Michelle I Brooks

Sydney lost her parents when she was young and has been in foster care for half her life. While she has good foster parents, Quince and Jackie, she is forever in trouble in Michelle I. Brooks’ BONE DRESSING, book 1 of her BONE DRESSING series. Mr. Askew has been gunning for Sydney since she entered high school. She figures he is just an ass but an encounter in the cemetery where her parents are buried leads to the discovery that Mr. Askew is more than meets the eye. How will Sydney outplay him? Can she? Will her actions bring a world of hurt to someone close to her?

BONE DRESSING is the beginning of a Young Adult paranormal series. Much happens here and the world building is done on a need to know basis. I like Sydney. She is a kick-ass broad who must discover the past to fix the present and, possibly, the future. She fights every step of the way when Remy (Beau), Sarah, and TJ appear to her in the cemetery. She refuses their help and Remy is ready to let her go her own way but his little sister Sarah is not so Remy stays. Sydney finds out the hard way what Remy, Sarah, and TJ want with her. These are good characters. I especially like Remy and how Sydney softens around him. Sarah may seem like a child but she has backbone and can reach Sydney in ways others cannot. Sydney’s best friend, Patricia, is an enigmatic character. Just when I thought I knew her, I discover I did not. Mr. Askew, Sydney and Patricia’s teacher, is a villain I loved to hate. He is arrogant and nasty. He also knows the past that Sydney must piece together. How they fit is unclear.

At times the description overtakes the story line but I could picture the scenery so I was looking as the same thing Michelle I. Brooks was. I fell into the story. I questioned everything. Not a lot is revealed as to why things are happening. I understood what was happening but could not figure out why. The end of book one leaves me thirsting for book two. I cannot wait to delve more into this series.… (más)

I didn't exactly know what to expect from Bone Dressing. All I knew was that the synopsis for the book sounded totally cool and original, so I was pretty excited to find out more. Although things seemed to start off a little slow, it wasn't long before the plot picked up and intensified--and it stayed that way until the end of the book, which left my head spinning!

The book is told through the perspective of Sydney, who is completely tough and amusing. Syd is a character that I really like. She goes on these hilarious tangents that sent me into fits of giggles and I found her pessimism to be endearing and very honest. She's also a rebel, and I admire her ability to say whatever she wants and mean it.

Basically Syd is an orphan who finds her whole world literally being turned upside down when she encounters a very attractive and mysterious guy in the cemetery one night. This guy's name is Beau, and he's accompanied by his sister, Sarah, and a black panther named T.J. (yes, T.J. is LITERALLY a panther and she does fit into the story quite well!). With the help of these three, Syd finds out that there is a sinister being after her and the only way to get the upper hand is for her to journey back in time into her past selves and relive crucial moments in her life. It is then that she experiences memories that she never even knew she had, and she is riddled with an onslaught of emotions and facts that put a dent in her tough exterior and alter her forever.

As if finding out that she is in danger and has past lives that she must live again wasn't enough for Syd to process, she also struggles with the thoughts and feelings she so strongly has for Beau. As a very strong and independent young lady, Sydney actually gets peeved at herself for these intense feelings she instantly develops for Beau, especially since she's never experienced anything like this before. It was both amusing and confusing whenever these two were together, because there's so much tension, and there's also something more going on there than what you are let in on. All I'm saying is that Beau is SUPER hot and I can't wait to learn more about his connection with Syd (though I have a theory)!

One of the things I really love about this book is that the author is very descriptive and poetic at times, which I absolutely loved! Michelle Brooks also knows how to write romance well. There were some steamy moments throughout the story that felt incredibly accurate and personal. Basically, she's a fantastic writer and she really knows how to write a unique and engaging story. She also does such a stupendous job of making the reader really feel everything that the characters are going through. I was definitely effected by the heartbreak that Syd faces in this book, as well as the anger she's enveloped by when she comes to certain realizations. I would also like to bring to light the fact that I literally felt my blood pressure rising during every encounter Sydney has with the repugnant Mr. Askew--never has a fictional character made my skin crawl as much as he has!

There is so much more to find out about this story, and the last events of the book solidify this, therefore I can't wait to continue with this series! So, I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a story with a healthy dose of villains, supernatural, romance and mystery.

My reviews can also be found at: http://escapingwithfiction.blogspot.com/… (más)

Bone Dressing started off sort of confusing. Syd (the MC) is very distracted and confused which left me trying to get my bearings in the book. But then Syd meets Beau in the cemetery, and the book sucked me in and didn't spit me back out till the end.
After the fateful meeting in the bone yard the plot just takes off leaving you page turning like a mad man trying to find out what's next. Syd is a strong and endearing character struggling to make sense of her life and her purpose in it, little does she know she has more then one life to figure out. You can't help but feel everything she feels. The way Ms.Brooks writes is lyrical and heartfelt leaving you clinging to her every word. I even had to take an intermission to clear my blurry eyes and start reading again.
A lot of the paranormal elements that came into play were unexpected but I loved them and they added new dimensions to the story. I've never seen the soulmate idea played out this way before but I really enjoyed it, It seemed more real and possible. One complaint, I still have so many unanswered questions!! Guess I have to wait for the next installment. Anyway I could gush for hours about all the reasons I enjoyed this book but in the interest of not spoiling every detail and letting you read it yourself I'll just end it here. Bone Dressing was a fantastic and engaging read and I totally recommend it. 5 out of 5… (más)

As the start of Bone Dressing, you meet Syd a troubled but mostly normal teenage girl. When I say mostly normal, she likes to spend her nights hanging out in the local cemetery. It is sitting in the cemetery, that she meets Remy who Sydney starts calling Beau. The reason I love this is that it makes me think of Remy LeBeau or Gambit from the X-men. I know my geek is showing, I'll put that away now.

Along with Beau, Sydney meets T.J. and Sarah. I love Sarah; she is just an angelic little girl. The three of them are there to help Sydney realized that this is not the first life she has lived. In all her lives, something has gone wrong; a big bad evil was chasing her down. The key to finding out how to stop it is to revisit her past lives. In this book, Syd only visits one of her past lives, but with six other books, I expect to visit even more. Bone Dressing is just the beginning of Sydney’s story.

I just loved this book for so many reasons. The whole story is told through the eyes and mind of Sydney. I just love the sardonic snark of Sydney’s “voice.” I really grew to care about Syd, and it caused me to love this story even more. The best part about Bone Dressing is the 180-degree turn it takes about half way through the novel. I did not expect or see it coming at all. That makes me like the book even more; there was no indication at all. Reading is always more enjoyable, when it tell you a story you did not know you would hear.

I just love the whole past lives, and reincarnation aspect of Bone Dressing. It is an unusual subject is a refreshing read. I could not be more pleased and grateful that Michelle contacted me to review this book. I love the relationship between Beau and Sydney it is more realistic. They are fight and have arguments just like a normal relationship. Bone Dressing is just an interesting read that grows on you.

**Unabridged Bookshelf received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review**
http://unabridgedbookshelf.blogspot.com… (más)