Thanks to NetGalley and Scholastic for this copy of "I Am Made of Death."

Let me start by saying that I envisioned this as a movie while I was reading with Jenna Ortega (Wednesday) playing Vivienne and Hunter Doohan (Tyler) as Thomas. It would be awesome!

To help his family, Thomas quits school and takes a job with the Farrow family to be the interpreter for their daughter Vivienne. She was lost in a canyon at age 4 and the experience was so traumatic that she refuses to speak. But how did she survive in the canyon and did she bring something out with her?

(March 2025) AZ I Am Made of Death by Kelly Andrew, 368 pages. Scholastic Press (Scholastic Inc), 2025. $20.
Language: R (84 swears, 18 “f”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: PG13
BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL
APPEALS TO: SOME
College dropouts paying for their mother’s medical bills are beggars, not choosers, which is why Thomas (18yo) is living the Farrow household as an interpreter for Vivienne (18yo). Vivienne chooses not to speak, but she doesn’t need an interpreter-slash-babysitter. Once she finds a way to ditch Thomas, she can continue with her plans to fix herself—or else die trying.
The occult aspects of this story are not explained very clearly. The vagueness adds an element of horror in the beginning but distracts from the action the deeper readers go, turning mystery into confusion. In the end, the forces of evil somehow collapse, causing the antagonists to somehow face consequences while the protagonists drive hopefully into the dawn of a new day. A happy ending, if not a very disclosing conclusion.
The majority of characters are implied White, and Frances, Hudson, and Reed are part of the LGBT community. The mature content rating is for alcohol use, illegal activity, scary elements, mentions of prostitution, kissing, and innuendo. The violence rating is for assault, gun use, blood and gore, mentions of suicide, and murder.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

Loved this book. It was different from what I usually read but this was great. The author is great and I absolutely loved how all three books tie together. Kelly Andrew is a new to author and I'm so glad I discovered her.

I felt the pacing was great and I loved the multi POV. The only thing I wish was a little more explained was Thomas's abilities, I felt that was glazed over. Otherwise he definitely goes on my fav MMCs list. I love how gritty and rough around the edges he is even when he is in a suit

Vivienne is an absolute angel who deserves the world...above and below the world too, with Molly and Judd by her side.

I have yet to read a book by Kelley Andrew that I haven’t absolutely loved. I am made of death had so many things about it that were amazing: from the dogs, to the storyline, and the romance between Vivienne and Thomas, the book was perfection! And I do have to say, I’m glad this book didn’t devastate me in the way Your Blood, My Bones did

This was everything I wanted it to be. If you loved Jennifer’s body (the film) then you need to read this immediately. Kelly’s writing style is so deliciously unsettling. I would read her grocery list.

Another beautifully creepy read by Kelly Andrew! I love how all of her books are connected, but I admit it’s hard for me to remember the details from the previous books which takes away some of the impact. I finished this in a day nonetheless so obviously I enjoyed it. The MCs were really intriguing and very different but were connected through their tragic backstories. Vivienne is a spoiled rich girl on the surface, but is a selective-mute due to something horrible that happened to her when she was a child. Thomas is a college dropout working multiple jobs to try to make ends meet for his family and his sick mother.

I guess you could call this a bodyguard romance - Thomas is officially hired as Vivienne’s interpreter, but unofficially as her bodyguard/spy for her father. Their relationship was cute but I wouldn’t say it was overly memorable. I also enjoyed the horror aspects, the occult society, and the plot twists. I would definitely recommend this if you’ve enjoyed Kelly’s previous books, or if you’re looking for a fast spaced spooky read.

Thank you to Scholastic and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This bubble gum horror/romance will have readers rooting for the characters. Thomas is a college drop out due to circumstances out of his control and must take odd jobs to support his chronically ill mother and little sister. Vivienne is a rich socialite that is mute by choice. When Thomas takes the job interpreting for Vivienne, he does not know what he signed up for. The tension between the two characters is great and the story is interesting.

Terrifying, angsty, beautiful. I loved everything about this book. A favorite of the year!

So grateful to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

4.5 ⭐️

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC !!

🎀bubblegum horror
🦷bodyguard romance
🎀mutual pining
🦷found family

I Am Made of Death is a dark and twisted, weird little book that's also SO romantic and beautiful, you simply can't help but immediately fall in love with it.

It's written so beautifully haunting and creates the most stunning imagery ever oh my god... I can't get over it. The way some scenes were described and written, even if it was just the tiniest little detail, set the perfect eerie mood & just added sooo much to the atmosphere and the reading experience.
Like genuinely it was so good that I caught myself wishing I knew how to paint or draw just so I could capture specific scenes.
(I also really loved how sign language was included into the writing and thought it worked so so well!)

I already knew that I was going to love the horror elements and the creepiness of this book, but it was the romance that really had me hooked from the very beginning.

The yearning and pining between the two characters was SO DAMN GOOD, I was genuinely giggling and kicking my feet all the time!!
It takes a lot for me to be this giddy about a romance, so I can safely say that the way theirs was written was just pure perfection, so soft and sweer ughhhh I WISH we'd gotten so much more of it.
Kelly Andrew really masters any genre and subgenre she touches.

She always writes the most lovable characters ever, they just feel SO real, like they're actual people out there in the world living their silly lives. I immediately fell in love with both Vivienne and Thomas and was rooting for them so hard. It was great to see how morally ambiguous both of them were and how that somehow only made me like them more.

& another thing I'm gonna say is I am absolutely OBSESSED with the way everything was connected and came together in the end, the little found family we got!! It really was the perfect full circle moment and a great conclusion to the story.

This was (still is!!!) one of my most anticipated reads for 2025, and it absolutely delivered!!! I cannot wait to get a physical copy in my hands. Kelly Andrew has done it again. Bubblegum horror? Sign me the heck up! Absolutely a joy of a book, I devoured it. Such an interesting take on possession, and I loved all of the eerie, spooky moments.

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC!!

I have loved everything Kelly Andrew writes and I Am Made of Death is no exception. She nails atmosphere so well and her characters feel so real. The relationship development was masterful, the storytelling was gripping, and the payoff tied everything together. I didn't expect a connection to The Whispering Dark so for fans who have read her other books that was an unexpected delight! I loved getting a glimpse back into that world and to see that there was more than a superficial tie in - introducing those characters into this story had purpose. This story is rich, and haunting, and beautiful. It's such a unique take on possession, I absolutely loved it.

So good! I really enjoyed this book. Without spoilers, just know you HAVE to preorder this one! Thank you very much for the ARC!

Thank you to the publisher for an arc of this novel; all opinions are my own.
I’m definitely in the minority in that I didn’t love this. It definitely had promise, but this was a very mature story for characters who were only 18 years old yet acted as if they were much older. In my head they were at least 23/24.
It was a really interesting premise and the reveals were shocking, but for some reason I just couldn’t follow what was going on. The ending took forever and kind of dragged on, in my opinion. It could have been my mood, but I just wasn’t fully invested in the story.
It was fine, and there were moments where I was sucked into the novel and fully invested, but the ending dragged for me.
Ultimately, the writing was good, the story was interesting, I just wasn’t invested and I’m not sure I can put my finger on why.

Nicely written, engaging story, characters you would enjoy knowing. Readers from middle school to octogenarian will be engrossed in this story of love and magic.

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.