Blog Tour Stop: Boneseeker by Brynn Chapmann

Summary (from Goodreads) 

Title : Boneseeker
Author : Brynn Chapmann
Publication Date : June 17th 2014
Publisher : Month9Books
Goodreads - Amazon - Barnes & Noble 

Arabella Holmes was born different and raised different. After it became apparent she wouldn't fit the role of a proper 1900's lady, her father, Sherlock, called in some lingering favors, and landed her a position at the Mutter Museum. The museum was Arabella's dream; she was to become a purveyor of abnormal science. What her father called a BoneSeeker.

Henry Watson arrives at the Mutter Museum with a double assignment--to become a finder of abnormal antiquities and to watch over and keep Arabella Holmes. An easy task, if he could only get her to speak to him instead of throwing knives in his general direction.

But this is no time for child's play. The two teens are assigned to a most secret exploration, when the hand of a Nephilim is unearthed in upstate New York. Soon, Arabella and Henry are caught in a fight for their lives as scientific debate swirls around them. Are the bones from a Neanderthal ... or are they living proof of fallen angels, who supposedly mated with humans according to ancient scrolls?

Sent to recover the skeleton, they discover they are the second team to have been deployed and the entire first team is dead. And now they must trust their instincts and rely on one another in order to survive and uncover the truth.

Personal Thoughts 

I know I will sound very shallow when I say this, but Boneseeker's gorgeous cover is what first attracted my attention. I was even more excited once I read that it featured Sherlock Holmes' daughter and John Watson's son as protagonists in a story obviously full of science. I'm not going to lie, I might have squeed out it in enthusiasm!

Arabella Holmes was exactly like her father: impulsive, curious and had a brain whose wheels kept turning 24/7. She had a huge passion for science, especially for studying bones, and she used the museum that she worked at as a means to exhibit that intense love that that she has for science. However, she ran across multiple obstacles given that she was a woman in a time period that frowned upon any sort of involvement of girls in a man's job. That, however and thankfully, didn't stop Arabella from speaking out her thoughts and doing what she loves. She did come across as a bit rash and hasty when it comes to certain situations and she had an uncanny ability to get into dangerous situations. Despite it being slightly frustrating for me as a reader, when I think of it, I don't think Arabella would have been Arabella if she didn't have those personality traits. It also helped that Henry Watson was there to balance her out. We are provided with both of their points of views and it was nice to have both of their sides of the story, especially because Henry was much calmer character than Arabella and provided moments of rest from Arabella's thoughts. He was highly intelligent, but had a more open view about the world, which he eventually passed on to Arabella as well.

As expected, Arabella and Henry have a romantic relationship. They have been friends for a long time and now that they were all grown up, they couldn't deny the feelings they had for each other. The romance in Boneseeker was, for the most part, mild, developing slowly. It had its sweet moments and it never overwhelmed the story line, which was a nice factor. The plot was also exciting and there were some action-packed scenes. However, I have a minor complaint. I personally wished that we had not been told who the villain was from the beginning because it would have amped up the element of suspense and would have made the story much more enjoyable. I also felt there were some pacing issues in certain scenes. There were specific scenes that I wanted more from, but I was disappointed when to find that they were meager. Regardless, this was an entertaining book and the story did wrap up in this installment, but I'm hoping we will get to see more of Arabella and Henry in the future.

A unique story with paranormal elements, Boneseeker was an absolutely alluring YA historical book that will appeal to a broad range of fans. Brynn Chapmann is a figure to watch for in the genre!

Rating 

Cover : 4/5
Plot : 3/5
Characters : 4/5
Writing : 3/5

**Overall Rating : 3.5/5**

Author Biography

Born and raised in western Pennsylvania, Brynn Chapman is the daughter of two teachers. Her writing reflects her passions: science, history and love—not necessarily in that order. In real life, the geek gene runs strong in her family, as does the Asperger’s syndrome. Her writing reflects her experience as a pediatric therapist and her interactions with society’s downtrodden. In fiction, she’s a strong believer in underdogs and happily-ever-afters. She also writes non-fiction and lectures on the subjects of autism and sensory integration and is a medical contributor to online journal The Age of Autism.

Author Links:  Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Giveaway

Four (4) winners will receive an ebook copy of Boneseeker by Brynn Chapman (INT)

One (1) winner will receive an ebook copy of Boneseeker by Brynn Chapman AND a $10 Amazon Gift Card or B&N Gift Card – Winner’s Choice (INT)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Check out the other tour stops here.
Thank you to Month9Books and Chapter by Chapter for letting me part of this amazing tour.