based this one simply fell completely flat for me.
* 1/5 stars
Needless to say I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone, after pushing through it in one sitting I'm reminded why I never got pass a certain book in my endless attempts over the years.

[Angelika · Rating 3 out of 5]

Worth reading, especially for the last 60 or so pages, where the story becomes a lot more gripping and moves forward more quickly. The first 150-200 pages, unfortunately, are a little patchy, and to me at least didn't always convincingly convey the hardships of a totalitarian system. While the points made were solid, I couldn't emotionally connect to it on many occasions. A pity, because especially for teenage readers who are not familiar with what it means to live in a dictatorship, this book, a bitter coming-of-age story might be a good point to start.

[Dylan Golik · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a really good book. There was sometimes that the book didn't make sense that y I have it 4 stars. The story is about how the world is ruled by one leader and anyone that talks bad about it gets killed.but this one girl doesn't think that true and test it and she get forced to work at a place to hall bricks. When she eccapse she dosnt know where to go because all she knows is the camp. It she finds her way out and back to her family.

[Yami · Rating 3 out of 5]

what I thought is a story of ghosts and maybe folklore tale turns out to be more darker than just the mere supernatural, it is actually about dictators and war and how it kills innocence and buries it as a seed for more hatred and a never ending cycle of bloodshed..it is depressing and sad, and in the end it was about this scary developing pattern of how a leader can go wrong.

[Joanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing book - set during an absolutely terrifying period in history (Stalin’s rule of the USSR), this book gave insight into the desperate life of not only the young protagonist, Yuri, but others forced to live under this regime. Very sad.

[Odetteandbooks · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's getting better guys! It's getting better!

[Jose Escobar Isturiz · Rating 4 out of 5]

it was a very interesting book. Sometimes it was confusing because it's written in first person and the main character, Yuri, can lose himself into his world. It was worth it

[Laura Meaney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can’t believe he never went back to even try and find his family. Or that he destroys the old man’s pictures and doesn’t even feel guilty about it.

[Jodie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nothing against the writing or the story - just not one for me.

[Brandon Wood · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Road of Bones to me felt as empty of a book that I could read but still have moments where I was enjoying what I was reading. The best part of this book is when Yuri stays in a certain place for a while, and as a reader I can gain more of a sense of his surroundings as well as the struggles he is going through. The beginning starts of slow, and if it was to build the world I understand however, you never really get a full picture of how this land became so desolate and it's people so defeated.

I was really dumbfounded by the last 40-50 pages of this book as well, and it will probably go down as one of the worst endings I have read in a novel. I won't give away what happens, but not a lot does happen unfortunately, which left me wondering if the author just decided to stop writing or if she felt it was enough.

This book does get a 2 instead of a 1 because the author does a great job describing the current state of affairs, once again though not a lot of history to go off of. Yuri, as the narrator wasn't terrible but he also didn't grab me as much as I thought he could. I feel I should mention as well that I believe this novel is for the early high school level and at that reading level I could see this as a more enjoyable novel.

[Linley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have read other Anne Fine books so was tempted to read this one. I'm not sure about this book - it's almost as though it was meant to be a powerful novel but didn't quite get to the top of the pile. Nothing wrong with the subject choice - we need to read to be aware, to have our eyes open to other ways of living. However the book started badly with a roundabout, rambling opening that lost me somewhat, then it became a skim over story of horror, corruption and brutality. As I said before, it tried hard but didn't quite draw me in. I'd still recommend it to those who have never read this kind of story before as it isn't quite as shocking as it should be and is therefore more palatable to younger readers. Y/A years 9-11 - have a go at something different.

[Devi]

The Road of Bones is a story of Yuri, struggling in a country where they have lost everything including their will and freedom (Lenin type, 1930s Russia according to the author). Honestly, the story itself is middling. Fine wrote out an adventure - surviving even the bleakest of circumstance. The effect on me is rather personal. The struggles are written well, enough to fear for the future, more so that our country is at the point of choosing the next leader. I think what really struck me most was how their society chose their leader, "believing they know who he is but not on what he can actually do." A timely read for me.

[Krista Stevens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Might be a companion for 1984 or "Animal Farm". Yuri lives in a repressive,Stalinesque society where 8-year-old girls denounce their parents for comments against the State. It is a harsh, dark novel - with little redemption (reminded me of "Night" as well as World War II - eastern European historical fiction). The ending simply reinforces Orwell's "absolute power corrupts absolutely". For mature students - graphic torture scenes.

[Stephanie G. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fine's reasons for writing this book make it important for young people to read. The current political climate of our country is scary and has been for the past 8 years. To assume that the changes that are subtlety occurring on the national level are harmless would be huge mistake. Plus that, Anne Fine can write.

[Tweller83 · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very depressing. Need background information about Russia to really understand it. The protagonist is turned from a dreamer into another possible despot. He keeps quoting, "No one bows when the new prince rises." Really didn't like it even though it came highly recommended. I sent it on up to the high school as I don't think any of the middle school students would like it.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Came across accidently whilst browsing in the library. Thoroughly enjoyed reading this; it was dark, horrific and bleak. The writing is excellent and the depiction of such a totalitarian state through a child's eyes is all too familiar and realistic, and although never mentioned, could easily have been based in Russia. Well worth a read.

[MJ · Rating 1 out of 5]

In the "Author's Note" Fine says this is, "a pretty dark novel."

It's supposed to be about a boy experiencing the horrendous events of a fictional purge in Communist Soviet Russia. Unfortunately, it doesn't read like a novel but a series of events with no narrative that I can see.

A disappointment from a normally fine author!!!

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good but grim young adult novel detailing a coming-of-age story set in Russia during the ascendancy of Stalin. Deeply bleak, like A Day In The Life Of Ivan Denisovich, it's drama is gathered less around incidents than the relentless grinding out of life in pointless, futile, fatal ruin. It is a book to leave you murmuring, "The waste . . . the waste." Hard but good read.

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great action adventure story set in a post WWII Communist like country with a Satlinesque leader. Very fast read that would be great for Hi/Lo or reluctant readers in high school. Warning: there are some very graphic (well written)scenes of torture and starvation.

[Alice Visser · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set in a version of Stalinist Russia, this book is unrelentingly depressing, though also moving. Certainly a young adult rather than a teen book, not for the content so much as the tone and the ending.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Aarggh. I have enjoyed Anne Fines books in the past - but this one I read the first few chapters, flicked through the rest and read the last chapter. I can see it might inspire some people but maybe I'm finally growing out of my adolescence.

[Tiphany · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reminded me of Animal Farm which I have recently read and Night which I read in high school. The ending was not what I was expecting. Felt more like a slice of life story than one with a clear adventure towards a goal.

[Christopher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the feel good book of the year but an excellent representation of what its like to live under repression.

[Wally · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solzhenitsyn for teens, utterly depressing ending.

[Wanda Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stark.

[Georgie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A terrifying and chilling end that is full of bitterness. Yuri's transformation as a character is one of the most horrifying I've ever come across; a brilliant read.

[Riadiani Marcelita · Rating 5 out of 5]

gruesome and mind-opening! I've never heard of the Road of Bones before this book, and the book has broaden my knowledge over the subject.. applause for Anne Fine.

[Danielle Hefferman]

Haven't read it yet, but I will do