Iris is a circus performer.  She performs her role as a tight rope walker very well because she has no fear of dying.  That life has suited her well until now.  Due to an unfortunate incident, Iris’ deepest secret has been revealed.  Iris knows she is different, but she doesn’t know why.  She doesn’t even know who she really is because she has lost all memories previous to ten years ago. What she does know is that she can’t remain at the circus. She flees with no real plans other than to search for the truth of her identity.

THE BONES OF RUIN by Sara Raughley is a young adult novel set in London and is reminiscent of THE HUNGER GAMES but with a fantasy spin to it. Though it is not a dystopian novel, it has does share common themes with THE HUNGER GAMES.  Both novels have overbearing political forces that demand compliance.  Both novels also pit champions against one another, and both novels feature characters who try to beat the game by allowing more than one champion to prevail.

I found THE BONES OF RUIN a bit difficult to follow at the beginning, but as the story unravels it becomes very intriguing.  This novel contains a small amount of romance, but is predominately a fantasy thriller.  There is mystery, suspense, and a lot of action scenes found within the book.  The plot is deep and reveals itself at a slow, but steady pace.  There are several good twists thrown in to keep it interesting.

THE BONES OF RUIN is appropriate for the young adult/teenage reader for which it was written, but I would not recommend it for younger readers for a few reasons.  First, there is a lot of violence contained within the story and it is very graphic in nature.  There are also a couple of sexually explicit, but not graphic, scenes in the book. Finally, the book does contain some profanity, though it is not vulgar in nature.

If you enjoy fantasy thrillers that contain dark secrets and lots of action, you will enjoy THE BONES OF RUIN.  As a warning, this book does end in a cliffhanger.