Reviews with content warning for Medical content - The Woods All Black

⭐⭐⭐⭐🐊🐊🐊🐊

While this book has a low page count, I didn't feel that the story suffered at all from the shortness of the novel. I thought we had ample time to learn about the characters, understand the setting, and set up the premise. I will say, it is crucial that you read the trigger warnings before jumping into this one!

The thing that I'll touch on in my review that I really loved was the diverse perspective on the trans experience here. We have trans characters with different ways of describing their gender preference and different representations of how they prefer to engage in sexual activity. That is super important! I feel so often that media tries to push this narrative that to be trans you need to completely convert from one gender to the other; that you must hate the body you were born in. And while that is true for many people, it is not altogether a synonymous experience of the community.

The age gap relationship is what took one star away for me. While it mostly fit with the setting and characterization of our protagonists, I don't prefer it. At least, not to this extent. Freshly 18 with a 30-something? Not quite my vibe.

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eklektikam's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

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puncturing_plotlines's review

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challenging dark emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated

3.0

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sugarbat's review

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challenging dark tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

I'm not sure a book this short could be classified as a a slow-burner, but it was. The book sustained tension in its entirety. I loved Leslie and his confidence navigating a small town with narrow-minded views, determined to help people that fought his help every step of the way, and hadn't really done much to earn it. That aspect definitely resonates with current times - covid denial and blocking access to reproductive care. I really enjoyed the darkness of this book, it felt like charcoal on thick paper, if that makes sense. The ending was extremely satisfying and beautiful.

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sheriffrockyraccoon's review

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dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I should note the reason for as low of a score as I gave may be influenced by the several queer literature courses I took over my college career. In this case, the novel felt more like referencing other, fuller novels rather than becoming a fully-fleshed story itself. It does receive a full star for truly committed to monster porn, though.

My main issues come from the main character. Leslie is an outsider looking in, and that meant a lot of character development surrounding love interests, “friends”, and antagonists was not present. I also have a strong distaste for stories that have a bias against rural towns, claiming cities are better. In the case of Leslie, Stevie does call this out at one point but it is hardly acknowledged and does not seem to change his opinion. Of course, yes, this town is evil and the population is truly horrible, but it felt as though I were being told through past stories and dialogue why they were so villainous. I would have liked to see more action between the protagonist and antagonist(s), as much of their scuffles really only came from passive-aggressive comments.

I was also frustrated with the pacing, as we don’t even see the monster until halfway through the story. Most of the book consists of Leslie becoming frustrated with the townspeople and, it is noted several times, being unable to read Woolf’s Orlando. It did drive me crazy how many times this was noted. The last fourth of the story is great, there are very exciting and tense scenes (and monster porn) that truly categorize it as a horror. It is disappointing that we did not get more of it.

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes queer horror, with an emphasis on queer living. Mandelo’s writing is decent and can be very engaging when something is happening to move the plot forward.

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basementofbooks's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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rhi_'s review

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challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

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arlingtonchamberofgay's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

His first baptism was a violation, but the second was a renewal.

There is so much to love about this story, and it is amazing that it accomplishes all that it does in less than 150 pages. Mandelo presents us with a familiar enough scene: city nurse and former vet Leslie gets assigned to the small, rural, religious community of Spar Creek. Nearly all the townsfolk regard him with an icy demeanor, which only grows frostier when he takes notice of the “troublesome” youth, Stevie. Despite growing threats from the community, lead by the overzealous Pastor Holladay, Leslie knows that he and Stevie share a commonality in their gender — one that’s only further put a target on their backs. But, maybe, you call someone a monster enough times, they’ll show you their claws and you’ll live just long enough to find out how monsters fight back.

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