This was a very interesting concept with intense imagery. I loved how gothic and dark this felt. That being said, I unfortunately kept getting distracted and disconnected with how repetitive this descriptions were. It really took me out of the story to the point where it was all I could focus on.

Thanks to NetGalley for the free review copy.

I really, really wanted to like this book. The premise seemed so promising. But while there were some good elements at play, particularly towards the end, there was so much that didn’t work for me.

First was the main character. Aja is so unlikable. She’s immature, selfish, and often a poor friend and family member. She resents her sister for being pretty and well-liked. She willingly follows a vampire into the woods despite knowing the loss of another daughter will only further devastate her father. She gets angry at her best friend for trying to help her. (What were they fighting about in the first place, anyway? We never find out.) I can see what the author was trying to do — real-life relationships get complicated all the time. But I never felt like these ideas were explored with enough nuance to make Aja’s sometimes cruel words and actions understandable.

Aja also routinely made stupid choices that had me rolling my eyes so far back into my head that it’s a wonder my retinas didn’t snap. She knows Padraic is a monster from the moment she meets him, but lets herself be enthralled by him because he’s *beautiful* and *hypnotic* and he *sees her.* She insists on humanizing him even when she has evidence of the terrible things he’s done. She runs towards him when she knows she should be running away, because he makes her feel *special* and *different.* The whole thing felt rather “Twilight”-esque, actually, especially in moments when Aja was thinking things to the effect of “I should be scared, but I can’t be,” or “When I look at him, I see the boy he once was.” Aja, darling. You’re not special. All of you humans are simply mice to the vampires.

The plot also got pretty predictable at times, and the twist at the end wasn’t much of a twist to me. The writing wasn’t necessarily bad, but I didn’t love it, either. And I got tired of hearing Aja refer to Fiona as her sister over and over.

*Potential spoilers ahead* In fairness, the author did a good job of highlighting during the climax how Padraic and Kate really are monsters, Aja really did make a mistake in believing she was an exception. And though I wanted more exploration of this idea, I liked the implication of how humans are turned into vampires — it was a refreshing departure from the book’s, again, rather “Twilight”-esque vampire lore. (New vampires being called “newborns,” newborns being far stronger and having far more insatiable hunger than older vampires, vampires possessing an unearthly, supernatural beauty, etc.) And the blood-sucking caterpillars and butterflies added a chillingly lovely ambience to the entire story.

Maybe I’m just the wrong audience for this book? People who are bigger vampire fans than I am might enjoy “Direwood” more than me.

This was not as good as I wanted it to be.
It was not quite horror, not quite romance, not quite paranormal thriller.
It kind of dipped it's toes in each genres, but never fully immersed itself in any of them.
I love me some vampire stories, but this one felt forced.
Not really sure what else to say, nothing really stood out, good or bad.
Thank you (?) to NetGalley & Tantor Audio for my copy.

I really wanted to like this book, but it felt like one of the moths just droning on and on -- this happens when you just follow around a single, slightly whiny character - event though there are vampires and blood sucking bugs - it is pretty much a character shambling around the house thinking about escaping but not really trying very hard - the end was better - I wish it came sooner. This book is in need of a good dose of other characters and some actual horror. I liked the moths concept.

I read this book via Netgalley Shelf.

Aja's big sister Fiona has always been the perfect one, so when Fiona disappears amid a series of strange events, Aja knows something is wrong. Then the vampire comes to her window, and Aja is convinced that he is the reason Fiona has left. She makes a deal with Padraic, and she follows him through a moth-infested fog to an old church, where she discovers two of her classmates, Hazel and Noah, as well as another vampire. She only has seven days to find her sister... but the vampires are hiding many secrets...

While I didn't exactly feel that this story fully encompassed the 90s vibe it was going for, it definitely had an old-school feel to it, like a pre-Twilight vampire feel - I'm thinking books like [book:The Cheerleader|259993] or Janice Harrell's Vampire Twins series. The vampires are dark and sexy (well, as sexy as a red-headed Irish vampire could be) and Aja struggles not to fall under his thrall. I was hoping the friendship between Aja and her former best friend Mary would develop into something more, but I appreciated the rekindling of their friendship anyway. The tone was a little uneven, most of the time the writing evoked dark, rotting places, and then there'd be a phrase like "sucked him down like a Slurpee" (not an exact quote there because I listened to the audio, but something along those lines). It's a great fast read for fall if you want that spooky feeling.

Content warning: body & bug horror, death, on-page violence, racial microaggressions, vomiting

Aja’s perfect sister Fiona goes missing and strange things start happening: blood rain, a mysterious fog, blood-sucking grubs, all precursors to the arrival of a vampire. She strikes a bargain with Padraic and tries to free the kids in his thrall, including her ex-friend Mary,

Gross, goth, and steeped in 90’s vampire aesthetic, a fun read for folks constantly searching for new vampire content.

The horror here comes from the atmosphere and the constant presence of insects in places you really don’t expect them. The detail of the blood-sucking caterpillars and the incredibly aesthetically appropriate butterflies is so good. Most of the action takes place in an abandoned church in the woods, and it’s drenched in atmosphere. The ticking clock on Aja on finding her sister also works incredibly. The tension is tight from start to finish, wound up like a violin string.

What I found the most compelling about this horror is Aja’s relationship with her sister, Fiona. She always felt like she has been in her sister’s shadow, trying her hardest to not be seen anyway. Coupled with the context of her ex-friendship with Mary, the tension is so good. It’s great to see her grow from start to finish, but, since this is a horror novel, it comes at a great cost, the likes of which I will not spoil.

I also appreciated how monstrous but alluring the vampires were. It’s easy to understand how Aja fell into Padraic’s thrall. Seeing Padraic reconnect with his humanity plays well with Aja coming into her own and scheming like a vampire hunter. The fact that she seems aware of vampires as a lore concept felt super refreshing as far as the worldbuilding goes, so it’s fun to see that cleverness play out, especially as things get dire. This book goes to some bonkers imagery and deeply aesthetic emotional beats.

If you’re not bothered by caterpillars and butterflies in places they shouldn’t be, definitely give this fun time a go.

In case you couldn't tell from the *everything* about this book, it's full of vampires and eeriness and gross descriptions. As someone who loves all of those things, of course I had to give it a try!

Ultimately I think this is one of those books where a young adult audience might love it, but it just isn't my style.
Insufferable main character Aja has an inferiority complex about her sister and extreme antagonism toward her "best friend" Mary because she chooses to put a negative spin on everything Mary does. No wonder Mary is mad at her! Aja uses most of her allotted seven days with the vampires just waiting and doing nothing at all, with occasional mooning over one of the vampires. She insists from the very beginning that vampires are the ultimate evil (their state of deadness being a big component of that evil, because ??) but the more she sees of that evil, the more she tries to convince herself that they still have humanity. It's confusing in a way that I believe is intended to reflect Aja's mixed up state of mind, but I don't think it worked well.

The grotesque descriptions and body horror are winners for me! though they unfortunately lean heavily toward repetition. I do love the added element of Aja feeling out of place in her all-white town and how that affects her life and sense of self. Cindy Kay did a good job with the narration, and the audiobook is a fine option for picking up this book.

(2 stars)

CW: body and bug horror, death, on page violence, racial microaggressions, past self harm,

“Gone has a permanence I am unwilling to accept”

The book opens by introducing our MC, a young girl named Aja who lives in a town where strange occurrences happen. She is overlooked and doesn’t seem to fit in while her older sister Fiona is well loved in the town. After her sister goes missing, other people in the strange town also begin to go missing. Aja then meets a strange man and the story goes from there.

I wasn’t a huge fan of the main character. And unfortunately the first 60% failed to draw me in. I pushed through and finished the booka and while parts closer to the end were interesting how drawn out the story was made it hard to keep my attention overall.


Thank you to netgalley and publishers for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

DNF @73%
Just can't force myself to pick it back up...
The flesh-eating bugs were interesting and horrifying but literally all that's been happening is that Aja is sitting around, talking, making plans, but not actually doing anything

this was boring unfortunately. very slow and nothing happens. i want to love vampire stories but i don't have much luck with them. i didn't connect with the story, characters, or absolutely anything for that matter.

thank you regardless to netgalley for a copy of this book!

Gothic 90s young adult horror perfect for the spooky season. This story follows Aja in the search for her older sister after she goes missing. Yu's storytelling is descriptive, lush, and incredibly original.

Aja is tired of what she perceives as a boring life. When her older sister, Fiona, goes missing after her 17th birthday Aja encounters the vampire she believes has taken her. She agrees to go with him to attempt to save her sister. As Aja tries to save Fiona she meets pain, terror and heartbreak.

If you are looking for horror this is it. Parts of the story strongly reminded me of Dracula and the movie Van Helsing with a more modern twist. The story has a little bit more gore than I prefer but it definitely checks off the creepy box. The book moves at a slower pace for the first half of the book and then picks up. The narrator is engaging and does a great job telling the story.

Thank you NetGalley and RB Media for the ARC of this audiobook. This audiobook was received in exchange for an honest review.

If Holly Black wrote horror, this is what we would get. Which is a fantastic, chilling YA horror that gets visceral reactions out of you while reading.

The writing is excellent, and the suspense/pace never lets up. You always are left wanting to read more.

The main vampire was charismatically written, enough that you waffle between rooting for the monster's plans and voting for its demise.

Overall a perfect read for spooky season!

This 90s gothic vampire horror was exactly what I was hoping it would be. Although the 90s feeling didn't drastically jump out, it was the limitation in technology at the time that gave the isolation feel of this small town.

I loved the mysteriousness of these vampires and the church, what was in the basement and what was with the bugs! If you are at all squeamish about bugs, catapillers, larva and the like then you may want to shy away from with one because the creepy descriptor Yu gave will have you throwing the book and hiding in terror lol.

Cindy Kay narrated and did a great job at giving a gothic, haunting feel throughout the story. Some of the side character's voice I confused a couple of times, but other than that, Cindy did a great job giving characters their own feel.

The mystery of the missing teens from this small town was a nice mystery that didn't detract from the Vampire story, but keeps us as readers interested in wanting to know more. And the dynamic between the ones in the story was great - tension, rivals, alliances!

The Narrator did an amazing job at adding to the overall gothic, spooky atmosphere that this story needed. There were moments where I felt general unease simply from the way that Cindy Kay narrated that passage - perfect!

Despite how messy (in a good way) the story was going I wad surprised by how neat everything ended. Although not bad, I wasn't fully satisfied. I wish Yu had stopped just a little sooner. That all being said, I loved this vampire story and can't wait for more by Yu! If you love vampires and the relationships in The Bear and the Nightingale, but wished it had autumn feels, then I think this is the horror for you!

Star Rating: —> 4.5 Stars

WOW— I cannot believe this was Catherine Yu’s DEBUT! I will 100% be looking out for more from her in the future, because it takes a lot for me to become as riveted as I did in so little time when it comes to horror. I am a tough critic in the genre. Cindy Kay was freaking flawless & fantastic as the audiobook narrator, as always, & I enjoyed every second of this book!

It truly was an absolutely horrifying, thrilling, gothic romp that screamed of 1990’s vampire horror, and it truly was riveting from moment one to me, even if the MC was initially pretty unlikable, but i’m pretty sure that was the point! There were times I was truly (delightfully) disgusted by the body horror, and what more are you looking for from that part of the genre? Haha.

Ultimately, it was the wonderful, readable prose, character growth, thrills, chills, and a near flawless, flowing, plot that had me vividly picturing the vamps Darla, & Drusilla, from Buffy the Vampire Slayer (which if ykyk, just look them up otherwise 😉)— & *squeeeee* was THAT a treat. The CONSTANT horrors, & constant guessing as to what in the bloody hell was going on—OH!— and the is he, isn’t he (evil), guessing game when it came to the hot af male vamp were all extremely addictive aspects to this YA horror adventure!

I loved this SO MUCH. I don’t want to spoil ANYTHING for you, because I don’t want to ruin the effect of the author’s velvet prose, slowly stitching together an unforgettable plot that will stick with you for a very long time!

Thank you SO MUCH to NetGalley, Tantor Audio, Page Street Publishing, & Catherine Yu for the audio-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. It was creepy enough to be horror but had some fantasy elements (vampires) which I loved. I liked Aja although she frustrated me at times. The one thing I didn't like was her and Mary's relationship. Why would either want to stay friends? It made no sense to me.

I loved the creepy, 90s vibes on this audiobook! It’s been awhile since I’ve read a vampire book so this one was perfect and just in time for spooky season. Between the gothic atmosphere and the body horror, I was entertained from the beginning even if the pacing was a little slow at times. I also really enjoyed the narrator so overall it’s a solid debut!

Thank you to NetGalley and Tantor Audio for this ALC in exchange for an honest review!

This is not necessarily a bad review. This is solidly 3.5 stars (Curse u goodreads for not giving us half-stars!) I just didn’t walk away from this one feeling good enough to bump it to a 4.

I’ll say that this book for me generally wasn’t a bad experience, I just had mixed feelings about DIREWOOD.

On the one hand, the gory, gothic feel of this book was 100% on point. This isn’t a book you should read without a strong stomach because sometimes it just gets straight up gross, but that wasn’t a bad thing at all. We also have 90s small town nostalgia and a unique take on vampires that I haven’t seen before, so kudos to the author on that. Aja’s story reminded me a lot of books like THE CRUEL PRINCE and A DOWRY OF BLOOD and I savored every moment of the darker parts of the novel. On the other hand, this book moves remarkably slow for most of it, and it took me a minute to connect with the main character and the story. It got better later in the novel, but slow pacing for such a long time just made reading this book feel like a chore at times.

So not a bad book, just needed better pacing.

This book is similar to Twilight with a more realistic ending. And I mean this in the nicest way. This book was such a wild ride and we experience it in the backseat/mind of Aja the younger sibling of a "perfect" older sister Fiona who has gone missing on the night of her birthday. But when an alluring vampire Pedraic calls to her in the night Aja can't seem to figure out if she opens the door because she wants to find her sister or because she is finally someone's favorite. Despite a pretty predictable narrative, I found the writing beautifully lyrical, yet somewhat meandering with the author spending a little too much time painting what is a beautiful yet horrifying picture rather than letting the readers see it.
There are multiple players in this game, Mary-Aja's white savior best friend who is sullen and constantly at war with Aja despite them always being willing to sacrifice for one another, Kate/Katie- Padraic's partner vampire who is utterly in love with him but has to watch him try to bring other people into their relationship and is abusive, Noah and Hazel. - two other teens were Fiona's friends and got tricked into coming out into the woods to become vampires. They belong to Katie and spend the entire book snitching on Aja until something triggers Noah and he decides that maybe this life isn't it for him. Ricky- is the one other missing character other than Fiona throughout the book, I don't even have to tell you why because *VAMPIRES* and Fiona our other missing character ends up being the end all to all ends. Last but not least is Padraic the very old but teenage-looking vampire who preys on young teenage girls and decided that it was a good idea to have sister-wives. Either way, I think the book is entertaining if you don't look at it too closely. The prose and writing are amazing, but long-winded and I spent most of the book grossed out by the body gore, blood, and mutilation that is littered all throughout the book. (this is a personal preference. I think it was a refreshing change but for me, it was a lot) The narrator is frustrating but honestly reads as a teen which is what she is and her thought process is super frustrating, her issues play a long and never-ending blight on her decision-making, and in the end *SPOILER ALERT* end up getting everyone killed but herself and Mary. The ending like I stated wasn't a surprise and I wish there was more perspective from the other side of everything. We have settled in Aja's perspective the entire book and I think it would have been a night respite from the gore of the blood-sucking caterpillars and butterflies by giving us a glimpse of how things were going with her father or the parents whose kids were missing now and presumed either to be dead or having been kidnapped/ran away.
I was lucky enough to have been given the opportunity to both listen to the audiobook and read the text at the same time. I think that the choice of narrator was perfect, I'll be keeping an eye out for any of her other works, she made the story even more engaging, but the book was much easier to finish in a timely manner. Reading and listening together was confusing at some points because the audio has been changed a bit to fit the audio narrative better. Not a lot but enough for it to be noticeable and to confuse me for a number of paragraphs.
Overall 4/5
Story/Plot 3/5
Prose 5/5
Voice for Audio 5/5
This is a double review. Thank you to Catherine Yu, Page Street Publishing, and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Spoilers Ahead: 90's Gothic story that called to my inner Goth Nerd. Baby doll dresses, Mary Jane's, and Dail up internet!

I didn’t know what exactly I was getting myself into when I requested this ARC. The cover and description were more than enough to draw me in. I have to say I was pretty over the whole “My perfect sister has everything. I’m an outcast” vibe that’s most of the book right from the start. Which is the major reason for the four-star rating.

I didn’t connect with the MC on a personal level; though I think we can all agree that we have felt like the outsider. Aja lives in the shadow of her popular, beautiful, and picturesque older sister Fiona. Thier mother left them without a backwards glance and their father thinks, like the rest of the town, that the sun rises/sets in Fiona's every whim. Aja is a disappointment from the day she makes a pact in blood with her bestie Mary. Fiona goes missing on her Birthday. Soon 4 teens are missing thus rocking the perfect world in their small town.

When a vampire comes calling, what choice does Aja have but to follow along with his tempting offer. but first she demands a promise that he will not hurt her if she goes along, feeling that he is the missing link to where her sister has disappeared to, Aja soon realizes that she is completely out of her depth and league with the nest of vampiric caterpillars, butterflies, and beautiful undead coven of Katie & Padraic. Can she escape with her life? Will she find Fiona? Can she save her fellow classmates before they are completely devoured my 1000s of gnawing, gnashing mouths?

Overall, I enjoyed the writing and world building. The characters were flawed but undecidedly human. Perfect read for chill fall days leading up to Halloween.