Down Among the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuire

In the first installment of the Wayward Children series, you become acquainted with the children and the various worlds that they came from.  In the second book, Down Among the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuire, you get the full story of Jack and Jill, the twins who were in a world dominated by a vampire and a mad scientist.  They are twins born to people who didn’t really want children, but thought it would look good to others and how hard could it be?  They were told who they were and what to wear and think, never allowed to make their own decisions. They find the door to another world where they can start again and their choices are very different from those they made in their other life.  So far, I’m loving these short, dark tales, they seem to me to be modern Grimm stories.

Chapter & Scene is your daily stop for cozy, intelligent reviews of books, movies, and TV shows. Each weekday we share a short, spoiler-free recommendation designed to help you discover your next great story. Whether you’re looking for a novel to curl up with, a binge-worthy series, or a film worth watching, our reviews combine thoughtful insight with genuine enthusiasm for storytelling. Subscribe to get fresh reviews delivered straight to your inbox, and explore our growing archive of book and screen recommendations.