Honeysuckle and Bone

by Trisha Tobias

Overview

“Eerie, propulsive, and sumptuous, Honeysuckle and Bone is a trip to Jamaica you won’t soon forget.” —Ayesha Curry

A Goodreads Editors’ Pick · A Kirkus Best of January for Young Readers · An Indie Next Pick

On the run from her own dark secrets, a teen girl becomes the nanny for a prestigious family on their Jamaican estate, where she quickly discovers even paradise may be haunted. Carina Marshall is looking to reinvent herself, and what better place to do it than Jamaica, her mother’s alluring homeland where she conveniently has access to an au pair gig for the wealthy and powerful Hall family. After months of being the target of vicious rumors and hate online, Carina might have found everything she wants at the luxurious Blackbead House: a world of mango trees, tropical breezes, and glamorous parties—and a place to disappear.

Once there, Carina finds herself settling right into her busy, but comfortable, new life. Yes, the family runs a tight ship, and yes, there is some tension between the Halls, but Carina is content flying under the radar and hanging out with her new friends—not least, the handsome and charming Aaron. But when inexplicable things start happening to her in the house, only getting worse each night, Carina realizes that someone, or something, is out to get her. Is it the Halls? The house itself? Or is her own past catching up with her? With Aaron’s help, she must figure out what is haunting her, and fast, before she’s forced out of Blackbead House for good.

Honeysuckle and Bone is a deliciously atmospheric and utterly spooky young adult novel, perfect for fans of She is a Haunting, following an imperfect yet courageous teen as she seeks to remake herself in the homeland she always idealized, discovering that new beginnings don’t always come easy.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781638933526
Publisher:	Zando
Publication date:	05/12/2026
Pages:	320
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.25(h) x (d)
Age Range:	14 Years

About the Author

Trisha Tobias is a writer, editor, and Fordham University graduate. She is a recipient of the 2018 Walter Dean Myers Grant and a 2019-2021 Highlights Foundation Diversity Fellow. Trisha lives in North Carolina. Honeysuckle and Bone is her debut.

Editorial Reviews

In the midst of the island’s sticky heat, sweet fragrances, and luscious tastes, there is a haunting that pulses through these magnetic pages—and our bold, lovable main character, Carina, must figure out why before it’s too late. Eerie, propulsive, and sumptuous, Honeysuckle and Bone is a trip to Jamaica you won’t soon forget.” —Ayesha Curry, Sweet July Books

“The story’s ominous elements contrast vividly with the beautiful ones, and the portrayal of the luxurious Jamaica the wealthy enjoy stands in stark contrast to that of those who are less fortunate… A deliciously dark and mysterious debut.” –Kirkus, starred review

“Tobias’s debut is an atmospheric ghost story that shines in multiple respects, from its tense, satisfying mystery and tight pacing to its thoughtful commentary on class in Jamaica and Jamaican American identity, as well as its vibrant secondary characters.” —School Library Journal, starred review

“A Jamaican gothic ghost story about a teen girl who becomes a nanny at an extravagant estate named Blackbead House? Say less! I’m always here for genre-savvy takes on the good old “scrappy young woman enters a spooky house of secrets” theme.” —Goodreads editors

“Tobias brings lots of ghostly atmosphere to her debut, with evocatively described hauntings in the sweltering Jamaican heat. Carina’s growing friendship with the other young staff members—and one burgeoning romance—nicely ground the plot, and her search for the identity of the duppy contains plenty of twists…. [T]hose in it for the eerie vibes and buried secrets will be satisfied.” –Booklist

“Immersive, beguiling, and teeming with sinister secrets, Honeysuckle and Bone is a tense coil of a mystery that crackles with energy and haunting, vivid beauty. The voice is magnetic, the setting is undeniably alive, and the ghosts are insistent with devastating truths. This is a gorgeous, pulse-pounding debut.” —Nova Ren Suma, New York Times bestselling author

“Here’s a debut novel you’ll want to add to your TBR this month. Teenager Carina Marshall takes a job as an au pair for the wealthy Hall family. Their gorgeous and stately Jamaican estate, called the Blackbead House, seems to be the perfect escape for Carina after months of rumors and targeted bullying. But the house is not what it seems. In fact, it might be haunted. Something in that house might be out to get her.” —Book Riot

"When folk magic and unquiet spirits are the least of your worries, that's good horror. Tobias has crafted a debut that's a bit of a miracle: a gothic that has its (honeysuckle-scented) cake and eats it too. Sweeping and foreboding, but never stuffy thanks to its vibrantly realized setting, likable characters, and a narrator who'd be her own worst enemy, if not for all her actual enemies and the swirling mystery she's dug herself into." —Adam Cesare, Bram Stoker Award-winning and USA Today bestselling author of Clown in a Cornfield and Influencer

“Honeysuckle and Bone is a deliciously uncomfortable journey into a suffocating world of wealth and secrets. Tobias's talented storytelling will demand your attention as she explores not only our fear of ghosts, but the fear of being witnessed for who we really are. It's one thing to admire an extravagant exterior—it's another to venture into dark corners and find what's lurking in the shadows. Carina is a messy, vulnerable narrator and I loved her, shadows and all.” —Jas Hammonds, award-winning author of We Deserve Monuments

"Honeysuckle and Bone will haunt your days and nights long after you've closed the book; this is a story that wraps you in warmth and lures you in with lush beauty, only for you to realize that the cold dread lurking beneath the vibrant tropical air has already worked its way under your skin. Here is proof that no matter where we go, our ghosts will always find us and demand a powerful reckoning—and that sometimes, it's our own secrets that hound us harder than the dead." —Sarah Glenn Marsh, author of The Girls Are Never Gone

“Guilt and desperation saturate the pages as vividly as the Caribbean heat. Luminous and claustrophobic, Honeysuckle and Bone knows it's not just the ghosts you can't escape—it's yourself. Carina's accumulating lies make for a reading experience as acutely uncomfortable as bingeing a season of Dexter.” —Amelinda Bérubé, author of Here There Are Monsters

“Honeysuckle and Bone is a gripping tale of Caribbean folklore and mysticism that pulled me in right away. Tobias brings Jamaica to life with vivid sights, sounds, and colors, creating a setting that is lush and imaginative. The story seamlessly blends horror with themes of grief, loss, and love, while also authentically exploring the bonds of found family. With unflinching social commentary on class and privilege, this haunting tale delves into what happens when secrets—and the dead—just won’t stay buried. Honeysuckle and Bone commands a space in the horror genre, and I’m here for it!” —Lisa Springer, author of There’s No Way I’d Die First

"Rich and haunting, Honeysuckle and Bone is an eerie ghost story that delves deep into an exploration of identity and class. Tobias’s masterful handling of a teenage girl’s exploration of grief and her homeland shapes a propulsive narrative that you won’t want to put down." —Joelle Wellington, author of Their Vicious Games

"A beautifully lush and haunting gothic tale, Honeysuckle and Bone is both a chilling mystery and a heartbreaking portrait of all the ways grief leaves its mark. I gasped at every shocking twist and harrowing reveal as Carina unearthed the dark secrets of Blackbead House and discovered that no matter how far she ran, the ghosts of the past were always right behind her." —Linda Cheng, author of Gorgeous Gruesome Faces

“Lush and alluring…. [the] first-person-present narration fosters tension while immersing readers in the sights, sounds, and culture of Jamaica." —Publishers Weekly

"Readers who enjoy twisted thrillers in bright tropical settings will revel in Honeysuckle and Bone’s exploration of the contrast between glittery surfaces and the secrets buried beneath them." —BookPage

From the Publisher

★ 2024-09-28
Eighteen-year-old New Yorker Carina Marshall is working as an au pair for the wealthy, prominent Hall family in Jamaica for a few months until their permanent nanny arrives.

Jamaican American Carina’s days are filled with tending to Jada and Luis, the family’s youngest kids, and spending time with the other staff members at Blackbead House, the Halls’ formal mansion. She also accompanies the Halls to high-profile events—Ian, the patriarch of the family, is running for prime minister. Amid what should be a carefree summer job, Carina harbors a deep secret that no one in the country knows: She’s being plagued by a mysterious entity that seems to want her gone, no matter what it takes. She feels a “dense heat” and notices a “honeyed scent,” both of which are preludes to something going wrong around her. As Carina’s circumstances deteriorate, she faces a decision that could put her new friendships and her job on the line—and reveal everything she hopes to keep hidden. Carina is an enigmatic character who harbors many secrets, which unravel and will intrigue readers as they follow her journey to uncovering what’s happening at Blackbead House. The story’s ominous elements contrast vividly with the beautiful ones, and the portrayal of the luxurious Jamaica the wealthy enjoy stands in stark contrast to that of those who are less fortunate. The deliberate pacing in this book centering on a Black cast helps build the tension.

A deliciously dark and mysterious debut.(Horror. 13-18)

Kirkus Reviews