The Bones Beneath My Skin by T.J. Klune

Available now

CW: check out The StoryGraph for a complete list of content warnings. Also, there’s a kid in this romance who is not obnoxious!

This a book where reading the Author’s Note is an absolute must! This book has had an interesting publishing journey and I love to see self-published authors make their way to great publishers. I also love when an author’s book covers have a similar vibe and look so they all look great on the shelf together.

From the Publisher:

In the spring of 1995, Nate Cartwright has lost everything: his parents are dead, his older brother wants nothing to do with him, and he's been fired from his job as a journalist in Washington DC. With nothing left to lose, he returns to his family's summer cabin outside the small mountain town of Roseland, Oregon to try and find some sense of direction. The cabin should be empty. It's not. Inside is a man named Alex. And with him is an extraordinary little girl who calls herself Artemis Darth Vader. Artemis, who isn't exactly as she appears. Soon it becomes clear that Nate must make a choice: let himself drown in the memories of his past, or fight for a future he never thought possible. Because the girl is special. And forces are descending upon them who want nothing more than to control her.

I do not contain the words to tell you how much I loved this book. It’s delightfully weird and a little kooky, but also incredibly compelling with characters that are easy to fall in love with. This is one of those books that you need to go in with knowing as little as possible. I promise, knowing less is really more with this one. I love how it’s set in 1995. It makes everything our characters are up against so much more exciting and thrilling, and admittedly, allows the story to actually take place. Hello, no cell phones! Darth Vader Artemis is my new favorite book heroine and her banter with both Nate and Alex is some of the most delightful writing I’ve read in awhile. It’s funny, fast paced, full of action, and and has a lot of heart. It hits on some really heavy topics, especially homophobia and family estrangement, but it’s not a sad book. It’s hopeful and loving and you just feel better having read it.

If you want to add this book to your shelf, you can click on the cover above for ordering information. This was my February 2025 pick from Book of the Month and while all the selections looked great, there was no way I was passing this book up! If you’d like to try BOTM for yourself, you can use my code and join for just $5. I have paid for this subscription with my own money since 2018 and I have really enjoyed it.

This post may contain links, including Amazon Associate Links, and I may earn from qualifying purchases.All opinions and mistakes are my own.