This book was harder to get into than most. I couldn't really connect with the characters & kept putting it down.

Old Wounds was a hard book to read and I honestly don't know if I'd really recommend it to anyone, even if I knew the reader was wanting a title that deals with the kind of topics dealt with in this book.

Old Wounds was all about the trans experience and trans trauma and although the characters persevered in the end it was extraordinarily traumatic to read. From the historical tidbits of actual crimes against trans kids to the "current" crimes that were being committed on the pages. It was just a lot and it was a hard read. Though I don't know if someone who has actually dealt with transitioning would think otherwise.

5/5 ⭐

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book!

This book follows Erin and Max, two trans kids who attempt to run away to California. Before they can reach their destination, they are stranded in the middle of nowhere and forced to survive what awaits them in the shadows.

First and foremost, this is a phenomenal debut novel! This book had me hooked from beginning to end. I was immediately invested in Max and Erin as characters! Kinser seamlessly wove together Max and Erin's personal development, their experiences being trans, and the horror elements!

Though this book may be heavy at times, I highly recommend it to any lovers of horror and mystery. 🔮

Now, more than ever, it is important to uplift LQBTQ+ stories, especially those featuring trans kids! 🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️

This was an incredibly good read! The story was beautifully written and the characters were flushed out really well! Definitely worth the read!

As a certified Queer Horror lover, I love all the horror, and specifically trans horror, we're getting in 2024. As the state of transness grows increasingly troubling in the US (living here is certainly....something), stories exploring that horror feel both escapist and incredibly real. The goal of horror is always to explore fears in a controlled manner, and I loved reading this in Old Wounds. Having a trans main cast was so cathartic and their conversations about transness was something that isn't common in YA, so I was glad to see it here. I loved it, and couldn't put it down. I look forward to Kisner's future releases.

What I liked most about this story is how honest the characters felt. The main characters were perfect and I love that I got to see their flaws. I think that’s what made this story feel so real.

I will say, trans stories can be difficult to review since I don’t feel like they are necessarily geared towards me. However, as a gay man, I do enjoy reading them. I think what put me off the slightest bit was how heavy this story deals with trans issues. Yes, this story is about two trans people but I felt like that is all that was discussed in the story. I guess I was wanting more from them than just their discussions of being trans and issues they face. Personally, I own who I am being gay but it doesn’t necessarily define me as a person. I get what was meant for the story’s sake but I wanted more of who Erin and Max are.

Finally, what I loved most about this story was the writing. The descriptions and details in the story were wonderful. I felt like I was there. This is a story about the horrors and how disgusting some humans can be but also how loving and kind they can be.

I’m excited to follow Logan-Ashley Kinser to see what they do next. I’ll definitely be checking it out.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Maybe even a book club pick.

Great supernatural horror story and thought provoking read with references to trans history and media.
Solid debut and I can't wait to read more from Logan-Ashley Kisner.

A timely YA folk horror that spins a trans twist on some of the genre's famously gendered tropes. Both protagonists feel like real teenagers - it was refreshing to read a YA novel that didn't feel edited down to that audience at some point in the publishing process.

Special thanks to @netgalley for an eARC copy!

I know you aren’t supposed to judge a book by its cover, but come on, how cool is this? And to back it up, @transhorror has written a heartbreaking and horrifying novel in #OldWounds.

Erin and Max are two trans teens trying to escape from Ohio to California to start new lives. As Max runs to become the man he wants to be, Erin questions why she joined him on this adventure seeing as Max broke up with her and hasn’t said two words to her in years. But when their car breaks down in a small Kentucky town, the two find themselves in a fight for survival against a cryptid beast and the locals who are in over their heads.

Horror as a genre has always been a medium to discuss gender and sexuality, and Kisner’s new book is a great example of this. The monster in the story is rooted as a local legend, one rooted in heteronormativity. When two trans identities are thrown into the mix, the situation goes sideways with traditional understandings of gender being the crux of the struggle, both natural and supernatural. Max and Erin are flawed characters, sure, but that’s simply because they are teens who have only known a world that is out to harm them. Their saving grace through the story is an understanding of who they are at their core, and their friendship and shared trans experience is what ultimately makes them a survivor horror duo. Kisner also highlights some real-life transgender news stories in the novel and it adds a welcome layer of humanity to an otherwise supernatural horror read.

If this novel is any indication of Kisner’s ability as a novel writer, I’m STOKED to read more in the future. The importance of trans identities in all forms of media can’t and shouldn’t be downplayed, and Kisner does a fantastic job of making space in the horror genre. 🏳️‍⚧️

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

#instabook #instalibrary #book #bookish #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #booknerd #bookworm #booklover #bibliophile #bookcommunity #JeremysBookProject #BetweenTheCovers #2024Reads

Thank you to netgalley for providing an e-galley for review. Old Wounds follows two transgender teens who are taking a road trip across the country. They get caught in Kentucky that has a cryptid that eats girls. Time is somehow stopped until the monster eats it's kill and it only eats what it kills. As the story progresses the reader finds out that the teens have two very different home experiences. The cryptid even becomes a more sympathic character than orginally conveyed. Who is the real monster, the cryptid or the humans that allow the sacrifices to continue?

I loved seeing this new twist on a monster that is said to target one gender. This book asked questions that leave you wondering about the technicalities of mythology. It was also a very quick read. I read it in two sittings. Highly recommend if you're looking for something new in the horror realm.

Two young trans exes decide to leave their small hometown in the middle of the night to travel to California for peace and acceptance. Shortly into their drive, they stumble across a small town that causes them one problem after another until they realize they’ll have to fight to find the way out.

I loved that this story started off a little more YA Contemporary and transitioned a little bit slower into the horror side. This story gave me chills so many times and has such a satisfying ending. The dynamics between characters, the monsters among them and the endless night they experienced was such an amazing balance. Would definitely recommend this book – as always, check your TW’s first.

Thank you to Random House Children’s and NetGalley for an E-ARC copy of this book.

Wow, where do I even begin? Old Wounds is one of those books that sneaks up on you, grabs hold, and refuses to let go. Let me just say—if you think this is just another monster story, you’re in for a surprise. Sure, there’s a cryptid lurking in the background, but the real horror? That’s the world Max and Erin, two trans teens, have to navigate. From societal bigotry to the raw fear of being seen as "other," this book masterfully intertwines supernatural terror with the all-too-real struggles of identity and survival.

The characters are the heartbeat of this story. Max is stubborn and impulsive, while Erin is cautious yet fiercely loyal. Their dynamic—once exes, now uneasy allies—feels so real, with moments that are both heartbreaking and laugh-out-loud funny. Watching them reconnect while facing impossible odds had me hooked.

The pacing threw me a bit at first—it’s a slow burn that takes its time setting the stage. But once things kick into high gear around the halfway mark, I couldn’t put it down. The small-town creepiness, the cryptid mythology, and the social commentary all blend seamlessly.

This isn’t just a horror story; it’s a love letter to trans resilience. Kisner doesn’t shy away from the ugliness of prejudice, but they also highlight the beauty of chosen family and self-discovery. While I wish we got more monster action and answers to some lingering questions, this book still hit hard.

If you’re looking for a haunting, emotional, and thought-provoking read, Old Wounds delivers.

My feelings toward this book are a little complicated. I felt that the horror elements (by which I specifically mean the supernatural elements) could have been fleshed out in a way that was more coherent and purposeful. The pacing was also a little wonky, and a lot of time gets spent questioning the supernatural mechanics of something that turns out to be a nonissue. From a horror perspective, I was tepid toward the storyline.

I really like the characters, though. Max isn't always likeable, but he's certainly consistent, and you can see where his anger comes from. Erin is more emotionally stable, and her sense of justice is stronger... or at least, she's more willing to risk danger to do the right thing. The book plays around with the idea that this stems from her life being somewhat safer than Max's, whereas he has never really had a safe space. Am I going to give an emotionally nuanced T4T friendship-slash-borderline-romance anything less than four stars? I think not.

It was also nice to read a trans horror novel that wasn't body horror, even though I do love a lot of those stories. Kisner makes some comment about how this might be the only trans horror novel readers have ever encountered, an assertion I found odd since the book is clearly marketed as trans horror, but that's neither here nor there. As someone who has read quite a few books in that category, I enjoyed reading one where the horror is almost entirely external, and where the real monster is transphobia. I mean, there is also a LITERAL monster, but the primary threat of violence is wrapped up in pervasiveness of misogyny and homophobia and general policing of people's bodies. While, again, I felt that the story could have been more deliberate about certain elements, there was so much in here that I liked that I'm rounding to four stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this book. My review is my own and has been left voluntarily.

This book was not for me I couldn’t get into the writing style and the overall story didn’t draw my e in but I think that anyone that wants to give this book a fair shot should, because reading is subjective.

As a trans horror fan, Old Wounds is everything I wanted from YA when I was a kid. It still hits hard as an adult, and I will be highly recommending it to trans friends and good allies of all ages.

Thank you to NetGalley and Logan-Ashley Kisner for an Advanced Reader’s Copy of Old Wounds!!

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ | 5/5

Let me start out by saying that anyone who rated this book low is just a hater. I BAWLEDDD reading parts of this book. This book reads like how movies are watched and it is so so well done. As a trans person myself, feeling and understanding what Max goes through this entire book made me SO emotional; his relationship with Erin is strained at parts, funny at others, and overall an inseparable connection between two trans kids just trying to get by in life.

And honestly, with monsters prowling about with eyes like aurora fires, who can blame them?

Their encounter with Charlie and his group just made my teeth grind together so much — yet it showed the truth and the odd knot of awkwardness and pain when seeing someone - or being someone - who others just dismiss the identity of entirely knowing one thing. Max and Erin fight not only to survive this small Kentucky town, but to fight for who they are.

This book tackles real themes of the struggles that trans kids go through, the cruel reality that some people will never accept us for the way we are, and what it means to survive even in the worst of the situations. Old Wounds combines cult-classic monster themes and edge of your seat suspense to really bring this book home. It’s a must read for any trans kid and allies alike.

Two teens, who once dated find themselves together again, this time in an awkward situation that's getting creepier by the minute. It didn't grab me from the beginning and took me a bit to get into mainly because the background and motivations of both characters had to be revealed for the larger setup-- that both are trans kids and their horrific new situation means that one might have to be a sacrifice.

It wasn't a riveting read for me but I liked the idea of it more than the execution. Maybe it was that it lacked atmosphere for being a thriller? I can't quite place my finger on it. Maybe it was overwritten?

Definitely know I'll recommend it to teens, it simply wasn't a favorite for me.

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book and the subject matter highlighted. I thought it was going to be more scary right off the bat, but it focuses a lot on character development. I think it shines a positive light on what teenagers in the trans community go through, especially when they’re from a small town or community. I really enjoyed the horror aspects when the story really kicked in. I would recommend this book to anyone open to all people’s genders and enjoy horror!