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The Bone Factory
David Pierce has moved with his wife and daughter to accept a job with a recently reopened hydropower plant in Quebec. But the owners of the mysterious plant are hiding a deadly secret, and David’s little girl has begun to have terrifying premonitions of blood and death.
333 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 5, 2009
86 people are currently reading
379 people want to read
About the author
Nate Kenyon
32 books204 followersNate Kenyon's latest novel is the techno-thriller Day One (Thomas Dunne/St. Martins Press). Booklist gave it a starred review, calling it "exciting and inventive." Library Journal called it a "must" and Kenyon's "scariest to date."
Kenyon grew up in a small town in Maine. His first novel, Bloodstone, received raves from places as varied as Library Journal, Fangoria, Publishers Weekly, about.com, Cemetery Dance and The Romance Studio, and praise from authors such as Brian Keene, Tim Lebbon, Douglas Clegg, Mort Castle and Rick Hautala. Bloodstone was a Bram Stoker Award finalist and and P&E Novel of the Year Award winner. It was released in paperback from Leisure Books.
Nate's second novel, The Reach, received a starred review from Publishers Weekly, which called it "superb." The Reach is in development as a major motion picture. His third novel, The Bone Factory, and his science fiction novella, Prime, were released in 2009. The Bone Factory was called "masterful" by Booklist, and Shroud Magazine called Prime "a blistering, fast-paced tale."
Nate's fourth novel SPARROW ROCK was also optioned for film. He has written the novel StarCraft Ghost: Spectres, based on the bestselling videogame by Blizzard and published by Pocket Books, and Diablo: The Order, also based on a Blizzard game and published by Gallery Books.
Nate is one of four authors featured in the Dark Arts Books anthology When the Night Comes Down, March 2010.
Nate's dark fiction stories have appeared in various magazines such as Shroud and The Belletrist Review, and in the horror anthologies Terminal Frights, Northern Haunts, Legends of the Mountain State, and Monstrous, among others. Kenyon has worked at the Brookline Public Library in Brookline, Mass. and the Boston College Law School as their Director of Marketing & Communications. He is a member of the Horror Writers Association and International Thriller Writers.
Kenyon grew up in a small town in Maine. His first novel, Bloodstone, received raves from places as varied as Library Journal, Fangoria, Publishers Weekly, about.com, Cemetery Dance and The Romance Studio, and praise from authors such as Brian Keene, Tim Lebbon, Douglas Clegg, Mort Castle and Rick Hautala. Bloodstone was a Bram Stoker Award finalist and and P&E Novel of the Year Award winner. It was released in paperback from Leisure Books.
Nate's second novel, The Reach, received a starred review from Publishers Weekly, which called it "superb." The Reach is in development as a major motion picture. His third novel, The Bone Factory, and his science fiction novella, Prime, were released in 2009. The Bone Factory was called "masterful" by Booklist, and Shroud Magazine called Prime "a blistering, fast-paced tale."
Nate's fourth novel SPARROW ROCK was also optioned for film. He has written the novel StarCraft Ghost: Spectres, based on the bestselling videogame by Blizzard and published by Pocket Books, and Diablo: The Order, also based on a Blizzard game and published by Gallery Books.
Nate is one of four authors featured in the Dark Arts Books anthology When the Night Comes Down, March 2010.
Nate's dark fiction stories have appeared in various magazines such as Shroud and The Belletrist Review, and in the horror anthologies Terminal Frights, Northern Haunts, Legends of the Mountain State, and Monstrous, among others. Kenyon has worked at the Brookline Public Library in Brookline, Mass. and the Boston College Law School as their Director of Marketing & Communications. He is a member of the Horror Writers Association and International Thriller Writers.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
December 6, 2019
After a very strong preface that gives us a hint of what will await us on the following pages the novel starts with David Pierce applying for a job. We hear about his family, his wife Helen, and their 4-year old daughter Jessica. Oh, Jessica is a girl with visions. David gets the job and the family moves into a very remote house near the plant. Something bad happened in the woods surrounding the house. Besides there is a deserted mining area nearby. When Dan Flint, FARC and contamination of the water appear on the scene the action takes off. And then there is Jonathan Newman, an ex-Vietnam soldier and member of staff of the hydroelectric plant. He's missing. Has he anything to do with missing children and persons in the area? What happened to Joe Thibideau in the preface? This is a nailbiting and very compelling story set in winter in a very remote area very few of us want to go to. Also the showdown was long, thrilling and tough. An excellent and very entertaining read. Absolutely enjoyed this novel and can highly recommend it!
February 13, 2017
One of those horror books that takes a page from a mystery book by starting out seeming complex, mysterious and widespread, but towards the end you realize it's a basic and simple premise. The beginning holds that allure of supernatural tension, but by the end I was a little let down by the explanation. I won't ruin the story by telling the plot outline since the blurb doesn't either - it's better to be left in the dark with this one before you read it.
Writing style works great, even if the plot is familiar. There are a few genuinely creepy pages throughout, especially toward the beginning in the woods. It's not drawn-out gory but there are some chilling images, but nothing that would bother those who read horror frequently.
Pacing is a little slow after the intriguing set-up takes place because there's just not as many places to go from there. The first half of the book is the strongest, David and his family being well written if not a little stereotypical.
It's multiple point of view, and Kenyon changes the viewpoint by starting new chapters. He mainly keeps to the same family, but sometimes a random character pops up for a short chapter. It comes together later why their viewpoint was shown, but it's a little distracting. Since the chapters are short it's not bad though, and he doesn't switch viewpoints too much to where it's annoying.
Overall it's a good book but nothing that will stand out as more than a standard, run-of-the-mill thriller that offers some minor creepiness. Kenyon's writing style is talented, though, so I will definitely be checking out more of his horror novels to see if his imagination catches up to his writing talent.
Writing style works great, even if the plot is familiar. There are a few genuinely creepy pages throughout, especially toward the beginning in the woods. It's not drawn-out gory but there are some chilling images, but nothing that would bother those who read horror frequently.
Pacing is a little slow after the intriguing set-up takes place because there's just not as many places to go from there. The first half of the book is the strongest, David and his family being well written if not a little stereotypical.
It's multiple point of view, and Kenyon changes the viewpoint by starting new chapters. He mainly keeps to the same family, but sometimes a random character pops up for a short chapter. It comes together later why their viewpoint was shown, but it's a little distracting. Since the chapters are short it's not bad though, and he doesn't switch viewpoints too much to where it's annoying.
Overall it's a good book but nothing that will stand out as more than a standard, run-of-the-mill thriller that offers some minor creepiness. Kenyon's writing style is talented, though, so I will definitely be checking out more of his horror novels to see if his imagination catches up to his writing talent.
November 30, 2019
The Story :
Come winter, the construction of Jackson hydro-electric plant has been halted, with no proper road leading to the construction site. Soon enough, unaccountable events occur. Neighbouring people disappear, entailing more disturbing occurences.
David Pierce, an unemployed engineer, applies to a job interview given by Hydro Development, a company specialized in pumped-storage facilities, operating several facilities in Quebec and Maine, including the construction site in Jackson. They want David to study the plant on site, suggest improvements as to its current state before achieving it when the works reopen. They will provide him the accommodation, a cosy house close by the unfinished plant.
The Pierce family, David, his wife Helen, and their daughter Jessie, move from NY state to Jackson, NB, the small backwater along St John's river, close by Maine, a few miles from the plant. Soon, they get acquainted with the slightly odd behaviour of some locals.
---------
My opinion on the book (spoiler-free):
The first thing I have found quite compelling in this story is how the sense of location and presence is handled. Starting with the job interview.
The opening job interview sets the very tone and pace of the whole story, leaving off a lot of implicit and undisclosed information. Throughout, this progressive, painstaking atmosphere build-up won't slacken. Unnerving signs show up from time to time, carried by small key-words triggering constant uneasiness in you, reader.
Subtly, you are given disquieting tidbits about local species, human and animal alike, some of them behaving in unaccountable ways of late. The Pierces themselves are prey to ceaseless wavering thoughts, ranging from disquieting to overly enthusiastic, and back again, strenghening their momentum with every swing. (That is, for the characters not deranged from the start).
Quebec, the ficticious town of Saint-Boudin (Saint-Quentin, NB?), mere places, are invested with a tangible sense of personality, starting with the plant. It feels off, odd, eerily out of place, as though it were endowed with a residual form of life preying on the neighbouring populations.
A shady company, old mines, an acutely perceptive child, some paranoid veteran, a prying dropout student, tense, unforeseeing parents, neurotic women... This is all along a nice play with well-known character tropes to anticipate your expectations and thwart them. What you are left with is a web of theories of your own, wild and sound, to mire yourself into, making it all look not that implausible.
As the character development unfolds, you are left with a wealth of false tracks, no objective explanations dispelling or discarding altogether the other ones, for the most part.
Also, a finale, but no final explicit statements.
The winning formula may well be the efficient blend of realism and the supernatural.
For instance, take the dream vision sections. They feel immensely immersive indeed, so much so the "spider wraith" feels very physical... Something akin to the shark-man in Les Garçons de l'été, for instance.
As a conclusion, I would like to thank Peter for his adept recommendation.
Thanks, Peter, spot on with this one.
RELATED WORKS :
Desperation
Hideout
Les Garçons de l'été
MATCHING MUSIC :
Acheron - Unreal 2 OST
Come winter, the construction of Jackson hydro-electric plant has been halted, with no proper road leading to the construction site. Soon enough, unaccountable events occur. Neighbouring people disappear, entailing more disturbing occurences.
David Pierce, an unemployed engineer, applies to a job interview given by Hydro Development, a company specialized in pumped-storage facilities, operating several facilities in Quebec and Maine, including the construction site in Jackson. They want David to study the plant on site, suggest improvements as to its current state before achieving it when the works reopen. They will provide him the accommodation, a cosy house close by the unfinished plant.
The Pierce family, David, his wife Helen, and their daughter Jessie, move from NY state to Jackson, NB, the small backwater along St John's river, close by Maine, a few miles from the plant. Soon, they get acquainted with the slightly odd behaviour of some locals.
---------
My opinion on the book (spoiler-free):
The first thing I have found quite compelling in this story is how the sense of location and presence is handled. Starting with the job interview.
The opening job interview sets the very tone and pace of the whole story, leaving off a lot of implicit and undisclosed information. Throughout, this progressive, painstaking atmosphere build-up won't slacken. Unnerving signs show up from time to time, carried by small key-words triggering constant uneasiness in you, reader.
Subtly, you are given disquieting tidbits about local species, human and animal alike, some of them behaving in unaccountable ways of late. The Pierces themselves are prey to ceaseless wavering thoughts, ranging from disquieting to overly enthusiastic, and back again, strenghening their momentum with every swing. (That is, for the characters not deranged from the start).
Quebec, the ficticious town of Saint-Boudin (Saint-Quentin, NB?), mere places, are invested with a tangible sense of personality, starting with the plant. It feels off, odd, eerily out of place, as though it were endowed with a residual form of life preying on the neighbouring populations.
A shady company, old mines, an acutely perceptive child, some paranoid veteran, a prying dropout student, tense, unforeseeing parents, neurotic women... This is all along a nice play with well-known character tropes to anticipate your expectations and thwart them. What you are left with is a web of theories of your own, wild and sound, to mire yourself into, making it all look not that implausible.
As the character development unfolds, you are left with a wealth of false tracks, no objective explanations dispelling or discarding altogether the other ones, for the most part.
Also, a finale, but no final explicit statements.
The winning formula may well be the efficient blend of realism and the supernatural.
For instance, take the dream vision sections. They feel immensely immersive indeed, so much so the "spider wraith" feels very physical... Something akin to the shark-man in Les Garçons de l'été, for instance.
As a conclusion, I would like to thank Peter for his adept recommendation.
Thanks, Peter, spot on with this one.
RELATED WORKS :
Desperation
Hideout
Les Garçons de l'été
MATCHING MUSIC :
Acheron - Unreal 2 OST
August 28, 2021
Forget Danny Torrence from that 'Haunted Hotel' book......get ready to meet Jessica Pierce a little girls who sees very scary things in 'The Bone Factory' and I hope you are not Winter Snow Claustrophobic! Can't wait to read more from author Kenyon!
Dave Pierce has accepted a new job in Saint Bourdain outside of Quebec, and he moves his wife Helen and 4 year old daughter Jessica (who just happens to be a child with horrific visions of death and blood!) up north from outside New York......and little Jessica and her Johnny Bear will never be the same!
Dave learns of the previous supervisor and seasonal Hydro Plant worker, and his family's tragic loss of their daughter, and does not think anything of it.....he needs this job. When Jessica tells her daddy, 'do you know the little girl was eaten and killed by the monsters........Daddy?' he just blows it over like just another one of her stories and her imagination. What Dave should have taken more serious, is that she knows what she is talking about, and he wishes he would have listened to her before he moved and left his home to live out a winter that he hopes they can survive without reliving what happened to the previous family?
With this being my first of 5 books by this author that I own, I listened to the audio version on Scribd and was so surprised by the intensity of Kenyon's writing styles that I cannot wait to now read his first book; Bloodstone. This was an easy to rate 4 🩸🩸🩸🩸
Dave Pierce has accepted a new job in Saint Bourdain outside of Quebec, and he moves his wife Helen and 4 year old daughter Jessica (who just happens to be a child with horrific visions of death and blood!) up north from outside New York......and little Jessica and her Johnny Bear will never be the same!
Dave learns of the previous supervisor and seasonal Hydro Plant worker, and his family's tragic loss of their daughter, and does not think anything of it.....he needs this job. When Jessica tells her daddy, 'do you know the little girl was eaten and killed by the monsters........Daddy?' he just blows it over like just another one of her stories and her imagination. What Dave should have taken more serious, is that she knows what she is talking about, and he wishes he would have listened to her before he moved and left his home to live out a winter that he hopes they can survive without reliving what happened to the previous family?
With this being my first of 5 books by this author that I own, I listened to the audio version on Scribd and was so surprised by the intensity of Kenyon's writing styles that I cannot wait to now read his first book; Bloodstone. This was an easy to rate 4 🩸🩸🩸🩸
December 2, 2017
The Bone Factory
grabbed me right from the start.
I don't even have a proper place to read anymore, as all the lights where I live are mostly dim and too hard to read by. And yet I couldn't put this book down(!). So...though most of you do this and would never cop to it, I read nearly all of it in the bathroom. Yep! In like the 3 or 4 days I could actually do so. Heh. Ummm...yeah. So, unlike several readers who gave it a lower rating, I thought it was pretty great.
I love urban or "family-horror" or whatever you call the type Stephen King is known for, and that may be why I enjoyed this enough to give it a 5 star rating.
It centers around a small family, David Pierce, his wife, Helen, and their daughter, Jessica, as they move from the States to a snowy town in Canada where David starts a new job. Problem is, there may be more to his hiring than just getting a lucky break. Further, there may be a killer at large that may be connected to the large power plant he was hired to oversee.
The writing is fantastic. Having read his book, Bloodstone , of which I liked about as much as this one, I was already a big fan of his storytelling style, and thus knew this book was most likely going to be a good one.
I thought there were a few minor occasions where actions made by one or more of the characters could've/would've been a bit better thought out, but I excused those knowing that fear and stress can make for some irrational decision-making.
All-in-all, I was riveted to my seat (and yeah, the ring it was puttin' around my butt was sore!) and was locked into this story wanting to know what was going to happen to each and every family member, in fear of their lives, the supporting characters around them and, at times, even for the deranged killer.
I will DEFINITELY be reading more by Nate Kenyon , and sooner rather than later.
Recommended!
I don't even have a proper place to read anymore, as all the lights where I live are mostly dim and too hard to read by. And yet I couldn't put this book down(!). So...though most of you do this and would never cop to it, I read nearly all of it in the bathroom. Yep! In like the 3 or 4 days I could actually do so. Heh. Ummm...yeah. So, unlike several readers who gave it a lower rating, I thought it was pretty great.
I love urban or "family-horror" or whatever you call the type Stephen King is known for, and that may be why I enjoyed this enough to give it a 5 star rating.
It centers around a small family, David Pierce, his wife, Helen, and their daughter, Jessica, as they move from the States to a snowy town in Canada where David starts a new job. Problem is, there may be more to his hiring than just getting a lucky break. Further, there may be a killer at large that may be connected to the large power plant he was hired to oversee.
The writing is fantastic. Having read his book, Bloodstone , of which I liked about as much as this one, I was already a big fan of his storytelling style, and thus knew this book was most likely going to be a good one.
I thought there were a few minor occasions where actions made by one or more of the characters could've/would've been a bit better thought out, but I excused those knowing that fear and stress can make for some irrational decision-making.
All-in-all, I was riveted to my seat (and yeah, the ring it was puttin' around my butt was sore!) and was locked into this story wanting to know what was going to happen to each and every family member, in fear of their lives, the supporting characters around them and, at times, even for the deranged killer.
I will DEFINITELY be reading more by Nate Kenyon , and sooner rather than later.
Recommended!
September 9, 2011
Nate Kenyon has an uncanny ability to write horror, I mean some major unsettling terrifying horror, without resorting to gore and gratuitous sex/violence (not that there is something wrong with those, of course :)). I read this book immediately after Brian Keene's The Rising and City of The Dead, because I wanted a break from nonstop action and dangling intestines and this book fit the bill. There is really almost no supernatural element to this book, but it's quite scary all the same. Would make a great snow day read. I didn't like it as much as Kenyon's Reach and Bloodstone, those books were amazing. But this book was still very good. I highly recommend it.
July 14, 2009
When David Pierce first walked into the offices of Hydro Development, he wasn’t expecting much. For the last few months, he’d been searching for a job, but no one would give him a chance after his former employer fired him over a disagreement. The money was beginning to run out, and David really needed some good luck. Well, as they say…be careful what you wish for.
Hydro Development sets David and his family up in a house on the edge of nowhere. It’s cold, isolated, and foreboding. David thought, though, that once they got settled in, his daughter’s nightmares would end—but they only seem to escalate. She dreams of a mysterious man she calls “blue man.” She says he’s coming to get her, and he’ll be here soon.
David then discovers that Hydro Development may have environmental problems, and he begins to wonder if his job is to clean it up or to take the fall for it. What once seemed like a good opportunity soon turns into David’s worst nightmare as he fights to save his family from both a disturbed stranger and an ecological disaster.
The Bone Factory is a character driven novel that will draw you deep into one man’s life as he struggles to survive in a cruel set of circumstances. You’ll feel for David because all he wants is a decent job so he can take care of his family, but life can be a pest when it wants to be, and it goes after David with both barrels blazing.
Author Nate Kenyon has created a cold, isolated setting and brought it to life, stirring in a dose of creepiness to give readers an extra chill. However, the focus is mainly on the characters, so don’t expect a fast-paced plot. It doesn’t need it, though, because the characters are well-drawn and interesting enough to keep you tuned in to their story. Then, near the end, the pace picks up, and it will leave you breathless as you rush through the pages, eager to find out how it’ll end.
In the mood for a well-developed horror novel that doesn’t use scare tactics to get your attention? Then The Bone Factory is an excellent choice.
First appeared in Nightsandweekends.com: http://www.nightsandweekends.com/arti...
Hydro Development sets David and his family up in a house on the edge of nowhere. It’s cold, isolated, and foreboding. David thought, though, that once they got settled in, his daughter’s nightmares would end—but they only seem to escalate. She dreams of a mysterious man she calls “blue man.” She says he’s coming to get her, and he’ll be here soon.
David then discovers that Hydro Development may have environmental problems, and he begins to wonder if his job is to clean it up or to take the fall for it. What once seemed like a good opportunity soon turns into David’s worst nightmare as he fights to save his family from both a disturbed stranger and an ecological disaster.
The Bone Factory is a character driven novel that will draw you deep into one man’s life as he struggles to survive in a cruel set of circumstances. You’ll feel for David because all he wants is a decent job so he can take care of his family, but life can be a pest when it wants to be, and it goes after David with both barrels blazing.
Author Nate Kenyon has created a cold, isolated setting and brought it to life, stirring in a dose of creepiness to give readers an extra chill. However, the focus is mainly on the characters, so don’t expect a fast-paced plot. It doesn’t need it, though, because the characters are well-drawn and interesting enough to keep you tuned in to their story. Then, near the end, the pace picks up, and it will leave you breathless as you rush through the pages, eager to find out how it’ll end.
In the mood for a well-developed horror novel that doesn’t use scare tactics to get your attention? Then The Bone Factory is an excellent choice.
First appeared in Nightsandweekends.com: http://www.nightsandweekends.com/arti...
February 8, 2011
Probably my least favorite Nate Kenyon to date (other than Prime) but still excellent writing, interesting characters, and fast-paced plot.
It is interesting to note that this book started out very Shining-esque. Kenyon's earlier work The Keep (?) has been compared to Firestarter.
I think it's perfectly fine to emulate beloved horror classics. And despite the similarities at the beginning, the plot of the BF came into its own about half-way through the book.
It is interesting to note that this book started out very Shining-esque. Kenyon's earlier work The Keep (?) has been compared to Firestarter.
I think it's perfectly fine to emulate beloved horror classics. And despite the similarities at the beginning, the plot of the BF came into its own about half-way through the book.
July 4, 2017
From the get go, this book was amazing. I listened to it while walking every morning and then while driving back from Canada. I DID have to turn if off near the end to focus more on traffic, I get a little lightheaded with detail of injury. Like all great books, I didn't want the story to end, and I look forward to reading/hearing more from Nate Kenyon.
July 6, 2009
Nate scored this time! I didn't care much for The Reach, but I loved Bloodstone, his first novel, and this one scared the crap out of me! Cheers to Nate for writing like Nate and not Stephen King (though I love King)!
December 17, 2021
The prologue was great. I thought the book was overall good but it took a while to build up to what was going on. Abject lesson - don't accept a job that requires you to completely alter your life when you are really desperate. I recognize that it may be hard to do that but it seldom turns out well!
The last 3rd of the book really moves and turns into a can't put down thriller. The environmental descriptions mad me put on a coat while reading!
The last 3rd of the book really moves and turns into a can't put down thriller. The environmental descriptions mad me put on a coat while reading!
August 31, 2016
First of all, and I want to be really clear about this, The Bone Factory hit on my deepest bias. (No, not the one where I eternally love anyone who supplies me with chocolate, the other one.) There's a horrific child abuse scene which goes into great detail, and I have a really hard time dealing with that sort of thing. Seriously, I didn't make it through Gregory Maguire's Wicked because I couldn't get past the neglect/abuse in the earlier parts of the book, and that was pretty mild compared to what I'm talking about here. I read the scene and had to put it down and walk away for awhile because it disturbed and upset me, and it's probably pretty clear it still does. I can handle a lot of dark and disturbing things, but child abuse goes over the line for me, and colours my feelings for the book.
With that out of the way, I'm going to do what I can to write a fair and honest review, but since I'm only human, I ask everyone to bear in mind that this book pushed my personal buttons, which may not have the same effect on other readers. I suppose the same could be said of any other book, but even more so today.
The first thing I feel I should mention is the setting. Above and beyond all the characters, the harsh winter permeates the story so thoroughly you almost feel it. Death by climate is just as big a threat as the "blue man" in the woods, perhaps even more so. As someone who happens to be a Canadian having just lived through a winter with several weeks hovering between -40 and -60F, I can appreciate the freakish weather in the book and how it becomes a physical challenge for the characters, as big a problem as all the other issues going on. (Although I'd like to point out the wussy jackets they would have worn around New York would not be adequate protection from the snow and cold, not even in March. A good quality parka is a necessity in the north.)
The mystery is beautifully crafted, with the pieces slowly coming together, the reader actually working out what's going on along with the characters rather than being three chapters ahead and wishing the protagonists would learn to add one and one. When everything finally comes together, it creates one of those delightful "ahhh" moments, like book nirvana, where it all suddenly makes sense.
I really liked the concept of Jessie, a little girl who knows far more than she should, although I wish she had been explored more thoroughly. There are hints of what she can do, but if we're going to delve into the supernatural, I wanna know all the details. Most of the things she does are by accident, and I got the sense we never really find out the extent of what Jessie can do (not to mention how they work), which is a shame.
I was less keen hearing from the perspective of the madman (not really a villain per se, since he never set out to commit evil, but a mentally disturbed killer is still a killer). Really, the pieces from that side of the story could just as well have been brought in by Amanda the therapist, which would have streamlined and served to emphasize the bond between therapist and patient, which becomes important later on but is more told to us than shown.
So that's the good, the bad, and the ugly. Despite my nitpicks, it's a well-written mystery/thriller with some genuinely scary moments and a lovely attention to detail. If you're looking for something creepy with minimal gore, this might be the book you want.
With that out of the way, I'm going to do what I can to write a fair and honest review, but since I'm only human, I ask everyone to bear in mind that this book pushed my personal buttons, which may not have the same effect on other readers. I suppose the same could be said of any other book, but even more so today.
The first thing I feel I should mention is the setting. Above and beyond all the characters, the harsh winter permeates the story so thoroughly you almost feel it. Death by climate is just as big a threat as the "blue man" in the woods, perhaps even more so. As someone who happens to be a Canadian having just lived through a winter with several weeks hovering between -40 and -60F, I can appreciate the freakish weather in the book and how it becomes a physical challenge for the characters, as big a problem as all the other issues going on. (Although I'd like to point out the wussy jackets they would have worn around New York would not be adequate protection from the snow and cold, not even in March. A good quality parka is a necessity in the north.)
The mystery is beautifully crafted, with the pieces slowly coming together, the reader actually working out what's going on along with the characters rather than being three chapters ahead and wishing the protagonists would learn to add one and one. When everything finally comes together, it creates one of those delightful "ahhh" moments, like book nirvana, where it all suddenly makes sense.
I really liked the concept of Jessie, a little girl who knows far more than she should, although I wish she had been explored more thoroughly. There are hints of what she can do, but if we're going to delve into the supernatural, I wanna know all the details. Most of the things she does are by accident, and I got the sense we never really find out the extent of what Jessie can do (not to mention how they work), which is a shame.
I was less keen hearing from the perspective of the madman (not really a villain per se, since he never set out to commit evil, but a mentally disturbed killer is still a killer). Really, the pieces from that side of the story could just as well have been brought in by Amanda the therapist, which would have streamlined and served to emphasize the bond between therapist and patient, which becomes important later on but is more told to us than shown.
So that's the good, the bad, and the ugly. Despite my nitpicks, it's a well-written mystery/thriller with some genuinely scary moments and a lovely attention to detail. If you're looking for something creepy with minimal gore, this might be the book you want.
June 29, 2011
Author Nate Kenyon continues to improve with each book, especially his technical writing. The Bone Factory illustrates Kenyon's talent for smooth prose and his special attention to atmosphere. I'm a sucker for novels set in snowy, desolate locations, and the locations in this story are about as far away from civilization as you can get. But there were a few choices that I wish were handled differently and the overall storyline didn't grab me the way I would have liked.
I enjoyed the slow, calculated buildup with the family and the move to their new home, but sometimes I think too much time was spent on small events which could have been edited down and been just as effective. For instance, there is a section nine pages long describing a character's inspection of the woods around his property to see if there is anyone lurking around. Surely this didn't need to be nine pages. There were also some character reactions that I found rather odd that pulled me out of the story. Helen's strong reaction to Angie's information about the missing girl seemed a bit melodramatic. David's reaction was strange as well. It's not as if the girl was torn to shreds inside the house. They were simply living in a house where the previous owner's daughter went missing. What's the big deal? They never even found her body. People go missing all the time for any number of reasons. These revelations could have been smoother for me.
Prologue aside, and with the exception of a brief death scene involving a camper, the horror really doesn't get going until another two hundred plus pages. And while there is no doubt that Kenyon is a fine writer, I question the need to tell this particular story. Well executed, sure, but it was not that engaging as a tale, especially a full length novel. Perhaps it would have worked better as a novella. The separate parts of the story didn't quite connect in a natural, organic way for me. The section about the baby and his bottle was quite vivid and horrifying, but for most of the book, I found the horror rather tame for adult fiction. However, I have heard great things about Kenyon's new novel, "Sparrow Rock", so I plan on giving that a try.
I enjoyed the slow, calculated buildup with the family and the move to their new home, but sometimes I think too much time was spent on small events which could have been edited down and been just as effective. For instance, there is a section nine pages long describing a character's inspection of the woods around his property to see if there is anyone lurking around. Surely this didn't need to be nine pages. There were also some character reactions that I found rather odd that pulled me out of the story. Helen's strong reaction to Angie's information about the missing girl seemed a bit melodramatic. David's reaction was strange as well. It's not as if the girl was torn to shreds inside the house. They were simply living in a house where the previous owner's daughter went missing. What's the big deal? They never even found her body. People go missing all the time for any number of reasons. These revelations could have been smoother for me.
Prologue aside, and with the exception of a brief death scene involving a camper, the horror really doesn't get going until another two hundred plus pages. And while there is no doubt that Kenyon is a fine writer, I question the need to tell this particular story. Well executed, sure, but it was not that engaging as a tale, especially a full length novel. Perhaps it would have worked better as a novella. The separate parts of the story didn't quite connect in a natural, organic way for me. The section about the baby and his bottle was quite vivid and horrifying, but for most of the book, I found the horror rather tame for adult fiction. However, I have heard great things about Kenyon's new novel, "Sparrow Rock", so I plan on giving that a try.
September 19, 2010
Back when i was younger, i used to love stephen king books, and then his writing changed and became worse. And john saul, and then the same thing happened to him too. when i was reading this book i kinda felt like i was in a time warp.. i thought wow this is so stephen king! then i belatedly noticed that some quote on the cover said the same thing..so i guess my thought wasnt that original. oh well. anyway, this book went very quickly, and wasnt what i expected from the beginning. ill read more of his books again.
March 11, 2025
Prologue gives a short glimps of a vague crime..
Then it's only back story. Nothing regarding horror. Job/financial problems, family problems.
30% in, thinking about DNF-ing. the writing isn't bad but the story doesn't move. Everything so far could be said in 2 pages! Back story/job application/family moving to Canada.
No thrill whatsoever! Really boring so far.
I mean it isn't even slow, it's purely stagnant!
40% in, another crime has happened. No thrill. Story doesn't move. Back stories of other ppl. The story apparently wants to he a murder mystery. It also wants to be atmospheric with snow/cold but falls flat.
50% in, more rambling. Story hasn't moved forward. Troubles with moving to Canada, etc. Just little hints on some stuff that might occur later.
80% in, everything is obvious, it's a matter of survival. Still no thrill. Still boring.
All in all this was a waste of time. Should have DNF-ed.
Then it's only back story. Nothing regarding horror. Job/financial problems, family problems.
30% in, thinking about DNF-ing. the writing isn't bad but the story doesn't move. Everything so far could be said in 2 pages! Back story/job application/family moving to Canada.
No thrill whatsoever! Really boring so far.
I mean it isn't even slow, it's purely stagnant!
40% in, another crime has happened. No thrill. Story doesn't move. Back stories of other ppl. The story apparently wants to he a murder mystery. It also wants to be atmospheric with snow/cold but falls flat.
50% in, more rambling. Story hasn't moved forward. Troubles with moving to Canada, etc. Just little hints on some stuff that might occur later.
80% in, everything is obvious, it's a matter of survival. Still no thrill. Still boring.
All in all this was a waste of time. Should have DNF-ed.
December 22, 2022
I more or less enjoyed this book. I think it's a bit too bloated. It could be a lean mean horror machine, but for all of that, it leaves a few things left unexplored. I think those things would be considered spoilers, so I won't mention them here. And for all that bloat, somehow the ending seems rushed, and a few characters feel more like chess pieces than actual people. I like the idea of the story a lot, and I kind of figured out early why the main character was really hired. But that part of the book is fun. I don't know if I can recommend this one, though.
July 3, 2021
So, this book had potential to be great. It was an enjoyable read, but just too many loose ends. So many story lines that I would have loved for the author to elaborate more on.
A couple examples: I wish that more had been done with the scientific experiments and more on the daughters gifts.
Definitely a good read, but it just left you wanting Soo much more!
A couple examples: I wish that more had been done with the scientific experiments and more on the daughters gifts.
Definitely a good read, but it just left you wanting Soo much more!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 11, 2019
A truly terrifying book.
November 22, 2019
Rather boring read to be honest. Much better crime thrillers out there.
August 25, 2024
I thought this was a decent horror novel.
May 1, 2025
3.5/5 More needed to happen for this to build up properly. It felt like some characters needed a proper background to them for the events to unfold the way they did.
December 10, 2009
Murder, disappearances and madness in the snowbound forest of Quebec.
Joe Thibodeau searched for the missing little girl, following his instincts and the faint trace of tracks to the silent hydro plant and straight into the lair of a maniac.
After a year of being unemployed, David Pierce has been hired to put the Jackson Hydro plant back on schedule. He moves his little family – Helen and his daughter, Jessie – to Jackson near St. Boudin in Quebec.
The house is amazing, but isolated. The forest is a dark, seemingly impenetrable presence that menaces the house more than a mile from the main road. However, Hydro Development pays the bills and it’s the best deal David has ever had. Jessie and Helen are happy for the first time in months. They don’t need to know about the previous tenants, the mother who went insane after her daughter disappeared into the woods, or the deputy, Joe Thibodeau, who disappeared when he searched for the little girl. Sometimes, it’s not a good idea to look too closely at the gift horse’s mouth. And sometimes, what seems too good to be true is.
Like following the strands of an intricate spider web to the central horror, Nate Kenyon’s latest novel, The Bone Factory, will keep you thinking and on the keen edge of terror. What, at first glance, are unrelated events, Kenyon, connects slowly and methodically until the terrible truth dawns with frightening clarity.
The writing is as sharp as a razor and as clean and fresh as new fallen snow beneath which waits a silent, blood thirsty fiend. Reading The Bone Factory was a slow methodical climb to a dizzying height with a pause before plunging screaming into the abyss. Kenyon gives great horror.
Joe Thibodeau searched for the missing little girl, following his instincts and the faint trace of tracks to the silent hydro plant and straight into the lair of a maniac.
After a year of being unemployed, David Pierce has been hired to put the Jackson Hydro plant back on schedule. He moves his little family – Helen and his daughter, Jessie – to Jackson near St. Boudin in Quebec.
The house is amazing, but isolated. The forest is a dark, seemingly impenetrable presence that menaces the house more than a mile from the main road. However, Hydro Development pays the bills and it’s the best deal David has ever had. Jessie and Helen are happy for the first time in months. They don’t need to know about the previous tenants, the mother who went insane after her daughter disappeared into the woods, or the deputy, Joe Thibodeau, who disappeared when he searched for the little girl. Sometimes, it’s not a good idea to look too closely at the gift horse’s mouth. And sometimes, what seems too good to be true is.
Like following the strands of an intricate spider web to the central horror, Nate Kenyon’s latest novel, The Bone Factory, will keep you thinking and on the keen edge of terror. What, at first glance, are unrelated events, Kenyon, connects slowly and methodically until the terrible truth dawns with frightening clarity.
The writing is as sharp as a razor and as clean and fresh as new fallen snow beneath which waits a silent, blood thirsty fiend. Reading The Bone Factory was a slow methodical climb to a dizzying height with a pause before plunging screaming into the abyss. Kenyon gives great horror.
July 21, 2009
David Pierce is in desperate need for a job. He has a wife and a child to take care of. When he is offered the job as an advisor at Hydro Development. The plant has recently been re-opened after being shut down for a while. When the mutilated body of a farmer and the disappearance of a little girl where thought to be connected with the plant, the company shut it down. Now Hydro Development is ready to get up and running again. David will be the man to help them do just that.
Dan Flint works for Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. The FERC is has its eye on Hydro Development, especially after it was reported that the plant has supposedly tainted the water. A child caught some fish that had some strange growths. Dan senses something honest in David. He contact David and asks him to help him get the goods on the plant. Neither one of them could ever imagine the nightmare that awaited them.
The first few pages of this book is a definite attention grabber. The Bone Factory is a quick read. For me the star was David. I didn't expect this from him. He seemed like a by the book type of guy. He turned out to be a tough guy. He really stepped it up when it counted the most. If you have never read anything by Nate Kenyon then now is a good time to give him a try with The Bone Factory. It left me wanting more of a really good author.
Dan Flint works for Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. The FERC is has its eye on Hydro Development, especially after it was reported that the plant has supposedly tainted the water. A child caught some fish that had some strange growths. Dan senses something honest in David. He contact David and asks him to help him get the goods on the plant. Neither one of them could ever imagine the nightmare that awaited them.
The first few pages of this book is a definite attention grabber. The Bone Factory is a quick read. For me the star was David. I didn't expect this from him. He seemed like a by the book type of guy. He turned out to be a tough guy. He really stepped it up when it counted the most. If you have never read anything by Nate Kenyon then now is a good time to give him a try with The Bone Factory. It left me wanting more of a really good author.
February 12, 2014
Shoot the editor!
Shoot the editor!
Folks. How you can get from Quebec City to Maine without a mention of crossing the St-Lawrence is beyond me.
The family goes through hell in northern Quebec during the worst winter God invented battling a chemically deformed paranoid human monster (chemicals planted by a big mining company's greed) to have all turn out amazingly well really. They end up settling on the California coast looking out on a peaceful bay with some new-found money to boot. Too much Americana for me. Stephen Ming squared.
Kindle version is corrupted with abundant mis-hyphenation.
Author tried valiantly however and some parts actually quite good so will give a 3.
Definitely leisure reading however. Please don't overpay.
Shoot the editor!
Folks. How you can get from Quebec City to Maine without a mention of crossing the St-Lawrence is beyond me.
The family goes through hell in northern Quebec during the worst winter God invented battling a chemically deformed paranoid human monster (chemicals planted by a big mining company's greed) to have all turn out amazingly well really. They end up settling on the California coast looking out on a peaceful bay with some new-found money to boot. Too much Americana for me. Stephen Ming squared.
Kindle version is corrupted with abundant mis-hyphenation.
Author tried valiantly however and some parts actually quite good so will give a 3.
Definitely leisure reading however. Please don't overpay.
September 11, 2014
I bought this because of the title (those of you who know me will, hopefully, be amused by that - others just confused, sorry!). What a waste of time. I always think the best of books. I always assume that they're going to get better or that there's going to be an amazing twist so, almost without exception, once I've started a book I read through til the end. There really was no point in my doing this. It was a complete waste of time. A thriller with all characters behaving bizarrely due to chemicals in the water - and we were told that from the outset! Please, do yourself a favour, don't bother reading this and find another book that you might actually enjoy instead.
February 3, 2011
Another great read from Nate Kenyon. Really fast paced, no boring spots, fine-fine horror that rings true--which is all I really ask for. :) Mr. Kenyon and I must be roughly the same age because he references the one and only cartoon moment from my growing up years that still haunts me. It just made it that much creepier. ;)
Highly recommended if you're looking for well written horror/suspense.
Highly recommended if you're looking for well written horror/suspense.
November 6, 2009
A snowy forest in Quebec with a maniac on the loose in the setting for The Bone Factory. This is a suspenseful book that builds throughout with strong characters who grow on you. Kenyon will keep you thinking as the terror builds in this book. This is a good creepy book by one of my new favorite authors. I look forward to reading more from Nate Kenyon in the near future.
September 18, 2009
It was a decent story. I didn't care for the end though. It seemed to raise more questions about one of the characters, which I guess could be seen as a lead in to a second one but I wouldn't know why.
February 18, 2015
Okay book. It didn't keep me on the edge of my seat but I didn't find myself wanting to rush through it either. Parts of it especially at the end were very nail biting. I just never got totally caught up in the story. In the end it was just a quick easy read that rated little more than 3 stars.
December 29, 2013
Awesome
Awesome book,I gave it a four stars because I think ending could have been better. would have liked to have read more about the town's people what effect it had or what happened to the missing little girl,but all in all it was good.
Awesome book,I gave it a four stars because I think ending could have been better. would have liked to have read more about the town's people what effect it had or what happened to the missing little girl,but all in all it was good.
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