The story takes place in a world where humans live among non-humans or unnatural. With much more diversity in species, many specimens have properties within their bodies that often aid others, making organ trafficking very profitable. Nita works alongside her mother with trafficking. As long as the products are not alive and there is no connection to them, Nita feels neutral about cutting them up to give to her mother; after all: they're dead. And she is not the one doing all the evil stuff; it is her mother who obtains and ships the supernaturals. Until one day, her mother brings back a live product. It is much more problematic to operate on someone that can talk to you, look at you, and scream for help while peering into your soul. Nita decides to follow her moral compass and sets the product free, feeling good about her choice. And then she gets sold instead because she is unnatural with the ability of self-healing. Nita realizes that sometimes one does not need morals to survive and makes an unlikely ally to escape her predicament. Betrayal, Trust, Lies, and a plot twist many would not see coming, Not Even Bones may make even the most philosophical of readers question the differences between goodness, doing what is necessary, and villainy.
Not Even Bones is Rebecca Schaeffer's debut novel containing a simple message that the world is not black in white but multiple shades of gray. Her protagonists are anti-heroes which makes them unique compared to the all-good heroic protagonists or all-evil antagonists in stories. And while many would choose to root for them as they progress through the story, the methods they use to reach their goals are often questionable, leading readers to wonder whether they are rooting for the villains or heroes of the story. Writing villainous protagonists opens up many new possibilities for a plot or storyline. Instead of the boring linear path to goodness or redemption with problems in the way, a villain can be written in a downward spiral until there is nothing left but questionable characters that readers have no choice but to support because the villains are the main characters.
I first came across the story on Webtoon (Bonus! For those who prefer visuals rather than words, I highly recommend reading the illustrated version on Webtoon, with the same narrative and beautiful illustrations accompanying the writing!). I enjoyed the story, and like my statements above, I found the messages portrayed in the novel to be thought-provoking and often made me consider what is going on in the world. People have reasons for doing what they do; sometimes, they are not benevolent or malicious and may have a reason behind what they do. Slight warning: Not Even Bones can be somewhat graphic and gory, though not quite as much as a slasher film. I rate the book a 4/5 for its engaging and thought-provoking narrative, dynamic characters, and many twists and turns that compelled me to read it; sometimes, the story-telling could feel a bit forced, but other than that, I would re-read the book.
Komentarze