Old Wounds

Two trans kids heading for the legal safety of the coast become trapped in a small town where they immediately and predictively learn about the local monster that eats young women, but they're here to mess with the gender binary for man and beast alike. The horror beast is a combination otherworldly/eldritch creature and just big ol' scary beast monster in the woods, though of course the real horror is society—in macrocosm, the legal devolution and undervaluing of the safety and wellbeing of trans kids across the U.S., and in microcosm, this one, specific, terrifying small town where people think it's reasonable and maybe a little fun to sacrifice young women to their local cryptid. Maybe there are some allegories in there, but show more there's also just a lot of scary times in the woods—a very effective and satisfyingly scary YA horror novel. show less

This had a fun premise. There are a lot of assumptions and a lot of commentary to be had with the trope of a monster demanding or targeting specifically female victims. What does a monster care for human ideas of sex and gender? What is it really looking for and why? Bringing trans characters into this situation shoves that whole mess right into the light. Of course, they would want and need to ask these questions and I like the way they were answered.
The monster was just an animal or at least something like it, a force of nature. It wasn’t following human standards; it was taking what it was given and the humans enforced their beliefs about it and fed their own biases.
Max and Erin’s relationship also simmered with all sorts of fun show more hang-ups. Regardless of her strained relationship with her mother, Erin had the support of her family and was able to socially and medically transition as a teenager. Max’s family forced him back into the closet, isolated and abused him, and drove him to attempt suicide. Of course, Max is simmering with jealousy (that he knows is unfair) and unable to express a damn thing. Of course, Erin is irritated, confused, and hurt by him when he can’t manage to talk to her and gets cold and snappish for no reason she can understand. But they are the only trans kids out in their hometown and they grew up with the closeness brought by understanding something in the other that nobody else sees. The mix of that closeness and the distance of how different their struggles ended up being came across very well.
Their pasts informed their reactions to getting caught up in a horror story in a realistic way. Max, who has been stuck in survival mode for years and finally has some tantalizing, desperate hope waiting for him, wants to get out no matter what, no questions asked and does not care what happens when he’s gone. Erin, who has safety and love in her life and has always had room to think beyond life or die, immediately starts asking, ‘What happens next if we escape? Who takes our places?’ and can’t fathom taking the selfish, self-protective path. I can sympathize with Max only being able to see the next step ahead of him and what keeps him alive and with Erin’s empathy pushing her to take dangerous risks because she won’t put herself above any other girl. (And then the ways both of their convictions get undermined later on.)
I did think some of Erin’s interactions with the monster felt a little too easy. It’s not what the town’s people make it out to be, sure, but it is still a man-eating monster; it did kill all the girls before her. She got on its good side and figured out its behavior with no effort, almost immediately. It seemed like there was time in the story to do a little more with the monster. The narrative was not so tightly packed that it would have gotten in the way. show less

A trans boy and a trans girl, formerly involved but now...something else, run away from home for brighter horizons. Too bad there's a man-eating horrifying cryptid who somehow invokes unending nights along the way. Oh, and a small town with men "protecting" it by sacrificing young women to the creature a few times a year.

Heavy theme of "running away" throughout--both literally and metaphorically. Max and Erin are running away from home to find acceptance; Max ran from Erin and his feelings for her when the rest of his world grew too toxic; the monster only eats what runs to escape, and both teens have to decide when to stop running (or "running") from their monsters, their pasts, and their own complicated feelings. The book isn't really show more heavy-handed about it, though; it wasn't until near the end that I started really drawing connections. The story is written well, though I'll admit to needing time to warm up to Max. He certainly carried more baggage, but it made him less likeable, which was probably intentional.

I'll add that there is a lot of blood and gore, as well as some seriously potentially triggering scenes and dialogue. The worst, in my view, was when the townsmen learn that the teens might be trans, Max is forcibly restrained and had his shirt pushed up to reveal his binder, retraumatizing him into remembering a similar assault when he was younger. Definitely, this is a book I'd recommend with caution and a warning. show less

A heavy but wonderful horror story. It was hard, at times, to read how horrible humans can be to other humans. But the push to survive, the will to live - the sheer tenacity and spite to refuse to stay down and accept fate. It's such an inspiring but sad story intermixed with a terrifying monster, woods that never seem to end, a moon that barely lights the forest, and a never ending night.

The author is quick to introduce Erin and Max. Told in alternating chapters, we're quick to get to know and then easily love them. They still hold secrets that are slowly told over the story, but the intro is fast and easy.

This is an amazing addition to the horror genre. I was hooked from the start and am still mildly shocked by the turns and twists. show more It's a fast read, and one that will stay with me.

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book. show less

Erin and Max, two transgender teens, are stranded in a small Kentucky town where a monster demands a female sacrifice. As they face transphobic locals and fight for survival, they must confront their past and the horrifying reality of the woods.

this was my very first horror book (which, with it being young adult, was a more gentle introduction, i think). i thought it explored some challenging topics for this genre, and i only wish it discussed some of them in more depth than we got. insteas, a big portion of this book felt like the characters were constantly running from one place to another, or escaping something else, or solving another problem as soon as they'd gotten over the las, which worked well for a fast-paced plot, but not so much for character development. i think some more questions could have been answered, or left out altogether if the author had no intention of answering them, but overall, a fast-paced, interesting read!!

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!

This was really well done! Beautiful characters and storytelling, a compelling narrative, and it really propelled forward and rested in appropriate sections. Really great