Just Jennifer

Bones and All by Camille DeAngelis (St. Martin’s Press)

Maren Yearly is not your typical sixteen-year-old.  If you show her too much affection, she’ll eat you.  Her mother has tried to hide this secret, moving to a new state after each episode; when Maren turns sixteen, though, her mother leaves her with a birth certificate bearing the name of the father Maren never knew and several hundred dollars in cash.  Maren decides to search for her father, deep down inside knowing what she will find, but finding many surprises along her journey, including the fact that she is not alone with her proclivities and that eating comes in all forms and shapes and that maybe, just maybe, she is not as unusual as she thinks she is.  Maren’s trip to find her father is also one of self-discovery as she realizes she will have to live on her own as her own person and make her own way in the world.  This coming of age story is truly original and not nearly as gruesome as it sounds. Readers will root for Maren to find her family and some answers; their hearts will break as they realize that Maren will never be able to have “normal” relationships, but will cheer as she makes her own decisions, finds a life that suits her and is able to come to terms with her special personality traits.