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Strong Bones
"Peterson’s tale strives to enshrine all that was magical about growing up in the ’80s. He laces his narrative with mentions of favorite films, toys, video games, music, and fashion, much like Ernest Cline does in Ready Player One (2011). While primarily being a Stephen King–style panorama of a town gripped by horror, Peterson’s story also feels like a cautionary middle-grade tale ... A magical killer and ’80s pop culture headline this crowded but engaging horror tale.." —Kirkus Reviews
It’s 1989, and evil’s on the loose in the Smoky Mountains.
Now, only a brave group of friends can stop it, using their imaginations and a little bit of magic.
Okay … a lot of magic.
Hiram and Mac Gresham live with their recently widowed Mom in the foothills of the Smokies. But when she starts dating a new man, he introduces two abrasive step-siblings into their lives, upending everything they knew.
Meanwhile, Hiram is having dreams he can’t ignore—dreams of a man with a Plaid Face. The Plaid Man haunts the woods around their home, sending cryptic messages about East Tennessee’s most notorious serial killer, Lenny Skelton. Skelton just broke out of prison and is on the hunt for his latest prey.
All that stands in his way are Hiram, Mac, and an unlikely group of heroes that includes their best pals, Lee and Dawn, their rowdy new step-sister Kaitlyn, their wise and tough old Aunt Hanna, and Justin, a kind-hearted cop who’s crossed paths with Skelton before. Together they must tap into ancient magicks to battle the forces of evil on an epic quest where they’ll explore enchanted theme parks and extradimensional dungeons, armed with their knowledge of folklore, classic video games and movies, and an array of magical weapons.
In the proud tradition of The Goonies, IT, and Stranger Things comes this high-spirited retrowave adventure from the creator of the Deadblast Chronicles. Influenced by everything from Stand By Me to A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, Strong Bones explores the challenges and horrors of growing up all while delivering a healthy dose of pop nostalgia for the 80s and 90s.
It’s 1989, and evil’s on the loose in the Smoky Mountains.
Now, only a brave group of friends can stop it, using their imaginations and a little bit of magic.
Okay … a lot of magic.
Hiram and Mac Gresham live with their recently widowed Mom in the foothills of the Smokies. But when she starts dating a new man, he introduces two abrasive step-siblings into their lives, upending everything they knew.
Meanwhile, Hiram is having dreams he can’t ignore—dreams of a man with a Plaid Face. The Plaid Man haunts the woods around their home, sending cryptic messages about East Tennessee’s most notorious serial killer, Lenny Skelton. Skelton just broke out of prison and is on the hunt for his latest prey.
All that stands in his way are Hiram, Mac, and an unlikely group of heroes that includes their best pals, Lee and Dawn, their rowdy new step-sister Kaitlyn, their wise and tough old Aunt Hanna, and Justin, a kind-hearted cop who’s crossed paths with Skelton before. Together they must tap into ancient magicks to battle the forces of evil on an epic quest where they’ll explore enchanted theme parks and extradimensional dungeons, armed with their knowledge of folklore, classic video games and movies, and an array of magical weapons.
In the proud tradition of The Goonies, IT, and Stranger Things comes this high-spirited retrowave adventure from the creator of the Deadblast Chronicles. Influenced by everything from Stand By Me to A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, Strong Bones explores the challenges and horrors of growing up all while delivering a healthy dose of pop nostalgia for the 80s and 90s.
- GenresHorror
475 pages, Paperback
Published December 21, 2021
9 people are currently reading
202 people want to read
About the author
Robert J. Peterson
7 books46 followersRobert J. Peterson is writer and programmer living in Nevada City, Calif. His works include The Odds, The Remnants, and Strong Bones.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
July 15, 2021
Cool update to a genre we didn’t know we needed. This one is like Goonies meets a more serious Scream movie, or maybe Stranger Things. It’s got the 80s vibes with lots of nostalgia. If you like any of those movies/shows, give it a try! Thanks to the publisher for the ARC.
August 24, 2022
Well I just got back from getting a body scan and found out I have off the charts "Strong Bones". Kinda freaking me out as I am of the "kids on bikes - 70's/80's" class of reader. Sends a chill up my spine that I'd be high on the potential victims list!
This book sucked me in from the first paragraph and refused to let go! I absolutely LOVED the pacing. The way it was all laid out I found it so easy to read for 5 minutes and feel a sense of accomplishment and could easily set it down at a good transition point... or as was more often the case... read for extended periods with each section ending with a tasty crumb inspiring me to continue on. It is the same feeling I get when out on a long hike that makes me press on to over the next hill and around the next bend... I am inevitably met by a well earned reward!
The characters are so awesome. I felt like I had made a whole new batch of friends once I finished the book. Truly like hanging out with my childhood crew. Still trying to figure out which one I identified with most... maybe I'll figure that out on a reread!
Without providing any spoilers I'll just jump on the bandwagon and say if you are a fan of movies like "The Goonies", shows like "Stranger Things", or book series like "The Three Investigators" this is in that wheelhouse... but totally different in so many ways. Truly stands on its own while paying homage respectfully.
This book sucked me in from the first paragraph and refused to let go! I absolutely LOVED the pacing. The way it was all laid out I found it so easy to read for 5 minutes and feel a sense of accomplishment and could easily set it down at a good transition point... or as was more often the case... read for extended periods with each section ending with a tasty crumb inspiring me to continue on. It is the same feeling I get when out on a long hike that makes me press on to over the next hill and around the next bend... I am inevitably met by a well earned reward!
The characters are so awesome. I felt like I had made a whole new batch of friends once I finished the book. Truly like hanging out with my childhood crew. Still trying to figure out which one I identified with most... maybe I'll figure that out on a reread!
Without providing any spoilers I'll just jump on the bandwagon and say if you are a fan of movies like "The Goonies", shows like "Stranger Things", or book series like "The Three Investigators" this is in that wheelhouse... but totally different in so many ways. Truly stands on its own while paying homage respectfully.
October 1, 2021
This was received as an ARC from Netgalley.
Hiram is a young boy with a single mother and a sister who are both worried about him. He often sleepwalking late at night, and he ends up far from their home. One night Hiram meets a man in what he thinks is his dream, but is it more?
Overall, the story this text portrays is very interesting and compelling you to keep reading. Every time you learn something new about the world Hiram an his friends live in, you're only left with more questions. However, this book is considerably longer than it needed to be. A lot of the sections of the book repeat the exact same events from another character's perspective. While this does offer insight to the situation, it does feel redundant after a while. Another issue with this novel is when a character tells us, the reader, something, but immediately says, "more on that later." It is annoying and I wish they would just introduce topics when relevant. Despite these issues, this is Overall a good read if only on the long side.
Hiram is a young boy with a single mother and a sister who are both worried about him. He often sleepwalking late at night, and he ends up far from their home. One night Hiram meets a man in what he thinks is his dream, but is it more?
Overall, the story this text portrays is very interesting and compelling you to keep reading. Every time you learn something new about the world Hiram an his friends live in, you're only left with more questions. However, this book is considerably longer than it needed to be. A lot of the sections of the book repeat the exact same events from another character's perspective. While this does offer insight to the situation, it does feel redundant after a while. Another issue with this novel is when a character tells us, the reader, something, but immediately says, "more on that later." It is annoying and I wish they would just introduce topics when relevant. Despite these issues, this is Overall a good read if only on the long side.
November 17, 2021
I received a free copy via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I really did struggle with this.
Not because the story was bad but just due to the length of it.
The characters were great and the story certainly took me back in time, but it just seemed to drag on for too long.
I really did struggle with this.
Not because the story was bad but just due to the length of it.
The characters were great and the story certainly took me back in time, but it just seemed to drag on for too long.
January 7, 2022
If you are looking for a book to read while you wait for Stanger Things to come out with a new season, then this is definitely a great book to pick up! This is fun mix of '80's fun and evil. Jump into the world of the Smokies, where evil is loose and a bunch of kids are trying to stop it. This was a fun read and I had a very hard time putting this one down!
December 16, 2021
Strong bones by Robert J. Peterson.
It’s 1989, and evil’s on the loose in the Smoky Mountains.
Now, only a brave group of friends can stop it, using their imaginations and a little bit of magic.
Okay … a lot of magic.
I loved this book. Great story and characters. I love magic and anything to do with it. 5*.
It’s 1989, and evil’s on the loose in the Smoky Mountains.
Now, only a brave group of friends can stop it, using their imaginations and a little bit of magic.
Okay … a lot of magic.
I loved this book. Great story and characters. I love magic and anything to do with it. 5*.
August 11, 2021
The writing was some of the most authentic/believable sounding that I've read in a long time. It can be hard getting the voices of kids and young people right, but the author pulled it off. Also, when writing a period piece, it can be easy to go ham on the pop culture references, and while there were certainly plenty here, they were appropriate and added to the reader's understanding of the characters.
The characters were all well-rounded and believable, from the abusive father/stepfather and the emotionally unavailable mother/stepmother to the ragtag band of kids. I particularly liked Lee, the little weirdo genius with the unending supply of compassion. And I appreciated Hiram's redemption arc. It was nice to see that particular sort of lateral bullying represented. It's not always the jocks picking on the nerds. As a kid, my worst bullies were girls just barely a step up the social ladder from me, so the fact that Hiram bullied Lee at first, despite them both being outcasts, rang very true to me.
The worldbuilding was complicated but consistent, very much inspired by early video games, but with some non-denominational magical ladies and a wee bit of the almost prerequisite Lovecraftian influence, as well. Happily, the author didn't lean into the ol' mythos too hard. It did all get a bit silly and over-the-top, but that was ok. The main character was a nerdy 10 year old, it makes sense.
I appreciated the underlying themes of peace, love and understanding, and the possibility of positive change. It was refreshing.
Overall, this was a very good book that I struggled to put down. It was a chunk, at close to 500 pages, and the pacing did lag a bit in the third quarter, but I still found myself picking it up at every opportunity, finishing it in two days. It was a good read.
I do want to mention a few things that stuck out in a bad way: anachronistic cultural norms and the overuse of "trypophobic" and words with trypophobia as a base. There's no way everyone would be so chill about LGBT stuff in 1989/90. I know, I know, why pick on that minor detail when the whole book is a fantasy requiring you to suspend your disbelief? I guess it served to emphasize the overarching theme of love, kindness and acceptance, but it did feel a little shoehorned.
And then the word frequency thing. I shouldn't be distracting, but it is. When a word that's rarely used in day-to-day speech is used, and I counted, 7 times in a novel of 215,000 words, it's... a lot. Also, the term trypophobia wasn't coined until 2005, so it was weird reading it in a diary written in 1990.
That was another thing, actually. It was hard to determine which Hiram was narrating during his sections, child Hiram or adult Hiram, who is sort of the main narrator? Yeah, so, the book is written from the perspective of each character in turn, but only Hiram's is in the first person. It was an interesting style choice, and it alllllmost worked? It could have been clearer.
I received a copy from Netgalley and am voluntarily leaving a review. Thank you to the author for the opportunity.
The characters were all well-rounded and believable, from the abusive father/stepfather and the emotionally unavailable mother/stepmother to the ragtag band of kids. I particularly liked Lee, the little weirdo genius with the unending supply of compassion. And I appreciated Hiram's redemption arc. It was nice to see that particular sort of lateral bullying represented. It's not always the jocks picking on the nerds. As a kid, my worst bullies were girls just barely a step up the social ladder from me, so the fact that Hiram bullied Lee at first, despite them both being outcasts, rang very true to me.
The worldbuilding was complicated but consistent, very much inspired by early video games, but with some non-denominational magical ladies and a wee bit of the almost prerequisite Lovecraftian influence, as well. Happily, the author didn't lean into the ol' mythos too hard. It did all get a bit silly and over-the-top, but that was ok. The main character was a nerdy 10 year old, it makes sense.
I appreciated the underlying themes of peace, love and understanding, and the possibility of positive change. It was refreshing.
Overall, this was a very good book that I struggled to put down. It was a chunk, at close to 500 pages, and the pacing did lag a bit in the third quarter, but I still found myself picking it up at every opportunity, finishing it in two days. It was a good read.
I do want to mention a few things that stuck out in a bad way: anachronistic cultural norms and the overuse of "trypophobic" and words with trypophobia as a base. There's no way everyone would be so chill about LGBT stuff in 1989/90. I know, I know, why pick on that minor detail when the whole book is a fantasy requiring you to suspend your disbelief? I guess it served to emphasize the overarching theme of love, kindness and acceptance, but it did feel a little shoehorned.
And then the word frequency thing. I shouldn't be distracting, but it is. When a word that's rarely used in day-to-day speech is used, and I counted, 7 times in a novel of 215,000 words, it's... a lot. Also, the term trypophobia wasn't coined until 2005, so it was weird reading it in a diary written in 1990.
That was another thing, actually. It was hard to determine which Hiram was narrating during his sections, child Hiram or adult Hiram, who is sort of the main narrator? Yeah, so, the book is written from the perspective of each character in turn, but only Hiram's is in the first person. It was an interesting style choice, and it alllllmost worked? It could have been clearer.
I received a copy from Netgalley and am voluntarily leaving a review. Thank you to the author for the opportunity.
July 25, 2022
Strong Bones follows the adventures and family drama of Hiram Gresham, a boy struggling to piece together a life with his sister and mother following the untimely death of his father.
Hiram’s life in the Smoky Mountains soon becomes far more complicated when his mother begins a relationship with an abusive widower who has two kids of his own. But most troubling of all is the escape of a deranged murderer who is lurking somewhere in the otherwise peaceful region.
Strange dreams featuring a frightening entity are also haunting poor Hiram, who can find no support from his sister or mother. Soon he uncovers secrets that not only make him question just how much he truly knows about his family, but even upend his understanding of reality.
The adventures that he soon finds himself a part of could determine the fate of the world, and he can’t shoulder the burden alone. With the help of family and friends, Hiram faces down a trifecta of evil that threatens life as he knows it.
As a nostalgia nerd, the 1980s setting and references to persons, places, and things from that amazing decade are a joy to come across, woven seamlessly into the story… never just dropping them in where they clearly don’t fit.
The Smoky Mountain region is a perfect backdrop to the action. It lends itself well to the magical events taking place.
The story itself is fantastic! I found myself very emotionally invested in the characters, particularly Hiram and his sister. The family turmoil, resulting in tense situations and conversations, are so well written and effective. And the reality-warping journey that unfolds is a wild ride that kept me both panicked and excited.
This is a true gem and a must read, especially for Gen-X lovers of nostalgic, magical adventures.
Hiram’s life in the Smoky Mountains soon becomes far more complicated when his mother begins a relationship with an abusive widower who has two kids of his own. But most troubling of all is the escape of a deranged murderer who is lurking somewhere in the otherwise peaceful region.
Strange dreams featuring a frightening entity are also haunting poor Hiram, who can find no support from his sister or mother. Soon he uncovers secrets that not only make him question just how much he truly knows about his family, but even upend his understanding of reality.
The adventures that he soon finds himself a part of could determine the fate of the world, and he can’t shoulder the burden alone. With the help of family and friends, Hiram faces down a trifecta of evil that threatens life as he knows it.
As a nostalgia nerd, the 1980s setting and references to persons, places, and things from that amazing decade are a joy to come across, woven seamlessly into the story… never just dropping them in where they clearly don’t fit.
The Smoky Mountain region is a perfect backdrop to the action. It lends itself well to the magical events taking place.
The story itself is fantastic! I found myself very emotionally invested in the characters, particularly Hiram and his sister. The family turmoil, resulting in tense situations and conversations, are so well written and effective. And the reality-warping journey that unfolds is a wild ride that kept me both panicked and excited.
This is a true gem and a must read, especially for Gen-X lovers of nostalgic, magical adventures.
January 30, 2022
NETGalley ARC
Wow, this book is unnecessarily long! It could have easily been 100-200 pages shorter and was a struggle to read because of how long it is. In fact I've started to write this review before finishing it as I am also struggling to remember a lot of the plot/content. Each time I put the book down, the next time I pick it up I have to re-read the last 5-6 pages to remember where I am up to and what was happening, which with a book which is already too long makes it even more painfully long!
I appreciate that this book was an ARC from NETGalley and may not be the finished copy but there were so many mistakes in this book: duplicated words, incorrect words used, words misspelled. It really took me out of the story when there was a mistake.
The story is basically Stranger Things/Goonies, which is what blurbs and other reviews say so it was expected but really felt like a rip off. There is even a version of the upside down. Something which also makes this book long is there are multiple POVs and when something happens, we are told what happened from a number of POVs, repeating sections sometimes word for word. There is so much that happens in this book that adds no value to the plot or story and it takes a LONG time to go over these pointless sections. I've still got 17% to go as I write this and I dont see it turning round at any time soon. I should have DNF'd it but I feel like I've gone passed the point of no return now and not finishing it would mean its even more of a waste of time.
Wow, this book is unnecessarily long! It could have easily been 100-200 pages shorter and was a struggle to read because of how long it is. In fact I've started to write this review before finishing it as I am also struggling to remember a lot of the plot/content. Each time I put the book down, the next time I pick it up I have to re-read the last 5-6 pages to remember where I am up to and what was happening, which with a book which is already too long makes it even more painfully long!
I appreciate that this book was an ARC from NETGalley and may not be the finished copy but there were so many mistakes in this book: duplicated words, incorrect words used, words misspelled. It really took me out of the story when there was a mistake.
The story is basically Stranger Things/Goonies, which is what blurbs and other reviews say so it was expected but really felt like a rip off. There is even a version of the upside down. Something which also makes this book long is there are multiple POVs and when something happens, we are told what happened from a number of POVs, repeating sections sometimes word for word. There is so much that happens in this book that adds no value to the plot or story and it takes a LONG time to go over these pointless sections. I've still got 17% to go as I write this and I dont see it turning round at any time soon. I should have DNF'd it but I feel like I've gone passed the point of no return now and not finishing it would mean its even more of a waste of time.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 15, 2022
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a free e-book ARC for me to read. This review is my honest opinion.
The cover of Strong Bones captured my attention, with it clearly being marketed as being similar in feeling to Stranger Things. I also liked that it was said to have pop culture references similar to Ready Player One. As I read the book, I was impressed by the author's ability to create a creepy atmosphere with the main character sleepwalking and having visions with the Plaid Man. I also enjoyed the mysterious element of having a serial killer on the loose. The community feeling of the characters added to my enjoyment of the story.
Even though I'm not part of the target audience for middle grade books, I still had a good time reading this one.
The cover of Strong Bones captured my attention, with it clearly being marketed as being similar in feeling to Stranger Things. I also liked that it was said to have pop culture references similar to Ready Player One. As I read the book, I was impressed by the author's ability to create a creepy atmosphere with the main character sleepwalking and having visions with the Plaid Man. I also enjoyed the mysterious element of having a serial killer on the loose. The community feeling of the characters added to my enjoyment of the story.
Even though I'm not part of the target audience for middle grade books, I still had a good time reading this one.
March 5, 2022
What a book! Strong Bones combines all the best parts of Stranger Things, The Goonies, and the Scream movies into one charming and thrilling novel. It's packed with action, thrills, and heart, as well as a thoughtful message for any kid who's having a tough time growing up: you're not alone.
July 19, 2021
Great dialogue, strong characters, really cool world-building, and a great throwback to growing up in the 80s.
April 7, 2023
I freakin’ love this book! I had never heard about it before, and only found it randomly deep diving micro-genres. It’s really hard to even find a physical copy.
The story follows Hiram and Mac, a brother and sister, as they go on an epic quest with the friends and step-siblings to stop a serial killer and an extra-dimensional evil force in 1989. It’s got these amazing Stranger Things/Stephen King vibes with a sprinkle of Ready Player One.
It’s not a perfect book. It takes a while to get into, it’s a bit long, the world-building is slightly complicated and the story is told from multiple character perspectives which sometimes works and sometimes is unnecessary.
BUT the characters and their development were phenomenal. I have rarely read more nuanced and realistic characters in the horror/fantasy/sci-fi genre. I fell in love with the rag-tag band of misfits in this book. I actually miss them. It’s definitely a found family story at its core. ♥️
This is my favorite kind of book: a beautiful genre blend with amazing characters that addresses hard things (bullying, body image, blended families, abuse) but doesn’t get bogged down in them, and also has an imaginative and propulsive plot.
BE PATIENT and give it a chance. You don’t have to understand every detail. It’s worth it.
I wish a bigger publisher like @tordotcompub would pick this up. I would love for it to get more attention so more people can read it!
The story follows Hiram and Mac, a brother and sister, as they go on an epic quest with the friends and step-siblings to stop a serial killer and an extra-dimensional evil force in 1989. It’s got these amazing Stranger Things/Stephen King vibes with a sprinkle of Ready Player One.
It’s not a perfect book. It takes a while to get into, it’s a bit long, the world-building is slightly complicated and the story is told from multiple character perspectives which sometimes works and sometimes is unnecessary.
BUT the characters and their development were phenomenal. I have rarely read more nuanced and realistic characters in the horror/fantasy/sci-fi genre. I fell in love with the rag-tag band of misfits in this book. I actually miss them. It’s definitely a found family story at its core. ♥️
This is my favorite kind of book: a beautiful genre blend with amazing characters that addresses hard things (bullying, body image, blended families, abuse) but doesn’t get bogged down in them, and also has an imaginative and propulsive plot.
BE PATIENT and give it a chance. You don’t have to understand every detail. It’s worth it.
I wish a bigger publisher like @tordotcompub would pick this up. I would love for it to get more attention so more people can read it!
January 16, 2022
Overall I have mixed feelings for this read. I think it does a great job of capturing the emotions and vulnerabilities of humanity. The retro references to the '80s and '90s are much enjoyed! The author does a great job of building up the characters and plot.
I have to say that I am a bit confused; the plot is hard for me to grasp. Other reviews referenced this being similar to the Goonies or Stranger Things. To me this is even more far-fetched than those. It does mix magic in with the action which at first is interesting, but towards the end I can't help but think it's beyond far-fetched and I really had a hard time following the detailed action.
I did enjoy the satire and humor throughout. I did enjoy how the author was able to tap into each character's personalities in the writing. Though I was struggling at times to understand the flow, as it bounces from one character's perspective to another.
Overall I think this was an interesting read, perhaps I am just not the right audience. There were some typos and misspellings throughout, but I suspect these would be rectify before the final publication
I have to say that I am a bit confused; the plot is hard for me to grasp. Other reviews referenced this being similar to the Goonies or Stranger Things. To me this is even more far-fetched than those. It does mix magic in with the action which at first is interesting, but towards the end I can't help but think it's beyond far-fetched and I really had a hard time following the detailed action.
I did enjoy the satire and humor throughout. I did enjoy how the author was able to tap into each character's personalities in the writing. Though I was struggling at times to understand the flow, as it bounces from one character's perspective to another.
Overall I think this was an interesting read, perhaps I am just not the right audience. There were some typos and misspellings throughout, but I suspect these would be rectify before the final publication
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews