Review: Ivory and Bone by Julie Eshbaugh

Oh, this book. I had so hoped that I would end up loving it. But that was not the case. Not at all. This book looks gorgeous. And I really wanted to like it. But when I started, I knew right away that I did not like it. And my feelings of dislike only grew as I read more. Sigh. Two stars for this one. I feel so disappointed.

I'm unsure how to talk about my feelings for this book. I'm unsure about what I wish to say about it. Because, yeah, this book wasn't very good. I feel like this book could have been good, though, because I did like the past it was set in, with hunting and living in huts. But little focus on it. Ugh. Sad face.

This book is written from the point of view of Kol. His name is almost never mentioned, though, so remembering his name was not easy for me, haha. I'm a bit sad to say that I didn't love the writing. I didn't hate it, not truly, but I also did not like it one bit. It was annoying. Because very, very much time is spent on describing what things look like and on travelling and so many useless things. It bothered me so much and it made me so, so bored and I lost focus a bunch of time too. Which is just the worst thing to happen when reading. Sigh. So yes. I didn't like the writing much. It is told in a different way, though, which I cannot explain, but could have been interesting. If I had felt anything for the characters or the writing. Hmph. Annoying.

I'm very happy that I didn't read the goodreads tagline before I started this book. Because it calls it a prehistoric fantasy. Which kills me a little, lol. It we prehistoric for sure, yes, but not one single bit of fantasy in this book at all. If I had read that tagline before I started the book, I would have been beyond disappointed. It is not a fantasy book. Not even one bit. Hmph. Just thought you should know that, because you decide to buy this book or not. It is purely historical. Not real, yeah, but historical even so.

Anyway. Back to the story. For the most part, I really liked the main boy in this book. He was pretty cute. But then he turned out to be pretty stupid as well, and too trusting, and then being a bit mean too, and not trusting the right person, and being mean, and ugh. But I did like this boy for the most part. He was interesting to read about, but also pretty boring, to be honest. I did like him, yes, but he was nothing special. He was not a boy I will remember at all. Which I must admit is the most disappointing thing.

This story takes place back in time, with hunting mammoths and living in huts and such. And it was interesting to read about all of that. But it wasn't focused on much at all, and that disappointed me. Because, well, the entire focus of this book was mostly on Kol being interested in a girl. Ugh. That girl is Mya, for a different clan. I did not like her much at all. She was mean and rude and just not a nice person at all. It bothered me so much. I didn't get why he liked her; not really. But not much romance.

Of course he fell for her, though, as he hadn't seen a girl his age in over two years, lol. But she is only there for a day. Then gone for days. And then he sees her again for a short time, and she is still rude, and he leaves again, and then he meets a new girl. Sigh. This girl is Lo. He falls for her right away too. Not really a love triangle, as it seems like neither girl likes him, lol, and nothing happens with any of them. It just bothered me, even so. I didn't like the boy much. And I didn't like any of the girls. Sigh.

I guess that the past of the three different clans were supposed to be heartbreaking and shocking and whatever. But it was not. I didn't care one single bit. I didn't feel anything about it. It wasn't sad. It wasn't horrible. Just, well, it was a bit meh. Which is the worst feeling to have when reading books. And I had it the entire time while reading this one. Sigh. I'm not sure what else to say. Book is about Kol falling for girls. His brothers doing the same. His mother being happy. A little bit of hunting. And war.

I can't help it. I did not like this book. I wanted to, I really did, but it was simply not for me at all. the plot was boring, nothing much really happened. I didn't care for the big fight at the end of the book, because I didn't feel like it mattered much. Probably because it was written really badly. Also. Kol was hurt at one time, huge claw marks all over his back. Which seemed to magically heal over the night. Those marks were never mentioned again. It bothered me. He should have been in pain, all the time.

Oh, lol. I can't not mention something more. I just looked at the summary again. It mentions being faced with shattering losses. And I can't help but laugh. Because that is so not true. Haha. I like my books to be brutal and heartbreaking. And this one was only pretending to be. And not in a good way. Hmph. I was just disappointed. I wanted more from this one. I had been expecting more. Instead I got a boring book, with a weak boy, and a bad romance. A couple of kisses near the end were written badly.

I tried to love this book. But it did not work out at all. But even so, I'm glad that I read it, just so that I know that it was not for me, lol. And I do love my very pretty ARC of it. But yeah. This is not a book that I will end up buying, because I would not read it again, sadly. Though I do think many others would love it, and I am so curious to know what you all think of it. Do tell me if you read it :) Huge thank you to the lovely HarperCollins International for sending this print ARC to me. <3 It means the very most.

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