This book by Anne Fine is very cold and sad.  A Russian boy strays off the straight and narrow path, opening his mind to bloodthirsty sights which I would prefer not to see if I was twelve.  The Road of Bones is written in the style of a war novel.  I didn’t think highly of that as the book was intended to be for children.  It has a slow start and doesn’t ever build up any momentum.

Yuri is a brainy boy who works hard chopping wood for timber or doing anything he could usefully do to help the revolution.  He is a “true believer” in his country but after opening his mouth too wide open while sipping his soup, looking too suspicious, the authorities are after him.  If they had caught him he would have been beaten up so badly he would have been forced to lie about his friends and family.  If he had survived the beatings at all it would have been better if the authorities had finished the job and killed him. 

I didn’t want to read this book in the first place as the quotations on the cover didn’t excite me.  I don’t rate Anne Fine’s books very highly and this book reaffirms my opinion.  I wouldn’t advise anyone who is twelve and over to read this book unless you are forced to!  Anne Fine needs to think about who she is writing the book for. 

I rate the book 6 out of 10, adequate.