Blog Tour: The Silence of Bones by June Hur (Review + Favorite Quotes)

Title: The Silence of Bones
Author: June Hur
Genre: YA Mystery/Historical Fiction
Publication Date: April 21st, 2020

Thanks to the publisher for the free copy! (I received a copy for reviewing. All opinions are my own.)

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“I have a mouth, but I mustn’t speak;
Ears, but I mustn’t hear;
Eyes, but I mustn’t see.

1800, Joseon (Korea). Homesick and orphaned sixteen-year-old Seol is living out the ancient curse: “May you live in interesting times.” Indentured to the police bureau, she’s been tasked with assisting a well-respected young inspector with the investigation into the politically charged murder of a noblewoman.

As they delve deeper into the dead woman’s secrets, Seol forms an unlikely bond of friendship with the inspector. But her loyalty is tested when he becomes the prime suspect, and Seol may be the only one capable of discovering what truly happened on the night of the murder.

But in a land where silence and obedience are valued above all else, curiosity can be deadly.

June Hur’s elegant and haunting debut The Silence of Bones is a bloody tale perfect for fans of Kerri Maniscalco and Renée Ahdieh.” (Goodreads)

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JUNE HUR (‘Hur’ as in ‘her’) was born in South Korea and raised in Canada, except for the time when she moved back to Korea and attended high school there. Most of her work is inspired by her journey through life as an individual, a dreamer, and a Christian, with all its confusions, doubts,absurdities and magnificence. She studied History and Literature at the University of Toronto, and currently works for the public library. She lives in Toronto with her husband and daughter.Her debut novel THE SILENCE OF BONES (Feiwel & Friends/Macmillan, April 2020) is a murder mystery set in Joseon Dynasty Korea (early 1800s), and also a coming-of-age tale about a girl searching for home. It was recently selected by the American Booksellers Association as one of the top debuts of Winter/Spring 2020. She is represented by Amy Bishop of Dystel, Goderich & Bourret LLC

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Excerpt:

Click to access The_Silence_of_Bones_Excerpt.pdf

I have been so excited to read this book! Ever since I read the premise last year I have been hooked. The cover is fantastic and honestly, I didn’t even notice the second face until I got my copy in the mail. Oops, ha.

Anyways, this wasn’t exactly what I was expecting but in a good way. There are many layers to this one as it deals with historical events. It was done nicely and gave the book more than just being a typical murder mystery. It made you do some thinking.

Seol is indentured to the police bureau. She is very loyal and I can’t definitely relate to that. Another characteristic to describe her is brave and even strong. Many good qualities to have! She is away from her older sister and doesn’t know what happened to her brother. Her life isn’t easy and there is great talk about what it’s like to be an indentured servant.

The plot was interesting and I liked the mix between murder, indentured servitude, and religion. There are definitely plot twists, I mean how can’t there be with murder? I didn’t see them coming so I was quite surprised. I really thought it was going to be someone different.

I didn’t know that this book was based on a historical event and I’m glad that the author included more about the actual event in the back of the book. History is very fascinating and it’s great to be able to read about something I hadn’t heard about before.

Overall, this isn’t like any other YA Mystery/Thriller I have read. There is no romance that many have to push the plot. I was very happy with my reading experience and I would definitely recommend it!

“There are usually only three causes for murder: lust, greed, or vengeance. Among these three, vengeance is the most common.”

“…brute strength was not a measure of a man’s courage. He could have muscles made of steel and yet a backbone made of mother’s milk — the only thing occupying his heart was love for no one other then himself.”

“No one’s fate is wrriten in stone, child.”

“When we believe, we hold on to what we think is true. But when we have a conviction, that truth holds on to us.”

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I hope you enjoyed my blog tour spot for The Silence of Bones by June Hur! Be sure to check out the other reviews and Instagram tour!

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