Flowers in Her Bones

Two years after surviving her throat being slit by a would-be killer, Gloria suffers from debilitating agoraphobia, living at a distance from the world. Mental monsters force her to relive the night she and her best friend, Wren, were attacked. From her apartment window, Gloria finds herself witnessing a strange scene at the very same apartment in which Gloria and Wren once lived. Gloria attempts to take steps forward to leave her mental prison, convinced the scene is related to Wren’s disappearance. With the help of Wren’s brother, Gloria makes strides in finding answers. However, unusual things begin to happen, driving Gloria to escape her prison no matter what the cost.

“Flowers in Her Bones” hauntingly lures readers into the curious world of agoraphobia. J.R. Erickson does a fine job educating readers about the character’s condition, through her mental and physical struggles, creating a desire to see what happens next. An edit of repetitive words such as sentences with more than one “and” would enable readers to move forward rather than feel like they are combing through lists. Creepy moments will snag readers in a slew of fantastic red herrings. Readers may wish the attacker could be intertwined a little more to throw them off the scent of who did it. The touch of supernatural has interesting moments, yet is a bit confusing considering who the real protagonist is. A creative twist on a true story, “Flowers in Her Bones” capitalizes on real mental fear, which will cause readers to question who is in their closet. 

Moira Wolf