What do you think?
Rate this book
The Family Bones
A New Home, A Loving Family, A Dark Secret
Will they stay? Will they survive? The Weavers have inherited family property in Astral, Pennsylvania, a town so small that Mrs. Weaver can find no mention of it on the Internet, save for a tiny spot on Google Earth. Hoping for a simpler, small-town existence for their young family, Steven and Tara eagerly head to Astral to see what they hope will be their dream house. As they explore their potential new home, the Weavers begin to discover secret passageways, secret rooms, and long buried family truths; some difficult truths are revealed and no longer kept in the far reaches of the closet. There are reasons for everything, and sometimes the explanations are so simple. But sometimes, simple can also be horrifying.
Will they stay? Will they survive? The Weavers have inherited family property in Astral, Pennsylvania, a town so small that Mrs. Weaver can find no mention of it on the Internet, save for a tiny spot on Google Earth. Hoping for a simpler, small-town existence for their young family, Steven and Tara eagerly head to Astral to see what they hope will be their dream house. As they explore their potential new home, the Weavers begin to discover secret passageways, secret rooms, and long buried family truths; some difficult truths are revealed and no longer kept in the far reaches of the closet. There are reasons for everything, and sometimes the explanations are so simple. But sometimes, simple can also be horrifying.
192 pages, softcover
First published October 22, 2008
127 people are currently reading
764 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 92 reviews
January 5, 2009
I received this book over the holidays directly from the author. First, thanks to Kimberly for sending the book my way!
Before I had a chance to pick up the book (yes, I actually finished another book first) my husband picked it up because the cover and title intrigued him. (Note: my hubby doesn't spend his spare time reading..) He picked it up with the intention of reading a few pages, and wound up reading it cover to cover over an afternoon. Then, proceeded to pressure me to hurry up and finish it so that he could discuss it with me. This really says something about the author and the book!
So, I picked it up this morning, and finished it late this afternoon! It was fun to discuss the book with my hubby, and I enjoyed hearing his thoughts and sharing mine. He made me think of things that I had missed. I have actually already toyed with the idea of reading it again before I give this book away to someone else to enjoy.
So, on with it already! The book is about a family that receives a piece of property, 80 acres including a house, via a will from a deceased family member. Steven, his wife Tara, and their two kids, Charlie and Sara head out to check out the house in hopes of moving out of the suburbs. When they arrive, weird things begin to happen to each of them. There are secret passageways and rooms that each of them find themselves in. They each find each other and run away from the place to their safe, secure home in the city, only to find that the horror followed them. The family decides that they have let their imaginations run wild and decide to return to the house in hopes of satisfying their curiosity about the events of the previous visit. Needless to say, things get worse for them.
This is an easy book to read. The pages turn very quickly and I was pulled in right away. I enjoyed the beginning of the book much more than the ending. The book is a little of a roller coaster ride. The pages would turn quickly when I could not wait to find out what was happening to this family. Then, all of the sudden, it would slow up a little and give detail into things that I didn't feel really enhanced the story. But, then things would pick up again. What I was hoping to get out of the book was a little scare. I did not get the heart racing feeling that I had hoped for because during the troubling events that took place, there were funny things happening too. I described it as a little Martha Stewart within a horror story. It was a little odd to be talking about really good cookies in the same story as the events that were unfolding. To be completely fair, you must all know that the events of this story do not jive with my belief system. Therefore, it made the story a little silly! Not bad silly, just silly because these things that happened did not seem believable.
The story is well written and held my attention well. There are a few unanswered questions that the author never really came back to, and left me guessing whether I was correct in my initial reactions to people and events. I could have used a couple more chapters that tied up a few of the loose ends, but I can honestly say that I would like to read other books by this author.
Before I had a chance to pick up the book (yes, I actually finished another book first) my husband picked it up because the cover and title intrigued him. (Note: my hubby doesn't spend his spare time reading..) He picked it up with the intention of reading a few pages, and wound up reading it cover to cover over an afternoon. Then, proceeded to pressure me to hurry up and finish it so that he could discuss it with me. This really says something about the author and the book!
So, I picked it up this morning, and finished it late this afternoon! It was fun to discuss the book with my hubby, and I enjoyed hearing his thoughts and sharing mine. He made me think of things that I had missed. I have actually already toyed with the idea of reading it again before I give this book away to someone else to enjoy.
So, on with it already! The book is about a family that receives a piece of property, 80 acres including a house, via a will from a deceased family member. Steven, his wife Tara, and their two kids, Charlie and Sara head out to check out the house in hopes of moving out of the suburbs. When they arrive, weird things begin to happen to each of them. There are secret passageways and rooms that each of them find themselves in. They each find each other and run away from the place to their safe, secure home in the city, only to find that the horror followed them. The family decides that they have let their imaginations run wild and decide to return to the house in hopes of satisfying their curiosity about the events of the previous visit. Needless to say, things get worse for them.
This is an easy book to read. The pages turn very quickly and I was pulled in right away. I enjoyed the beginning of the book much more than the ending. The book is a little of a roller coaster ride. The pages would turn quickly when I could not wait to find out what was happening to this family. Then, all of the sudden, it would slow up a little and give detail into things that I didn't feel really enhanced the story. But, then things would pick up again. What I was hoping to get out of the book was a little scare. I did not get the heart racing feeling that I had hoped for because during the troubling events that took place, there were funny things happening too. I described it as a little Martha Stewart within a horror story. It was a little odd to be talking about really good cookies in the same story as the events that were unfolding. To be completely fair, you must all know that the events of this story do not jive with my belief system. Therefore, it made the story a little silly! Not bad silly, just silly because these things that happened did not seem believable.
The story is well written and held my attention well. There are a few unanswered questions that the author never really came back to, and left me guessing whether I was correct in my initial reactions to people and events. I could have used a couple more chapters that tied up a few of the loose ends, but I can honestly say that I would like to read other books by this author.
July 13, 2013
Tonight, ladies and gentlemen, let me present before you, the WORST book I’ve read in this year.
There is so little to talk about it’s achievements, that it actually pains me to say, that yes, I attempted to read this pile of steaming fresh horse-dung! The author started out thinking to write a horror story, so that’s how it begins. Cheap thrills, like faces changing into those of the devil with blood dripping – check. Creepy property passed on to the protagonist – check. Troubled past of the protagonist – check. Seriously lady, did you HAVE to write about all these cliches all over again? There is a reason they are called cliches.
But wait, its not yet over. A little way through, after she’d run out of horror elements, she decided to turn it into a mystery story. So, now we have a fresh new bunch of cliches. Cabin in the woods – check. Murdered victims of a serial killer – check. Unexplained relations and pasts – check. (Someone give me a glass of water!)
And then comes the BEST part. A little way through, the author again decides to change her mind. Who wants horror and mystery anyway? Lets turn this into SCIENCE FICTION. Yes, you heard me right. Lets grant the protagonist super powers like telekinesis which has been engineered into his genes by men in black who are all part of a big conspiracy. He is even capable of killing you just by wanting to do so! for him, desire = action.
How do you like that, eh? Wonderful isn’t it? I say, we should have more of such stuff? Why bother reading different genres when you can roll everything into one. Oh, and did I mention humour? The story-telling is so riddiculous that it’ll make you roll your eyes and laugh out loud!
For those of you who still wanna go ahead and read it, do so at your own risk! Personally, I would only recommend this book to my very worst enemies! It’s that awful!
There is so little to talk about it’s achievements, that it actually pains me to say, that yes, I attempted to read this pile of steaming fresh horse-dung! The author started out thinking to write a horror story, so that’s how it begins. Cheap thrills, like faces changing into those of the devil with blood dripping – check. Creepy property passed on to the protagonist – check. Troubled past of the protagonist – check. Seriously lady, did you HAVE to write about all these cliches all over again? There is a reason they are called cliches.
But wait, its not yet over. A little way through, after she’d run out of horror elements, she decided to turn it into a mystery story. So, now we have a fresh new bunch of cliches. Cabin in the woods – check. Murdered victims of a serial killer – check. Unexplained relations and pasts – check. (Someone give me a glass of water!)
And then comes the BEST part. A little way through, the author again decides to change her mind. Who wants horror and mystery anyway? Lets turn this into SCIENCE FICTION. Yes, you heard me right. Lets grant the protagonist super powers like telekinesis which has been engineered into his genes by men in black who are all part of a big conspiracy. He is even capable of killing you just by wanting to do so! for him, desire = action.
How do you like that, eh? Wonderful isn’t it? I say, we should have more of such stuff? Why bother reading different genres when you can roll everything into one. Oh, and did I mention humour? The story-telling is so riddiculous that it’ll make you roll your eyes and laugh out loud!
For those of you who still wanna go ahead and read it, do so at your own risk! Personally, I would only recommend this book to my very worst enemies! It’s that awful!
September 22, 2011
The best thing about this book is that it's so short it only took about three hours to read.
The characters are flat, empty, and static. The dialogue is awkward and unrealistic. The first two thirds is horror/thriller/mystery and then it suddenly takes a sharp turn and becomes the literary equivalent of a bad SyFy original movie. The POV switches back and forth between first and third person in the beginning until it's not convenient to the story to be in the main character's head, at which point first person is abandoned for the rest of the book. The verb tense changes for a little while sometimes for no apparent reason. There are several instances of incorrect homophone usage.
It truly blows my mind that this managed to get published.
The characters are flat, empty, and static. The dialogue is awkward and unrealistic. The first two thirds is horror/thriller/mystery and then it suddenly takes a sharp turn and becomes the literary equivalent of a bad SyFy original movie. The POV switches back and forth between first and third person in the beginning until it's not convenient to the story to be in the main character's head, at which point first person is abandoned for the rest of the book. The verb tense changes for a little while sometimes for no apparent reason. There are several instances of incorrect homophone usage.
It truly blows my mind that this managed to get published.
November 10, 2008
This is a book that will surprise you, startle you and keep you intrigued. With twists and turns throughout the story the reader is sure to finally put the puzzle together.
The reader will believe that a true horror is about to ensue, then things change, and change...
A satisfying conclusion will be brought to all in the end.
The reader will believe that a true horror is about to ensue, then things change, and change...
A satisfying conclusion will be brought to all in the end.
April 3, 2017
I actually didn't even finish the book. It was written horribly.
December 7, 2008
One word to describe The Family Bones by Kimberly Raiser? Spo-o-ky! The author has the amazing ability to turn each scene into a wonderfully weird, strangely developing storyline that prompts you to keep guessing—what’s going to happen next? In a spooky kind of way! Lovely tingles and shivers!
Steven, Tara, and their two children, Sara and Charlie, have just arrived at their new home, inherited from Steven’s side of the family. When the lawyer had called him to tell him the place was his, the first thing Steven remembered was the deep well that was located in the back of the property and the horrible stories he was told about how a former owner drown cats down that well and how the bones of those cats would reform and search for the man who had killed him.
Now as he stood there in the yard, he tried to forget about those stories and looked carefully at the house, which was really in fairly good shape. He was thankful that his wife and children seemed to be so pleased with the property that they were willing to begin living there immediately! In fact, they were so excited, that each of them went off on their own to explore!
Tara wound up in the attic where she found a small bed...strangely she couldn’t seem to resist lying down and falling asleep.
Charlie had wandered so far that he got lost and also became so strangely tired that he sat down on the floor...and fell asleep...
Steven set out to find Charlie. Remembering he liked to explore cellars, Steven reluctantly went down, only to become so lost that he realized that he had traveled far away from the house and believed he was now at the foot of the deep well, looking up, with no idea how to get out... And, oh yes, he had picked up a sample of what he had been shuffling through and now could see...that he had part of a human skull in his hand...
It was Sara that started to find her various family members—including a new Uncle Ben and Uncle Jack that Stephen did not remember and had not known also lived on the property.
Readers will be pleased to learn that all of the above took place in the early part of the book! Because... There’s no way that I’m going to spoil this one for you! However, just let me say that once Raiser has you hooked, she then takes you into an entirely unexpected tale of science fiction that has such an interesting basis that you are caught exploring the details in the back of your mind, while you continue to read.
Raiser shows wit in her excellent writing and has obviously found her perfect genre. This book could only have been improved by its being longer! Highly recommended for fans that are still looking for “that new science fiction tale” that keeps you turning pages to determine what happens...and whether or not you believe in the “possibilities” of it all!
Myself, I’m hoping for a sequel to this one...
G. A. Bixler
For IP Book Reviews
Steven, Tara, and their two children, Sara and Charlie, have just arrived at their new home, inherited from Steven’s side of the family. When the lawyer had called him to tell him the place was his, the first thing Steven remembered was the deep well that was located in the back of the property and the horrible stories he was told about how a former owner drown cats down that well and how the bones of those cats would reform and search for the man who had killed him.
Now as he stood there in the yard, he tried to forget about those stories and looked carefully at the house, which was really in fairly good shape. He was thankful that his wife and children seemed to be so pleased with the property that they were willing to begin living there immediately! In fact, they were so excited, that each of them went off on their own to explore!
Tara wound up in the attic where she found a small bed...strangely she couldn’t seem to resist lying down and falling asleep.
Charlie had wandered so far that he got lost and also became so strangely tired that he sat down on the floor...and fell asleep...
Steven set out to find Charlie. Remembering he liked to explore cellars, Steven reluctantly went down, only to become so lost that he realized that he had traveled far away from the house and believed he was now at the foot of the deep well, looking up, with no idea how to get out... And, oh yes, he had picked up a sample of what he had been shuffling through and now could see...that he had part of a human skull in his hand...
It was Sara that started to find her various family members—including a new Uncle Ben and Uncle Jack that Stephen did not remember and had not known also lived on the property.
Readers will be pleased to learn that all of the above took place in the early part of the book! Because... There’s no way that I’m going to spoil this one for you! However, just let me say that once Raiser has you hooked, she then takes you into an entirely unexpected tale of science fiction that has such an interesting basis that you are caught exploring the details in the back of your mind, while you continue to read.
Raiser shows wit in her excellent writing and has obviously found her perfect genre. This book could only have been improved by its being longer! Highly recommended for fans that are still looking for “that new science fiction tale” that keeps you turning pages to determine what happens...and whether or not you believe in the “possibilities” of it all!
Myself, I’m hoping for a sequel to this one...
G. A. Bixler
For IP Book Reviews
May 28, 2009
I did quite enjoy this book while reading, but having reached the end and reflected on the plot, it all seems a bit far fetched and untied...also, what is the significance of the cat?! Can anyone enlighten me as it's completely lost on me!
I found the writing felt a little amature..child like maybe, without wanting to be rude. It felt like every action etc had to be noted and it came across somewhat stilted. I did however like one of the similies relating to the cobwebs and comparing them with taffy :) I can't say I particulary felt any connection to the characters either which is always essential in the love of a book and the house with all those many tunnels was a little unbelievable...maybe i'm just too much of a realist!
The plot turned out to be quite unlike what I'd expected, revealing itself to be a kind of modern, sci-fi type tale instead of the traditional horror I had intially thought it would be.
Not a bad book, but not the best. Recommended if you want a quick and easy read.
I found the writing felt a little amature..child like maybe, without wanting to be rude. It felt like every action etc had to be noted and it came across somewhat stilted. I did however like one of the similies relating to the cobwebs and comparing them with taffy :) I can't say I particulary felt any connection to the characters either which is always essential in the love of a book and the house with all those many tunnels was a little unbelievable...maybe i'm just too much of a realist!
The plot turned out to be quite unlike what I'd expected, revealing itself to be a kind of modern, sci-fi type tale instead of the traditional horror I had intially thought it would be.
Not a bad book, but not the best. Recommended if you want a quick and easy read.
March 4, 2011
I don't know how to review this book. It started out with a lot of promise. Creepy house, old well, maybe or maybe not haunted or possessed. But then, the story took a weird twist and just seemed to dwindle down and get tired. This would have made a good short story. It almost seemed to me that so much of the conversation was an afterthought. The characters were only partly developed and could have held so much more promise. I kept waiting to hear more about the missing families. Did Steven kill them? How? Where did he hide the bodies? What was in the canoe? Instead of sticking with the horror/suspense story, the writer jumped completely off the platform and went with alien artificial insemination and supernatural gifts from another world. I think it would have made a great demon/ghost/psychotic killer story. But oh well. It was odd and a quick read. It took me an hour and a half from start to finish.
The Family Bones
The Family Bones
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 4, 2008
This is the first of Kimberly's writing that I have read. I read it in 3 hours because the story grabbed me from the very first and would not let go until I finished. The story of The Weaver family has equal parts of Science Fiction/Mystery/ Horror Thriller without being graphic or using any bad language at all. Just as I thought that I had things figured out she would through in a twist that sent that right out of the running. I was very statisfied at how she ended the book. I would highly recommend this book and look forward to reading more from Kimberly.
April 10, 2011
This book was very weird. The writing was almost childlike in parts and I never developed any definite feelings about the characters. It had the potential to be a good story but the author consistently went off in bizarre directions with no real explanation. Characters appear and disappear, their behaviors are inconsistent, and generally I went from feeling sorry for them to hating them, and back again. I can't in good conscience recommend this book to anyone over twelve years of age.
January 15, 2009
A Little Bit of Everything. Overall Good Read.
What do you get when you mix some horror, thriller, suspense, and science fiction all together? You get a well written novel that goes by the name of THE FAMILY BONES, by Kimberly Raiser. Raiser has crafted a short book that is hard to describe, and even harder without spoiling anything.
For a book with so many different elements and a variety of characters, it can sometimes be overwhelming. However, Raiser does a nice job transitioning between the opening terrifying chapters to moving the plot along and developing the characters. In the author's note, she talks about how THE FAMILY BONES was first a short story, and it is obvious reading how where the transition occurs.
I had a lot of fun reading this book. I almost read it in one sitting (and would have had my wife not found me at 2:30 AM in the living room telling me to come to bed). It was a quick, fun, engaging read; and, I'm glad I got the opportunity to read it.
The only drawback to this book is I felt like it should have been longer. As I mentioned, there is a lot of quick character and plot development and there are points where there are pages of information that are sort of out of context with the actions of the plot. Had THE FAMILY BONES been 300 pages I believe it could have been a stronger book.
All in all, this book is definitely worth the time it took to read.
Good reading,
J.Stoner
http://plantsandbooks.blogspot.com
What do you get when you mix some horror, thriller, suspense, and science fiction all together? You get a well written novel that goes by the name of THE FAMILY BONES, by Kimberly Raiser. Raiser has crafted a short book that is hard to describe, and even harder without spoiling anything.
For a book with so many different elements and a variety of characters, it can sometimes be overwhelming. However, Raiser does a nice job transitioning between the opening terrifying chapters to moving the plot along and developing the characters. In the author's note, she talks about how THE FAMILY BONES was first a short story, and it is obvious reading how where the transition occurs.
I had a lot of fun reading this book. I almost read it in one sitting (and would have had my wife not found me at 2:30 AM in the living room telling me to come to bed). It was a quick, fun, engaging read; and, I'm glad I got the opportunity to read it.
The only drawback to this book is I felt like it should have been longer. As I mentioned, there is a lot of quick character and plot development and there are points where there are pages of information that are sort of out of context with the actions of the plot. Had THE FAMILY BONES been 300 pages I believe it could have been a stronger book.
All in all, this book is definitely worth the time it took to read.
Good reading,
J.Stoner
http://plantsandbooks.blogspot.com
January 7, 2009
confronting a supernatural past
Kimberly Raiser's "The Family Bones" tells what happens when a family confronts and tries to make sense out of a suppressed family history.
Steven and Tara are happily married with two children. When Steven inherits the family estate in the tiny town of Astral Pennsylvania, they decide to move in. Without giving too much of the story away, odd and scary things begin to happen to them when they visit the house, and they have to work with some suspicious friends, neighbors, and family to figure out how to get themselves out of a mess.
The story hinges on the bewilderment that Steven and Tara face as they confront some spooky and life-threatening situations, and as they learn how their family is involved with extra-terrestials.
Raiser tells the story from multiple points of view: first Steven in the first person, and then most of the other characters, including Steven, in the third person. She moves the story along briskly, surprising the reader with new information as needed. She fleshes out many characters, each of them well-conflicted with problems from their past and the present situation.
I liked how Raiser presented Steven and Tara's bewilderment, and I enjoyed the many twists to the story: just when I thought I had it figured out, she threw me another curve ball.
Kimberly Raiser's "The Family Bones" tells what happens when a family confronts and tries to make sense out of a suppressed family history.
Steven and Tara are happily married with two children. When Steven inherits the family estate in the tiny town of Astral Pennsylvania, they decide to move in. Without giving too much of the story away, odd and scary things begin to happen to them when they visit the house, and they have to work with some suspicious friends, neighbors, and family to figure out how to get themselves out of a mess.
The story hinges on the bewilderment that Steven and Tara face as they confront some spooky and life-threatening situations, and as they learn how their family is involved with extra-terrestials.
Raiser tells the story from multiple points of view: first Steven in the first person, and then most of the other characters, including Steven, in the third person. She moves the story along briskly, surprising the reader with new information as needed. She fleshes out many characters, each of them well-conflicted with problems from their past and the present situation.
I liked how Raiser presented Steven and Tara's bewilderment, and I enjoyed the many twists to the story: just when I thought I had it figured out, she threw me another curve ball.
April 8, 2012
Not entirely sure how I feel about this book. The writing was not what I prefer. The formatting on e-book is horrible. There were a lot of things that seemed inconsistent. I suppose I didn't look at the genres closely enough. I was expecting a suspense horror thriller. This had those things to some degree, but readers don’t find out that it is sci-fi until way later in the book. The novel switches from the first person point of view to third. I don’t know how anyone else would feel about this, but personally, I don’t care for it. The whole thing seemed a little bizarre as far as a story. I never quiet understood what was going on. I got the points of it and everything, but other than that, I never really did understand why the aliens were there, and why Steven and Tara were together. Things of that nature just weren’t clearly explained for me.
February 4, 2011
I had a hard time finishing this book. The events in it were too random. The story has a lot of potential, but in the form it was in when I purchased it, I had a hard time connecting the dots. That may be because one of the character's names was Tara and one was Sara. That type of similiarity with a common name had me wondering which one was the mother and which one was the daughter.
I like the current cover better than the one I bought. Mine was a haunted house. This green being on the cover now looks creepy :)
I like the current cover better than the one I bought. Mine was a haunted house. This green being on the cover now looks creepy :)
February 26, 2011
At first I thought this book would be a good GHOST story and it turned out to be an ALIEN story. This book was so messed up. I liked it till the very end and then its like what the hell was the point of this whole thing. It was poorly written and that just added to the irritation not to mention how many times this damn book said okay. It held my attention cause I kept thinking this has to get better it just has to it didn't and in the end all the events just become jumbled words that left nothing but an air of "WHY DID I READ THIS DAMN BOOK"!
Read
August 9, 2010...starts of with a scary bang!
What a strange little book. I enjoyed the story, scary with a strange twist, which is my thing. But...I don't know if it was just my edition but I went a little crazy with all the inaccurate punctuation, lack of contractions (8 year old speak with contracts), and general grammatical blunders. I think if the book would have been longer, I would stopped about where it did!
What a strange little book. I enjoyed the story, scary with a strange twist, which is my thing. But...I don't know if it was just my edition but I went a little crazy with all the inaccurate punctuation, lack of contractions (8 year old speak with contracts), and general grammatical blunders. I think if the book would have been longer, I would stopped about where it did!
July 30, 2012
I was thrilled by the first introduction of the place and the people by the Author. It did amazed me to find what really was going on. Off course finding the answers left me with "Oh is that all!!". I even wish to write lot more good things, but I am afraid I don't hold much of words. It was a not bad read is one line I'd like to add in up here. Thank you!!
April 10, 2011
This book was hard to get through. It seemed promising at first, but didn't deliver. The plot was erratic, the continuity left much to be desired. All in all, a dissatisfying read.
January 25, 2014
The amount of missing commas and quotation marks is too distracting. It's a shame because the story was kind of interesting. DNF at 25%
May 18, 2010
It's not so much a 'didn't like it' as it is a 'it was pretty stupid.'
March 6, 2017
A very forgettable book
This book was not one that I would ever want to read again. My time spent reading it was not wasted because there were parts of the book that were entertaining but the plot holes were large and I was left at the end with too many questions.
This book was not one that I would ever want to read again. My time spent reading it was not wasted because there were parts of the book that were entertaining but the plot holes were large and I was left at the end with too many questions.
December 31, 2016
This was a quick read and very creepy. Kimberly Raiser is a new author for me but I'm looking forward to reading another.
January 17, 2009
The Family Bones by Kimberly Raiser is a debut novel by an imaginative young author. The story follows a family that has just inherited property in a tiny little town in Pennsylvania. The Weavers can't wait to check out their new place, and are hoping for a quiet, simple small town life for themselves and their young kids. The property comes complete with the requisite weird/friendly caretaker and his oddly creepy son, along with lots of mysterious tunnels, hidden rooms and things that go bump in the night. Throughout the course of the book, we discover that all isn't what it seems even within the Weaver family. There are secrets there as well........
When I first started The Family Bones, I thought I was reading a spooky horror type novel. It quickly morphed into a straight mystery, with a touch of "mysterious shadowy group" thrown in. Then it changed once more into a SciFi thriller. I guess it could be called a Horror/SciFi/Conspiracy Murder mystery. And that is really sort of the biggest problem for this reader. Ms. Raiser is an inventive storyteller, and has simply packed a lot into this slim novel. I would have really enjoyed getting to know much more about the background story of many of the characters. Interesting, peculiar and eccentric folks fill this book, and much is mentioned in passing. I hope that the author is planning on fleshing out these people further. It would make the book much longer, but be so much more satisfying to this reader.
The Family Bones has a lot of potential, the author does a superb job of setting the tone. Her descriptions of time and place are spot on, and she paints us a very good picture of the locations contained within her pages. I think if the character development is brought along, Kimberly Raiser has an interesting and productive future ahead of her.
March 26, 2009
Description:
Will they stay? Will they survive? The Weavers have inherited family property in Astral, Pennsylvania, a town so small that Mrs. Weaver can find no mention of it on the Internet, save for a tiny spot on Google Earth. Hoping for a simpler, small-town existence for their young family, Steven and Tara eagerly head to Astral to see what they hope will be their dream house. As they explore their potential new home, the Weavers begin to discover secret passageways, secret rooms, and long buried family truths; some difficult truths are revealed and no longer kept in the far reaches of the closet. There are reasons for everything, and sometimes the explanations are so simple. But sometimes, simple can also be horrifying.
Review:
The twist and turns in this debut novel by Kimberly Raiser is an "under the covers with a flashlight" story that will have you up all night to finish.
Readers will go under the covers with a flashlight with this debut novel by Kimberly Raiser, filled with twists and turns on almost every page.
The story and characters develop well in a relatively short book (174 pages.) The level of suspense changes through out the book to make you think you know where the story is headed, but then surprises you when it goes to a level of mystery you didn’t expect. It reminded me of the old TV shows “Outer Limits’ or “Twilight Zone” where you’re taken to a situation and allowed to observe what happens. Ms. Raiser mixes child abduction, tunnels, paranormal and old family history to create a story that will make you continue to think about it even after you finish reading it. The story isn’t overly scary or violent for a ‘thriller’ book, so kids of all ages would enjoy this book.
This "paranormal mystery thriller" will take hold of you from the first page and keeps you mesmerized until the very last page.
Will they stay? Will they survive? The Weavers have inherited family property in Astral, Pennsylvania, a town so small that Mrs. Weaver can find no mention of it on the Internet, save for a tiny spot on Google Earth. Hoping for a simpler, small-town existence for their young family, Steven and Tara eagerly head to Astral to see what they hope will be their dream house. As they explore their potential new home, the Weavers begin to discover secret passageways, secret rooms, and long buried family truths; some difficult truths are revealed and no longer kept in the far reaches of the closet. There are reasons for everything, and sometimes the explanations are so simple. But sometimes, simple can also be horrifying.
Review:
The twist and turns in this debut novel by Kimberly Raiser is an "under the covers with a flashlight" story that will have you up all night to finish.
Readers will go under the covers with a flashlight with this debut novel by Kimberly Raiser, filled with twists and turns on almost every page.
The story and characters develop well in a relatively short book (174 pages.) The level of suspense changes through out the book to make you think you know where the story is headed, but then surprises you when it goes to a level of mystery you didn’t expect. It reminded me of the old TV shows “Outer Limits’ or “Twilight Zone” where you’re taken to a situation and allowed to observe what happens. Ms. Raiser mixes child abduction, tunnels, paranormal and old family history to create a story that will make you continue to think about it even after you finish reading it. The story isn’t overly scary or violent for a ‘thriller’ book, so kids of all ages would enjoy this book.
This "paranormal mystery thriller" will take hold of you from the first page and keeps you mesmerized until the very last page.
July 13, 2009
Reading "The Family Bones" brought back memories of the extrordinary powers some of the characters had in Stephen King's "Firestarter."
Steven Weaver seems ordinary enough, inherits the family home and brings his wife, Tara, and children out to the country to see what they have.
Strange things begin to happen. The well which saw the end of a number of animals so long ago, seems to draw Tara nearer and nearer to the edge. 8 year old Charlie becomes lost in a basement and Steven finds an unexplored corridor that ends in a maize. He hits his head and awakens to meets his Uncle Ben and Ben's son Jack who have been staying in the guest cottage and caring for the home since Steven's grandparents died.
Steven's parents were killed in front of him in an auto accident when coming to see him at his boarding school. He calls his attorney about the property and learns that his parents had been accused by neighbors of murder. However charges were dropped when they died.
Upon their next visit to the house things get really scarey. The family goes exploring and follows a path to a river, they see some old canoes partly burried by the water. Suddenly Steven becomes terribly ill. Jack appears from the woods and carries Steven back to the house. Then more things happen that are better read than told about.
The author tells a fun story. She mixes mystery and science fiction quite nicely. The plot is unique and Steven and Tara are believable characters. However, the reader must suspend reality when visiting the world of science fiction and this gives much of the fun to the novel.
Try this one, if you have imagination, you'll enjoy the ride it gives.
Steven Weaver seems ordinary enough, inherits the family home and brings his wife, Tara, and children out to the country to see what they have.
Strange things begin to happen. The well which saw the end of a number of animals so long ago, seems to draw Tara nearer and nearer to the edge. 8 year old Charlie becomes lost in a basement and Steven finds an unexplored corridor that ends in a maize. He hits his head and awakens to meets his Uncle Ben and Ben's son Jack who have been staying in the guest cottage and caring for the home since Steven's grandparents died.
Steven's parents were killed in front of him in an auto accident when coming to see him at his boarding school. He calls his attorney about the property and learns that his parents had been accused by neighbors of murder. However charges were dropped when they died.
Upon their next visit to the house things get really scarey. The family goes exploring and follows a path to a river, they see some old canoes partly burried by the water. Suddenly Steven becomes terribly ill. Jack appears from the woods and carries Steven back to the house. Then more things happen that are better read than told about.
The author tells a fun story. She mixes mystery and science fiction quite nicely. The plot is unique and Steven and Tara are believable characters. However, the reader must suspend reality when visiting the world of science fiction and this gives much of the fun to the novel.
Try this one, if you have imagination, you'll enjoy the ride it gives.
March 7, 2009
The Family Bones
I just finished “The Family Bones” by Kimberly Raiser. This book is a fast and great read!!! My goodness, while reading this book there were times I didn’t want to turn the lights off in order to go to bed; very suspenseful, with a lot of interaction between the characters. The story is about a family that has inherited a house and grounds from the husband’s relatives. Strange, unexplainable happenings start to occur while the family is checking out the house and surrounding grounds. While reading this book the strange occurrences did spook me. Kimberly has a great hold on suspending the suspense and with about a fourth of the book left to read, all a of sudden the characters change, or you could say that they let their true motives and deeds known. At the end of the book, the reader receives a nice wrap up regarding all of the strange happenings in and around this house. Yet at the same time, Kimberly leaves the door open for a sequel.
Due to the complex character’s, this book is a fast read. I recommend this book to readers who love a good mystery. It is the kind of book that makes you want to sleep with the lights on and you only go to sleep once your eyes are heavy from reading.
Before I read this book, I thought I knew every mystery an author could create, as well as being able to predict the conclusion. The conclusion was not what I expected yet I was left satisfied. I eagerly look forward to the next book by Kimberly, be it a sequel to “The Family Bones” or something totally different.
I just finished “The Family Bones” by Kimberly Raiser. This book is a fast and great read!!! My goodness, while reading this book there were times I didn’t want to turn the lights off in order to go to bed; very suspenseful, with a lot of interaction between the characters. The story is about a family that has inherited a house and grounds from the husband’s relatives. Strange, unexplainable happenings start to occur while the family is checking out the house and surrounding grounds. While reading this book the strange occurrences did spook me. Kimberly has a great hold on suspending the suspense and with about a fourth of the book left to read, all a of sudden the characters change, or you could say that they let their true motives and deeds known. At the end of the book, the reader receives a nice wrap up regarding all of the strange happenings in and around this house. Yet at the same time, Kimberly leaves the door open for a sequel.
Due to the complex character’s, this book is a fast read. I recommend this book to readers who love a good mystery. It is the kind of book that makes you want to sleep with the lights on and you only go to sleep once your eyes are heavy from reading.
Before I read this book, I thought I knew every mystery an author could create, as well as being able to predict the conclusion. The conclusion was not what I expected yet I was left satisfied. I eagerly look forward to the next book by Kimberly, be it a sequel to “The Family Bones” or something totally different.
May 31, 2011
where to start... First off, I got a few chapters in and ALMOST gave up on this one but I am actually glad I didn't. The book starts off in a first person voice, told in the story line of Stephen, but then changes to the writers point of view for all of the other characters. Stephen's POV continues into the book when the story is focused on him then it just instantly changes and the rest of the book is told as a story. This was a majority of the reason I almost gave up on it. Once I really got into it I was surprised to see I was already half way done (my Nook said it was 492 pages). Second, it was a quick read, as it took less than 24 hours to finish. Now, on to the story... can you say shocked? I had no idea where it was headed and was surprised one of the "good" guys was a bad guy and the "bad" guys were actually good. It took a turn that wasn't mentioned in the description and I didn't see coming at all. It kind of reminded me of a certain movie I have seen but if I tell you which one it will kind of give away some of the suspense of the story (think family moves into strange house...weird things start happening to a certain male family member...thats it, all I can say lol). Overall it was a quick, good read and as this was the first book I have read by this author, I would be willing to try another book written by her.
January 27, 2009
By Kimberly Raiser
"Will they stay? Will they survive? The Weavers have inherited family property in Astral, Pennsylvania, a town so small that Mrs. Weaver can find no mention of it on the Internet, save for a tiny spot on Google Earth. Hoping for a simpler, small-town existence for their young family, Steven and Tara eagerly head to Astral to see what they hope will be their dream house. As they explore their potential new home, the Weavers begin to discover secret passageways, secret rooms, and long buried family truths; some difficult truths are revealed and no longer kept in the far reaches of the closet. There are reasons for everything, and sometimes the explanations are so simple. But sometimes, simple can also be horrifying." (Barnes & Noble)
What can I say? This book was pure fun from start to finish. If you like the thriller, sci-fi genre then you'll love this book. There were twists and turns in this book that I NEVER saw coming. I read this book in one day because I just couldn't put it down.! Kimberly Raiser has written a wonderful book. I think another great point to make is that this book would also be appropriate for younger readers. There 's not gore, violence and sex in this book...just an out and out thrill ride. I'd recommend this to everyone.
"Will they stay? Will they survive? The Weavers have inherited family property in Astral, Pennsylvania, a town so small that Mrs. Weaver can find no mention of it on the Internet, save for a tiny spot on Google Earth. Hoping for a simpler, small-town existence for their young family, Steven and Tara eagerly head to Astral to see what they hope will be their dream house. As they explore their potential new home, the Weavers begin to discover secret passageways, secret rooms, and long buried family truths; some difficult truths are revealed and no longer kept in the far reaches of the closet. There are reasons for everything, and sometimes the explanations are so simple. But sometimes, simple can also be horrifying." (Barnes & Noble)
What can I say? This book was pure fun from start to finish. If you like the thriller, sci-fi genre then you'll love this book. There were twists and turns in this book that I NEVER saw coming. I read this book in one day because I just couldn't put it down.! Kimberly Raiser has written a wonderful book. I think another great point to make is that this book would also be appropriate for younger readers. There 's not gore, violence and sex in this book...just an out and out thrill ride. I'd recommend this to everyone.
March 7, 2009
Great Horror Tale – Real Page-Turner!
Steven Weaver, his wife Tara, and their two children inherit a family estate in the lovely, picturesque town of Astral, Pennsylvania. They decided that they wanted to get away from the big city and enjoy the vast acreage and freedom of living in a small rural town. Strange incidents begin happening to each member of the family almost immediately from old family secrets, an old creepy overgrown well, basements without exits, and an attic that seems to go on forever. The story unravels with the entertaining elements of Stephen King novels and the X-Files.
I was pleasantly surprised and was eagerly engrossed when I began reading “The Family Bones”. It definitely kept me quickly turning the pages until the end – I finished it in one afternoon. The horror story began to build almost immediately and takes you on many twists and turns. It’s truly creepy and clever. Trust me, you won’t be able to guess the ending!
Kimberly Raiser knows how to spin a horror tale at a rapid pace and has found her perfect writing genre. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and highly recommend it to horror and paranormal fans out there. My only question is… what’s next from Raiser?
Steven Weaver, his wife Tara, and their two children inherit a family estate in the lovely, picturesque town of Astral, Pennsylvania. They decided that they wanted to get away from the big city and enjoy the vast acreage and freedom of living in a small rural town. Strange incidents begin happening to each member of the family almost immediately from old family secrets, an old creepy overgrown well, basements without exits, and an attic that seems to go on forever. The story unravels with the entertaining elements of Stephen King novels and the X-Files.
I was pleasantly surprised and was eagerly engrossed when I began reading “The Family Bones”. It definitely kept me quickly turning the pages until the end – I finished it in one afternoon. The horror story began to build almost immediately and takes you on many twists and turns. It’s truly creepy and clever. Trust me, you won’t be able to guess the ending!
Kimberly Raiser knows how to spin a horror tale at a rapid pace and has found her perfect writing genre. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and highly recommend it to horror and paranormal fans out there. My only question is… what’s next from Raiser?
June 29, 2009
I received this book for free through Goodreads. Although not technically from the Goodreads giveaways, the author offered a copy to folks who wanted to review her work through a posting on the 100+ book challenge.
This is an interesting book. It's an extremely quick read, a page turner that I could not put down until I was finished. I have to agree with one of the reviewers on the back of the book that the book could only have been improved by its being longer. There was quite a bit I still wanted to know when the book ended, but I think that it was because I was fascinated by the story and the characters involved.
I wasn't so sure I would like this book at first. I'm not a big science fiction fan. And I have read a lot of Stephen King and some Peter Straub, but I have generally gotten away from the horror genre lately. I am glad to say that it's not so much of a horror story as a dramatic tale with a science fiction foundation and some creepy parts. I will look for more books by this author.
This is an interesting book. It's an extremely quick read, a page turner that I could not put down until I was finished. I have to agree with one of the reviewers on the back of the book that the book could only have been improved by its being longer. There was quite a bit I still wanted to know when the book ended, but I think that it was because I was fascinated by the story and the characters involved.
I wasn't so sure I would like this book at first. I'm not a big science fiction fan. And I have read a lot of Stephen King and some Peter Straub, but I have generally gotten away from the horror genre lately. I am glad to say that it's not so much of a horror story as a dramatic tale with a science fiction foundation and some creepy parts. I will look for more books by this author.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 92 reviews