I fell into a pretty bad reading slump a while back. You know what I’m talking about: it’s that feeling of not being able to find anything that really grabs your interest, even as you have a TBR pile a mile high to read. It was a particularly hard time for me because I’m someone who usually finishes a few books a week, so it’s rare for me to go too long without falling in love with a new book. But then someone presented me with a copy of The Rattled Bones by S.M. Parker and in that moment I knew this was just the book I needed. I was instantly swept up into this hauntingly beautiful ghost story and now that I’ve finished it, I have this need to TELL THE WORLD ABOUT IT! So below are my top five reasons why you should pick up The Rattled Bones RIGHT NOW:

1. A ghostly tale

I’m a sucker for a good ghost story and this book has one. Local lore tells of a girl who haunts the Maine coast where Rilla lives. She soon finds herself haunted by this girl and her ghostly songs.

2. Feminist themes

There is no doubt that Rilla is a strong female character. After her father’s death, Rilla takes over her father’s lobster fishing boat—how cool is that?! I absolutely loved the way she embodies the feminist themes I enjoy seeing in books.

3. Atmospheric Maine setting

The setting is fantastic for this gorgeous ghost story. Maine’s coast is beautiful, but also can become eerie. The way S.M. Parker writes this setting will have readers not only enthralled, but also creeped out in the beat way.

4. Gorgeous cover

Because I always judge a book by its cover, it’s important to me that they have a good one. And this one is absolutely stunning. The image of the girl sinking below the water hints at the eeriness of the story.

5. An intriguing mystery

When she becomes haunted by the ghost of a girl who died tragically, Rilla must figure out what happened to her. This leads her to Sam, an archeology student who is entrenched in the mystery as well. Together they must uncover the shocking past of their town. This mystery kept me on my toes until the end and I loved every second of it.