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Sawbones
Sixteen-year-old Ezra McAdam has much to be thankful for: trained up as an apprentice by a well-regarded London surgeon, Ezra’s knowledge of human anatomy and skill at the dissection table will secure him a trade for life. However, his world is turned on its head when a failed break-in at his master’s house sets off a strange and disturbing series of events that involves grave robbing, body switching … and murder. Sparky, persuasive young Loveday Finch, daughter of the late Mr Charles Finch, magician, employs Ezra to investigate her father’s death - and there are marked similarities between his corpse and the others. The mystery takes Ezra and Loveday from the Operating Theatre at St Bart’s to the desolate wasteland of Coldbath Fields; from the streets of Clerkenwell to the dark, damp vaults of Newgate Prison; and finally to the shadowy and forbidding Ottoman Embassy, which seems to be the key to it all…
232 pages, ebook
First published October 3, 2013
37 people are currently reading
859 people want to read
About the author
Catherine Johnson
124 books64 followersCatherine Johnson is a British author and screenwriter known for her young adult fiction and work in film, television and radio. Born in London to a Jamaican father and Welsh mother, she studied film at St Martin's School of Art before publishing her debut novel, The Last Welsh Summer (1993). She has since written around 20 novels, including works on Arctic explorer Matthew Henson, and won the 2019 Little Rebels Award for Freedom. Her historical novel Sawbones (2013) earned multiple shortlistings and the Young Quills Award. Johnson co-wrote the screenplay for Bullet Boy (2004) with Saul Dibb, and has served as Royal Literary Fund Fellow, Writer in Residence at Holloway Prison, and judge for the Jhalak Prize. In 2019, she was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
January 26, 2020
What stars? All the sharp scalpels/5 stars
Ezra slowly, carefully, unwrapped the body. It was a strange life, he knew that's what others thought, that they judged him. People wanted cures but didn't know how to come by them. But William McAdam was no ghoul. How did people imagine surgeons knew where to cut, how to cut and how far to cut? You couldn't have one without the other.
Something to listen to while reading this ♥
Trigger warnings for: Racism, blood, amputations, death
Those who speak to me quite often will know that ever since I picked up Sawbones, I never really stopped talking about it. In fact, I adopted the main characters and they are now forever my children, who I will protect and cherish at all costs. I got exactly what I expected from this action-packed, spooky historical fiction story, and it was tears, and laughter, and the most unexpected heart warmth, out of the most unexpected places.
For a small book, this was filled with MANY descriptions of surgeries and body studies, and I did not mind it one bit. If anything, I enjoyed it to the fullest, and learnt even more about medicine in the past. I loved the characters so deeply, and will forever carry them with me. I loved the setting, the aesthetic, the twists of the plot, the writing, the inspiration from the Hunterian museum AND the mystery.
I loved loved loved everything about it, and something that surprised me is how much coziness one could fit in a story about a string of murders, a young surgeon and grave robbers. I loved the friendships, the emotions, the light humour and the historical bits. I just fell head over heels for this story, and I dug my own grave.
Overall, I don't know what you guys expected, but if you like The Graveyard Book, Tim Burton and historical fiction, I believe you will love this as much ♥ Until the next review, keep studying the scalpel and the blade and searching for adventures and friends ♥
~Mary ♥
Ezra slowly, carefully, unwrapped the body. It was a strange life, he knew that's what others thought, that they judged him. People wanted cures but didn't know how to come by them. But William McAdam was no ghoul. How did people imagine surgeons knew where to cut, how to cut and how far to cut? You couldn't have one without the other.
Something to listen to while reading this ♥
Trigger warnings for: Racism, blood, amputations, death
Those who speak to me quite often will know that ever since I picked up Sawbones, I never really stopped talking about it. In fact, I adopted the main characters and they are now forever my children, who I will protect and cherish at all costs. I got exactly what I expected from this action-packed, spooky historical fiction story, and it was tears, and laughter, and the most unexpected heart warmth, out of the most unexpected places.
For a small book, this was filled with MANY descriptions of surgeries and body studies, and I did not mind it one bit. If anything, I enjoyed it to the fullest, and learnt even more about medicine in the past. I loved the characters so deeply, and will forever carry them with me. I loved the setting, the aesthetic, the twists of the plot, the writing, the inspiration from the Hunterian museum AND the mystery.
I loved loved loved everything about it, and something that surprised me is how much coziness one could fit in a story about a string of murders, a young surgeon and grave robbers. I loved the friendships, the emotions, the light humour and the historical bits. I just fell head over heels for this story, and I dug my own grave.
Overall, I don't know what you guys expected, but if you like The Graveyard Book, Tim Burton and historical fiction, I believe you will love this as much ♥ Until the next review, keep studying the scalpel and the blade and searching for adventures and friends ♥
~Mary ♥
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October 25, 2016A hugely enjoyable YA romp set in Georgian London. Properly (historically accurately) diverse cast--ex enslaved hero now a surgeon's apprentice, with real weight and meaning given to his situation, which adds a huge element of drama and tension to the bodysnatching/murder/Ottoman Empire/stage magic/smuggling plot elements. Oh yeah, those. :D Loved this story, think it would suit any reasonably sturdy 11+ (there is gore from the surgery and some on page murdering but it's not horrifically graphic). And there's a sequel!
Highly recced for history/adventure lovers and everyone looking for intelligent and diverse YA.
Highly recced for history/adventure lovers and everyone looking for intelligent and diverse YA.
October 17, 2013
A superb young adult book! A powerful opening gripped me immediately and I found the plot compelling. The characters and relationship are well developed; I loved the complexity of Ezra's position as a Mulatto anatomist in such an oppressive society, and the way that Loveday casts off all preconceptions of a young girl's role. Despite the tense and fast paced plot, there are also moments that encourage reflection - especially of wrong/right in pursuit of science and the 'bigger picture'. I truly enjoyed this 'Silent Witness for teenagers' and will be recommending to many of my pupils. It is an unusual tale and offers a great alternative taste of narrative, diving into history in a fresh way, to read alongside popular dystopian stories.
May 19, 2016
A really brilliant YA historical thriller, set in the late 1700s. I absolutely loved this book - the quality of the writing is superb and the historical setting really comes to life - well-researched and accurately depicted, with some enjoyably gruesome details. I wholeheartedly recommend this book.
January 22, 2014
Pruedence for www.bigbooklittlebook.com
Copy received from publisher in exchange for an honest review
What initially caught my attention with Sawbones was the somewhat dark and a little macabre cover, and subsequently the very short and brief synopsis that hinted to one mystery and perhaps an even bigger one lying beneath.
Having read The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson and more recently Unrest by Michelle Harrison, two books that both took me out of my comfort zone I decided to follow my gut, take a leap of faith and go for it. Turns out I should do that more often!
Catherine Johnson’s story unfolds from an uncommon source in the rough and dirty London of 1792. Our narrator is non-other than a sixteen-year-old mulatto boy by the name of Ezra, a surgeon apprentice to one of the most prestigious and experienced surgeons of London. Under William McAdams wing he has grown up free, a man of truth and science, where rationality and reason reign sovereign, and where the mysteries of life lie in death and the veil that hides them will eventually be cut down by the scalpel of a surgeon postmortem.
Science is bursting with the desire to grow, expand and pushing the boundaries of what is acceptable faster than it is accepted. Surgeons need to practice and need to learn, and they need corpses to both. Unfortunately not everyone willingly gives their body to science. It is in this environment that the resurrectionists are born, also known as grave robbers. Thieves paid well by thirsty scientific minds to bring to the anatomizing table a dead body that perhaps was laid to rest with the intention of staying that way.
When we meet him his biggest concern is not losing the girl he is giving his attention to now that he has come of age, and being taken seriously in the blooming surgeon community given the colouring of his skin. But when a corpse turns up on his master’s anatomizing table with a couple too many unexplained quirks, ones that might get undesired attention and might imply that the poor soul may actually be missed and claimed, Ezra raises his concerns with his master. Add to the mix a red headed girl with a fiery and willful personality who seeks revenge for the death of her father which she claims is murder, and you have yourself a mystery. But the mystery goes beyond that. There are more ingredients to this recipe, and the intrigues run deeper than the scalpel has initially cut and further than the streets of London.
Sawbones’s narration was as clean cut and objective as the scalpel and the mind of he that wields them. Ezra tells us his most peculiar adventure in a fashion that shows a mind brought up surrounded by reality and reason, where no laws are defied and common sense and logic are the rules that must be abided. The language and style were faithful to such a mind and showed great care and research on behalf of the very clever author. Every detail was delivered with some detachment; detachment that I would also expect in someone who has made the examination of death his business, and therefore no description appeared or transpired as gruesome or stomach churning. The critical eye delivered an accurate picture allowing both my mind and his to soak in the relevant information to attempt to solve the ever growing puzzle of bodies.
Sawbones wasn’t quite what I expected, for some reason I had some version of Jack The Ripper murders in my mind. But it did not dissapoint by any means and was a very welcomed break of the increasing thrillers that has some romantic thread along the way. The pure science and riddle solving mind that Ezra brought to the story was refreshing. And because his reasoning was so dictated by logic I was able to follow each of his steps and conclusions, meaning that for once I was actually able to solve the murder mystery at the same time he was!!! Total bonus!!! And I have to say that I am (admittedly rather pathetically) very proud of myself!!! * claps and dances around *
Verdict: Dark, sharp and refreshing.
Copy received from publisher in exchange for an honest review
What initially caught my attention with Sawbones was the somewhat dark and a little macabre cover, and subsequently the very short and brief synopsis that hinted to one mystery and perhaps an even bigger one lying beneath.
Having read The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson and more recently Unrest by Michelle Harrison, two books that both took me out of my comfort zone I decided to follow my gut, take a leap of faith and go for it. Turns out I should do that more often!
Catherine Johnson’s story unfolds from an uncommon source in the rough and dirty London of 1792. Our narrator is non-other than a sixteen-year-old mulatto boy by the name of Ezra, a surgeon apprentice to one of the most prestigious and experienced surgeons of London. Under William McAdams wing he has grown up free, a man of truth and science, where rationality and reason reign sovereign, and where the mysteries of life lie in death and the veil that hides them will eventually be cut down by the scalpel of a surgeon postmortem.
Science is bursting with the desire to grow, expand and pushing the boundaries of what is acceptable faster than it is accepted. Surgeons need to practice and need to learn, and they need corpses to both. Unfortunately not everyone willingly gives their body to science. It is in this environment that the resurrectionists are born, also known as grave robbers. Thieves paid well by thirsty scientific minds to bring to the anatomizing table a dead body that perhaps was laid to rest with the intention of staying that way.
When we meet him his biggest concern is not losing the girl he is giving his attention to now that he has come of age, and being taken seriously in the blooming surgeon community given the colouring of his skin. But when a corpse turns up on his master’s anatomizing table with a couple too many unexplained quirks, ones that might get undesired attention and might imply that the poor soul may actually be missed and claimed, Ezra raises his concerns with his master. Add to the mix a red headed girl with a fiery and willful personality who seeks revenge for the death of her father which she claims is murder, and you have yourself a mystery. But the mystery goes beyond that. There are more ingredients to this recipe, and the intrigues run deeper than the scalpel has initially cut and further than the streets of London.
Sawbones’s narration was as clean cut and objective as the scalpel and the mind of he that wields them. Ezra tells us his most peculiar adventure in a fashion that shows a mind brought up surrounded by reality and reason, where no laws are defied and common sense and logic are the rules that must be abided. The language and style were faithful to such a mind and showed great care and research on behalf of the very clever author. Every detail was delivered with some detachment; detachment that I would also expect in someone who has made the examination of death his business, and therefore no description appeared or transpired as gruesome or stomach churning. The critical eye delivered an accurate picture allowing both my mind and his to soak in the relevant information to attempt to solve the ever growing puzzle of bodies.
Sawbones wasn’t quite what I expected, for some reason I had some version of Jack The Ripper murders in my mind. But it did not dissapoint by any means and was a very welcomed break of the increasing thrillers that has some romantic thread along the way. The pure science and riddle solving mind that Ezra brought to the story was refreshing. And because his reasoning was so dictated by logic I was able to follow each of his steps and conclusions, meaning that for once I was actually able to solve the murder mystery at the same time he was!!! Total bonus!!! And I have to say that I am (admittedly rather pathetically) very proud of myself!!! * claps and dances around *
Verdict: Dark, sharp and refreshing.
August 17, 2014
Ezra is upset when he learns his best friend and confidant, Anna is being shipped off to Holland. He suspects it is because he isn’t suitable to be seeing her as he is a mulatto. He is a well spoken young man, raised as a gentleman but not paid for his training. Suddenly he believes he needs the money so he can travel to see Anna.
He soon meets Loveday Finch who is upset about the sudden death of her father. She says she will be glad to pay anyone who can find his body, find out what killed him and why. Ezra decides he will find out in order to get the money he needs to visit Anna.
But he is drawn into evil plans for murder and they are both put in danger as they find out who killed Loveday’s father and then someone Ezra loves…
Action packed, with language better suited for higher level 11-12 yr olds or teens.
Great historical read – but if you’re a little squeamish, this is gruesome in places.
He soon meets Loveday Finch who is upset about the sudden death of her father. She says she will be glad to pay anyone who can find his body, find out what killed him and why. Ezra decides he will find out in order to get the money he needs to visit Anna.
But he is drawn into evil plans for murder and they are both put in danger as they find out who killed Loveday’s father and then someone Ezra loves…
Action packed, with language better suited for higher level 11-12 yr olds or teens.
Great historical read – but if you’re a little squeamish, this is gruesome in places.
October 28, 2022
Ooooooo, gripping and gory! Very good!
November 1, 2016
Sawbones has an interesting and original setting: the gruesome world of surgeons in 1790s London. It has an enjoyable amount of grinchy detail about surgical procedures of the time and by the end I did care what happened to Ezra, the former slave turned surgeon's apprentice. However, the other characters don't come off the page (Loveday, the only significant female character, never feels like a real person) and the plot relies on everyone behaving thoroughly illogically.
March 9, 2024
From the grisly dissecting table to the stately building of the Ottoman Embassy to the eery coldness of St James's Churchyard at night, 'Sawbones' was terrific, mortifying and exhilarating in equal measures. A magnificently vibrant and atmospheric story with descriptions as sharp as rapiers and knives and scalpels, not for the faint of heart. The unique storyline is sure to have young readers hooked from start to finish.
Johnson's imagination has given way to an excellent eighteenth century murder mystery crime novel following young Ezra McAdam, gifted apprentice to the renowned surgeon William McAdam who is best known for his expertly-handled atomisations on cadavers. Ezra, a freed slave, is the unassuming, brave hero of the novel and he pairs up with the tenacious and sparky Loveday Finch, daughter of a deceased magician, in their quest to unveil answers and untangle secrets and mysteries across London.
The book gripped me with a chilling opening starting at the operating theatre at St Bartholomew's Hospital which quickly had me invested in the story. Both the pacing and development of the story builds anticipation and lends itself quite splendidly to a great deal of suspense, action, adventure and gore. The anatomical aspects pertaining to the corpses has been well-researched and Johnson boldly portrays the messy and sordid yet intriguing realm of surgeons and grave-diggers in the late 1700s.
"A graveyard at night is always eerie, Ezra thought, even when a corpse is a normal part of your work."
"You know the path the blood takes around the body. You know how the heart works, how the sinews under our skin move and flex. But you do not understand that in this world, on this earth, there is no such thing as justice?"
"He had sliced flesh so many times in his life, uncovered ribcages, sawn off the top of skulls. Eviscerated boys and girls, men and women. But a living man, a living, breathing man, even one as worthless as this, who had killed his master, who would cause more death and heartbreak if left alive - he could not do it."
Johnson's imagination has given way to an excellent eighteenth century murder mystery crime novel following young Ezra McAdam, gifted apprentice to the renowned surgeon William McAdam who is best known for his expertly-handled atomisations on cadavers. Ezra, a freed slave, is the unassuming, brave hero of the novel and he pairs up with the tenacious and sparky Loveday Finch, daughter of a deceased magician, in their quest to unveil answers and untangle secrets and mysteries across London.
The book gripped me with a chilling opening starting at the operating theatre at St Bartholomew's Hospital which quickly had me invested in the story. Both the pacing and development of the story builds anticipation and lends itself quite splendidly to a great deal of suspense, action, adventure and gore. The anatomical aspects pertaining to the corpses has been well-researched and Johnson boldly portrays the messy and sordid yet intriguing realm of surgeons and grave-diggers in the late 1700s.
"A graveyard at night is always eerie, Ezra thought, even when a corpse is a normal part of your work."
"You know the path the blood takes around the body. You know how the heart works, how the sinews under our skin move and flex. But you do not understand that in this world, on this earth, there is no such thing as justice?"
"He had sliced flesh so many times in his life, uncovered ribcages, sawn off the top of skulls. Eviscerated boys and girls, men and women. But a living man, a living, breathing man, even one as worthless as this, who had killed his master, who would cause more death and heartbreak if left alive - he could not do it."
November 4, 2023
Found on an inconspicuous shelf in a Turkish hotel, this book seemed interesting just from its blurb. I have to admit I thought there would be more SUBSTANCE to the mystery, which although interesting, didn't really seem to go anywhere unexpected. despite this, I would not say I didn't enjoy it, and seeing as I finished this novel rather quickly It is definitely worthy of being said to be a page-turner. It's a subject that would have probably benefited from more refinement and more pages.
April 21, 2024
Never read this type of genre before but have been pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. It is fascinating to read about the medical operations but also the story is so interesting that I didn’t want to put the book down. Will definitely need to read the next book to find out what happens to Ezra and Loveday!
December 9, 2019
Nice little mystery thriller with lots of gruesome dead bodies and almost as gruesome surgery without anaesthetic. Some of the period detail seems off (did late 18th Century London cooks make chutney?) but I had fun, so I’m trying not to be pedantic.
September 26, 2024
Probably a useful book if you want to introduce a kid to Dickens or Victorian London writing, but otherwise reads like a child’s attempt at a creative writing story after they’ve been on a school trip to the London Dungeons.
August 15, 2017
I absolutely adored this book. Tense, fast-paced and incredibly fascinating!
August 2, 2014
Ezra McAdams is a mixed race surgeon's apprentice working in London in 1972. Coming from a background where he has been discriminated against and outcast, he is a quiet and sultry character, whilst being thoroughly intriguing and captivating at the same time.
Loveday Finch is the daughter of a magician, who is dead. Loveday believes her father was murdered, and is out for revenge.
One day, a corpse is placed on Ezra's master's anatomical table, but there are too many anomalies and injuries for this man to have died a straightforward death. Ezra raises his concerns with his master, and so begins the murder mystery.
Along with Loveday, Ezra is on a mission to find out what happened to the seemingly normal guy.
The interaction between Loveday and Ezra is quite beautiful. And the pacing of this book is quick and fast. The overall logically thought out murder case is very cleverly constructed, and Catherine Johnson does a splendid job of writing Ezra's thought process throughout the book. I found myself discovering clues and answers with Ezra, at the same time. And (unlike most murder mystery books) I couldnt figure out who had done it, it was all so carefully thought out and distributed through the book at just the right times.
A beautifully written mystery that will keep you guessing right to the very last page, and then have you going over the whole case in your mind for weeks afterwards! Brilliant story telling, likeable characters and a perfect storyline.
One to re read in future.......
Loveday Finch is the daughter of a magician, who is dead. Loveday believes her father was murdered, and is out for revenge.
One day, a corpse is placed on Ezra's master's anatomical table, but there are too many anomalies and injuries for this man to have died a straightforward death. Ezra raises his concerns with his master, and so begins the murder mystery.
Along with Loveday, Ezra is on a mission to find out what happened to the seemingly normal guy.
The interaction between Loveday and Ezra is quite beautiful. And the pacing of this book is quick and fast. The overall logically thought out murder case is very cleverly constructed, and Catherine Johnson does a splendid job of writing Ezra's thought process throughout the book. I found myself discovering clues and answers with Ezra, at the same time. And (unlike most murder mystery books) I couldnt figure out who had done it, it was all so carefully thought out and distributed through the book at just the right times.
A beautifully written mystery that will keep you guessing right to the very last page, and then have you going over the whole case in your mind for weeks afterwards! Brilliant story telling, likeable characters and a perfect storyline.
One to re read in future.......
May 12, 2024
This book was actually quite good, we read this in English last year, but sometimes I still think about one part of it, and that is mother f*cking Ezday. And I want to ask the author 1 thing, Why in the name of all unholy would you write 2 charectors with more chemistry than I have read about in years, then not let them get together?? This bothers me ,to this day, so much that I came out of fan-fic writing retirement to make them get together. I think everyone agrees that this would be a 5* book if it had Ezday being a thing in. And that kiss in chaper 11 or whenever it was, was cruel, sadistic and possibly even evil. Any way overall it was actually quite a good book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 5, 2014
A fantastic book for Y6+, probably for independent reading for confident readers. It reminded me of a childhood favourite- Leon Garfield. It is the story of Ezra McAdam, a mixed race surgeon's apprentice in late 18th Century London, who becomes involved in investigating the death of Loveday Finch's father. It is quite gory and involves body snatching, so not one for sensitive readers, but it is gripping. Highly recommended.
February 4, 2017
Beautiful plot which truely intrigued me, such perfect discription that i felt i was in that same place and time
November 29, 2014
Excellent description of 18th Century medicine and surgery plus an engaging mystery with some good youthful characters. Ending felt a little rushed compared to the build-up but it was satisfying all the same.
March 11, 2014
Really great, but also really short!
December 2, 2014
This YA novel was gruesome, gripping and exquisitely well written. I am desperate to read the sequel!
April 2, 2017
I really enjoyed this.
November 7, 2022
Surgeons, Magicians, Grave diggers, Mobs, Sultans, Turks and Russians,
Ambitions, Revenge, Racism, Murder, Death, Blood, Bones, Cadaver, cadaver, cadaver and more cadavers.
Medyo fast paced yung story. Umikot lahat ng kaganapan sa loob lang ng November 1792 timeframe. Nakakabitin nga lang sa end dahil 'di ko alam na may kasunod na book pa pala 'to takteng yan. Anyway, sobrang nagustuhan ko yung quality of writing. Yung mga words na ginamit, mga expressions and yung pagdeliver mismo ng script ng mga characters, feel na feel mong nasa London ka ng 1792.
Wala akong idea nung una kung hanggang ngayon ba ginagawa padin ang ganitong practice: bumili o magnakaw ng mga cadavers para may pagaralan ang mga med students sa actual na pagkalkal sa body parts ng isang deds na tao. Kung tinuturing ba yun na legal or illegal (pero illegal for a cause?) dito sa Pilipinas. Actually may ilang part sa book na 'to na buhay pa yung patient habang ginagawa yung procedure sa harap ng mga audience/med students. Kakalurks!
Thanks sa friend kong si Max (Hello MAX! :D) sa pagshare nya ng infos and experience nya sa ganitong practice. Grabacious mga medical people, patigasan talaga ng sikmura dito no?
Walang boring part kasi yung pagtry ni Ezra and Loveday iuncover yung mystery ng pagkamatay ng mga taong malapit sakanila, medyo thrilling. Yung kagustuhan nilang magrevenge, napasok tuloy sila sa kung anu anong kaguluhan na. Medyo adventurous ang kinalabasan.
All in all, okay naman sya. Mystery, YA, super sligth thriller and may konting drama din. Good book. Good read.
Ambitions, Revenge, Racism, Murder, Death, Blood, Bones, Cadaver, cadaver, cadaver and more cadavers.
Medyo fast paced yung story. Umikot lahat ng kaganapan sa loob lang ng November 1792 timeframe. Nakakabitin nga lang sa end dahil 'di ko alam na may kasunod na book pa pala 'to takteng yan. Anyway, sobrang nagustuhan ko yung quality of writing. Yung mga words na ginamit, mga expressions and yung pagdeliver mismo ng script ng mga characters, feel na feel mong nasa London ka ng 1792.
Wala akong idea nung una kung hanggang ngayon ba ginagawa padin ang ganitong practice: bumili o magnakaw ng mga cadavers para may pagaralan ang mga med students sa actual na pagkalkal sa body parts ng isang deds na tao. Kung tinuturing ba yun na legal or illegal (pero illegal for a cause?) dito sa Pilipinas. Actually may ilang part sa book na 'to na buhay pa yung patient habang ginagawa yung procedure sa harap ng mga audience/med students. Kakalurks!
Thanks sa friend kong si Max (Hello MAX! :D) sa pagshare nya ng infos and experience nya sa ganitong practice. Grabacious mga medical people, patigasan talaga ng sikmura dito no?
Walang boring part kasi yung pagtry ni Ezra and Loveday iuncover yung mystery ng pagkamatay ng mga taong malapit sakanila, medyo thrilling. Yung kagustuhan nilang magrevenge, napasok tuloy sila sa kung anu anong kaguluhan na. Medyo adventurous ang kinalabasan.
All in all, okay naman sya. Mystery, YA, super sligth thriller and may konting drama din. Good book. Good read.
May 20, 2019
What a gem of a book. It have five stars because it lived up to everything it promised, from the blurb on the back and the illustrations on the cover to the promise of a great story right from the first page. The book is set in the 1790s. It's begins with a man on an operating table, having rubies sewn into his body so he can smuggle them away undetected. The story is led by Ezra McAdam, a half African, half white boy of around 17, a former slave bought by Dr McAdam in the West Indies, given his freedom and informally adopted. Dr McAdam is a surgeon and the story twists and turns around surgery on the living and the dead, throws in a spot of romance and murder in varying degrees. It's a fast-paced story, historically enlightening and ends wonderfully. It's a stand alone but there is a sequel which I need to get! Super middle-grade fiction.
February 28, 2021
I loved the cover of Sawbones, a Young Adult book which is quite gruesome in its description of dissections, anatomy and surgery. Ezra is apprenticed to surgeon, William McAdam and comes into contact Loveday Finch, a young girl of similar age to him who requests his help in proving her magician father has been murdered.
This leads to a number of increasingly difficult situations for the pair and as they overcome one, the author increases the stakes and makes tougher especially for Ezra.
Set in the winter of 1792 we meet a number of resurrectionists and other ruffians who could have come out of a Dickens' novel.
The one downfall of the book is the ending is too neat and tidy, but there is scope for a second nook or a series.
Not a long book, but unlike a lot of books it is not overwritten and keeps the reader interested throughout.
This leads to a number of increasingly difficult situations for the pair and as they overcome one, the author increases the stakes and makes tougher especially for Ezra.
Set in the winter of 1792 we meet a number of resurrectionists and other ruffians who could have come out of a Dickens' novel.
The one downfall of the book is the ending is too neat and tidy, but there is scope for a second nook or a series.
Not a long book, but unlike a lot of books it is not overwritten and keeps the reader interested throughout.
June 30, 2024
A YA book I read in anticipation of teaching it to young secondary school students. Accessible language with some grisly content and intriguing plot attempt - likely enough to keep reluctant readers reading but unsatisfactory literary ‘bite’ and a rather shallow plot explanation and resolution making it an unlikely favourite for many. In addition, the busybody Loveday (her name also marking her out as a bit of a fantasy character not to be taken seriously) makes a less than credible partner for the careful and seemingly clever Ezra, who with his visually diverse profile has already beaten so many odds to arrive at his station in life.
June 29, 2023
Read this book as part of the English curriculum at school.
I actually really enjoyed this book! I loved the characters- sassy Loveday and rational Ezra. I just wish there was more Anna! The plot was alright, and the use of juxtaposition was overwhelming. It was effective though. I loved how at the end, it was full circle: great use of the Cyclical structure. But, I felt the end of the last chaparral was just setting us up for the sequel, and I almost wish Anna was involved more. Also, anyone else hate the Ezra-Loveday ship??
I actually really enjoyed this book! I loved the characters- sassy Loveday and rational Ezra. I just wish there was more Anna! The plot was alright, and the use of juxtaposition was overwhelming. It was effective though. I loved how at the end, it was full circle: great use of the Cyclical structure. But, I felt the end of the last chaparral was just setting us up for the sequel, and I almost wish Anna was involved more. Also, anyone else hate the Ezra-Loveday ship??
April 16, 2023
Very rushed book I found, things just sort of happened with not a lot of information. And the last chapter/couple of pages jumped from November to March and summarised what had happened in between in a couple of sentences.
Not my favourite, had to read for work, but I wouldn’t recommend! Would be good for year 6/year 7 I would say. The historical side was good, the speech and how Ezra was treated, but the actual story took a long time to get going and was actually quite boring.
Not my favourite, had to read for work, but I wouldn’t recommend! Would be good for year 6/year 7 I would say. The historical side was good, the speech and how Ezra was treated, but the actual story took a long time to get going and was actually quite boring.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 27, 2025
'Sawbones' was my first introduction to Catherine Johnson's work but I will definitely be reading more. I felt transported to the world of 18th Century London with its rich history and grinding poverty. I loved the characters of Ezra, a freed slave taken under the wing of a kindly surgeon, and Loveday, a magician's daughter with a mystery to solve. I learned a lot, as well as enjoying every minute of the story. Definitely the perfect book for the darkening evenings of autumn.
May 4, 2019
An adventure in the 18th Century world of surgeons when surgical operations were performed in a real theatre with the public looking on... There's mystery, comedy, daring do and quite a bit of gore. It reminded me a bit of the BBC series Quacks. I liked this. I believe she is at present, writing a sequel.
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