The Family Bones

Family Bones - Spooky Science Fiction!

One word to describe The Family Bones by Kimberly Raiser? Spo-o-ky! The author has the amazing ability to turn each scene into a wonderfully weird, strangely developing storyline that prompts you to keep guessing¿what¿s going to happen next? In a spooky kind of way! Lovely tingles and shivers!

Steven, Tara, and their two children, Sara and Charlie, have just arrived at their new home, inherited from Steven¿s side of the family. When the lawyer had called him to tell him the place was his, the first thing Steven remembered was the deep well that was located in the back of the property and the horrible stories he was told about how a former owner drown cats down that well and how the bones of those cats would reform and search for the man who had killed him.

Now as he stood there in the yard, he tried to forget about those stories and looked carefully at the house, which was really in fairly good shape. He was thankful that his wife and children seemed to be so pleased with the property that they were willing to begin living there immediately! In fact, they were so excited, that each of them went off on their own to explore!

Tara wound up in the attic where she found a small bed...strangely she couldn¿t seem to resist lying down and falling asleep.

Charlie had wandered so far that he got lost and also became so strangely tired that he sat down on the floor...and fell asleep...

Steven set out to find Charlie. Remembering he liked to explore cellars, Steven reluctantly went down, only to become so lost that he realized that he had traveled far away from the house and believed he was now at the foot of the deep well, looking up, with no idea how to get out... And, oh yes, he had picked up a sample of what he had been shuffling through and now could see...that he had part of a human skull in his hand...

It was Sara that started to find her various family members¿including a new Uncle Ben and Uncle Jack that Stephen did not remember and had not known also lived on the property.

Readers will be pleased to learn that all of the above took place in the early part of the book! Because... There¿s no way that I¿m going to spoil this one for you! However, just let me say that once Raiser has you hooked, she then takes you into an entirely unexpected tale of science fiction that has such an interesting basis that you are caught exploring the details in the back of your mind, while you continue to read.

Raiser shows wit in her excellent writing and has obviously found her perfect genre. This book could only have been improved by its being longer! Highly recommended for fans that are still looking for ¿that new science fiction tale¿ that keeps you turning pages to determine what happens...and whether or not you believe in the ¿possibilities¿ of it all!

Myself, I¿m hoping for a sequel to this one...


G. A. Bixler
For IP Book Reviews

2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Not YOur Momma's Horror Plot, Much, Much Better!

The book started with a mystery and proceeded to become more mysterious. My initial reaction was that it was going to be a ¿slasher¿ book, you know, Jason in a hockey mask kind of thing. That is a venue I am not overly thrilled with but I proceeded. Much to my pleasant surprise it wasn¿t the simplistic psycho running wild plot but much more thoughtful. I admit finding my self a bit uneasy in some of the scenes. The characterizations were good and I enjoyed the mysteriousness of the setting. Growing up in Western Pennsylvania, I could practically picture the locale. The introduction of an alien influence provides a nice twist to the characterizations. An entertaining book to read, my biggest complaint is that it could have been bumped up another hundred pages and maintained my interest. I recommend the book. Look for an interview with the author in January on my blog, Pick of the Literate. http://bookrevues.blogspot.com/

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Spooky Bones

I think the best way to describe this book is 'spooky'. I'm not a squeamish reader, but I had to read this book during the day. I started it early this month, during the afternoon. I'm the type of person who HAS to read in bed before going to sleep. I could not read The Family Bones before going to sleep.

There are some really great elements to The Family Bones: children in danger, disappearing/reappearing tunnels, a well. Not to mention all of the mystery and suspense. It didn't take me long to get swept up in this book.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

The Family Bones By Kimberly Raiser

The Family Bones By Kimberly Raiser : Combine a thriller and Sci Fi, with the bonds of love that will cement a family...or destroy it. The Weavers a picture Perfect Family Steve husband, Tara, wife and mom, Charlie and Sara two regular kids. Or does every family has a skeleton in a closet.
The Family Bones, ia a great short novel, easy reading, as in, after ten pages I couldn't put it down, and the ending lets you wonder, is a sequel is in the works, I hope so. This would be an excellent Book for the Young adult readers.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

The Family Bones

This book was a very entertaing read. I read it in 3 hours and it grabbed me from the first and would not let me go until I finished. Kimberly did a masterful job of blending Science Fiction/Mystery/Horror Thirller to keep you on the edge without being graphic in language or violence. Just when I thought that I had figured out where it was going she threw in a twist that made that not work. Her ending was very well done so that all things were neatly tied up. I highly reccommend this to anyone.

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

I chewed my nails off...great read for all ages!!!

From talented and award winning short story writer Kimberly Raiser comes a tale of mystery, thrills, science fiction, and family. The characters feel real and the settings are vivid and inticing. The author never forgets about the children in the story as well.

Just like in her short stories, there is always a twist, or two.

Great for gift giving, great for everyone to read. All ages will enjoy this piece!!!!

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Read 25 reviews for the print version....A ++++++

The reviews for the paperback haven't caught up yet....a great thrill for your money....and your nook. Kindle has sold thousands of copies already!!!!

Try "The Family Bones" for a trip that will bring some fun into your life.

Kimberly Raiser has written a book that combines both science fiction and mystery. She has told this reviewer that an early influence was Douglas Adams and she learned much from Steven King's writings.
I feel an influence in King's earlier works, in particular "Firestarter." It would be fun for the main character of this novel and Andy McGee of "Firestarter" to meet and compare abilities.
Steven Weaver seems normal at the start of the novel. His wife Tara and children, 8 year old Charlie and little Sara accompany him to visit the family home he's just inherited from his grandparents.
Once there, strange things begin to happen. So much so that it will leave the reader scratching their head.
Upon the second visit to the home, things become really scarey. The suspense mounts and I almost felt that I could hear the music from The Twilight Zone as I read the second half of the story.
It wouldn't be fair to reveal plot of this very original story only that things come together at the end in a way that the reader could not imagine.
A definate read. You'll like it.

Under the covers type mystery!

Description:

Will they stay? Will they survive? The Weavers have inherited family property in Astral, Pennsylvania, a town so small that Mrs. Weaver can find no mention of it on the Internet, save for a tiny spot on Google Earth. Hoping for a simpler, small-town existence for their young family, Steven and Tara eagerly head to Astral to see what they hope will be their dream house. As they explore their potential new home, the Weavers begin to discover secret passageways, secret rooms, and long buried family truths; some difficult truths are revealed and no longer kept in the far reaches of the closet. There are reasons for everything, and sometimes the explanations are so simple. But sometimes, simple can also be horrifying.


Review:

The twist and turns in this debut novel by Kimberly Raiser is an "under the covers with a flashlight" story that will have you up all night to finish.

Readers will go under the covers with a flashlight with this debut novel by Kimberly Raiser, filled with twists and turns on almost every page.


The story and characters develop well in a relatively short book (174 pages.) The level of suspense changes through out the book to make you think you know where the story is headed, but then surprises you when it goes to a level of mystery you didn't expect. It reminded me of the old TV shows "Outer Limits' or "Twilight Zone" where you're taken to a situation and allowed to observe what happens. Ms. Raiser mixes child abduction, tunnels, paranormal and old family history to create a story that will make you continue to think about it even after you finish reading it. The story isn't overly scary or violent for a 'thriller' book, so kids of all ages would enjoy this book.

This "paranormal mystery thriller" will take hold of you from the first page and keeps you mesmerized until the very last page.

Creepy and scary

When I started this book, I thought for sure this was a horror story. What with the title, what I thought was a haunted house, the underground tunnels, secret rooms and the family having what seemed like blackouts. I want to scream at the Weaver family to get out of the house they had inherited. What with the neighbors, the unknown uncle living on the property, I couldn't put the book down with knowing what happened next. The surprise ending was creepier than I imagined. I look forward to another book by Ms. Raiser.

Great Horror Tale - Real Page-Turner!

Steven Weaver, his wife Tara, and their two children inherit a family estate in the lovely, picturesque town of Astral, Pennsylvania. They decided that they wanted to get away from the big city and enjoy the vast acreage and freedom of living in a small rural town. Strange incidents begin happening to each member of the family almost immediately from old family secrets, an old creepy overgrown well, basements without exits, and an attic that seems to go on forever. The story unravels with the entertaining elements of Stephen King novels and the X-Files.

I was pleasantly surprised and was eagerly engrossed when I began reading "The Family Bones". It definitely kept me quickly turning the pages until the end - I finished it in one afternoon. The horror story began to build almost immediately and takes you on many twists and turns. It's truly creepy and clever. Trust me, you won't be able to guess the ending!

Kimberly Raiser knows how to spin a horror tale at a rapid pace and has found her perfect writing genre. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and highly recommend it to horror and paranormal fans out there. My only question is. what's next from Raiser?

-Jennifer Chase, author of thriller Compulsion

Sci-Fi Thriller

I found this book interesting, but I was a little disappointed in the ending. I would have liked to know what happened to the family. I look forward to reading more of the author's work, maybe even a sequel to this book???

Bone-chilling fun!

HYPERLINK "http://www.allbookreviews.com" www.allbookreviews.com

Genre: Thriller
Title: The Family Bones
Author: Kimberly Raiser

What could be sweeter than a free home in the beautiful town of Astral, Pennsylvania? Well, for Steven and his family, staying alive would be pretty nice.

When Steven inherits a beautiful home and large piece of land from his grandparents, the family is thrilled to move from the stuffy city to the inviting countryside. There's lots of land for the children to explore, a great house, and helpful neighbors. But for Steven, the house comes equipped with ghost stories from his youth, a spooky well, and spookier relatives.

Steven and his wife, Tara, are on a mission to figure out who is behind the strange things they're experiencing. From abductions to hidden rooms, the house is full of surprises and scares for both the family and the reader. And the story has so many twists and shocking developments, you won't be able to look away!

Perhaps the greatest part of this book is that the author, Kimberly Raiser, is willing to sacrifice characters in order to fully tell the story. This certainly isn't a book where you can figure out exactly who is going to live just by reading the first chapter. Not even the children are safe from the action!

I highly recommend this book. Trust me, never in a million years will guess what's in store when you first pick up The Family Bones. And because it's so suspenseful, you won't be able to put it down until you've discovered all there is to know. Reviewer: Erin Doran, Allbooks Reviews.

Title: The Family Bones
Author: Kimberly Raiser
Publisher: Delvling Press
ISBN: 978-0-615-24625-3
Pages: 182
Price: $15.95 U.S.
Date: January, 2009

An Engaging, Enticing, Genre-Bending Tale

When Steven Weaver receives word that his grandmother has passed away, he also learns that he is the new owner of the rustic country home that she shared for many years with his grandfather. Tired of the gridlock and hustle and bustle of city life, Steven, his wife, and their two kids visit the home - and they instantly fall in love with it. As far as they're concerned, the only thing they have to do is figure out how soon they'll be moving in.

Shortly after their visit, though, the Weaver family begins to experience a series of strange occurrences, each more bizarre than the last. Moreover, the family stumbles upon numerous mysterious tunnels and hidden passages deep within the heart of the property, adding to their growing level of uneasiness. Steven, plagued by the sudden onset of debilitating headaches, suddenly becomes personally affected by the disturbing goings-on, and no one seems to know why.

What the Weavers soon discover, though, is that they are merely pawns in a carefully-concocted cosmic plan that has taken an unexpected turn for the worst - and that their every move is being influenced by enigmatic beings from millions of miles away...

Mystery, drama, intrigue - The Family Bones has it all. Kimberly Raiser's twisted tale is an intricately crafted page-turner sure to captivate the reader's interest. In it, she does a commendable job of preserving the suspense of her tale, doling it out in small, compelling doses while revealing just enough at a time to keep the reader wanting more.

Furthermore, the story's jaw-dropping plot twist will surely catch you by surprise, taking you on a sharp, hard left - just when you thought you had it all figured out...

An engaging, enticing, genre-bending tale, The Family Bones is a quick, enjoyable read. Recommended for fans of good dramatic suspense.


Regina Kingston
Apex Reviews

The Family Bones

Steven inherits his grandmother¿s large, creepy old house. Though common sense should tell him to stay away, far, far away, he decides to move his wife and two small children into the estate. They arrive one night to inspect the house, and before you know it Steven is stuck in a never-ending basement, and his son Charlie is nowhere to be seen. Fortunately Uncle Ben comes to the rescue, and when the night is over they head back to their home in the city. The next day Steven finds out some more really creepy things about the house, so of course he decides to take his family back there to spend the night. Mystery and suspense ensues.


I am unsure about what to think of The Family Bones. The story was very slow at the start, but eventually I got into it. The story was very generic, until the end that is. The ending was sort of ridiculous, and definitely unbelievable. It didn¿t fit with the premise at all. It was kind of a cross between a ¿Goosebumps¿ novel, and an M. Night Shyamalan film. The writing was also very juvenile and at times I wondered if this had even been edited. Overall I think The Family Bones would have been better suited as a short story with the ending omitted, but if you¿re really bored and out of books to read, you might enjoy it.

I loved this book and that surprises me

First of all I need to say that this is not the type of book that I typically read. I've never been big on anything remotely having to do with science fiction so I was pretty hesitant to begin with but secret passageways & family secrets intrigue me so I gave it a shot. I'm so glad that I did. I really enjoyed this book.


This book was thrilling right from the start. There were many twists & turns & so much excitement that I had a really hard time putting the book down. I loved the mystery & it kept me guessing over & over again as to what was going on.


To me this book was seemed like a mix between the television show charmed & the movie Men in Black. I know that may sound a little strange but it was very enjoyable. I would highly recommend this book.

A good old fashion scary book

This is a good book that doesn't take too long to get into the scary stuff. Almost right from the beginning, when they go to look at the house they have inherited, weird things begin to happen. You have to follow the events very carefully, however, so you won't get lost.

There were a few places where I had to backtrack and reread a few pages to make sure I didn't miss anything and understood what was happening. This book has many twists that you might not see coming. It sort of reminded me of those "Nightmare on Elm Street" episodes that I would see as a kid.

All in all, I would say this is a great book to read. It would make for a great late night read when you're all alone.

Reminds me of a good episode of the Twilight ZOne

I have thought on how I can best categorize "Family Bones" and the best example is to compare it to a good episode of "Twilight Zone". You know the episodes that can both scare you to death by using both elements of the supernatural and science fiction? This is what we have in "Family Bones" -the first 50 pages read very fast and has all of the elements of classic horror. While I don't want to give too much away I will say that while I enjoyed the entire book - the first 90 pages were as good as any horror novel that I have read (comparable to Peter Straub's "Ghost Story").

Things that I enjoyed

- Top-notch page turner - a hard novel to put down!
- Parts are very scary
- Spooky but clean - this is not a book that you will feel you need to keep from your kid (unless they are prone to scary dreams).


One thing that was a bit puzzling was the change in perspective from first to third. When the novel begins the sections that focus on Steven are written in the first person. However, as the novel progresses Steven's character is in the written in the 3rd. This could be a plot device, but if so ...I missed it.

Final verdict - An outstanding first novel and one that I could see be made into a movie. While I was hoping for a different type of ending I was not disappointed.

4 Stars - Fans of thrillers rejoice!

Very, very scary

I received The Family Bones yesterday and once I started reading it, I couldn¿t put it down until I had finished the book. This book provides a good rainy day, scary read! As frightening as it is, however, the author manages to keep everything strangely believable, and ties up all loose ends perfectly.

In this book, a nice family visits an old farmhouse in smalltown Pennsylvania that has been willed to the husband from a grandparent. Almost immediately after arriving, strange things begin to happen to the 4 family members (husband, wife, son, daughter). The house seems odd, and folks end up in hidden rooms in strange situations. Finally, they meet an old relative who has been living on the property and acting as caretaker along with his son.

The reader then asks: 1) will the family return again to this place (they do, the very next day); 2) what is really going on? 3) Who can we trust?
Usually, I can figure that out pretty early in a book. This book surprised me with some plot twists that I definitely didn¿t see coming. I genuinely enjoyed this book. It is a first work and I look forward to reading more by the author. By the way, this would also make an excellent thriller film!

confronting a supernatural past

Kimberly Raiser's "The Family Bones" tells what happens when a family confronts and tries to make sense out of a suppressed family history.

Steven and Tara are happily married with two children. When Steven inherits the family estate in the tiny town of Astral Pennsylvania, they decide to move in. Without giving too much of the story away, odd and scary things begin to happen to them when they visit the house, and they have to work with some suspicious friends, neighbors, and family to figure out how to get themselves out of a mess.

The story hinges on the bewilderment that Steven and Tara face as they confront some spooky and life-threatening situations, and as they learn how their family is involved with extra-terrestials.

Raiser tells the story from multiple points of view: first Steven in the first person, and then most of the other characters, including Steven, in the third person. She moves the story along briskly, surprising the reader with new information as needed. She fleshes out many characters, each of them well-conflicted with problems from their past and the present situation.

I liked how Raiser presented Steven and Tara's bewilderment, and I enjoyed the many twists to the story: just when I thought I had it figured out, she threw me another curve ball.