Diggin' up bones: a "Down Among the Sticks and Bones" review
Sequels are always met with the same two kinds of expectations: excitement and fear. People are excited because the first book was fantastic and they know, they just know, the sequel will be just as good. However, some people, maybe even the same as those who are looking forward to the next book, end up getting nervous. What if this sequel suffers from the dreaded sophomore slump? What if the writing is missing that spark? What if the characters aren't acting the same? What if everything doesn't gel well together? The possibilities are endless, and sometimes all a reader can do is quell their anxieties and hope for the best.
However, Seanan McGuire's first entry in the Wayward Children series, Every Heart a Doorway, proved to be a great start, and I had high hopes Down Among the Sticks and Bones would prove to be just as fantastic. And it was; actually, it was an improvement. This novella is a twisted fairy tale that showcases McGuire's phenomenal atmospheric writing and kicks it up a notch to showcase two of the most compelling characters from the first novel to show how they became who they are in the present. Not only does a reader finally get to see one of the fantastical worlds behind the doorway in vivid detail, but we see different elements to McGuire's compelling imagination come to play. Its nastiness, its meticulous attention to detail, and its complete fascination with the tales I held close as a child creates a playground for the mind and a terror for the heart, and it's all breathtaking and makes this read so worth it (especially in audio-book form, where McGuire takes the reins and narrates her story to perfection).
Also, there are interior illustrations in this by Rovina Cai, which I'll share in this review. They're so beautiful!
Chester Wolcott works at a law firm and vows to have a son he can bring to the office who is an exact replica of him. Serena aspires to have a darling little girl she can put in beautiful dresses and parade around her city group meetings. But when Serena gives birth to identical twin girls, Chester is uninterested until he realizes maybe he can still have his perfect child after all. He and his wife decide to make up one twin each in their ideal image: Jillian becomes the pretty tomboy who can get away with playing dirty and roughhousing with the boys, while Jacqueline must be the pretty girl who looks like a doll on display, unable to cut loose and play because her dress will get dirty.
These roles soon start to suffocate the girls, especially once their grandmother leaves after taking care of her granddaughters early on. Desperate for escape, the twins return to their grandmother's attic room and unlock an old chest to discover stairs that lead to a door. From there, a whole new world (the Moors) opens up to them, but it will lead them on separate paths. Will the girls ever reunite after they become more than how their parents raised them? And if they do, what will happen to their fragile and already cracking bond?
Jack and Jill are fascinating protagonists in this novella. To see them have to portray a certain type of girl at first and then realize how complex femininity is beyond stereotypes is wonderful. McGuire does a wonderful job exploring gender expression and how multifaceted it can be beyond the strict expectations of parents. That's why it's striking to see how the girls evolve beyond their childhood to technically switch how they portray themselves. Jack becomes the traditionally masculine one, donning overcoats and pants as the apprentice to the Moors' "mad scientist" while Jill ends up being the girl in the dresses, a vampire's prized and coveted almost-daughter.
The other characters are just as interesting. Some of them were briefly mentioned in the first book, so it's nice to see how they act and get fleshed-out. Dr. Bleak is the deity-like scientist who treats Jack with the respect you expect from a superior, living in a windmill where he experiments in reviving the dead and other activities. The Master seems to be a friendly and regal man, but it hides an all-seeing leader who isn't afraid to suck the blood out of those he feels are going against his future daughter. But we also meet new people, including The Master's head servant Mary, who was in Jill's shoes earlier in her life and has unexpected fire still left in her, and Alexis, a revived girl from the Moors' village who Jack falls in love with. Both of these women are great characters that once again showcase the complexities of femininity, and McGuire writes and voices them well.
Lastly, McGuire's writing is once again spellbinding. The way she's able to capture the atmosphere of both an unfortunate home life and the scary nature of the Moors is nothing short of remarkable. I also like the omniscience of the narrative and how we really come to understand all perspectives. After all, there are always multiple players in a story, whether there is only one narrator or not. Having that focus is appreciated and creates a grim sense that everyone is being watched a la Big Brother. Nothing can escape the eyes of a fairy tale, especially one as intimately twisted as this one.
Overall, Down Among the Sticks and Bones was a fantastic follow-up to Every Heart a Doorway and even improved on its predecessor. McGuire's detailed writing and excellent focus on all the players in the game make for a compelling fairy tale that isn't afraid to get gritty and embrace that. Think of it as a Grimm take on something eerily familiar and wonderfully different. Even if you haven't read the first book, the flap copy says this can be read as a standalone. If the school doesn't interest you, try this out instead. You won't regret it.