“In the midst of the island’s sticky heat, sweet fragrances, and luscious tastes, there is a haunting that pulses through these magnetic pages—and our bold, lovable main character, Carina, must figure out why before it’s too late. Eerie, propulsive, and sumptuous, Honeysuckle and Bone is a trip to Jamaica you won’t soon forget.”
- Ayesha Curry, Sweet July Books , Sweet July Books
On the run from her own dark secrets, a teen girl becomes the nanny for a prestigious family on their extravagant Jamaican estate—but things aren’t quite as they seem, and she quickly discovers even paradise may be haunted.
ISBN
9781638931027
Language
English
Page count
320
Edition
Hardcover
Sale date
January 14, 2025
Dimensions
6 x 9
About the Book
Carina Marshall is looking to reinvent herself, and what better place to do it than Jamaica, her mother’s alluring homeland where she conveniently has access to an au pair gig for the wealthy and politically powerful Hall family. After months of being the target of vicious rumors and hate online (which she just might deserve), the luxurious Blackbead House seems to hold everything she wants, a world of mango trees, tropical breezes, and glamorous parties—and a place to disappear.
Once there, Carina joins up with her fellow junior staff members, the self-named Young Birds, and finds herself sinking right into her busy, but comfortable, new life. Yes, the Halls run a tight ship, and yes, there is some tension amongst the family, but she’s content flying under the radar, doing her job, and hanging out with her new friends—not least, the handsome and charming Aaron. But when inexplicable things start happening to her in the house, only getting worse each night, Carina realizes that someone—or something—is out to get her. Is it the house itself? The Halls? Or, worse, is it her own past catching up with her? With the help of Aaron, she must figure out what is haunting her, and fast, before she is forced out of Blackbead House for good.
Eerie, propulsive, and full of intrigue, Honeysuckle and Bone is a deliciously atmospheric, young adult novel, following an imperfect yet courageous teen as she seeks to remake herself in the homeland she always idealized, only to discover that new beginnings don’t always come easy.
Reviews
“The story’s ominous elements contrast vividly with the beautiful ones, and the portrayal of the luxurious Jamaica the wealthy enjoy stands in stark contrast to that of those who are less fortunate . . . A deliciously dark and mysterious debut.”
“Tobias’s debut is an atmospheric ghost story that shines in multiple respects, from its tense, satisfying mystery and tight pacing to its thoughtful commentary on class in Jamaica and Jamaican American identity, as well as its vibrant secondary characters.”
“Tobias brings lots of ghostly atmosphere to her debut, with evocatively described hauntings in the sweltering Jamaican heat. Carina’s growing friendship with the other young staff members—and one burgeoning romance—nicely ground the plot, and her search for the identity of the duppy contains plenty of twists. . . . [T]hose in it for the eerie vibes and buried secrets will be satisfied.”
“Guilt and desperation saturate the pages as vividly as the Caribbean heat. Luminous and claustrophobic, Honeysuckle and Bone knows it’s not just the ghosts you can’t escape—it’s yourself. Carina’s accumulating lies make for a reading experience as acutely uncomfortable as bingeing a season of Dexter.”
“Honeysuckle and Bone will haunt your days and nights long after you’ve closed the book; this is a story that wraps you in warmth and lures you in with lush beauty, only for you to realize that the cold dread lurking beneath the vibrant tropical air has already worked its way under your skin. Here is proof that no matter where we go, our ghosts will always find us and demand a powerful reckoning—and that sometimes, it’s our own secrets that hound us harder than the dead.”
“In the midst of the island’s sticky heat, sweet fragrances, and luscious tastes, there is a haunting that pulses through these magnetic pages—and our bold, lovable main character, Carina, must figure out why before it’s too late. Eerie, propulsive, and sumptuous, Honeysuckle and Bone is a trip to Jamaica you won’t soon forget.”
“Immersive, beguiling, and teeming with sinister secrets, Honeysuckle and Bone is a tense coil of a mystery that crackles with energy and haunting, vivid beauty. The voice is magnetic, the setting is undeniably alive, and the ghosts are insistent with devastating truths. This is a gorgeous, pulse-pounding debut.”
“When folk magic and unquiet spirits are the least of your worries, that’s good horror. Tobias has crafted a debut that’s a bit of a miracle: a gothic that has its (honeysuckle-scented) cake and eats it too. Sweeping and foreboding, but never stuffy thanks to its vibrantly realized setting, likable characters, and a narrator who’d be her own worst enemy, if not for all her actual enemies and the swirling mystery she’s dug herself into.”
“Honeysuckle and Bone is a gripping tale of Caribbean folklore and mysticism that pulled me in right away. Tobias brings Jamaica to life with vivid sights, sounds, and colors, creating a setting that is lush and imaginative. The story seamlessly blends horror with themes of grief, loss, and love, while also authentically exploring the bonds of found family. With unflinching social commentary on class and privilege, this haunting tale delves into what happens when secrets—and the dead—just won’t stay buried. Honeysuckle and Bone commands a space in the horror genre, and I’m here for it!”
“Honeysuckle and Bone is a deliciously uncomfortable journey into a suffocating world of wealth and secrets. Tobias’s talented storytelling will demand your attention as she explores not only our fear of ghosts, but the fear of being witnessed for who we really are. It’s one thing to admire an extravagant exterior—it’s another to venture into dark corners and find what’s lurking in the shadows. Carina is a messy, vulnerable narrator and I loved her, shadows and all.”
“Rich and haunting, Honeysuckle and Bone is an eerie ghost story that delves deep into an exploration of identity and class. Tobias’s masterful handling of a teenage girl’s exploration of grief and her homeland shapes a propulsive narrative that you won’t want to put down.”
“A beautifully lush and haunting gothic tale, Honeysuckle and Bone is both a chilling mystery and a heartbreaking portrait of all the ways grief leaves its mark. I gasped at every shocking twist and harrowing reveal as Carina unearthed the dark secrets of Blackbead House and discovered that no matter how far she ran, the ghosts of the past were always right behind her.”
“Lush and alluring. . . . [the] first-person-present narration fosters tension while immersing readers in the sights, sounds, and culture of Jamaica.”