Down Among the Sticks and Bones

By: Seanan McGuire

Narrated by: Seanan McGuire

Length: 4 hrs and 4 mins

Publisher's summary

New York Times bestselling author Seanan McGuire returns to her popular Wayward Children series with Down Among the Sticks and Bones—a truly standalone story suitable for adult and young adult listeners of urban fantasy, and the follow-up to the Alex, Hugo, Nebula, and Locus Award-winning, World Fantasy Award finalist, Tiptree Honor List book Every Heart a Doorway

Twin sisters Jack and Jill were seventeen when they found their way home and were packed off to Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children.

This is the story of what happened first…

Jacqueline was her mother’s perfect daughter—polite and quiet, always dressed as a princess. If her mother was sometimes a little strict, it’s because crafting the perfect daughter takes discipline.

Jillian was her father’s perfect daughter—adventurous, thrill-seeking, and a bit of a tom-boy. He really would have preferred a son, but you work with what you've got.

They were five when they learned that grown-ups can’t be trusted.

They were twelve when they walked down the impossible staircase and discovered that the pretense of love can never be enough to prepare you a life filled with magic in a land filled with mad scientists and death and choices.

The Wayward Children Series
Book 1: Every Heart a Doorway
Book 2: Down Among the Sticks and Bones
Book 3: Beneath the Sugar Sky
Book 4: In an Absent Dream

©2017 Seanan McGuire (P)2017 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

"McGuire has a miraculous talent for examining adolescent discontent, wedding the strange with the poignant, the fearsome with the fascinating." —RT Book Reviews Top Pick, 4 1/2 stars

“Beautifully crafted and smartly written, this fairy-tale novella is everything that speculative fiction readers look for: fantastical worlds, diverse characters, and prose that hits home with its emotional truths." —Library Journal starred review

"Down Among the Sticks and Bones has the voice and rhythm of a fairy tale... It is vividly characterised, as so much of Seanan McGuire’s work is, and has the kind of prose that carries you along to find out what happens next." —Locus

A macabre prequel to Every Heart a Doorway

Readers of McGuire's Every Heart a Doorway will recognize Jack and Jill, the identical twins Jacqueline and Jillian, who are a major part of the conclusion of the book.

In this standalone book we get to see how Jack and Jill became the people they were by the time they entered Eleanor West's Home for Wayward Children, the home where children who found doorways to alternate universes are helped to recover.

Born to a couple more interested in the social benefits of parenthood than actually being parents, Jack and Jill begin to take on their unique gender identities at an early age. One day, wanting to play costume make believe, they go up to the attic and find that the costume trunk is empty except for a door leading to a deep stairway. Down those stairs is a world ruled by the Master where vampires are the ruling citizens. Jack and Jill take on unique roles in this world. But before they turn 18 they must make a decision whether or not to become permanent residents.

McGuire invented dozens of unusual worlds in her last book. In this story she creates a dark and frightening world. As in the past, she doesn't shrink from the death of characters whether you like them or not, nor from Jack's sexual ambiguity. What is also as strong here as in the first book is the devotion Jack has for Jill.

This is a perfect follow up to Every Heart a Doorway, a book that started like a pleasant children's book and ended up gothic, macabre, and murderous. It will be interesting to see what other twists and turns will come in future books. While it would be a good read for most older teens it's a book that would be enjoyable for any adult lover of gothic fantasy.

Perfect sequel to Every Heart a Doorway!

I loved Every Heart a Doorway, and I loved this one, too. It gives more detail to the lives of the twins in the first book while telling its own story. The narration (by the author!) was absolutely stunning in its expression. I wasn't crazy about the previous narrator, and I'm so glad this one was narrated by the author; she's fantastic at it, and the story was superb. I'll definitely be continuing the series.

Absolutely Incredible!

I was not a fan of Jack and Jill from Every Heart A Doorway, so I left Down Among The Sticks and Bones for quite a while before picking it up. You know a book is good if it makes you like characters that you’ve previously disliked.

This book follows Jack and Jill from the idea of conception through pregnancy, birth, childhood, until they find their door at twelve. They both felt a bit childish at twelve to me, for instance Jill didn’t know the difference between Master and Doctor. Though my knowledge of those sorts of titles at that age probably came from watching Doctor Who. The story continues in their world as the two girls split apart, one becoming the Master’s Daughter and one becoming the Doctor’s Apprentice.

There were quite a few time slips during their time in the other world, but it didn’t impact the flow of the book.

I really like how this book deals with themes such as sexuality, with the first book in the series having a character who identifies as asexual, another who identifies as transgender and one in this book who has a relationship with another character of the same gender. I just love how this is becoming mainstream and this series handled these topics so well. It also deals with topics such as childcare, as Jack and Jill’s parents foist the girls off on their grandmother and then tell them that she forgot how to love them when the grandmother is forced to leave.

All in all, it really makes you feel for both Jack and Jill by the end, and their thoughts and actions in Every Heart A Doorway are a lot more understandable now.

A welcome return to the Every Heart universe

I really love Seanan McGuire and this particular universe.

This tells the story of Jack and Jill. Even though it is a prequel, I think you need to read Every Heart a Doorway first, otherwise there are too many spoilers.

I would like to know what happens AFTER Every Heart a Doorway as well.

While this is marketed as Young Adult cross-over, like the Velveteen series this is enjoyable as an adult read. While suitable for younger readers, it touches something more profound than the October Daye and Cryptid series (two of my favorites). Sharing these books with your 16 to 18 year-olds is a great idea!

I wanted to give this a higher rating, but it starts a little slow. Once it hits its stride, it makes up for it. Jack seems too forgiving. I can see her doing what she does, but I cannot believe she would not be more angry about it.

Seanan McGuire is pretty good as a narrator, but not as good as her usual readers. I am sure if she keeps doing it, she will be excellent. But I am not sure she will bother because Robinette Kowal (who is similar to Ms. McGuire) and Emily Bauer do such great narration for her books.

So a solid four-star book. Even though it feels like a four-and-one-half or five star book.

I hope there will be more!

Loving this series

Much like all the reviews I read it was a good prequel to the story of Jack and Jill. A better understanding of who they are and what happened in book 1.

Wonderful!!

A wonderful and engaging story told in a fairy tale like manner that is incredibly relaxing to listen to. Narrated by the author meaning that all of the pronunciation and intonation is perfect.

Loved it ...

Was unique... fast paced enough . I want to read the next book now.

Jack and Jill! Wow!

I love this twist of the original Jack and Jill! Vampires and mad scientists and twins that cannot be any more different. This is such a thoughtful and interesting piece of work! I am adoring the writing and thoughts of Seanan McGuire.

Down Among the Sticks and Bones

This story is beautifully written, and the story line was unexpected. Thank you for the thrill.

Jack and Jill went down the stairs, let’s see what is to follow.

Jack and Jill went down the stairs…
As we continue in the Wayard Children’s series we see a different version of Jack and Jill, the twins from the Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children. We go way back to the beginning and watch as they grow up to the time when they went down the stairs to the Moors. Two sisters who were forced to be someone by their parent’s standards, go tumbling down into a world where they can be who they want to be, until they cannot. A prequel to the first Wayward series we see Jack and Jill grow from 12-year-old girls to 17-year old’s make choices, but not all choices are good. Two sisters who look so much alike but be so different in both worlds.
I absolutely loved seeing Jack and Jill’s prequel (so far, they are my favorites). We see a lot more than their story, but the effects of parents who push too far and too controlling of their kid’s stories. Watching Jack and Jill change and try to grow and learn was beautiful and devasting at the same time. And can two sisters even more so twins survive a bond that is broken for so long?
Like Every Heart A Doorway I did listen to it on audio, and enjoyed hearing Seanan McGuire share her story, and set up perfect voices for each character. I want to learn more of these two girls and continue to read about the different students at the school. My rating like the first book is a five out of five and hope to be able to give the whole series a perfect rating, we shall see.