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Down Among the Sticks and Bones
Down Among the Sticks and Bones
	Cover of first edition
Author	Seanan McGuire
Country	United States
Language	English
Series	Wayward Children
Genre(s)	Fantasy
Publisher	Tor.com
Awards	Alex Award (2018); RUSA Award (2018);
ISBN	9780765392046
Publication date	June 13, 2017
Preceded by	Every Heart a Doorway
Followed by	Beneath the Sugar Sky

Down Among the Sticks and Bones is a 2017 fantasy novella by Seanan McGuire. It is the second book in the Wayward Children series and explores the history of two characters, Jack and Jill, from the previous book, Every Heart a Doorway.

In 2018, Down Among the Sticks and Bones won the American Library Association's Alex Award, as well as the RUSA Award for Fantasy.

Plot

Down Among the Sticks and Bones follows identical twin sisters Jacqueline and Jillian Wolcott, whose parents were not suited to being parents. Their mother raised Jacqueline to be the perfect, feminine daughter, always dressing her in fine clothes and ensuring she never dirtied herself or acted impolite. Conversely, their father raised Jillian as though she were the little boy he had dreamed she had been, including keeping her hair short and encouraging her to be athletic and adventurous. Their parents did not pay attention the girls and their wants, seeing them only has objects of prestige to discuss with their colleagues. Each of the girls envies the other to some degree, wishing she had the opportunities of the other.

At age 12, Jacqueline and Jillian found a door where previously no door had been and stumbled into the world of the Moors, which housed mad scientists, vampires, werewolves, and other monsters. Upon arrival, they meet the Master, who is initially kind to them, though his servants hint at a darker side. The girls learn that one shall become the Master's daughter and the other an apprentice to Dr. Bleak. Although the Master favors Jacqueline's femininity over Jillian's tomboyish nature, Jacqueline opts to work with Dr. Bleak and sheds her dresses to become Jack.

Over the years, Jack trains with the mad scientist Dr. Bleak, who brings new life to the deceased, at times piecing together disparate bodies, while Jill is pampered as the Master's daughter, with aims to become an eternal vampire daughter upon her 18th birthday. The Master is jealous of any who takes too much of Jill's attention though, eventually killing any friend she makes, leaving Jill lonely and missing her sister. When Jill finds that Jack has fallen in love, Jill sees a way to potential get her sister's attention using any means necessary.

Characters

Alexis Chopper: Jack's love interest in the Moors; daughter to Mr. and Ms. Chopper
Chester Wolcott: father to Jack and Jill, and husband to Serena; he is described as overbearing and organized
Dr Bleak: a mad scientist in the Moors who takes Jack as his apprentice
Jacqueline "Jack" Wolcott: twin sister of Jill, who was raised by her mother to be very feminine; in the Moors, she becomes the apprentice under Dr Bleak
Jillian "Jill" Wolcott: twin sister of Jack, who was raised by her father to be very masculine; in the Moors, she becomes the Master's daughter
Louise Wolcott: grandmother to Jack and Jill
Mary: a servant in the Master's castle
The Master: leader in the Moors who lives in a castle, despite the suffering of the people in the surrounding village
Mr. Chopper: father of Alexis Chopper and husband of Ms. Chopper
Ms. Chopper: mother of Alexis Chopper and wife of Mr. Chopper
Serena Wolcott: mother to Jack and Jill, and wife to Chester; he is described as overbearing and organized

Reception

Reviews

Down Among the Sticks and Bones was well received by critics, including starred reviews from Booklist,^[1] Kirkus Reviews,^[2] and Publishers Weekly.^[3]

Booklist's Erin Downey Howerton called the novella "exquisitely well crafted" and noted that it "is the rare companion novel that can stand alone". Downey Howerton also discussed how the novel portrayed the human "yearn[ing] for love, recognition, and belonging" as the girls "chaf[e] against rules both external and internal as they long to break free of the expectations of others".^[1]

Publishers Weekly similarly called it "exquisitely written".^[3]

Reviewers also discussed the novella's genre conventions, with Downey Howerton highlighting how McGuire "taps into the horror and romance of classic fairy tales".^[1] Kirkus Reviews noted that "the trappings of gothic fantasy act as an eloquent backdrop to this vivid portrayal of a painfully dysfunctional family".^[2]

AudioFile reviewed the audiobook, noting that "McGuire's interpretation of the characters is less than fully successful. The petulance of the adolescent characters occasionally bleeds into the rest of the narration, and her voice for the Frankenstein-like mad scientist Dr. Bleek is such a soft whisper that his dialogue is barely intelligible. Her narration is best when she captures the storytelling cadence of her witty prose".^[4]

Awards and honors

In 2017, Booklist included Down Among the Sticks and Bones on their list of the year's top ten science fiction and fantasy books,^[5] and Locus included it on their list of the year's best novellas.^[6]

Awards for *Down Among the Sticks and Bones*
Year	Award	Result	Ref
2018	Alex Awards	Won	^[7]^[8]
	Hugo Award for Best Novella	Nominated	^[9]^[10]
	Locus Award for Best Novella	Nominated	^[11]
	RUSA Award for Fantasy	Won	^[12]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c Downey Howerton, Erin (May 1, 2017). "Down Among the Sticks and Bones". Booklist. Archived from the original on July 28, 2024. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
^ ^a ^b "Down Among the Sticks and Bones". Kirkus Reviews. November 18, 2019. Archived from the original on July 28, 2024. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
^ ^a ^b "Down Among the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuire". Publishers Weekly. March 13, 2017. Archived from the original on March 29, 2024. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
^ "DOWN AMONG THE STICKS AND BONES by Seanan McGuire Read by Seanan McGuire | Audiobook Review". AudioFile Magazine. August 2017. Archived from the original on September 26, 2021. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
^ Vnuk, Rebecca (August 2017). "Top 10 SF/Fantasy: 2017". Booklist. Archived from the original on January 30, 2022. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
^ "2017 Locus Recommended Reading List". Locus Online. February 1, 2018. Archived from the original on January 13, 2024. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
^ "Alex Awards 2018". American Library Association. February 12, 2018. Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved November 21, 2018.
^ "2018 ALA Awards". Locus Online. February 12, 2018. Archived from the original on January 31, 2023. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
^ "2018 Hugo Awards". The Hugo Awards. March 15, 2018. Archived from the original on April 2, 2018. Retrieved April 17, 2022.
^ "2018 Hugo and Campbell Awards Winners". Locus Online. August 20, 2018. Archived from the original on December 7, 2022. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
^ "2018 Locus Awards Winners". Locus Online. June 23, 2018. Archived from the original on May 9, 2023. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
^ "RUSA 2018 Selections". Locus Online. February 12, 2018. Archived from the original on November 29, 2021. Retrieved April 12, 2024.