Timothée Chalamet stans, rise. On Sept. 29, the trailer for Luca Guadagnino’s Bones And All (starring Chalamet) dropped — giving cinephiles more information on this mysterious horror romance. The film received rave reviews after its run at the drama-filled Venice Film Festival thanks to its star-studded cast (Taylor Russell and Chloë Sevigny also star) and unique storyline. However, what many film fans may not know is that Bones And All was actually a book before it hit the silver screen. Hold for a second while I open up my GoodReads.
Bones And All is a 2015 novel by Camille DeAngelis, an American travel writer and novelist. The book follows two teenage cannibals who cross paths before embarking on a 3,000-mile trip through the backroads of America. Instead of modern-day, the book actually takes place in Reagan-era USA (basically the ’80s) and tackles themes like feminism, sexuality, and — strangely enough — young love. Cannibals? In love? Is it weird to say that I’m hooked already?
(Possibly) Due to the hype around the Bones And All film, many book lovers have gone to TikTok to talk about the novel ahead of the film’s release. On BookTok, the novel has been compared to other popular cannibal/horror romance books like Tender Is The Flesh and A Certain Hunger. Turns out, there’s definitely a market for blending the horrific with the romantic.
While the book does have its fair share of romance, it’s also important to note that some of the material can be triggering. Gore, cannibalism, death, and other frightening content are extremely present in the novel — let’s just say, it’s not for the faint of heart.
However, if you’re ready to devour a twistedly romantic story of bloodshed, love, and feminine power, consider adding Bones And All to your TBR and read it before it hits the screen on Nov. 23.
Barnes & Noble, $13