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charshorrorcorner's review against another edition
5.0
GRIND YOUR BONES TO DUST is a beautifully written, brutal horror novel, but it's also much more.
Separated into 4 sections, this book delves into creature feature territory, as well as philosophy, (does God exist? Is God insane? Maybe both, maybe neither?), religion, grief, loss, rape, sodomy, guilt and love. I wouldn't have thought that such a short book could cover so many subjects, but this one was full of surprises. Vicious and extreme horror really aren't my thing anymore, but this story was different. I think the beauty of the language used tempered the more brutal aspects of the scenes within, if that makes any sense.
Just when I thought I had mapped out the direction in which the story would go, it turned on me. I find that to be an excellent way of keeping the reader turning the pages. It certainly worked on me.
I'm finding it difficult to talk more about this story without spoilers. A few of these characters will remain in my mind for quite some time. One of them might haunt me forever, just because of how cold he was. Cold to every living thing, except for a talking raven that he befriended on his journey. He was so cold I'm surprised my fingers didn't get frostbite.
I consider myself to be a seasoned horror fan. For that reason, it's hard to discover plots I haven't come across before. It's hard to escape the same old tropes, final girls, haunted houses, unreliable narrators blah blah blah. This book DID escape them, and it escaped by using original ideas, beautiful prose, and by intertwining the normal with the most abnormal of situations I've ever come across. For this reason, GRIND YOUR BONES TO DUST gets ALL THE DAMN STARS.
My highest recommendation!
Get your copy here: https://amzn.to/2Vy9t3R
*I was provided a full paper manuscript with illustrations by the author, in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it.*
Separated into 4 sections, this book delves into creature feature territory, as well as philosophy, (does God exist? Is God insane? Maybe both, maybe neither?), religion, grief, loss, rape, sodomy, guilt and love. I wouldn't have thought that such a short book could cover so many subjects, but this one was full of surprises. Vicious and extreme horror really aren't my thing anymore, but this story was different. I think the beauty of the language used tempered the more brutal aspects of the scenes within, if that makes any sense.
Just when I thought I had mapped out the direction in which the story would go, it turned on me. I find that to be an excellent way of keeping the reader turning the pages. It certainly worked on me.
I'm finding it difficult to talk more about this story without spoilers. A few of these characters will remain in my mind for quite some time. One of them might haunt me forever, just because of how cold he was. Cold to every living thing, except for a talking raven that he befriended on his journey. He was so cold I'm surprised my fingers didn't get frostbite.
I consider myself to be a seasoned horror fan. For that reason, it's hard to discover plots I haven't come across before. It's hard to escape the same old tropes, final girls, haunted houses, unreliable narrators blah blah blah. This book DID escape them, and it escaped by using original ideas, beautiful prose, and by intertwining the normal with the most abnormal of situations I've ever come across. For this reason, GRIND YOUR BONES TO DUST gets ALL THE DAMN STARS.
My highest recommendation!
Get your copy here: https://amzn.to/2Vy9t3R
*I was provided a full paper manuscript with illustrations by the author, in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it.*
inkychaotics's review against another edition
5.0
A visceral, unapologetic, and unforgettable beast of a book. Nicholas Day utilizes haunting, poetic prose between each vicious scene with impressive skill. The cast of characters are strange, wild, and emote a realm of pain that hooks you into their lives and refuses to let you go. Day spins us a world where the monstrous donkeys eat flesh and the characters embark on Godless quests, but the horrific sermon of human brutality is what will stay with you long after the book is closed. Say a prayer if you like, but no salvation or redemption will bother to save you from what Day has in store...
teamredmon's review
5.0
I went into this with the highest expectations and somehow, I was not disappointed. Full review to come.
charmandareads's review
3.0
Full Review on CharmandaReads.com
Nicholas Day writes in a way that is so meticulous and beautiful, I knew I was in for something a little heavier than your run of the mill horror story. I was right - this book is instead a poetic masterpiece of violence, tragedy, and originality.
Semi-Western horror, good vs evil, faith in Hell, this book had a lot going on. I did enjoy how different it was, but my inability to completely understand kept me from loving it as many others did. I am honestly struggling to appropriately review this book because I felt as though I was I too distracted to give it the full attention I believe it needs. That being said, Grind Your Bones to Dust clearly did not command my full attention. I think this is a strong case of user error, so please take my three star rating with a grain of salt!
If you are looking for a straightforward gory horror story, this is not the book for you. If you want a story that transports you to a Hell that looks mightily familiar, I would recommend you pick this up.
Nicholas Day writes in a way that is so meticulous and beautiful, I knew I was in for something a little heavier than your run of the mill horror story. I was right - this book is instead a poetic masterpiece of violence, tragedy, and originality.
Semi-Western horror, good vs evil, faith in Hell, this book had a lot going on. I did enjoy how different it was, but my inability to completely understand kept me from loving it as many others did. I am honestly struggling to appropriately review this book because I felt as though I was I too distracted to give it the full attention I believe it needs. That being said, Grind Your Bones to Dust clearly did not command my full attention. I think this is a strong case of user error, so please take my three star rating with a grain of salt!
If you are looking for a straightforward gory horror story, this is not the book for you. If you want a story that transports you to a Hell that looks mightily familiar, I would recommend you pick this up.
brennanlafaro's review
4.0
This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year, and I’m reluctant to admit I was almost unable to fit it into 2019. I’m going to lead off saying I will be rereading this at some point. There is just so much substance packed into 200 pages of ultra-violent, fever dream insanity. There is simply no way I could have caught every nuance in one go.
Nicholas Day treats us to four interweaving vignettes littered with philosophy, religion, violence, and gore. We’re introduced to monstrous creatures that should be mundane, but instead hunt with a terrifying intelligence and insatiable appetite. We meet decent people who we know won’t be spared. Our primary antagonist is truly one-of-a-kind. It’s all too tempting to say he’s evil incarnate, but it doesn’t quite go far enough. The heinous deeds contained within almost come as an over-the-top caricature of evil, minus any trace of humor.
I think of the different parts of Grind Your Bones to Dust vignettes because although there are a number of connections, they read as separate events. Part four does such a nice job of bringing all of the events we’ve been privy to so far, to a conclusion that satisfies. One of my favorite parts was the oft repeated mantra “and he/she would never be any deader”. It reminded me of something one might see in a Vonnegut or Palahniuk book, and I found myself consistently anticipating the next instance.
Grind Your Bones to Dust is not a beach-read type of book. This is a story that unceremoniously demands your undivided attention, and shan’t hesitate to reach out and grab it if it’s not offered.
Nicholas Day treats us to four interweaving vignettes littered with philosophy, religion, violence, and gore. We’re introduced to monstrous creatures that should be mundane, but instead hunt with a terrifying intelligence and insatiable appetite. We meet decent people who we know won’t be spared. Our primary antagonist is truly one-of-a-kind. It’s all too tempting to say he’s evil incarnate, but it doesn’t quite go far enough. The heinous deeds contained within almost come as an over-the-top caricature of evil, minus any trace of humor.
I think of the different parts of Grind Your Bones to Dust vignettes because although there are a number of connections, they read as separate events. Part four does such a nice job of bringing all of the events we’ve been privy to so far, to a conclusion that satisfies. One of my favorite parts was the oft repeated mantra “and he/she would never be any deader”. It reminded me of something one might see in a Vonnegut or Palahniuk book, and I found myself consistently anticipating the next instance.
Grind Your Bones to Dust is not a beach-read type of book. This is a story that unceremoniously demands your undivided attention, and shan’t hesitate to reach out and grab it if it’s not offered.
spookishmommy's review against another edition
5.0
Brutal and profound. I dont think I've read anything quite like it.
lilyn_g's review against another edition
5.0
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the author for review consideration.
I had the pleasure of receiving a very early ARC of Day’s debut novel Grind Your Bones to Dust. (We’re talking sent in manuscript format with brads early.) I loved his novella At the End of the Day I Burst Into Flames so was quite happy to take this new book on.
Grind Your Bones to Dust is very well-written and it is very, very dark. There are multiple child deaths and even more instances of rape – mostly of the necrophiliac male/male variety. It is an incredibly bleak and somehow real-feeling novel in which God is maybe dead, maybe suicidal, but either way, it’s clear he gives no two shits about any of us on this earth.
This book made me hurt for Nicholas Day because it’s so painfully raw in the truth it tells about the world and the chastisement it lays out for those who really believe God is listening. This is the type of novel you can write only if you’ve Been Through Some Shit, made it out alive, and sadly realized the stink of that Shit will never, ever leave you.
Fans of Edgar Allen Poe’s The Raven will find an homage to it here. (Although Day’s Raven is not quite so well-spoken, and delightfully outright evil.)
Some of my favorite quotes (and keep in mind these are from the ARC so are subject to change) are:
“No matter where you go, though, folk just keep building churches hoping he’ll finally show up. But he never do, and that’s real salt in the wound for some people. Make an otherwise decent man angry and wild. Get wild enough, man stops quoting scripture and starts lashing out, making threat, setting fire and such. “
“Everything was clean. Everything was ready. This room waited for a return that would never ever happen. I stood in the center of a broken heart.”
Day’s writing etches his stories onto your mind in angry, bleeding strokes. Grind Your Bones to Dust might disgust you, will probably disturb you, and will burrow into the recesses of your mind. I loved it but damned if I didn’t need a drink afterward.
I had the pleasure of receiving a very early ARC of Day’s debut novel Grind Your Bones to Dust. (We’re talking sent in manuscript format with brads early.) I loved his novella At the End of the Day I Burst Into Flames so was quite happy to take this new book on.
Grind Your Bones to Dust is very well-written and it is very, very dark. There are multiple child deaths and even more instances of rape – mostly of the necrophiliac male/male variety. It is an incredibly bleak and somehow real-feeling novel in which God is maybe dead, maybe suicidal, but either way, it’s clear he gives no two shits about any of us on this earth.
This book made me hurt for Nicholas Day because it’s so painfully raw in the truth it tells about the world and the chastisement it lays out for those who really believe God is listening. This is the type of novel you can write only if you’ve Been Through Some Shit, made it out alive, and sadly realized the stink of that Shit will never, ever leave you.
Fans of Edgar Allen Poe’s The Raven will find an homage to it here. (Although Day’s Raven is not quite so well-spoken, and delightfully outright evil.)
Some of my favorite quotes (and keep in mind these are from the ARC so are subject to change) are:
“No matter where you go, though, folk just keep building churches hoping he’ll finally show up. But he never do, and that’s real salt in the wound for some people. Make an otherwise decent man angry and wild. Get wild enough, man stops quoting scripture and starts lashing out, making threat, setting fire and such. “
“Everything was clean. Everything was ready. This room waited for a return that would never ever happen. I stood in the center of a broken heart.”
Day’s writing etches his stories onto your mind in angry, bleeding strokes. Grind Your Bones to Dust might disgust you, will probably disturb you, and will burrow into the recesses of your mind. I loved it but damned if I didn’t need a drink afterward.
bookswithscrump's review against another edition
3.0
3 star - I liked it but didn't love it. This is another entry into my pile of weird, strange, quirky, dark and violent horror reads that I'm not 100% sure how I feel about it yet. This novel weaves together four different stories into one overarching narrative about good, evil, death, faith, revenge and feral donkeys. It also kind of reads like a western horror. It was a slow read for me, and I have to say I wasn't a fan of the big long parts vs. having chapters, but overall it did add to the atmosphere and build up to the somewhat exciting and sad climax of this book. It is violent and graphic - so beware of that if you can't stomach that kind of stuff. It'll leave me thinking for quite a while.
tracyreads's review against another edition
5.0
“The desert remained a cold and scheming stillness, despite his rapid heartbeat and sharp breaths. Silence stalked the mind as surely as any nocturnal creature in this vast nothing.” - Nicholas Day, Grind Your Bones to Dust
“I will grind your bones to dust
And with your blood and it I'll make a paste,
And of the paste a coffin I will rear
And make two pasties of your shameful heads…” - William Shakespeare, Titus Andronicus Act V, Scene ii
Very early this year, I read Day’s novella At The End of the Day I Burst Into Flames, so I had some idea of the skill to expect as well as his ability to snare my emotions quickly and deeply. In this debut novel, Day proves that while he excels in the short form, longer fiction is well within his skill set. Segmented into four related yet different parts, readers should expect non-linear storytelling I can only liken to Vonnegut and others. It takes chops to make storytelling like this work and I sit in awe when it is done well. This is definitely the case here.
Grind Your Bones to Dust is a masterclass in deeply unsettling horror. Shifting, sometimes unreliable, protagonists (there are different focal points within each section) and a plot that drags the reader into depths unknown transform this novel into a violent, gorgeous experience. Unique villains such as carnivorous, evil donkeys, a raven with an agenda, and a murderous, proselytizing dark preacher, round out a cast of characters this reader isn’t likely to forget.
I need to re-read this book upon publication. What’s amusing to me is that in my “day job” I teach students to look for connections, allusions, deeper meanings, and anything they can use to peel back the layers of story they encounter. I, myself, have been tasked to do this throughout undergrad and two different graduate programs. Yet I feel like I missed so much. Shortly after Part 1, I finally started picking up on little things. Biblical names of characters. Actions of these aptly named characters that show that Day has something to say about religion, loss, and normative expectations. There is more here than murderous donkeys. There is more here than an unusual form of plot. It is this richness that I only got a glimpse of and that I need to glean more from. This is no fault of the author, it is mine and I kind of like that I have reason to join this world again. Even at the end, when I discovered, in shock, why the title sounded so familiar (see the Shakespeare quote above), I marvelled at how these allusions were hidden and yet accessible. I only needed to open my mind a bit more. (Side note: Titus Andronicus is a play I have studied and even taught. This scene is PERFECT for the title of this book.)
I took my time with this novel, savoring the pieces and, at times, looking up in revulsion. This story is heavy and entertaining; moreover, it’s one I am unlikely to ever forget. Grind Your Bones to Dust has earned a place in my top 10 reads of 2019; don’t miss this one.
“I will grind your bones to dust
And with your blood and it I'll make a paste,
And of the paste a coffin I will rear
And make two pasties of your shameful heads…” - William Shakespeare, Titus Andronicus Act V, Scene ii
Very early this year, I read Day’s novella At The End of the Day I Burst Into Flames, so I had some idea of the skill to expect as well as his ability to snare my emotions quickly and deeply. In this debut novel, Day proves that while he excels in the short form, longer fiction is well within his skill set. Segmented into four related yet different parts, readers should expect non-linear storytelling I can only liken to Vonnegut and others. It takes chops to make storytelling like this work and I sit in awe when it is done well. This is definitely the case here.
Grind Your Bones to Dust is a masterclass in deeply unsettling horror. Shifting, sometimes unreliable, protagonists (there are different focal points within each section) and a plot that drags the reader into depths unknown transform this novel into a violent, gorgeous experience. Unique villains such as carnivorous, evil donkeys, a raven with an agenda, and a murderous, proselytizing dark preacher, round out a cast of characters this reader isn’t likely to forget.
I need to re-read this book upon publication. What’s amusing to me is that in my “day job” I teach students to look for connections, allusions, deeper meanings, and anything they can use to peel back the layers of story they encounter. I, myself, have been tasked to do this throughout undergrad and two different graduate programs. Yet I feel like I missed so much. Shortly after Part 1, I finally started picking up on little things. Biblical names of characters. Actions of these aptly named characters that show that Day has something to say about religion, loss, and normative expectations. There is more here than murderous donkeys. There is more here than an unusual form of plot. It is this richness that I only got a glimpse of and that I need to glean more from. This is no fault of the author, it is mine and I kind of like that I have reason to join this world again. Even at the end, when I discovered, in shock, why the title sounded so familiar (see the Shakespeare quote above), I marvelled at how these allusions were hidden and yet accessible. I only needed to open my mind a bit more. (Side note: Titus Andronicus is a play I have studied and even taught. This scene is PERFECT for the title of this book.)
I took my time with this novel, savoring the pieces and, at times, looking up in revulsion. This story is heavy and entertaining; moreover, it’s one I am unlikely to ever forget. Grind Your Bones to Dust has earned a place in my top 10 reads of 2019; don’t miss this one.
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