Scan barcode
A review by inmydreams
Only the Small Bones by C.P. Harris
1.0
This book was a total miss for me, and I'm very sad that it turned out like that. I was very excited about it because of the elements it was advertised as, and I wanted to explore more from this author's catalogue. I'll still try the rest of their works, but this one was a massive let down.
The plot is about William, founder of an organization that helps human trafficking survivors. He is called one night because they were able to save a group of survivors, and thye believe William would be able to "work his magic" with one of them, Ryan. He feels so connected/infactuated by him that he wants to take him to his home to help him adapt since Ryan felt very scared, didn't speak and hated touching. William has his own issues, but will do anything to take care of Ryan.
...Or so that was the general idea. My problem is the execution and narrative. About the first one, I felt that the dialogues were totally unrealistic and pretentious, while many scenes were overdramatic with purpose of pulling heartstrings, but it just made me roll my eyes. My suspension of disbelief is thin and I prefer works to be as beliavable as possible within the book's circumstances (although I am permissive with this, not everything needs to be 100%, but at least avoid looking disconnected with reality), which is why I found the entire thing very unbelievable. William's actions being accepted didn't make sense at all. He isn't a professional, but he was able to take home a trafficking survivor, and even if he were that's totally inappropriate, but it isn't told as that. There were many experts around, including his mother who is a therapist, but absolutely none opposed to the idea of Ryan staying at his house. There were only suggestions about letting Ryan go, but no one did anything.
Here comes my second issue, this time with the narrative. William is actually despicable, selfish and irresponsable, which I would be fine with because I like fucked up characters, but I absolutely despise when a text wants me to feel bad for them just because they're the MC. The narrative paints him as a hero, when he just took advantage of his power to keep a trafficking survivor in his home, with no professional care, until many others have to insist. He supposedly has a therapist, but he clearly learned nothing and only thinks about himself. His "guilt" eats him, but he kept Ryan in the dark about so many things that I genuinely cannot consider him a hero, but a very awful person. I don't feel sorry for him, and it's not justifiable, contrary to what the book wants you to believe. Again, I wouldn't have a problem with this if only the narrative didn't try to make William as someone he isn't. I would have enjoyed a very fucked up story of keeping someone in a cage much better.
I am a reader who is very into dark books. I've read fucked up stuff before, so trust me when I say I can handle heavy themes and I enjoy awful relationships and characters, because what matters to me is that the dynamic is an intriguing match. I love the psychology behind it. I don't believe a book is bad just because the main character(s) or the relationship portrayed is unhealthy/toxic, the total opposite actually. But this one just tried hard to make an insufferable and awful character the "good guy".
Another main complaint is that it's promoted as hurt/comfort, when it isn't. Not really comfort when one is hiding a big secret and wants to fix his partner to feel better about his guilt. If you're going to portray such fucked up dynamic, then commit to it and don't turn it into something it isn't. The book would've been much better from Ryan's perspective, it would be more emotional, which I felt the author tried really hard with the "twist" at the end and it wasn't really one because it's very predictable and didn't make sense. There's also the thing about Ryan, which I also didn't think was handled in the right way. None of that felt organic or realistic.
Anyway, I'm just very disappointed and needed to rant. I usually don't rate books this low, I always have something to take from them or find something that I like, even if it's small. But I just didn't have a good time with this one, all I felt was anger, boredom and some things were so ridiculous I even laughed. I guess it wasn't for me.
Tags: (might miss some of them)
-POV: first person, dual POV (one one chapter from Ryan's perspective)
-Content warnings:
-Elements:
-Kinks: None
-Sexual act(s):
-Dynamic:
The plot is about William, founder of an organization that helps human trafficking survivors. He is called one night because they were able to save a group of survivors, and thye believe William would be able to "work his magic" with one of them, Ryan. He feels so connected/infactuated by him that he wants to take him to his home to help him adapt since Ryan felt very scared, didn't speak and hated touching. William has his own issues, but will do anything to take care of Ryan.
...Or so that was the general idea. My problem is the execution and narrative. About the first one, I felt that the dialogues were totally unrealistic and pretentious, while many scenes were overdramatic with purpose of pulling heartstrings, but it just made me roll my eyes. My suspension of disbelief is thin and I prefer works to be as beliavable as possible within the book's circumstances (although I am permissive with this, not everything needs to be 100%, but at least avoid looking disconnected with reality), which is why I found the entire thing very unbelievable. William's actions being accepted didn't make sense at all. He isn't a professional, but he was able to take home a trafficking survivor, and even if he were that's totally inappropriate, but it isn't told as that. There were many experts around, including his mother who is a therapist, but absolutely none opposed to the idea of Ryan staying at his house. There were only suggestions about letting Ryan go, but no one did anything.
Here comes my second issue, this time with the narrative. William is actually despicable, selfish and irresponsable, which I would be fine with because I like fucked up characters, but I absolutely despise when a text wants me to feel bad for them just because they're the MC. The narrative paints him as a hero, when he just took advantage of his power to keep a trafficking survivor in his home, with no professional care, until many others have to insist. He supposedly has a therapist, but he clearly learned nothing and only thinks about himself. His "guilt" eats him, but he kept Ryan in the dark about so many things that I genuinely cannot consider him a hero, but a very awful person. I don't feel sorry for him, and it's not justifiable, contrary to what the book wants you to believe. Again, I wouldn't have a problem with this if only the narrative didn't try to make William as someone he isn't. I would have enjoyed a very fucked up story of keeping someone in a cage much better.
I am a reader who is very into dark books. I've read fucked up stuff before, so trust me when I say I can handle heavy themes and I enjoy awful relationships and characters, because what matters to me is that the dynamic is an intriguing match. I love the psychology behind it. I don't believe a book is bad just because the main character(s) or the relationship portrayed is unhealthy/toxic, the total opposite actually. But this one just tried hard to make an insufferable and awful character the "good guy".
Another main complaint is that it's promoted as hurt/comfort, when it isn't. Not really comfort when one is hiding a big secret and wants to fix his partner to feel better about his guilt. If you're going to portray such fucked up dynamic, then commit to it and don't turn it into something it isn't. The book would've been much better from Ryan's perspective, it would be more emotional, which I felt the author tried really hard with the "twist" at the end and it wasn't really one because it's very predictable and didn't make sense. There's also the thing about Ryan
Spoiler
"recovering" and being able to speak againAnyway, I'm just very disappointed and needed to rant. I usually don't rate books this low, I always have something to take from them or find something that I like, even if it's small. But I just didn't have a good time with this one, all I felt was anger, boredom and some things were so ridiculous I even laughed. I guess it wasn't for me.
Tags: (might miss some of them)
-POV: first person, dual POV (one one chapter from Ryan's perspective)
-Content warnings:
Spoiler
unhealthy relationship, unbeliavable portrayal of care system and human trafficking survivors, flashbacks involving abouse and human trafficking, selfharm, past abuse, dubcon between MCs, survivor's guilt-Elements:
Spoiler
toxic codependency, hurt/comfort (marketed as that so I'm respecting it), manipulation, hiding secrets, betrayal, size difference-Kinks: None
-Sexual act(s):
Spoiler
barebacking, creampie, blowjobs, fingering, humping-grinding, riding, rimming-Dynamic: