The Silence of Bones by June Hur

The Silence of Bones

by June Hur

June Hur's elegant and haunting debut The Silence of Bones is a bloody YA historical mystery tale perfect for fans of Kerri Maniscalco and Renée Ahdieh.

I have a mouth, but I mustn't speak;
Ears, but I mustn't hear;
Eyes, but I mustn't see.

1800, Joseon (Korea). Homesick and orphaned sixteen-year-old Seol is living out the ancient curse: “May you live in interesting times.” Indentured to the police bureau, she’s been tasked with assisting a well-respected young inspector with the investigation into the politically charged murder of a noblewoman.

As they delve deeper into the dead woman's secrets, Seol forms an unlikely bond of friendship with the inspector. But her loyalty is tested when he becomes the prime suspect, and Seol may be the only one capable of discovering what truly happened on the night of the murder.

But in a land where silence and obedience are valued above all else, curiosity can be deadly.

Reviewed by Amber (The Literary Phoenix) on

4 of 5 stars

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I've been excited for THE SILENCE OF BONES for a while... but for some reason, I went into this one expecting a horror novel? I think it may be the title - "Bones" is synonymous with horror, right? Well, first of all, I do want to let y'all know that THE SILENCE OF BONES is a YA historical fiction mystery, *not* a horror novel. And it does really well!

18th century Korea is not a setting we see a lot... or ever... and I'm grateful that June Hur has brought this world to life. Hur is an #OwnVoices writer, born in South Korea, and has done some really wonderful research to bring this story to life. My favorite art of THE SILENCE OF BONES is how original the story feels - not, necessarily, in so far as plot? But as a whole offering, there's really nothing like it out there.

Is it perfect? No. The plot was extremely predictable, for starters, which hampered my personal enjoyment. Additionally, the characters were not emotionally-driven, and while there's nothing wrong with that, it something I struggle with as a reader (so no fault of the book, fault of the reader!). Finally, the pacing of THE SILENCE OF BONES is slow and sweet, which is wonderful in certain cases and for certain readers, but isn't ideal for me as a reader. None of these things should drive you away from giving the book a try, though, because it's all about personal preference!

Regardless of my personal enjoyment of THE SILENCE OF BONES, I came out of this book with respect for June Hur as a writer and I'm looking forward to reading more of her work as it comes out. This novel may not have been a fit for me as a reader, but it's clear that Hur is a skilled writer with something special to offer the market, and I'm super excited to follow her journey.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 12 July, 2020: Finished reading
  • 12 July, 2020: Reviewed