Reviews

Direwood by Catherine Yu

emmybird86's review

I don’t know if you are like me when reading but my face is very expressive. I gasp and my jaw drops or I cringe or cry depending on what happens in the story. I can tell you that my face was doing so much while reading this one! It was all over the place. This book was so very good. It was creepy and gross and dark. I loved it. The synopsis got me with gothic horror and Vampires. I am a fan of both. It was everything I wanted to read right now. I cannot wait to read more by this author. the narrations was awesome. I definitely recommend this one! 

_mercury_'s review

3.0

The horror/creepy parts were good, although the writing and story could have been better. I wanted Padraic's storyline to be explored more.

jeszod's review

3.0

I really loved how atmospheric this was, and a few cool twists on more traditional "vampire comes to town" plot, but overall felt it could have been better served as a short story/novella.

Worth the read if you like spooky stories and are a quick reader, otherwise could see this being tough to get through.

titania86's review

Bored

gracecrandall's review against another edition

dark hopeful mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Body horror, and Torture

Insects, bugs, trypophobia

multiple extensive descriptions of aggressive caterpillars crawling on and in people, biting them, and even getting under their skin. Also butterflies that suck blood. Also multiple descriptions of caterpillars leaving behind hollow, tunneled-out surfaces; possibly a trypophobia trigger.

ishtar's review

dark sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

boricuabookworm's review

2.0

1.5

how was this the slowest story with the least fleshed out insta love don’t-even-make-sense relationships I’ve ever read when it should have been right up my alley?? girl, the random twilight nods, an evil story of a vampire who says he can whoo you in one week and you’ll be his bride at the end of it, raining blood, weird body gore, with a loser sister protagonist that no one likes, yet ??? fell completely flat.

laughterbynight's review against another edition

2.0

I know we often talk about books that tell vs show but this might take the cake. I swear the events the mc was talking about by the end of the book never actually happened. It was very weird to read her reminiscing about a relationship that didn't exist. I'm not exaggerating.

Our mc is also generously blessed with dumb. Such a shame because I was really interested in where this was going at the beginning.

fliplibrarian's review

dark mysterious fast-paced

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

2.0

ljvalentine's review

3.0

Dark, brooding & changed the way I'll see butterflies and caterpillars for the rest of my life. There were some great moments of horror & tension building. Rather sluggish in parts but a fun read nonetheless.