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4.11 AVERAGE
4.11 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
fast-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:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is was an action-packed, YA thrill ride with elements of cultist slasher meets monster horror with a trans twist and I enjoyed every second.
Kisner’s debut novel cleverly explores the journey of transitioning, the horrors of gendered violence, the uneasy relationship between ex and friends, and the lengths one goes to for survival.
The human violence and transphobia was more horrifying than the monster, but the story of survival and courage in the face of overwhelming odds to claim your identity was so inspiring. There was some confusion around explaining the purpose or reasoning of these events, a lot of happy coincidences, and it took a bit to set the scene but overall such a great read (I love a good slasher with a final girl moment).
If you liked ‘You’re Not Supposed to Die Tonight’ or Andrew Joseph White’s trans horror, then Old Wounds is the book for you.
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
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:
No
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
medium-paced
dark
tense
medium-paced
There's some real tense and uncomfortable moments in this book that had me squirming. A handful of effectively gross descriptions of gore. It can feel a bit heavy handed at times, but on the whole enjoyable.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Misogyny, Transphobia
Moderate: Suicide attempt
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-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:
Yes
Old Wounds was hard to put down from start to finish. The characters always had asking, “what else?” The description encapsulates the location of bum-fuck no where to a tee. And the horror was pretty good too.
I personally really liked the book, the description was spot on and the characters felt so refreshing to see. Very happy the book did not end with the characters having a tragic end (which is my largest pet peeve in some queer media..) Max reminded me of an old friend in the best way possible, and Erin was just really badass the whole way through. I think their relationship was handled very well too. I wasn’t seeking after the relationship between Erin and Max as much as it was discussed so having them stay as friends did calm my brain a bit. All in all, I think the message of Old Wounds was great, I just wish the monster was utilized more. There was so much buildup of how horrible and gruesome the monster was to all those girls, but I feel like it didn’t go anywhere and was just solved but flipping the roles a little bit. Maybe the message flew over my head, maybe the monsters were the extremely scary transphobic hicks all along, or maybe I’m not thinking deeply enough about it, but thats just my take.
Solid solid book
I personally really liked the book, the description was spot on and the characters felt so refreshing to see. Very happy the book did not end with the characters having a tragic end (which is my largest pet peeve in some queer media..) Max reminded me of an old friend in the best way possible, and Erin was just really badass the whole way through. I think their relationship was handled very well too. I wasn’t seeking after the relationship between Erin and Max as much as it was discussed so having them stay as friends did calm my brain a bit. All in all, I think the message of Old Wounds was great, I just wish the monster was utilized more. There was so much buildup of how horrible and gruesome the monster was to all those girls, but I feel like it didn’t go anywhere and was just solved but flipping the roles a little bit. Maybe the message flew over my head, maybe the monsters were the extremely scary transphobic hicks all along, or maybe I’m not thinking deeply enough about it, but thats just my take.
Solid solid book
I’ll be honest, Old Wounds is a book I picked up solely for the purposes of seeing if the trans colors on the cover were a deliberate choice, but as soon as I read the hook in the cover blurb, I knew I had to give this a read.
Logan-Ashley Kisner tells the tale of a young trans man and a young trans woman stuck in the backwoods of rural middle-America, chosen to be sacrificed to a cryptid that feeds on girls. The hook, of course, is the philosophical dilemma around whether a mythological creature is as bound to the gender binary as the masochistic hicks looking for a sacrifice.
This is a book that’s very much about gender identity and the transgender experience. It’s about the different paths Erin and Max have taken to becoming themselves, and how those journeys have shaped their attitudes and opinions. She had it relatively easy, with the love of her family, while he’s fought against hatred and disapproval at every step. Even when things are at their darkest – literally, in a night that seems destined to never end – how they’re treated by the hateful hicks is cruel and unfair.
As for the horror, I loved a lot of this, especially the creepiness, the mystery of the cryptid, and the all-too-human violence of their captors. Where it fell a bit short/flat, though, is in the . . . well, I can’t say resolution, so I’ll just say ending.
https://sallybend.wordpress.com/2024/12/31/end-of-year-review-round-up-part-two/