A review by annamariahz
Direwood by Catherine Yu

dark mysterious medium-paced

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

3.0

Extraordinary events begin occurring in Aja's tiny town the week her sister Fiona disappears. Blood rain falls from the sky, a strange fog sweeps through town, and creepy parasitic caterpillars pop up everywhere. Everyone thinks it is just a strange coincidence, but then more teens go missing. When the vampire responsible shows up at her door, Aja agrees to go with him and fights his hypnosis to try and save her sister. This is a great spooky season read! I loved the spooky atmosphere and how the author described the hypnotic vampires. I also liked that Aja was an unreliable narrator, so you never quite knew what she would do or say next. I didn't love how slow the middle of the book was. The story was very intriguing at the beginning and exciting at the end, but the middle was a little boring. Overall it was a great spooky read, perfect for the fall!

Thank you to Page Street Kids for gifting me this ARC as part of a Goodreads giveaway! It was a spooky and fun read!