Review: Gingerbread Bones

Gingerbread Bones by Lindsay Lovise

Published By: Entangled Publishing
Publication Date: August 4, 2026
Date Read: October 12, 2026
Genre: YA – Thriller / Horror
Source: eARC from Netgalley and Entangled Publishing
Format: E-Book
Pages: 368

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They’re being hunted…

When sixteen-year-old Georgie and her troublemaking brother are shipped off to the wilderness for their stepmother’s newest reality show, Georgie is convinced it’ll be the worst experience of her life. Two weeks. No phones. Hiking. Camping. Cameras catching every humiliating second.

Then she meets Mack Gray. Tattooed, unreadable, and―among a cast of kids already branded as trouble―he’s the one she’s sure is dangerous.

One night, the counselors are chanting affirmations around the fire. By morning, they’re gone.

But the kids are not alone.

Georgie can feel it, stalking them from the shadows―watching, waiting, picking them off one by one. Whatever it is, it isn’t just hunting.

It’s playing.

And in this game, there seems to be only one ending: no one gets out alive.

“Just because someone has darkness in them, it doesn’t make them a bad person. We all have a little evil in us.”

Gingerbread Bones is one of the most surprising reads of 2026 so far for me. I didn’t really know what to expect when I went into this one, but as someone who has been enjoying more YA Horror recently, this one sounded really intriguing to me. I’m so glad that I did pick this one up as this book was thrilling. When I first picked Gingerbread Bones up I was in such a reading slump. I’d started and put down about 4 books, but there was just something about this book. It gripped me right from the start, and I was immediately invested in these characters. I couldn’t wait to see how it was going to play out, and I’m so glad that I picked this one up as it was fantastic.

Gingerbread Bones follows a group of troubled teens, who are recruited for a new reality TV show which sees them hiking into the wilderness. The idea behind the TV show is that these troubled teens will learn to survive and develop their social skills in the process. Delinquents go into the wilderness, reformed citizens return. What could go wrong, right? When all of the adults, cameramen included, disappear and there are hints that something sinister has happened, the teens are left alone to try and survive. Now they not only have to try and forage for food, but when they seem to be getting picked off one by one, they have to band together to face something even more sinister.

Honestly, this book is going to be really difficult to review without spoiling anything as there were so many twists and turns. I remember getting to the half way point and having a ‘wait what?’ moment., which I adored. It’s so very rare that I am surprised by a book, so the fact that this one shocked me so much is a major plus. I really loved the premise of Gingerbread Bones. I loved the idea that the TV show seemed to be created as a punishment specifically for our main character Georgia, and her brother, as her stepmother is the brains behind the show. I really loved that we got to see the sensitive sides to all of the teenagers, and the reason for their behaviour. I think Lindsay did a fantastic job of making me love the teens, and the more I read the more I despised the adults who had sent them into this situation… which as an adult reading YA is actually quite a feat. Most of the time I feel like the adults in a YA book have very good points, but not in this one. I was absolutely rooting for the teens in this one.

I haven’t read anything by Lindsay Lovise before. While this is not her first book, I believe it may be her first forray into YA Horror and what a phenomenal entrance to the genre she has made. The writing was fantastic. It was so gripping right from the start. I was in such a slumpy mood when I first picked up this book, but she grabbed me right from the start and did not let me go. I loved everything about her storytelling. From the inspiration for the story (more on that in the spoiler tag. Shhhhh) to the character development to the twists and turns that had my jaw on the floor. I loved it all. I really hope she decides to write more YA Horror in the future, as it will be an immediate pre-order for me. This book truly was fantastic!

I really didn’t have any expectations going into Gingerbread Bones, which probably worked in my favour, but this was absolutely the best surprise of 2026 so far for me. I did not go into this one expecting a new favourite book, but that’s absolutely what I found. What a fantastic surprise, and I cannot recommend this book enough. If you’re a fan of YA thrillers, spooky season reads and mysteries with a special twist, this book is not to be missed. It was absolutely fantastic! A must-read for everyone!

PS,
There is a twist in Gingerbread Bones at around the 50% mark that totally changed the trajectory of the entire book. I adored this twist so much, and really wanted to share my thoughts on it. So please find below my spoiler-y views on the book’s twists and turns.