Review: "The Bone Clocks" by David Mitchell

One the the joys of reading a fine, layered, complex book like "The Bone Clocks" by David Mitchell is the experience of the revealing of the plot, discovering and understanding the connections that the author has skillfully created, culminating in the finale and resolution.  The resolution may be satisfying, tragic, or sometimes even left to the imagination of the reader ala T.C. Boyle's "The Tortilla Curtain", but the author in complete harmony with the story creates a perfect resolution for the reader after a sometimes long literary expedition.

One of the difficulties of reviewing a book with a complex plot filled with moments of enlightenment along the, in the case of "The Bone Clocks", 624-page journey, is not revealing plot points that will harm the experience for other readers.  In other words, no spoilers.  But, challenge accepted, so here goes.

"The Bone Clocks" is the story of the life of Holly Sykes, a teenaged runaway following a breakup with her boyfriend.  Holly hears voices and has brief encounters with who she calls "The Radio People", and experiences time losses - she suddenly realizes that she has completely lost hours of her life with not a shred of recollection as to what happened.  During the several days where she has run away, her little brother Jacko, who is smart and wise beyond his years, disappears without a trace.  Foul play is suspected, the assumed crime remains unsolved, but Jacko's disappearance continues to haunt Holly.

Unexplainable experiences follow Holly as she grows - visits from the mysterious Immaculee Constantin, a psychic experience involving Holly's daughter Aoife, and practically Whovian time anomalies.  Holly's place in an extra-natural world becomes clear as the story progresses toward a bleak but superbly satisfying conclusion.

Ultimately, "The Bone Clocks" is superb.  The tale is long out of necessity.  There are times during the diligently-paced first half of the book where you are wondering when the story's pace will quicken.  At the end, you realize that everything, every element, is deliberate and important.  If it wasn't over 600 pages I would read it again to pick up on intricacies that I missed the first time through.

The final section of the book, titled "Sheep's Head", referring to Holly Sykes' town of residence, in addition to a perfect closure to Holly's story, doubles as a powerful message about our Earth and our lack of stewardship, our dependence on technology, and a chilling too-possible future state.

Author David Mitchell, of "Cloud Atlas" fame and also translator of the amazing "The Reason I Jump", has delivered a gripping, complex novel blending the real with the paranormal for those who are ready for a challenging and satisfying reading experience.