I enjoy a good scary book. I originally picked this ARC purely based on the cover. It was a slow start for me and I was afraid it was going to be a “not for me” book. However, I stuck with it and there was a good payoff. Enough character growth to keep me happy, enough twists to keep me guessing, and enough living with the consequences of their actions to keep me invested.
“I Am Made of Death” by Kelly Andrew
4/5 stars

I really enjoyed the dual POVs throughout. This was a really interesting take on the possession trope and I really enjoyed Andrew's spin!

It weaved together the 3 separate tales in Kelly's hauntingly original world, into one epic masterpiece. I could not think of a better ending to these wonderful people. This book is exactly what I needed right now, and I can not wait to have it physically in my hands, instead of just virtually. This book is so touching and gut wrenching it is one of my top reads of the year. This book is not a want to read, but a need.

Kelly Andrew's books are always gorgeously written. I had so much fun with this one, especially in the first half. The characters were such opposites and played off each other so well. I always find myself getting lost in the second half of Andrew's books--I'm not quite sure what the resolution was or how everyone got out of it, but I was still along for the ride. The vibes were fun throughout, but I did definitely enjoy the first half more.

I Am Made of Death is Kelly Andrew’s best book yet. The world building is great and really builds on the previous books quite well. The characters were vivid and authentic, especially Vivienne. She’s angry at the loss of her ability to speak, leaving her to be misunderstood by those around her. She takes that anger out on those around her, especially those who she thinks will hurt or betray her. Thomas is a hardworking guy, who is trying his best to support his family and keep his sister from worrying. He’s careful with Vivienne, especially since he feels he’s been asked to act as way more than her interpreter. I felt like their ups and downs and various feelings were genuine and authentic to the situation. Vivienne’s deep dark secret was creepy and unsettling and I really enjoyed watching everything come together as it did. The plot was really great and well paced. Overall, this book was amazing!

This was a bit darker than I was expecting but it was so good! Trying to deal with her issues on her own, Vivianne tries to evade Thomas, but that's proving more difficult than she thought.

I just adore Andrew's particular brand of bubblegum horror! Every book since Whispering Dark has swept me away, pulling me in with its imagery, darkness, and fragile humanity woven throughout. This was no exception! She took some familiar tropes (bodyguard x socialite is such a fun one), and had me kicking my feet and squealing. Not to mention the snippets of Colton and Lane had me extra excited! It's just so fun seeing beloved characters reappear in a new story, and Andrew does that wonderfully. So while a bit predictable, I thoroughly enjoyed my journey getting to the end.

Riveting!!!

A roller coaster of emotions!! When you think it’s safe to breathe, you find yourself holding your breath again! Kelly Andrew has done it again!!

Thomas has had to take on odd jobs to help his family, a college drop out, anything will suffice. An opportunity falls into his lap. A lavish princess, an heiress, who is deaf. Thomas will be interpreting for Vivienne.

This princess doesn’t make his job so easy, and Thomas doesn’t back down to the challenge. Vivienne vows to make him want to quit. This made me squeal.

Vivienne has a dark secret and it’s not easy to hide, let alone try to get rid of when she has Thomas as her shadow. They say every family has its demons. Vivienne needs an exorcism.

A true forbidden love story between the bodyguard and the heiress, possibly a bodyguard and demonic trope.

I devoured this book up and stayed up all night to finish it!!

I went into this really excited to read another book by Kelly Andrew. I read “Your Blood, My Bones,” and it was so different and I loved it. But unfortunately I didn’t feel the same about “I am Made of Death.” They both are YA but this one felt so much younger and focused a bit more on a quick whirlwind romance (that really had no buildup or reality) that I honestly didn’t know what was going on in the main paranormal story more of the time. Vivienne & Thomas just didn’t have a ton of depth aside from the current situation happening. It was a really neat premise and I enjoyed seeing someone who signed be represented but it really was a letdown in my opinion.

-3.5 stars rounded up

Thank you to NetGalley for letting me read and review this book.

A delicious, gruesome, and compelling horror with a interesting mystery to unravel. The romance is perfect for those that love a bodyguard romance, especially one where the one being guarded is doing her best to get rid of her guard. There's a great cast of supporting characters and a fun tie to Andrew's previous books. I would recommend this to anyone who loves horror and even those that might be a little nervous to dip their toes into the genre. The story was gripping and the character were so heartfelt, I couldn't read fast enough!

This book is NOT what I was expecting, but it was definitely not in a bad way. I loved all the twists and turns and creepy bits. This was a perfect read for spooky season with its bubblegum horror. There was no way I was predicting what was happening next, let alone in the overall plot.

In this book, Thomas Walsh is hired to be an interpreter for Vivienne, a dancer who has been mute since she was a child, but nothing is as it seems.

Read this book if you like:
* Bodyguards
* Secret Societies
* Body Horror
* pining
* Found Family
*Twists and Turns

Favorite Character: Thomas. He doesn't care what is wrong with Vivienne. He is obsessed with her.

Favorite Quote: She surged onto the tips of our toes and swallowed the rest of his sentence with a kiss. It tasted reckless and impulsive and like coconut lip balm. -Thomas

I received an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Bubblegum horror, good pacing, solid characterizations, relationship dynamics amazing + tender, Horror elements are on point, vicious.

Kelly Andrew has done it again! This is a deeply romantic, terrifying bubblegum horror—the two leads have such strong voices, a compelling hate-to-love relationship, and some truly unhinged defense of each other when things get really dark. Andrew's prose is gorgoeus, the pacing impeccable, and the themes resonant. Fans will love seeing old friends from previous books, too.

I Am Made of Death is my third book by Kelly Andrews and my favorite thus far. There are so many things to love, from the body horror imagery to the rawness in characters to the bloodthirsty secret societies. And did I mention a clinical exorcism takes place? 

Kelly mentions in the author’s notes that she put bits of her soul into this book, and you can feel it on the page. Vivienne is an emotionally complex character, and I recognize that feeling of being suffocated with the idea that one is inherently unlovable. As a result of that belief, she hides parts of herself that she’s scared others will judge.

Vivienne personifies the fear that one will never be worthy of love unless one strips away the unique and vital fragments of oneself. Enter Thomas, who proves her wrong by breaking through the armor she’s built and standing by her side through it all. He accepts her–all the parts of her–as she is. 

The plot is also fantastic, with haunting imagery and mad scientist vibes. Forces grow darker within each chapter, as lives are at stake, and leave you guessing what direction the characters will push the story toward. The last few had me entirely engrossed as secrets started unraveling, and there’s also a sense of found family that emerged, which I loved. 

Add this one to your tbr if you enjoy bodyguard romance, secret societies, body horror, and the paranormal. 

Thank you to Scholastic and Netgalley for sending me an e-ARC.

𝑰 𝑨𝒎 𝑴𝒂𝒅𝒆 𝑶𝒇 𝑫𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒉 🩰
by: Kelly Andrew

𝑺𝒎𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝑩𝒍𝒖𝒓𝒃: Following the death of his father, Thomas Walsh had to grow up quickly, taking on odd-jobs to keep food on the table and help pay his gravely ill mother's medical bills. When he's offered a highly paid position as an interpreter for an heiress who exclusively signs, Thomas -- the hearing child of a Deaf adult -- jumps at the opportunity.

𝑸𝒖𝒐𝒕𝒆: In his fury, he'd shouldered through worlds. He'd shattered the skies for her.

𝑭𝒂𝒗𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒓: Thomas! I love his wittiness and loyalty. He has such a loving heart! He takes care of what needs to be done and that includes his family. He also keeps his sense of humor and his banter is fun to read!

𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰 𝑳𝒊𝒌𝒆𝒅: I never like to give anything away/allude to the story at all. As someone who goes into a book without knowing anything I try to have the same curtesy for those who read my reviews. With that said I loved everything about this book! The banter, the slow burn romance, the twists and secrets! The horror aspect was perfect, and all of the symbolism in this book makes it a little emotional even. I adored the ending and I truly will miss these characters.

100% 𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒇: You enjoy a little horror mixed with some great banter, rivals to lovers, MC self love and growth!

𝑰 𝑨𝒎 𝑴𝒂𝒅𝒆 𝑶𝒇 𝑫𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒉
𝑹𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒆 𝒅𝒂𝒕𝒆: March 4th, 2025

Thank you! Kelly Andrew, NetGalley and Scholastic for this digital ARC!

As a fan of Kelly Andrew, I loved coming back into the world that she has created. She does a great job of mixing horror elements with a compelling romance story. I highly recommend any of her work and look forward to reading whatever her next project will be!

Thomas Walsh is hired for a summer job interpreting for Vivienne Farrow, a dancer who has been mute for the past several years. It's supposed to be a well paying gig for Thomas who is a bit aimless, but Vivienne makes it clear from the start she wants him to quit. The kicker: Vivienne is not entirely human, particularly after dark.

"I had a handler before you, she signed. You should know that. You're not the first. The first is rotting at the bottom of the S-o-u-n-d."

I thoroughly enjoyed Kelly's first two novels (The Whispering Dark and You Blood, My Bones), so when I Am Made of Death was announced, I was so excited to read it. It exceeded my expectations. For being set in the summer, there's a major chill in the air during this story. Rife with body horror and a secret society, Kelly brings her universe together, bringing back some characters you will recognize from The Whispering Dark. Though you could read this by itself, it's always a fun little payoff seeing characters again on the page in a new context.

Thank you to Scholastic for an ARC on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. This book is due to be published 3/4/25. I'll be posting to Instagram closer to publication.

WOW just WOW. I'm utterly speechless at the beautiful tragedy that is played across these pages. Never have I read something so eloquently written yet so horrifying at the same time. This bone chilling YA horror novel stole my heart.
From demons to romance this book had everything my heart could have wanted. This is the first of this author's work I have read and I will definitely be seeking out more. Bravo Kelly Andrew. Bravo.

Thank you to Netgalley and Scholastic for sending me an early copy of this book! All opinions are my own!

How does one properly review a masterpiece? How do you describe picking up a book by a beloved author and falling in love with their writing all over again?

For starters, this book feels like Kelly has poured her own heart and soul onto the page, and every word of that was so beautiful to read. Vivenne is at once a strong, independent woman and a girl scared of truly being seen. I adored her as a main character because I saw so much of myself and the chronically ill/disabled experience within her. She embodies what it's like to wish you could whisk away that "most unique" part of yourself that others all too often fear, pity, or hate. She embodies the experience of trying to wrench that piece of yourself out by the roots, only to discover that those who truly love you were never bothered by it in the first place.

And then there's the actual story and the utter craftsmanship. The way that Kelly's books have been weaved together is so masterful it's breathtaking. And that doesn't even begin to cover what it's been like to watch her mastery advance with each book. Kelly's ability to use the written word to take you through emotions as though they are your own, as though you are beside the characters and are fighting their fights is always incredible and grows with every new story. The backdrop of bubblegum horror combined with the raw and vulnerable story of Vivenne and Thomas is one that gives its all to the reader as it reaches into their very being and mirrors their heart.

Please don't ask me how much I love Thomas...I am unwell.

If you're looking for a masterfully crafted series of standalones full of love, eldritch horrors, and the most perfect representation, look no further!

I loved how the relationship grew between the two main characters. The story was so atmospheric and I will deff be recommending this one!