Because of Lee Mandelo’s immersive writing style , I was able to place myself in “The Woods All Black”. I repeatedly said to myself, “This isn’t going to end well.” and “Run. Get out of there!” It’s best to go into the story blind and let the story unfold as it happens. For this novella, my emotions ran the gamut from sadness, disgust, anger, shock to elation. Read if you like queer horror. Thanks to Tordotcom Publishing, and NetGalley for the ARC.

The Woods All Black is an Appalachia Historical fiction novella laced with pieces of horror, the paranormal and radiates deeply with atmosphere vibes. The story takes place in 1929 and we’re introduced to Leslie, a nurse working with the Frontier Nursing Service. It’s a haunting story that converses around gender, sexuality and the queer experience all tied up in the otherworldly with haunting monsters and humans alike.

Thank you to TOR and Netgalley for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

‘The Woods All Black’ takes you on a haunting journey through 1920s Appalachia, blending historical horror with trans romance amidst a backdrop of blood-curdling revenge. Follow Leslie Bruin, a nurse seasoned by war, as he faces the ominous darkness of Spar Creek. The narrative masterfully intertwines themes of reproductive justice and the struggle for bodily autonomy against a tapestry of small-town terror and religious horror. The sex scenes are a fiery mix of passion and terror, perfectly capturing the book’s intense atmosphere. A groundbreaking tale that’s as spine-tingling as it is significant. #HauntingAppalachia #TransTalesOfTerror #SinfulDelights

My religious trauma ate this up. I knew I was already sold for this when I saw Appalachian horror, especially Post WWI trans-horror. I thought this book was awesome. I felt a kinship with this book in that my family is from the Kentucky hills, and I'm an Army vet. And while Leslie is from Chicago, the story takes place in the podunk KY hills town of Spar Creek. Where Leslie has been sent as a nurse for the Frontier Nursing Service, to provide medical services to those maybe too far away from larger cities or towns. While Leslie was AFAB, he identifies as a male, and that is something that the town's pastor just can't seem to overlook.

This novella tackles a lot of heavy issues, including the treatment of queer/trans folk, as well as the place of women in the church and society at large at the time. As well as the Chruch's impact and reach in regards to people's private and separate lives. It deals with SA and abuse as well, so I encourage those interested parties in looking at trigger warnings before jumping in (if that is something you look at).

I really really enjoyed this novella, and am looking to reading more Lee Mandelo. Thank you endlessly to Tordotcom, and NetGalley for the review copy. I already preordered my finished copy. 🖤

I loved this creepy, haunting, rage-filled novella. it was everything i hoped it’d be and more. would love to get a finished copy

One of my favorite elements of horror from queer voices (and other marginalized identities) is the examination of monstrosity and what makes for horror. I think Mandelo comes at it from an interesting angle in this novella, and I really did enjoy the final arc with Stevie. I also enjoyed Stevie and Les’ dynamic over the course of the story, seeing that call of like to like but also hesitancy given the locale. In many ways, though, I don’t overall know how I feel about this book. It was one of my most anticipated 2024 releases (always here for more queer and trans stories and horror!) but I think in some ways the middle felt…disjointed? Off kilter? I think The Woods All Black did some really interesting things with terror and ramping up tension and revelations regarding the monster in the woods. I don’t know, it’s in that weird category of it’s giving me thinky-thoughts and I would reread it because I can tell it’s a story where you catch new elements with new eyes, but I don’t know if I would say I *enjoyed* the book, if that makes sense. Definitely interesting and I did like the execution of themes. Some of the themes it delved into were bodily autonomy and access to care, especially against a backdrop of 1920s Appalachia. I did also really like that Les and Stevie experienced their identities in different ways and how access to resources and community can really have an impact on one’s understanding of self. I think an element of that I especially enjoyed? appreciated? was how Les had kind of put himself in a particular role and box because that was the expectations in the queer communities he participated in, while Stevie was making his own identity on his own terms because he never had access to that community before Les showed up in Spar Creek. All in all, definitely an interesting book and one I would recommend checking out if you’re a fan of examinations of monstrosity and otherness, as well as historical queer (trans) stories.

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.

I was looking for a quick, atmospheric read for a flight and this did not disappoint! This queer horror novella used a historical Appalachian setting to explore trans identity and the toxicity of closed-mindedness in small, religious towns.

3/5 Stars

TL;DR - Evocative, subtly sinister, and unapologetically queer. Historical fiction with a dash of horror and paranormal, this book tackles a lot of heavy topics with nuance and absolutely no shame. Also, there’s monster-fucking, if that’s your thing.

Big thanks to Tor and NetGalley for providing the ARC for this book in exchange for an honest review!

***Trigger Warnings for: repeated misgendering, racism, war-related PTSD, transphobia, Christian religious overtones including hostility towards queerness and gender essentialism, sexism, misogyny, tobacco use, mentioned death of a parent, off-page rape, victim-blaming, mentioned self-induced abortion, explicit sex, on-page unwanted sexual advances, and gore.***

‘The Woods All Black’ by Lee Mandelo is a horror novella set deep in the hollers of Appalachia, with as much and maybe more “there’s something in the woods” spookiness as you’d expect from rural Kentucky. The story takes place in 1929 and follows Leslie Bruin, a war-hardened nurse with the Frontier Nursing Service, who is assigned to rural Spar Creek, a town chock-full of monsters both human and supernatural. Leslie is unwanted and untrusted at best, hated and demonized at worst, and he must contend with forces both earthly and otherwordly in his pursuit to serve the unique and challenging needs of this backwater town.

““I will tell you,” Marge said carefully, “that there are strange currents running under Spar Creek, and a preacher who sets himself foremost against devils has good reasons to find them wherever he is able.””

I really didn’t know what to expect from this book. It’s shelved on NetGalley under sci-fi/fantasy, but I would argue this isn’t either of those things - I think historical fiction with horror leanings is more accurate. However, I wasn’t disappointed, because I mistakenly thought it was shelved under horror to begin with (and the blurb strongly implies this, as well), and I was satisfied with the balance of history and horror. If you’re going into this thinking it’s sci-fi or fantasy, I think you’ll be disappointed.

The prose is evocative and brutally honest. It’s clean and simple, as no-nonsense as Leslie, and I couldn’t help but read all of it in an Appalachian accent in my head. I think the author has a strong sense of how to set the tone and vibe of a work through word choice and style, and as someone who has a Southern partner, this book was almost nostalgic in how truly Southern the prose felt. (Now, take that with a grain of salt, I’m a born and raised Midwesterner, so if you’re actually Southern, your mileage may vary.)

The characters all feel real, as much as they can for a 160 page novella with limited time for characterization. I rooted so deeply for Leslie, for him to survive the messed up town and its people, and to find whatever happiness he could. I hated the antagonists, but I am fully aware that I’m biased in that respect, which I’ll cover below. Point being, this felt like a book about real people, even with the supernatural weirdness going on, and regardless of genre, I was really immersed in Leslie’s struggles.

I truly appreciate the conversations this book has about gender, sexuality, and the diverse spectrum of queer experiences. When you think of the 1920s, you don’t think about how there were vibrant and thriving queer communities hidden away beneath the intolerant zeitgeist, but this book gives life to that reality and paints all of it in such a lush light. Leslie has different ideas about his own gender that don’t line up with that of the other queer character in the book, and they discuss their differences and the nuances of queer existence in a way that was thoughtful and honest, and ultimately, realistic. Really, really love it.

That said, this book was very hard for me to get through in places, for purely personal reasons that have nothing to do with craft. As I mentioned in the trigger warnings, this book is drenched in Christian bigotry against queer folks, and beyond that, religiously-driven misogyny. It’s disgusting and I was viscerally uncomfortable for all of the scenes about “devils” and “unnatural women” and “natural law” and…just, ew - and it’s 100% accurate to how Christians did and still do treat queer folx and women. As both a queer woman and someone with Christian religious trauma, this book was *rough* in those sections, but the overtly-violent hatred is thankfully limited to a few scenes, the rest is just your standard passive-aggressive bigotry on a more tolerable level (tolerable is a poor choice of words, but by "tolerable" I mean "yeah, I've been there, too, buddy"). I would highly advise caution if you’ve experienced similar persecution - however, I will say that I was compelled enough by Leslie as a character and the spookiness to keep going. And, with a queer author, I suspected the gross people would get their comeuppance by story’s end and - yep, they do! Love to see it.

And then there’s the monster-fucking. I was not expecting that aspect at all, and it kind of took me by surprise in a way that I didn’t enjoy. No shade to people who enjoy that, but I’m definitely not one of them. If you’re a monster fucker, you will love this, go forth with my blessing. I do, however, really appreciate the representation of healthy queer sexual relationships, with consent and respect for boundaries, so big kudos for that. And we stan a book where queer folks get a HEA and none of them die!

Final Thoughts:

Overall, the book is solid. I think it will be a four or five star read for a lot of people, but because of the things I mentioned above, it came in lower than that for me. Purely a me thing, I’m certain this has an audience who will love it. I won’t be purchasing a physical copy of this book.

A bag of mixed feelings, full review to come but it was an experience! I’m teetering on feeling like this was a lot in such few pages and needed more pages or fewer storylines.

I adored this book and in particular, the setting. The way the author described the Appalachian setting from both a nature and historical perspective were unique and captivating. The small town setting was appropriately claustrophobic and, probably due to the novella format, never stale. The Woods All Black is a brief, dark, verdant glimpse into the evil that can infect a community if left unchecked, and the kind of vengeance embracing nature can give.

Lee Mandelo has no fear of "going there"; it's one of my favorite things about reading his work. "The Woods All Black" begins with a familiar premise - an outsider trying to deal with a religious community - but it quickly becomes unique by virtue of the time period and central characters. Les is a trans man and a nurse in the early 20th century, trying to live his truth without endangering his life. When a preacher targets Les and turns the community against him, Les must make some difficult decisions about how much he can help, and when he should turn tail. Did I mention that there's also a terrifying beast lurking in the woods?

This novella felt a little thin in spots - and a few reveals seemed fairly obvious - but on the whole, it was enjoyable. Mandelo's prose is perfect as always. Wonderful story!

Love some Appalachian horror! A great blend of scary and funny and sexy and violent. Although I don’t think this is quiiite perfect, I enjoy how Mandelo is always trying to DO something. More authors should go for it like he does!

reading this little appalachian horror novella felt like getting lost in the woods with only the moon to guide you, except the moon is incredibly elusive and betraying and has a habit of dropping monster smut into your lap and slapping you round the back of the head out of nowhere.

daring, murderous and gory, full to the brim with transgender nuances and spitting at the patriarchal feet of a claustrophobic religious town, ‘the woods all black’ sunk its earthy claws right into my brain and wouldn’t let go until it had given it a good rag around.

3.75 stars for delivering an experience i couldn’t have ever possibly predicted the ending of.

thank you netgalley for the e-arc!!

The Woods All Black is under 200 pages but still packs such a punch. It is truly an incredible combination of creepy small town church vibes, revenge, monsters, and resilience. It's remarkably atmospheric and gave me the creeps on many occasions. I was fully invested from the first chapter and I'm still thinking about it days later.

I ended up really enjoying The Woods all Black which didn't actually surprise me as I'm a big fan of Lee Mandelo.
They have written one of my absolute favourite books, Summer Sons!
This was such a great novella with some beautiful writing.

It was creepy and atmospheric. It had great characters and I really liked the romance. Somethings in the story surprised me but definitely in a good way.
I highly recommend this novella!

Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a review.

This novella was everything I wanted and more. Lee Mandelo has crafted an expertly-researched and wonderfully angry gem of a book that I genuinely couldn’t stop reading.

As a big fan of the Appalachian horror subgenre, I had high expectations for the setting and claustrophobic nature of The Woods All Black and I was not disappointed in any way. It’s obvious that so much research went into this novel, and I appreciated every second of it, even if I couldn’t stand the inhabitants of Spar Creek at all.

Leslie and Stevie were such wonderful, well-thought out characters as well, and I loved the themes of revenge, identity, and autonomy that their individual character arcs explored.

If you’re looking for a trans romance, a story about vengeance, and what it means to overcome the oppressive forces that might be working against you, then this story is for you.

I only wish it had been longer

Special thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me an arc in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I don't know what I expected going into this book. The first half met my preconceived notions with each new layer of information and then it all veered off heavily in a way I had not expected. Which is mostly to say monster fucking but, you know what, kind of here for it. If that's not your jam, however, be warned that it does happen just past the 3/4 mark.

With that little warning out of the way...

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It really takes the concept of "I'll become the monster you made me out to be" and flips it into a bid for justice and freedom instead of pure villainy. And what a ride it is to that sweet release of finally being completely free. Free to exist as you are and with the person you love.

The story was, at times, uncomfortable but the resilience of Leslie and Stevie throughout was absolutely flawless. The deep-seated exhaustion of contained rage and playing nice countered by the brash, in-your-face refusal to back down was a wonderfully written balancing act and the way it colors the interactions between Leslie and Stevie is enough to draw you in and keep you invested in the blooming trust they find in each other.

The setting was fantastic. Even without much description for most of the characters, it was easy to get a rather clear picture of who they were and how loathsome much of the town was. The descriptions of the woods and creek, on the other hand, were so vivid that it almost felt like being there myself (which has only further increased my unease of strange woods at night, so props and thanks for that).

I would absolutely recommend this book without question or hesitation.

Lee Mandelo knows exactly the kind of fucked up queer shit I love. 10/10 no notes.

I will read anything that Lee Mandelo puts out at this point.

4.5 rounded up / arc review

I’m ngl the high rating is just for the surprise monster fucking as that is MY THING. (Im a lil freak sue me)

Trans rage and revenge mixed in with historical horror. With a beautiful writing style that suits the atmosphere and tones of the book so well. If you have read the other work by this author you will be familiar with how well they write atmosphere and you won’t be disappointed with this one either!

It’s well researched for the time frame and world setting and that just adds to the viBES.

Now it is a novella so I personally think some relationships and character depth could have been explored more and fell a little short due to that but overall it doesn’t feel unfinished with it been short.