When I was purchasing Outside the Bones by Lyn Di Iori on Amazon, my first reaction was “This book looks so weird, looks like it’s going to be another boring read this semester.” However, a couple of weeks ago when I actually held it in my hands and read the first fifteen pages, I found myself to be extremely engaged by it. I guess the famous saying “Don't judge a book by its cover” was a bullseye in this case. 

From what I’ve read so far, the book is definitely on the romantic comedy side. I think readers like myself are able to enjoy this novel because of all the relatable things mentioned. I myself am hispanic, and when I’m reading a piece of work, I find it much easier to enjoy and get through when it speaks of things I’m familiar with. Some of the terms used and the concepts talked about in the book, I grew up hearing about them already. When the author talks about sacrifices and “santeria”, it reminded me of my childhood and the stories my family used to tell on late rainy nights when I use to live in the Dominican Republic. I’m also used to seeing a lot of shows such as Witches of East End where sacrifices and santeria are practiced all the time.

I think that one of the literary devices that Lyn Di Iori uses over and over again is onomatopoeia, to describe a sound. Another thing the author does is describe people in very detailed ways. “The gringa, a blonde with a pixie haircut, lay on her sidewatchimg the other two. She was very young and boyish in everything— tall, small-breasted with Raisinet nipples and straight hips— except the sex which was fair and wispy, and out of which dropped a little plump rosebud of a clitoris that she played with absent-mindedly. Her body was stretched out like a cat that’s just ate, so Isis thought maybe she had just been taken.” (66) Although it is a bit disturbing the way she describes people, it serves to help me understand each character a little better.