Scan barcode
cuppasunshine's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, and Death
Moderate: Sexual content, Violence, and War
Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, and Abortion
charleshasalibrary's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Trans vengeance on smalltown religious bigotry, set in the hills of Appalachia where all sorts of beasts are known to wander... I stayed up until the witching hour reading this one, holding my breath the entire time. The Woods All Black was like a fever dream I never wanted to end.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Gun violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Murder, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Abortion, and War
margaret's review
dark
tense
5.0
*screaming and screaming and screaming and screaming and screaming and*
Lee Mandelo said is anyone going to find homoeroticism in the monstrous and then didn't wait for an answer
so like. THE WOODS ALL BLACK is basically a perfect novella?? and I don't know what to do with myself now that I've read it??
the story follows Leslie Bruin, a nurse traveling to a small town in 1927 Appalachia to administer vaccinations and health care. viewed as a woman, he is greeted with hostility by the townspeople who consider any deviation from the norm to be dangerous. throughout the 160 or so pages, an eerie, unsettling atmosphere underpins a story that asks: who are the true monsters - the ones who dare to live as themselves, or the ones who would force them back into the boxes prescribed upon them since birth?
this book has so much to say about queerness and transness, intolerance and complicity, justice and revenge. it breaks apart every expectation I had going in. I personally love when queer historical books allow their characters to be undefinable by modern standards, because even today's labels of gender and sexuality are imperfect and limiting.
I can't tell you how many times I screamed aloud while reading this, and after I finished I had to pace around my apartment for ten minutes. it was horrifying and sickening and satisfying and cathartic; I wanted to burst with how much I loved it and how awful (complimentary) it was. plus, lee mandelo's writing is SO gorgeous. this cements him as a favorite author for me, and this as one of my new favorite novellas.
Lee Mandelo said is anyone going to find homoeroticism in the monstrous and then didn't wait for an answer
so like. THE WOODS ALL BLACK is basically a perfect novella?? and I don't know what to do with myself now that I've read it??
the story follows Leslie Bruin, a nurse traveling to a small town in 1927 Appalachia to administer vaccinations and health care. viewed as a woman, he is greeted with hostility by the townspeople who consider any deviation from the norm to be dangerous. throughout the 160 or so pages, an eerie, unsettling atmosphere underpins a story that asks: who are the true monsters - the ones who dare to live as themselves, or the ones who would force them back into the boxes prescribed upon them since birth?
this book has so much to say about queerness and transness, intolerance and complicity, justice and revenge. it breaks apart every expectation I had going in. I personally love when queer historical books allow their characters to be undefinable by modern standards, because even today's labels of gender and sexuality are imperfect and limiting.
I can't tell you how many times I screamed aloud while reading this, and after I finished I had to pace around my apartment for ten minutes. it was horrifying and sickening and satisfying and cathartic; I wanted to burst with how much I loved it and how awful (complimentary) it was. plus, lee mandelo's writing is SO gorgeous. this cements him as a favorite author for me, and this as one of my new favorite novellas.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Deadnaming, Death, Gore, Homophobia, Transphobia, Blood, and Medical content
Moderate: Animal death, Child abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Cannibalism, Pregnancy, and Dysphoria
courtsport3000's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-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
4.0
I don't even know what I think about what I just read, but I had a good time???
Love the historical queer horror aspects of this story - the constant tension, the pressure of the overbearing religious community and never knowing how far they will go to protect what they believe is right. The lack of power is tangible and weighs so heavy in these pages. I was on edge this entire read because our boys were in such danger and I could not cope. But that just made all the scenes where folks FAFO that much more rewarding.
I did struggle with the romance during certain parts... IYKYK. I just wasn't prepared for certain aspects of it and... yeah. But it's mostly very sweet and those parts were fab.
You can tell the author did a ton of research for this book, even without the recommended reading list at the end. I enjoyed learning about the traveling nurses and their journey to inoculate small town areas without steady access to medical resources. The exploration of women's healthcare, especially where pregnancy and contraception are concerned, was also fascinating and just as disturbing as one might expect.
I'll definitely be recommending this one.
Special thanks to Tor and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for review.
Love the historical queer horror aspects of this story - the constant tension, the pressure of the overbearing religious community and never knowing how far they will go to protect what they believe is right. The lack of power is tangible and weighs so heavy in these pages. I was on edge this entire read because our boys were in such danger and I could not cope. But that just made all the scenes where folks FAFO that much more rewarding.
I did struggle with the romance during certain parts... IYKYK. I just wasn't prepared for certain aspects of it and... yeah. But it's mostly very sweet and those parts were fab.
You can tell the author did a ton of research for this book, even without the recommended reading list at the end. I enjoyed learning about the traveling nurses and their journey to inoculate small town areas without steady access to medical resources. The exploration of women's healthcare, especially where pregnancy and contraception are concerned, was also fascinating and just as disturbing as one might expect.
I'll definitely be recommending this one.
Special thanks to Tor and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexual content, Transphobia, Blood, Medical content, Religious bigotry, and Pregnancy
Minor: Animal death, Rape, Abortion, and War
bee_likes_books's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.25
I wanted to love this book, and I was so into it for the first 2/3rds that I felt outright betrayed when the THIRTY YEAR OLD WORLD-WISE VETERAN hooks up with the TEENAGER THAT CAN’T READ. The power dynamic was gross! And, yes, the teenager CAN turn into a terrible forest monster… in that specific forest. Which Leslie takes him away from. It ends with the two having soda floats while Stevie looks around in wonder at normal city things. Leslie (after flirting with someone else in front of Stevie) is like, “there’s a bookstore you might like!” And when Stevie is both slightly saddened by the open flirtation and reminds the main character that he can’t read (with can’t coming out like “cain’t” in a ‘cute childish way’) the MC is just like eh I’ll teach you how. It read like it was supposed to be romantic and aspirational but candidly it felt really gross to me. . The author didn’t shy away from giving the main character an aversion to the racism or eugenics of the time, so it wasn’t an attempt to be true to the time period either.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Gore, Sexual content, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Confinement, Racism, Rape, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Pregnancy, and War
Minor: Abortion
Is a scene where Leslie has sex with
More...