Description
Evie's shattered ribs have been a secret for the last four years. Now she has found the strength to tell her adoptive parents, and the physical traces of her past are fixed - the only remaining signs a scar on her side and a fragment of bone taken home from the hospital, which her uncle Ben helps her to carve into a dragon as a sign of her strength.
Soon this ivory talisman begins to come to life at night, offering wisdom and encouragement in roaming dreams of smoke and moonlight that come to feel ever more real.
As Evie grows stronger there remains one problem her new parents can't fix for her: a revenge that must be taken. And it seems that the Dragon is the one to take it.
This subtly unsettling novel is told from the viewpoint of a fourteen-year-old girl damaged by a past she can't talk about, in a hypnotic narrative that, while giving increasing insight, also becomes increasingly unreliable.
A blend of psychological thriller and fairy tale, The Bone Dragon explores the fragile boundaries between real life and fantasy, and the darkest corners of the human mind.
The Bone Dragon by Alexia Casale is a stunning literary debut that explores the fragile boundaries between real life and fantasy.
About the Author
A British-American citizen of Italian heritage, Alexia is an editor, teacher and writing consultant. After studying psychology then educational technology at Cambridge, she moved to New York to work on a Tony-award-winning Broadway show before completing a PhD and teaching qualification. In between, she worked as a West End script-critic, box-office manager for a music festival and executive editor of a human rights journal. Alexia has always wanted a Dragon; luckily, she has her very own rib in a pot...
Reviews
'In a beautifully crafted narrative that constantly confounds expectation - her friends are kind, her foster parents are saintly - the final act is anything but comforting. Sometimes anger and vengeance aren't just understandable but essential tools for survivial' -- Suzi Feay Financial Times 20130520 Casale has shown that she is a talented writer who can pack such an emotional punch in her prose.The Bone Dragonleft me wanting more, I couldn't believe when it ended, I wanted the novel to continue so I could learn so much more about Evie. It's an emotional ride that's mixed with mystic and magic.' Read Write and Read Some More Blog 20130520 This book is the debut of an exciting and mature young writer who shows real skill in writing about the little details of life, bringing a realness to her characters and making the situations she writes about so very believable ... Intriguing, compulsive and wholly absorbing, Evie's tale is beautifully told and is ultimately warm and uplifting. Written by a young writer who has struggled with dyslexia it is also extremely inspiring, and a rewarding read for both young and older adults. We Love This Book 20130520 An outstanding debut that vividly portrays the power and fragility of the human heart and mind The Guardian
Awards
Short-listed for Waterstones Children's Book Prize: Teen Books Category 2014.
Book Information
ISBN 9780571295623
Author Alexia Casale
Format Paperback
Page Count 320
Imprint Faber & Faber
Publisher Faber & Faber
Weight(grams) 250g
Dimensions(mm) 198mm * 126mm * 20mm
