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A review by courtsport3000
The Woods All Black by Lee Mandelo
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