Your Blood, My Bones is a devastating gorgeous novel that wrapped me up in the atmospheric tragedy that is this stunningly beautiful book. I loved it from the first chapter to the last with it’s heartbreaking, yet perfect ending. I can’t remember the last time that I sobbed my eyes out but this book had me completely immersed in my feels. One of my favorite books of 2024, I can’t recommend it enough. The writing is some of the best that I’ve ever read, the characters drag you under and the entire story itself is just. . .sublime.

Thank you Netgalley and Scholastic for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I tried so hard to get into this book, but the more I read the more confused I was. The pacing was slow and it felt like there was a lot going on, but not any explanations. This books was outside my usually type of book so it could just be me, but this wasn’t for me. I stopped at 47% because I couldn’t keep going.

A beautifully paced book, with a masterfully crafted story. There was a great sense of familial bonds long broken, with wistful thinking back on the good days. It was devastating and scary, while also beautiful. Perfect for the dark cottagecore lover, or anyone that desires to run through a meadow.

Phew, Kelly putting me through the emotional wringer with that ending! I'm so torn on how to rate this book because so much of this was perfect and what I love, but THAT ENDING??? HOW DARE SHE????

There are a couple other things that I felt ambivalent about (1. James is only ever truly experienced via flashbacks and I felt no emotional attachment to him except that these characters routinely told me to and 2. Wow, this girl screams a LOT lol). Outside of those two things, I was swept away by this gothic, cottagecore horror romance. Because that's truly what this is - it's lush, full of blood and flowers, and a slow burn of intense pining between our two main characters (who also get dual POVs!). It's clear Kelly is a talented writer, and I just love the way her prose can build a rich setting and intense feelings. Despite feeling unsatisfied with this book's ending, I'll definitely be reading anything this woman writes.

Long story short - I liked the book, but probably will not do a re-read. As other reviewers note, this author has a wonderful way with words. I might be an oddball, but I like looking up words I'm not familiar with and increasing my vocabulary, even during casual reading. I initially picked this book because of the title (on the nose) and pretty (to me) cover. I got a bit confused by the age of main three characters during present tense, but I think that was due to me reading in over a few days, instead of one chunk. There was one particular flashback that I thought could have used a break, as I had to read it several times before realizing it was back in present tense. I liked the moody, almost dreadful, atmosphere, but I felt like there would be a bigger climax. I also wanted more "feels" for the ending, but I don't have the slightest idea what I would change. I am unsure if this is a standalone or going to be part of a larger series, but I would not surprised either way. Many thanks to the publisher and netgalley for the opportunity to receive an advanced copy.

Thank you NetGalley and Scholastic for the opportunity to read this book. This is my honest opinion.

4.5/5

Dark, tense and gothic. If you like the Netflix Sabrina the Teenage Witch with dark witchcraft and things like that this is for you. There isn't anything "scary" it's just tense and has very well thought mystery to its plot. I live Wyatt and Peter and their dual pov. They have a wonderful backstory and the world is very descriptive. The lack of characters help really develop Wyatt and Peter and their inner thoughts. Wyatt backstory isn't to me as strong as Peter's. The ending is intense and things can tend to be predictable. Overall a great gothic story.

Okay, so I just finished this book and omg I'm a mess! The book, the ENDING hit me right in the feels. I haven't cried over a book for a long time but this got me. It was worth every tear though and I can't wait for this to officially drop so I can force all my friends to read it and share in the emotional rollercoaster.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley and Scholastic for the opportunity to read an ARC. Your Blood, My Bones was spooky, gut-wrenching and so much fun to read. I loved reading about Wyatt, Peter, James and all the others. I honestly have never read a book like this before, but it was so unique to me. The cover of the book is absolutely gorgeous and I can't wait till release day to pick up a finished copy!

Thank you NetGalley and Scholastic for allowing me to read this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this. The vibes were creepy, whimsical, and dark. The way the author writes is incredibly immersive. It's both haunting and beautiful. The main character had a spark that I loved about her so much. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Read if you love:
- Creepy atmospheric vibes
- Mystery
- Slow-burn romance
- Fantasy-horror

4/5

Thank you, Scholastic | Scholastic Press and NetGalley, for the chance to read this book in exchange of an honest review.

Wyatt only wants to set the farmhouse she's just inherited on fire and get on with her life. But in the basement she found her childhood best friend, Peter, in chain and left for dead. Unbeknownst to her, Peter has suffered many ritualistic deaths at her family's hands. Bound to the farm, not alive and to dead either, Peter wants to escape and be free and the only way to do that is to end the Westlock line, killing Wyatt. The spells have become unraveled and now dark forces gather in the nearby forest. The only way to protect themselves and the farm is to repair the wards, using her magic to do that, helped by Peter, but could Wyatt trust a boy who wants her dead? Can they survive the dark forces or will they destroy one other?

Your Blood, my bones is deeply creepy, hauntingly beautiful and I loved it so much. Not only it captures the reader's heart and soul from the first page, with mysteries, magic and secrets, not dead and not alive chained boys, but it's brilliant and intriguing. I loved the complex relationship between Wyatt and Peter, their powers, their past and presents interwoven and how they have to try to do anything to protect themselves and the people they love.
I adored this book! It's the kind of creepy, horror romance I live for and it was written so beautifully, filled with twists and dangers and magic in a story about survival, love, loyalty and secrets.
SO GOOD!

Real Rating: 3.5 / 5 Stars

Wyatt, James, and Peter were unwillingly brought together by circumstance, stuck together by proximity, but grew together like a trio of birch trees sticking close together for the sake of survival. In a single night the three of them were rather violently ripped apart from one another and it’s five years before any of them sets eyes on the other, and when that happens it’s clear their childhood was built on darkness and lies.

This book is definitely horromance (horror romance) for the YA set. Full of cosmic consequences, eldritch horrors, cryptid monsters, dark cottagecore vibes, a cult full of (of course) old white men, and themes stinking of very poor parenting, this book leans heavily on the ick and the creep instead of the outright violence to convey horror and sticks to dialogue, inner narrative, and clothes-on action to convey sexual attraction. The romance comes from the entire story, including flashbacks to prior events in the characters’ lives.

I truly enjoyed the concept of this story and was really engaged for the first two acts. I was totally into it, 100%. When the third act came, though, I felt the novel started to come apart and never really came back from that. The whole last 30% of the book was rather messy. It almost felt like Andrew knew what the first 60% of the book was definitely going to look like but then either floundered to find a finish they liked or maybe had a different finish in mind at first and decided to change it but it never truly meshed well. Either way, I wasn’t satisfied at the end.

I still recommend it because that first 60% is a compelling and interesting story and you may love that last 30% in a way I couldn’t. This book deserves an audience.

I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.

File Under: Standalone Novel/YA Fantasy/YA Fiction/YA Horrormance

Thank you to NetGalley and Scholastic for providing me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Y’all this book blew me away and just look at that cover! If you’re searching for something that’s fast-paced, beautifully written and wildly different from the typical YA novel, this is your jam.

From the moment Wyatt returned to her childhood home and found Peter chained in the basement, I was hooked. Former childhood BFFs, Peter and Wyatt haven’t seen each other in five years, and Wyatt has no idea that Peter needs to kill her in order to break the torturous cycle of semi-immortality he’s been trapped in for centuries. But the wards around the property are falling fast and there’s something dark and terrible in the forest that wants to come inside. Wyatt will have to trust Peter if she wants to get the wards back up…

I loved the dual POV, the flashbacks and the creepy rural Maine setting. I really liked how both Peter and Wyatt are flawed characters but I was rooting for them. I don’t read horror, but Kelly Andrew’s writing made me realize what I was missing. Her writing is breathtaking and makes you feel like you’re right there with the characters. I don’t want to spoil anything before the publication, but this book made me feel so much and ripped my heart out.

This was a beautifully haunting novel about friendship, love, and family. It was full of rich settings and beautiful descriptors. I was engaged immediately and held throughout the novel. I always invested in the characters and what was happening to them. Edited flawlessly. I 100% recommend this book. 5/5.

I loved the story and the world building. the characters had good traits and good flaws. everything felt really well done.

Wow, what an impressive read! Especially considering the chances the author took with the unique mixing of genres.

Supernatural elements, mysterious, romantic, and horror!!!!! I really was not prepared to love this so much. The writing is gorgeous and had me wanting to soak in every word. Also, the world-building is pure genius and brings this tale to life in a magnificent way.

The characters were definitely the heart of this book. Particularly, the romance between Peter and Wyatt was an emotional overload. I recommend picking this one up!

Out April 2, 2024!

Thank you, Netgalley and Publisher, for this Arc!

Your Blood, My Bones is a dual POV following Wyatt and Pedyr (Peter). Wyatt has inherited the dreadful and dilapidated estate of her late father and wants to burn it to the ground. After one last trip down memory lane, Wyatt walks the inside of her childhood home. When she enters the basement she finds Peter, chained up and left to die. Peter’s only goal is to end the Westlock line to free him from the imprisonment of the property and Wyatt is the last of the family.

I am soft DNFing this book. After 70 pages there is next to nothing going on in this story. It feels very much like I walked in 30 minutes late to a movie. I actually had to double check to make sure this wasn’t a second book in a series because the beginning is very disjointed. I may not be the right audience for this book. Wyatt has little to no reaction to anything going on. She finds her childhood best friend tied up in her basement and barely blinks. She has the strangest assortment of people show up and just goes back in the house. A man turns into a bird on her porch and she just closes the front door and carries on with her day. The phone in the house doesn’t work but for some reason her other childhood friend, James, seems to call it without any context but she can’t call her mom because her cell phone doesn’t have service?! The pacing is glacial and the main characters being lobotomy survivors (not really but their personalities are about as exciting as one) just does not give me the excitement to continue on at this time. I may try it again post publication if the reviews continue to come in overall positive.

Thank you NetGalley and Scholastic for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
Your Blood, My Bones by Kelly Andrew is about Wyatt, a woman who just inherited her fathers house after his death. She comes back to burn down the house and her past only to find her childhood best friend chained in the basement. She learned more than she ever expected to of her family legacy and the past that is now haunting her.
This book gave the exact vibe I was expected and was excited for. It was a slow beginning and took a while to connect to the characters but it was good by the end. The creepy nature horror was great and as someone who loves cryptids the introduction of many different creatures just made it that much better.
The connection between the characters is how you get to know the characters. They show their connection in their current state instead of you being able to see how the connection grew. This can get confusing however since the main character's feelings about her relationships tends to flip back and forth very rapidly. They have a complicated and beautiful connection.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes an eerie and creepy horror. The suspense will grip you and you will be emotional by the end. The story is deep and emotional so be warned and happy reading.

Another great novel from Kelly Andrew!

Your Blood, My Bones shines in its character dynamics. I felt extremely immersed in the relationships between Wyatt, Peter, and James. Some of the lines about their friendships were so beautiful.

I loved the romance in this, but I was left heartbroken at the end.

Not every piece of world-building is explained in this, so if you don’t like going off vibes, you probably won’t enjoy this. I wish some elements had been more thoroughly investigated, but I do still love a vibey read like this.

Kelly has some beautiful prose in this one; she creates such visceral feelings in her writing.

If you are nervous to go into this because of the horror descriptor, don’t be! I am a big scaredy cat, and I had no issue reading this.

Thank you for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review!

I went into this book thinking it was a horror book with a touch of friendship, magic, and romance. I can’t say I was wrong, but I also can’t say I was right because this book did happen to be all of those things, but the list makes it sound small when my feelings towards this book are anything but small. (Any book that makes me cry like this one did, is NOT small.) I will not ruin the book by explaining why I was a crying mess, but I will forewarn you the ending is something that will stick with you long after you shut the book and have tried to move on to something else.
This was my first read by Kelly Andrew, but it won’t be my last. The writing is phenomenal, even with some flowery prose, and I found myself hanging on to every word and searching for the foreshadowing to see where I was being led. Some authors struggle when it comes to describing longing, love, devotion, devastation, and most emotional connections and this isn’t something Kelly Andrew has any trouble handling. You not only understand the emotions of the characters you are journeying with, but you find yourself feeling their emotions right along with them! The balance struck between suspense and supernatural was also expertly handled so you constantly felt just a bit unsettled even during the calmer parts of the novel. Really, I can’t say enough nice things about the writing style.
This story is character driven at its core. A horror novel doesn’t always go over well with everyone when it focuses more on the connections between the characters and the readers connection to them, so please don’t pick this one up looking for big scares and gore… but go into thinking about the feeling of dread you get walking down an unlit unfamiliar hallway at night to get a glass of water and you hear something shift behind a closed door. Think dread, not gore. The characters in this tale are Wyatt Westlock, Peter, and James all of which are very well developed with decent backstories and relatable faults and struggles. If you have a heart, you will care about this crew! First kisses, adorably quippy banter, gut wrenchingly soft moments, and the constant worry of it all falling apart will have you hooked.
Wyatt: Our main character. A striking female who fully believes her only purpose is to ruin and rot everything around her, but just desperately wants to be loved. Wyatt needs therapy and healing. Wyatt also needs to be hugged and given the softest blankets and pillows to snuggle with while she works through all her feelings – and she has a lot of feelings.
Peter: I loved this broken broken boy. Pale and quiet and desperate beyond measure to belong to someone and to have someone belong to him. If your heart doesn’t melt for this poor forgotten creature, maybe you don’t have a heart because every time we were pulled into his life and his emotions, I felt tears begin. His dreams were so minuscule in comparison to the world and yet so out of reach. It was UNFAIR. I loved him. Everyone should love him, even when he’s broken and awful, you should love him.
James: It took me some time to feel like this character was fully necessary to the story and I was wrong in ever doubting he belonged. James finished this trio, and he was so intricate to every part of the story. The book describes the three like trees growing so close together their roots entwine making them into one. It’s a perfect description. I may not have loved James as much as Wyatt and Peter, but I loved him.
I desperately want to write paragraph after paragraph explicitly detailing the romance in this book or quoting this book because some of the lines were truly swoon worthy or a complete gut punch to the soul, but again, I have no intention of spoiling this book for the next reader and there will be readers, there will be so many readers. (Just one quote, if you will allow me, “He didn’t hate her. He loved her so much that it was like holding his heart outside his body.” Who do I think will love this book: Fans of light horror with creeping monsters lurking in the forest, fans of magic, romance readers who truly care about the morally grey characters, fans of love and hate relationships, and fans of “they could have lived without each other, but would it have really been living”.
I am so glad NetGalley allowed me to read a copy of this before it was published in exchange for my honest review, because honestly, I loved it. This book and these characters will be my companions for quite some time.

Kelly Andrew knocked it out of the park. Again. If I could, I would give Your Blood, My Bones a million stars but five will have to suffice. I read this months ago but haven’t been able to write a review because every time I do, I inevitably end up wrapped in a blanket at a loss for any coherent words or crying while scrolling through my (million) kindle highlights. So let’s try again.

The book begins with Wyatt returning to Willow Heath, where she spent summers as a kid, prepared to burn it to the ground. Instead, she finds Pedyr, one of her childhood best friends (more) shackled in the basement, while James, the third member of their summer childhood triumvirate calls begging her not to trust Pedyr. The three of them reunite, caught in a cycle of magic and sacrifice and love and belonging and betrayal and eldritch horror.

Wyatt, Pedyr and James are my everything. I love the way the memories of the summers they spent together were interspersed with the present. The prose is beautiful and haunting. It sinks under your skin and makes you want to lay on the floor (I did several times). I also screamed and cried and cackled and wanted to throw my kindle across the room. Which is really what I’m looking for out of a book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Scholastic Press for this e-arc!