Bad Bones

Red Eye

by Graham Marks

Some things are best left buried. Gabe is feeling the pressure. His family has money troubles, he's hardly talking to his dad, plus lowlife Benny is on his case. Needing some space to think, he heads off into the hills surrounding LA. And he suddenly stumbles across a secret that will change everything. A shallow grave. Gabe doesn't think twice about taking the gold bracelet he finds buried there. Even from the clutches of skeletal hands. But he has no idea what he's awakening...A chilling new story in the Red Eye series.

Genres: Horror, Young Adult, Thriller, Paranormal, Fantasy, Mystery

336 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2014

Reviews

[Sarah Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to Little Tiger Group and NetGalley.)



I’m afraid I just didn’t like this book; I just found it deathly boring.



Gabe came across as a bit selfish – who finds human remains, and instead of reporting them to the cops nicks the dead person’s jewellery? I mean really?



The storyline in this just bored me. I got to a point where I just really didn’t care, and the info-dumps around the 40% mark made me want to throw my kindle out the window.

"What the hell is going on?"

Don't ask me because I don't know and don't care.




I’m afraid I was just pleased to get to the end of this one, I really did not enjoy it at all.
4 out of 10

[Cora Tea Party Princess · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF at 12%

I'm sorry Graham.

It's not you, it's me.

It's not that I don't like any of your books, I actually really liked How It Works. It's just that I really don't like your style any more.

And it took me five hours to read 12% of this book. That's almost ten minutes per page.

It just wasn't my cup of tea.

I received a copy of this for free via NetGalley for review purposes.

[J.D. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Summary

When Gabe discovers an unmarked grave with skeletal remains in the L.A. hills, he can't help but notice the long forgotten gold also inside. Feeling the pressure of his family's financial issues he decides to take the jewelry with the hopes of selling it.
Little does he know by doing so, he awakens a very evil and angry presence in the process.

Personal Opinion

So far this one has been the least creepy of the Red Eye series books.
I did enjoy it for the most part, but I felt like it could have used a bit more action and creepiness to keep up with the other books in the series. Also the strong religious and Aztec angle just didn't do it for me to create a truly scary villain.
Overall, this one is an okay read, but falls a bit flay compared to other books in the series.

[Abi · Rating 2 out of 5]

(I received a copy from netgalley, In exchange for an honest review)

I didn't like the last book in the red eye series (Flesh and Blood) very much, but this one was defiantly the worst one for me.

I found it really hard to get interested in the story, and the further it progressed, the more bored I felt. I didn't like the main character either, so there was nothing that could save the story for me unfortunately.

Overall, not a read I enjoyed.

[Kimberly · Rating 2 out of 5]

BAD BONES, by Graham Marks is one of the books in the "Red Eye" series. While I really enjoyed another book in the series (FROZEN CHARLOTTE by Alex Bell), I was overall disappointed with this one. The story wasn't horrible, but the way it was told just didn't work for me. I never got a feeling for the characters--they remained 2-dimensional stereotypes throughout the course of the novel. By the time I reached the end, even that was a let down.

I have seen some decent reviews on this book, it just wasn't one that I couldn't connect with, personally.

[Chelley Toy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review was originally posted on www.talesofyesterday.co.uk

Graham Mark's contribution to the fab Red Eye series is a welcome addition and one that I enjoyed. I am a huge Indiana Jones fan and I found that whilst not exactly the same it had hints of a young Indiana Jones feel to the book which I thoroughly enjoyed!

Bad Bones tells the story of Gabe who's family have fell on hard times and he is desperate to try and ease the burden and help his family even if it means running illegal errands for the school bully! One night up in the canyon he stumbles across a shallow grave and some bones! Upon further investigation he discovers a gold bracelet and decides that this may be the answer to his families troubles...he could be rich! But what Gabe discovers is that he as unearthed something truly sinister! Somebody wants that bracelet back and will do anything to retrieve it! Gabe finds he has awoken something truly terrifying!

The book explores an Aztec back story with Gabe unearthing the bracelet and then starting to have dreams about ancient rituals with gold masks and crucifixes and sacrifices! And when an owl, some coyotes and a stranger start to follow him and stare at him from afar Gabe begins to feel like there is something strange going on!

*Shivers*

[On a side note - every time Gabe went up to the canyon or the Aztec's were mentions I kept visualising the Crystal Maze Aztec zone! What is wrong with me!!!!! Does anyone remember this? *Grabs crystal and runs for the exit*]

The characters in Bad Bones were all unique with the main focus being on Gabe and a growing friendship between himself and girl scout Stella who tries to warn Gabe about running errands for school bully Benny and his right hand "bozos" who's decked out van sounded awesome! Just me?! Whilst being a story about ghosts and Aztec rituals it had a good theme of friendship with Gabe and his best friend Anton being "blood brothers"! There were pictures and the scars to prove it! And with often occurring messages about trust it made me actually care for Gabe and his friends!

I especially related to Gabe's love for Peanut M&M's! Nom Nom Nom! He even cracks open a huge XXL bag to share with Stella! Now THATS friendship! If that was me....nope too late they are all gone! Yummy in my tummy!

Anyway.....

For me the best character was Father Simon who Gabe and Stella turn to for help! A man of the cloth and an ex CSI agent! Yes you heard me right!

*plays CSI Las Vegas music*

And in his Mission / Church he had all kinds of ex CSI gadgets and gizmos and equipment and I LOVED him! He was so cool! He could even tell you if your note had been written in blood!

And...and....and....that's not all! Oh no indeedy! Not only is he a man of the cloth and ex forensic scientist....he is also a forensic historian!!!!

See...Father Simon = AWESOME!

*Throws peanut M&M's in mouth in satisfaction*

There was a few heart racing moments in this book with one being when Gabe's sister is in danger and he first encounters and realises what is after him! What pursues is a showdown where a crucifix and determination save the day.....well on this particular day anyway!

I also have a favourite line / quote from this book which I thought was chillingly beautiful....

"Like this coin, life is all about what you do with it, how you choose to spend it"

This book gets you straight into the action and whilst getting some back stories into the character it is more focused on the present and the story with some religious undertones, creepy goings on, ritual style murders, a angry man with red eyes and an action packed ending...I would NOT want to be the school bully in this book ;-)

It's a great addition to the Red Eye collection! Go grab a copy! But make sure it's not guarded by some ancient bones! ;-)

For reviews and more please visit www.talesofyesterday.co.uk

[Ashley · Rating 1 out of 5]

BLUF: Skip this one.

**I was provided a copy of this book from netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review**

Okay, okay.. I will fess up. I only downloaded this book from netgalley because my boyfriend’s son said the cover looked stupid and I disagreed. I’m sorry – I should have never agreed to review a YA novel as this is one of my least liked genres.

That said, it’s not going to stop me from provided an honest review..

This book is part of the Red Eye series, but is very much a standalone.

The plus side: I enjoy the author’s writing style. I found that this style moved the story forward and there’s a good chance I would enjoy his books under different circumstances

The not-so-good side: I didn’t care about the characters in this book. The main character makes so many poor choices - it’s unreal. (I don’t know anybody who would feel comfortable taking jewelry off of a dead person, even if that dead person is now a skeleton. That is just the start of his poor decisions that I truly cannot understand.) The lead female character is left as a mystery. She is somewhat explained, but she seemed apathetic towards the main character despite being there for him. The best friend is completely ignored, but showed more emotion and caring than the other two characters, which is a shame because he was the least mentioned.

As for my boyfriend’s son.. I wouldn’t be opposed to him reading this book, but I know it would absolutely drive him crazy. He would yell at the main character for his stupid decisions while, at the same time, criticize him for not punching the bad guy in the face. (Take this with a grain of salt: He’s ten, thinks he can take out a bear up with a knife, prefers non-fiction, and only reads if you absolutely force him to.)

Overall, I didn’t enjoy the story or make sense of the characters.

[Sally · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another good read from the Red Eye horror series. This has got great nuances of classic horror stories in it, combining the folkloric mystery of Mayan mythology and Christianity with a heavy dash of "be careful what you wish for" moral consequence.

It's got some heavy gore/horror description which make it unsuitable for younger readers but the pace and content is great for most YA readers to be able to engage with well.

The bad guy was really bad, the good guy was fallible - which makes him believable, the girl wasn't just a love interest - she could hold her own and had a quite good back story of her own also. The bits made it weaker for me were the other relationships in the novel. Gabe's home life isn't perfect, who's is, but I felt that there should have been more attention there, or even involvement as a chance for them to build bridges. There is also an odd character of a local dealer who no one seems to like or respect, that has a powerful grip on the local teen populace. I thought his storyline should have been more developed rather than ran the course it did.

To be fair, I read to the end enjoying the twists and turns as they came and cared for the characters in the main, so I did enjoy it. I have read some of Graham Marks; books before and was hoping for a real treat as there hasn't been much from him more recently. It was good, I still prefer Kai Ro though!

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gabe is your average sixteen year old boy dealing with life's day to day struggle until he finds something unexpected in the desert. His discovery means he must face an age old struggle of good vs evil. Does he have what it takes to overcome this dark force in the world?

I found Bad Bones started better than it ended. There is plenty of action and tension but the climax seemed to lack the punch to better satisfy the reader's desire for the story's ending. It just fizzled out a wee bit.

The character development fit well with the traditional YA story - not terribly deep but deep enough to make the reader feel engaged. I liked Gabe and Stella. They have both have plenty of gumption and weren't squeamish about breaking a few rules to complete their mission.

An adventurous story, Bad Bones was good fun but with a soft ending.

[Veronica · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is actually the first book I have read in the Red Eye series. I had no idea what I was getting into when I started so I didn't even know that it was a gruesome YA novel. It wasn't the most exciting book I have read but it really isn't too bad either. It was a nice around the campfire read and I think my kids especially my sons will like this when they become teenagers. It is definitely meant for the younger crowd which may be why it didn't appeal to older adults. The main pitch of the story is nice and I like how the author relied on old standbys like cursed gold, good vs evil, and subtle horror that is not too graphic. It would be a fitting book to read on Halloween night. I received a copy of this book from the publishers via Netgalley for free in exchange for an honest review.

[Kirsty-Marie Jones · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bored. To. Tears.

[onetwothree fourfivesix · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bad Bones
This book really surprised me, before reading the book, I decided to look at some reviews. Most were between 1 and 3 stars, 4 the highest I saw (once). I loved the concept of this book, so I decided to read it.
Gabe’s family struggles with money and as if, just to make things worse, Gabe and his father have a terrible relationship. Gabe decides to go for a cycle one night. Little did he know this ride would change his life.
Gabe falls into a shallow grave filled with bones and gold. He takes the gold and suffers the consequences.
I am enjoying the Red Eye series, but this book was a slow read. This was one of the shorter books compared to Frozen Charlotte (which I read in two days). This took around 2-3 weeks to read, but on the rare occasion that I did decide to read Bad Bones, it was one hell of a ride. This book is mysterious and occasionally eerie.
One thing I could say I wasn’t particularly fond of is this book could have been shortened into 200-250 words maximum. Due to this, I did not have a favourite moment within the story.
I do have opinions about certain characters. Gabe, sadly, was not a massively likeable character. I preferred the likes of Anton and even his annoying younger sister Remy. Towards the end of the book, I must have misread because of how chaotic the ending was. I thought Rafael killed Anton, although they were just holding him for Gabe to kill. On the plus side, I did enjoy the ending because it was so confusing and chaotic.
This is not something to say about the book itself, although I enjoyed this read, I think this is not massively related to the Red Eye series.
Reading the blurb of this book, I would never choose it. But this book was the most surprising one yet. Keywords for this book would be YA, mystery, eerie, and suspenseful.
This is a change of scenery compared to any other book I have read. I love the theme of Aztec and heavy undertones of Christianity. I would completely swerve this book if it was not part of the Red Eye.
This would be a 3 star read if it wasn’t for the ending. For this reason, I have bumped my score up to 4 stars.

[Eff's Library · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book would have been a 4 ⭐ read if only the author would put in the effort to create a decent ending to such a chaotic mess. The plot was interesting and the journey was thrilling, but by the last 90pages everything seems to amp up and I kept on wondering how it is all going to end and if the author can execute the ending well.. turns out the ending becomes half assed and I was severely disappointed after having talked highly about this book to my siblings saying how exhilarating it was for me to read.

The other reason for the deduction of a star os because this book is very inconsistent, there was a typo in the first 100 pages, the characters were only introduce when it is relevant to the plot like Gabe's family, Benny, Anton and Stella. And when they aren't needed they disappeared. The father and son relationship was introduced but was never solved and it was very disappointing. This book has a high potential to be an amazing read if only it was written with more care and attention to detail.

All in all, it's a 3 ⭐ because I thoroughly enjoyed the journey of Gabe and the writing of this author.

[Amaya B. · Rating 1 out of 5]

First of all the latin translation was atrocious "quod meum est mei. noli prohibere" Quod means because not what - sorry latin gcse student moment lol. After reading this book I mentally said to myself "you need to start reading classics" the plot of this book was terrible, the ending terrible, the characters terrible.
I always say this, if you have a nightmare to the point of you screaming - GO SLEEP WITH YOUR PARENTS.
I thought that the main character was black, not cause of the poverty thing but because of the reference to dope lol. I thought there would be a plot twist that Stella and Father Simon would be involved in the Aztec thing. My first impression was that it was cringe and truth be told the book was cringe. I also knew this was a voodooic book when i saw it.

[BRANDON · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bad Bones was engaging and action packed, the title make sense in hindsight, but it's probably not what I would have chosen. It was nice to see the Church, or at least one fallen priest, portrayed as the bad guy instead of demonizing Aztec gods like some authors, Marks could have still leaned more heavily on the evils of colonialism, you can never say enough about the evils of colonialism. There were some vague hints at Satanism (crucifixes worn inverted), it's a trope I'm still sick to death of, but Marks spent more time building on the evils of Rafael and his lust for power than on black masses and cartoonish wickedness. There was room left for a sequel, while I wouldn't be opposed to reading one, it might be best left as a pre-credits sting.

[Gayle (OutsmartYourShelf) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Gabe stumbles across a skeleton buried in a shallow grave in the hills surrounding LA. The skeleton has gold jewellery buried with it and Gabe figures "Finders Keepers", but he is followed home by a strange owl and he starts being plagued by strange violent dreams.

I wasn't really impressed by this one. Gabe was very much a blank slate of a character and I didn't really warm to him, which is important if you are to care about what happens to them. I also didn't find it very chilling. Disappointing.

[Joey Susan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Okay so this isn’t really much of a review, I have had this started for a couple years now and never got back into it so I’m officially going to leave it here.

It’s topic wasn’t really something I like reading about and It was a slow read. I didn’t really like it when I did read it so it’s now officially off my still reading shelves. There are too many other books I need to read.

It’s annoying and a shame as I love the red eye series, but this was really just not for me. In case I ever do read it again I got to Chapter 11 page 90.

[Cydneyyy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was just a bit boring, I have nothing against graham marks, i think he had other great books such as snatched or zoo but this one just really couldn't get my attention, everything about it was average from the characters to the plot, the reason this isn't 3 was because i don't feel like there was much character development throughout the book, i dont really remember the ending because i have read so many other books, this one ook me a while to get through because i really just could not get into it.

[Nicole · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found the book to be more humourous than dark (which I can't complain about too much). I felt that the tone didn't really match the storyline in the way I'd hoped, and overall I found this book to be a little disappointing. It only picked up for me about 10-15 chapters from the end and there are 46. Unfortunately, I don't think I'll be reading any more Graham Marks books.

[Cleo · Rating 5 out of 5]

No idea why the ratings are so bad! I found it an exiting and tense read throughout, as a fan of the red eye series, I couldn't not read this book, I have read...

-flesh and blood
-frozen Charlotte
-Charlotte says
-for
-bad bones

So far I am loving the series and can't wait to read the rest of them!

[Vicki Worth · Rating 3 out of 5]

more a 3.75 🌟. It was enjoyable, easy to follow. A quick read. The story was not what I expected. It's pace was fairly fast. It dived straight into the story with no long build up, which I loved. This is probably aimed at someone a lot younger than myself; but an enjoyable read all the same.

[Molly Stuart · Rating 2 out of 5]

i find this to be one of the weaker books of the red eye series, along with fir. i just think that the plot of this book was less developed and interesting for me, and i just didn’t enjoy it as much as the others. however parts were good, and i liked the characters👍

[Megan Fahy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I finished this book for the sole purpose of finishing it. Non-sensical plot line which didn't work in this context. One of the weaker books in the Red Eye Series.

[Quinn Teague · Rating 4 out of 5]

It had lots of detail and was really enjoyable

[Darien Griffiths · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Martin · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was OK. The ending was quite abrupt, which I didn't like, and much of it was farfetched. I've enjoyed others in the Red Eye series, but this one is probably my least favourite so far.

[Natalie Kelly]

DNF at chapter 26

[Skyla Grey · Rating 1 out of 5]

Really didn't enjoy sadly

[Aimée Slater · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this book quite hard to get into, I really struggled to keep going. The story was alright but found it could be very boring at times.

[Lauren · Rating 2 out of 5]

Yeah, this book wasn’t for me so dnf it. The only thing I enjoyed was the history part and that was it. :/