4.5 Stars rounded up to 5.

Leslie Bruin has arrived in Spar Creek on a mission from the Frontier Nursing Service. His goal is to vaccinate the town and perhaps seek out those like him, people viewed as failures of their gender or social outcasts. What he finds is a town against his presence, viewing him as a woman that does not fit his expected roles as a woman, and a preacher determined to remove him. Even more there's a presence in the woods Leslie doesn't understand.

I enjoyed this for the most part. I can see how much research went into it to he historically believable and I acknowledge there is part of it that is representative of a community I am not part of. That being said, as someone who grew up in evangelical churches I cannot tell you how strong of a fear gripped me during the sermons by Pastor Holladay.

What dropped it a little bit for me was the age and experience difference between the two main characters as well the insta-love of it. I get that it was a novella but it wasn't developed enough for me to enjoy.

I really thought I would love this. I mean, it promises revenge and horror, what's not to love?? Apparently, everything. Because in reality, there's not really a single part of this that I would call perfect. Every bit of it needed something more.

Starting with the genre. I know that Appalachian horror is kinda a genre in itself, so I was super excited to dip my toes into it. But sadly, this wasn't a great entry. While it tried so hard to summon up foreboding small-town vibes, it failed. I was looking for an atmosphere similar to Small Favors, and this missed entirely. All of the right components were there, but none of them were done well. The setting felt two-dimensional and false. Maybe if this had been longer we might've gotten a better atmosphere, but I don't have a ton of faith in the author's ability to actually write something truly transportive.

As for the "horror" aspects of The Woods All Black, I would've liked this better if they didn't exist. Because when the final reveal came along, it was massively underwhelming. It felt like a cheap way to get to the "blood-soaked revenge" the synopsis promised. Instead of building throughout the book to a final climax, the horror felt like it just happened and then was done.

And finally, the romance bits. They made me so uncomfy. I'm not sure how large the age gap actually was, but our MMC referring to his love as "his boy" made me wildly uncomfortable. Especially because Stevie was in such a vulnerable position for most of the book. Them jumping directly into a relationship felt weird. I would've preferred it if Leslie served as a mentor/father-figure to Stevie, it would've felt a little less groom-y.

For a surprisingly short book, this felt like it took forever to read. I'm glad to be done with it because it means I can stop thinking about it. This isn't a book I'd recommend to many.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review

3.75/5 stars
A dark, fast-paced, and eerie historical novella with a trans romance!!
I recommend this for fans of creepy, is-it-all-in-my-head-or-is-it-supernatural stories. Also great for fans of small town horror where residents of a Puritanical, mob-mentality town get what's coming to them.
My biggest critique is that I wanted a bit more detail and time spent with the witchcraft and magic Stevie ends up using to create his monster form. I thought it was brilliant and well-done just a bit too brief for me.
Definitely going to add this to the collection at work!

I don't think that this was for me. I thought that the premise was great but once I started reading this book something didn't clique. I don't know if it was that the characters in this book were just not the best and if so I don't know if they improve throughout the book. I was hoping for something a little different

[arc review]
Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
The Woods All Black releases March 19, 2024

2.5

It’s the year 1929, and Leslie Bruin is a Frontier Nurse who was requested to come to the Appalachians.

The trans rep in this novella was unique to me in the sense that the way they identified themselves wasn’t really as black and white in ways that more modern depictions are.
While I had no issue comprehending between the main narrative using “he/him” while also having the character present as female and introducing themselves as “miss” at the same time, I can see how it might frustrate other readers.

The downfall was definitely in the strong biblical undertones and monster shapeshifting smut areas — it’s just not something I gravitate towards, though I know there’s an audience for it!
I did find it interesting though how Mandelo used that as a way for Stevie to gradually transition and find their voice.

I am not the target audience for thus book and that may be my fault for requesting. The first half or so was interesting. Not exactly what I'd typically read, however; interesting. The historical aspect of this piece allows the reader to reflect on the intense bigotry and hatred directed toward the queen community both then and now. The last half took a turn that I did not enjoy. Don't get me wrong, I was waiting for the haunted Appalachia of it all and was looking forward to it but it fell flat for me. Overall, like I said, I just don't think I'm the target audience and debated providing feedback at all due to that fact. I do think that someone out there would enjoy this book. The writing was good and the storyline made sense. Just not for me.

This is my first of Lee Mandelo’s works and overall, I really enjoyed it!

The Woods All Black takes place in 19020s Appalachia and follows nurse Leslie Bruin on assignment to Spar Creek. Between vaccinating children and assisting in childbirths, Leslie faces judgement from the religious locals who view him as nothing more than a failed woman and will take extreme measures to take him down.

Leslie soon becomes introduced to a young person who is experiencing the same judgements and religious extremism. Throughout the story, Stevie and Leslie form a bond and stand together to protect each other from the dangers that lurk.

Oh! Also, there’s something haunted in the woods! From historical fiction to trans romance to horror, this book’s got it all!

The Woods All Black was immersive, dark, fast-paced, and, dare I say, a little kinky at the end there? I felt drawn to Leslie almost instantly as Mandelo sets the scene very well. I will say that this book had a lot of topics it wanted to address, and some of those topics felt underdeveloped.

TLDR conclusion: I would recommend this book and Lee Mandelo’s writing style.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for an ARC of this book in exchange for my review

I requested this book because I loved previous titles by this author, the setting, and potential general weirdness. But I didn't end up loving this one. Perhaps I'm too sensitive to all the nastiness and violence directed at the main character, Leslie, and to Stevie, both queer people in overly religious 1920s rural Kentucky. The writing was great, the characters interesting, the hatred real, but I didn't enjoy spending my time in this place with these people.

Lee Mandelo is quickly shaping up to be one of my favourite horror writers, and this book just cemented his ability to have such a distinctive style of storytelling, while also crafting books that feel individually unique. The combination of trans romance with Appalachian horror in THE WOODS ALL BLACK makes such a compelling and full story in just 160 pages, with a world explored just to the point of making you fear what could be in the woods behind you. There’s nothing terribly surprising in the plot, but it still feels methodical and a little bit like a revelation to see how everything plays out. This book surpassed my expectations and I definitely recommend it!

I can’t say I’ve read a lot of historical horror, but this felt incredibly well-done. Mandelo combines historical evidence to create a trans frontier nurse who goes to a tiny Appalachian town seen by a pastor proclaiming the devil around every corner. The world itself is fictional but working off the truth to make it all the more unsettling. I also absolutely love the ways in which queer history is mixed in with more geographical history, along with different queer perspectives, something that I love seeing in historical fiction and horror alike.

Another really solid element of this book is the characters. Even though some of the relationships in the town weren’t perhaps explored as much as they could have been because of the book’s length as a novella, I think we still got to see some really interesting characters and the degrees of harm they caused to queer or in any way different characters. Also, the main character just had an absolutely fascinating inner dialogue with himself.

All in all, I ended up really enjoying this novella, in some ways more than expected. It carves out its own place within horror and (trans) romance, and it’s aware of the boundaries and information it's working with in the genres it inhabits. Well worth the read.

Unofficial Summary:
Leslie is assigned to the backwoods township of Spar Creek as a nurse. The locals see him as a failed woman, but he believes he can survive anything that is thrown at him.

Something ugly lurks beneath the surface of the town. Violence is bubbling and Leslie must act fast to keep it contained. But Spar Creek has a mind of its own, and the woods are haunted in ways Leslie doesn’t understand.

Review:
This is one of those books that even if you don’t like it, it’s going to stick with you a long time. The writing is just that powerful and the topics are just that engrossing.

I devoured this novella; it was really well written. The topics covered in this book were hard hitting, and still as relevant in today’s world as they were in the 1920’s when this book was set. This book covered transphobia, hate crimes, religious zealotry, and traditional gender roles among other things.

The writing is top notch and very vivid. Once I started reading, I was hooked from the start and didn’t want to put it down, but because it was a novella I blinked and then it was over. This is one of those books that I didn’t want it to end, but it also ended at the perfect time, it was delicately done and wonderful.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing this e-ARC. I am anticipating reading this soon and reviewing on my socials.

Between the queer revenge/rage storyline and the richly researched 1920s Appalachian setting, I was hooked from beginning to end. The monster design was unique and weird, and overall it was a very satisfying story.

A dark and broody novella, brutal and satisfying in its climax.

There have always been queer, transgender, and non-binary people. Their stories were buried by a canon that pushed them to the back, or misrepresented what they were: "tragedies" or "metaphorical" or blah blah blah. This novella is not interested in rewriting history; it is writing history, albeit by blending real-life horror with the eerie.

I was suggested this by someone on tiktok and they brought up how creepy it is and how its about appellation mountains but they did not bring up that its historical fiction. I should have read the summery. I hate historical fiction so. DNF

I think anyone who is a fan of Lee Mandelo has some idea of what they’re getting into when they pick up a new book by them—queer angst with a heaping helping of beautiful prose. While The Woods All Black is no different in that regard, I do find that it is a major departure in terms of genre. A journey that I am very happy they took.
Ignoring the conclusion in an effort to avoid spoilers, the majority of The Woods All Black is historical fiction. It documents the journey of a trans man, Leslie, as he works for the FNS as a nurse in the 1920s. He is assigned to Spar Creek, an isolated rural town under the thumb of a fanatical preacher. Not only is this story terrifying in how it depicts religious zealotism, but also peer pressure, ostracization, psychological manipulation, and “corrective” behavioural conversion. To counterbalance all of that there is also this distinct emphasis on the destructive force of queer rage and the inevitability of identity and progression.
Ultimately, this is a book to scare and anger you, but not necessarily leave you that way.
While I like The Woods All Black and would certainly recommend it, I would caution potential readers sensitive to instances of misgendering, dead-naming, SA (off page), and just general misunderstanding and blatant bias against trans-identities to be aware that this novel approaches these subjects through a historical lens—meaning all of these things, and more, occur and are normalized within the social structure of the narrative.

Lee Mandelo has a way with creating palpable tension between characters, and this novella was positively bristling with it. Add those character dynamics to a stage rife with religious manipulation and control, and I was chilled to the core. The pacing of the story is perfect, building from discomfort and unease to terror and righteous indignation. I also loved Leslie and Stevie's relationship, and though I do wish we got a little more of it, Mandelo delivered exactly what this story needed, not a moment more or a moment less. This will definitely be a favorite for fans of a horrormance.

(4.25 stars)
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Lee Mandelo wrote this book for meeee :D

I seriously cannot begin to tell you how up my alley this book was. The late 1920s setting in Kentucky with all the period-typical awfulness that existed (and still exists!) was the perfect background for Leslie's character and his journey throughout the book. I very much enjoyed all the gender fuckery that happened here with the queer rep and all the different ways people can present and be themselves.

The religious bigotry plot made me so damn angry! as usual with things like that. There were some uncomfortable and outright horrible scenes to read through in regard to that. They added so much tension to an already pretty tense book and Mandelo challenged that perfectly within the plot.

Leslie and Stevie's everything hit me right in the gut! Their interactions were my absolute favorite parts of the story, even more so as things progressed and escalated with each passing chapter. Every twist surrounding them was incredibly satisfying to me as a reader and I loooooooved that Mandelo Went There with the weird stuff. This was honestly such an amazing read <3

4 stars and my thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC!

Not gonna lie, wasn't expecting the monster-fucking. The religious bigotry and harsh realities of transphobia in a deeply southern town in 1929? Yeah. Expected all that.

Mandelo writes a perfect novella: know what you want to say, say it really really well, get the fuck outta there. The story moved so fast, I was half finished before I felt like I took a breath.

A star is subtracted because like....idk how I feel about how fast Leslie and Stevie moved, especially knowing what Stevie went through and his young age (18 is an adult, but barely).

"The Woods All Black is equal parts historical horror, trans romance, and blood-soaked revenge, all set in 1920s Appalachia.

Leslie Bruin is assigned to the backwoods township of Spar Creek by the Frontier Nursing Service, under its usual mandate: vaccinate the flock, birth babies, and weather the judgements of churchy locals who look at him and see a failed woman. Forged in the fires of the Western Front and reborn in the cafes of Paris, Leslie believes he can handle whatever is thrown at him - but Spar Creek holds a darkness beyond his nightmares.

Something ugly festers within the local congregation, and its malice has focused on a young person they insist is an unruly tomboy who must be brought to heel. Violence is bubbling when Leslie arrives, ready to spill over, and he'll have to act fast if he intends to be of use. But the hills enfolding Spar Creek have a mind of their own, and the woods are haunted in ways Leslie does not understand.

The Woods All Black is a story of passion, prejudice, and power - an Appalachian period piece that explores reproductive justice and bodily autonomy, the terrors of small-town religiosity, and the necessity of fighting tooth and claw to live as who you truly are."

Our battles have been fought before and will be fought again.

This is a short but shocking account of a nurse in 1920s Appalachia. Commenting on the horrible treatment of the queer and trans community, this book will haunt you to your core in its short 150 pages. Les Bruin has been sent to help the people of Spar Creek as a nurse, but when he gets there the town cannot expect that he is trans. Horrific imagery of a church with too much power and a creature that haunts the woods, it takes everything Les has not to abandon his post. Will he make it out alive or will the town get the better of him?

I found the writing incredibly well done. It flowed effortlessly and the author gives the reader a sense of connection with the characters in the book which is what I think makes this so special.