This book was so fun!!! A very different read for me but I really enjoyed it. I think the pacing in the first half was really good, and then it kind of dipped around the midpoint. I got a little confused by the end with all the characters. But still really fun and enjoyable. The romance was a nice added bonus.

I went into this book knowing it was going to crack me open and perform a surgical exorcism on all the broken parts of my soul. I knew it was going to mend me and shatter me with sentences that buried themselves in me and marked me as their home. The moment I read the dedication, the first sentence and the first chapters, it was like I was a scared little girl again holding Vivienne’s hand and fostering the silence that trapped her. I was Vivienne. A girl who couldn’t talk and was furious because of it. Looked at like a monster because I didn’t know how to handle it. To be completely honest, the moment I read the synopsis of this book, I knew it was going to be really hard to for me to read and make it through unscathed. But, as I’ve grown up and found a voice of my own, I’ve realized that voluntarily facing the hardest things, the most tragic things to your being, are what help you heal the most. I’ve said it before— and I’ll continue to say this as Kelly keeps writing her beautiful tragedies— that she is like my own personal therapist, forcing me to see it and fix my wounds myself. This little interconnected series has helped me heal my inner child and it shows in who I’ve become in the last few years compared to what my fears and anxieties and anger from and for other people did to me. Thank you, Kelly, I attribute so much of my growth to you. You helped me find my voice after so many years of wasting my screams to be heard.

With her gripping storytelling, dynamic characters, and suspenseful horror-inspired mysteries, Kelly Andrew’s books always hook me instantly—and this new angsty romantic read had me on the edge of my seat deciphering her cleverly placed clues of what could happen next.

Straight away, the story lures you in like a siren call. The eerie, ominous tone and quick pacing make this book easy to devour. With inspiration from dark fairy tales and mythology, I loved the setup of the entire mystery surrounding our main characters. I also adore how Andrew connects her books to her previous stories. It makes for a fun and dimensional reading experience.

As the story built and uncovered more, I found that some of the horror aspects weren’t for me as a reader. But by the end, Andrew still made my heart soar for these characters and their journey, and I can’t wait to see what she will write next!

3.5/5

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.*

bodyguard/sign language interpreter in this Dark Academia tale by Kelly Andrew. 

Vivienne Farrow has a secret that no one outside of her family knows about - at night, she's dark and deadly, and the thing inside her is growing each day. Because of this, her stepfather decides to hire Thomas, a bodyguard/interpreter to keep her in check and to protect the family's secrets. 

I had a little trouble with the pacing of the story at the start and trying to figure out if Vivienne was just your regular vampire or something else. Note: it's something else. It was a bit dreary at the start watching Vivienne lash out at her family while trying to escape Thomas and form her own plans for how to deal with the monster living inside of her. 

This leads her to locating demon exorcists from a sort of secret society House to seek their help. And from there we start to see the action upon finding out more of Thomas's backstory and his own Brotherhood who are familiar with them and what they stand for. 

Once all the players have been revealed, we start to get a better understanding of just how dark and how far deep the secrets surrounding Vivienne and her condition really are. Honestly, I even felt that for all of his callousness in using Vivienne's dark abilities for his business, her stepfather was trying to protect her in his own ruthless way. 

A whole new group of characters are revealed halfway through the story - courtesy of Thomas, as he tries to save Vivienne from making the wrong decisions in dealing with what plagues her. I wish we had more backstory on Thomas's Brotherhood and the stories of the people that were backing him and helping Vivienne. 

Thanks to NetGalley and Scholastic for the ARC

Proper review after this but first I just want to say: this is not really a standalone, any more than Your Blood, My Bones was. Both are part of the same universe as The Whispering Dark, both feature characters from TWD, and moreover both require *knowledge* of TWD - its world, its characters, their powers/abilities - to make the deus ex machina endings make any sense or have any narrative satisfaction. It is doing both of these books a disservice not to mention their interconnected nature in marketing. I read all three in order and yet I'm still mad, a second time, that I feel like I was duped again. (Even though I think it's better integrated here than in YBMB.)

Anyway, I guess my real review here is - if you like ~*~vibes af~*~ horror-y/dark fantasy + romance, Kelly Andrew's books are here 4 u. Like the two preceding it, I Am Made of Death sometimes sacrifices narrative cohesion and, you know, plot throughlines for the sake of a <i>moment</i> - a visual, a line, just...a <i>vibe.</i> Which clearly is working for a lot of readers, but is a little hit or miss for me. Some cool stuff going on here with the idea of possession, and I do love the mutism element; plus Thomas and Vivienne are fun characters, as dramatic and intense as you could possibly hope for in a story like this. (Did I expect more ballet? Yes. That feels like something that was left on the cutting room floor, and it's a bit of a shame, but that's such a tiny nitpick, really.) But it's a fun read in many ways, and Kelly Andrew really does nail the vibes every time. I just hope her next book truly stands on its own (or admits the series situation upfront), and has an ending that feels earned and belonging to this book itself.

Thank you to the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Another haunting story from Kelly Andrew, this one filled with all forms of demons, writing that has no right being so pretty when it's about such dark things, and an agonizing love story. If you enjoyed her other books, definitely pick up this one, because each one gets better and better, in my opinion.

A huge thank you to Scholastic and NetGalley for the review copy in exchange for an honest review!

I have been a massive fan of Kelly Andrew's work since I first read THE WHISPERING DARK in 2023. The way she ties her disability and life experience into her books is really impactful to readers that might also be going through something similar. Generally I'm not a huge fan of body horror, but the way Kelly writes often makes me forget my fear for a second because I'm so engrossed in the story. I AM MADE OF DEATH was no different for me.

Despite this being a stand-alone book, you can tell it's still set in the same world as TWD and YBMB which I thought was nice. I love a good series of interconnected stand-alones—especially when my favorite characters make a cameo (looking at you Lane and Colton). Things that were set up in book one came more or less full circle here. Which means I'd recommend starting with THE WHISPERING DARK and ending with I AM MADE OF DEATH. That way you don't miss anything with the Easter eggs/cameos.

That said, I love the way Andrew really paints us a picture with her imagery. It's almost like we're right there with the characters going through everything with them. Which, let's be real, I don't think I'd survive in this book. 1. I yap way too much, 2. I can't fight for anything, so one punch and I'd probably be down for the count (unless I surprise myself, who knows), and 3. Thomas would have swept me off my feet immediately (though not as immediately as Colton or Pedyr—she really knows how to write a male love interest).

Thomas was an instant hit for me. Vivienne took a little to grow on me, but after learning her story and why she acted the way she did made me love her all the more. I can't imagine living with some sort of Eldritch horror inside of me. I don't think I'd have made it nearly as long as she did. Not when it felt like my insides weren't my own. But it makes sense as to why she tried pushing Thomas away; she didn't want to hurt him more than she had to. I also want to point out that the secret societies interwoven through these books is *chef's kiss*. Very Buffy. Very dark academia. VERY up my alley.

Overall, this was an absolute hit for me. It's a princess x bodyguard romance with a large dash of Eldritch horror. Andrew is the queer of lyric gothic prose and I will continue to scream about them until everyone I know reads them. Did I mention there's also two absolutely precious Dobermans that nothing bad happens to? No? Well there are. Molly and Judd are the real heroes here, lets be honest.

At this point I might as well give Kelly my credit card, three books and three absolute hits!!!!!!

This is my favorite Kelly Andrew book yet (I've said this after each one I've read) but this really hit it out of the park. From the first page I was sat ready to see what would happen next with Thomas and Vivienne. This book drags you right into the action and keeps you on the edge of your seat as you wait to figure out what is going on with Vivienne and what Thomas was brought to the Farrow house to help stop. Kelly has a way of creating such lovable characters that I am also slightly afraid of and I eat it up each time!!!!!!!

Bubblegum horror, body horror, possession, medical horror, and the type of yearning we need to bring back this book actually has everything. While this is a stand alone, I would highly highly recommend (re)reading The Whispering Dark before starting I Am Made of Death, it deals very heavily with world building you learn in TWD and expands on it in such a great way.

Thomas and Vivienne are actually my children!!!!

Very interesting book. I don’t really know how to classify it: mystery, suspense, supernatural, horror, coming of age, young adult.
Vivian is a troubled young woman that hides her issues well. Thomas is struggling to find his place in the world and gets hired as her interpreter as Vivian is mute and only signs.
Together they try and figure out the mysteries haunting her and start to form a relationship of sorts.
I enjoyed all the characters and felt that the author did a great job pulling you into the story. I felt really invested in the characters and kept wondering how it would all work out. Would it be a happy ending, or not? I really wasn’t sure, but the ending definitely fit the theme.

Kelly Andrew’s YA fantasy is an exciting horror story that follows Vivienne, a mute FMC, and Thomas, the person tasked to translate for her. This was my first foray into a story that portrays sign language on the page and I loved it! More books with this please. Most characters either understood sign or could sign themselves which made what would have been a somewhat generic love story far more interesting.

Vivienne’s slow decline into the monster she is struggling to destroy is beautifully written, yet it feels as if necessary exposition and development is happening off page. Wonderful characters are added to the story as it progresses, but the additions are clunky and the reader is left wondering if they missed key scenes. Many answers are left for the reader to assumes or conclude on their own, which is fun as an adult reader, but the romance doesn’t match the maturity of the rest of the plot. It’s almost as if the love story is written for middle schoolers, with many of the scenes feeling overly dramatic, while the rest of the novel is for NA readers. Don’t get me wrong, I love when YA writers don’t underestimate their audiences, but this felt disconnected.

There is still a lot to like in this book. The banter is fun, the communication is interesting, and the conflict between Vivienne and her mother is complicated. I certainly enjoyed reading it and think others would too.

Favorite character: Reed and/or Thomas’ sister
Favorite dynamic: Lane and Colton, I want so much more of their story!

🎀💀I am made of death💀🎀

This was a new genre to me, romance with horror, horromance? Romaorr? No, it's called Bubblegum horror.

"Inside her beat something else's heart. Someone else's will. This time tomorrow, she'd cut it out."

This is a YA novel in which we follow Vivianne Farrow, a young rich girl in college, that loves ballet, pissing off her parents, her two dogs and the color pink, oh and has selective mutism after a incident she suffered at a young age, along with a dark and dangerous side.

With her parents who are over baring and have her in constant watch we are introduced to Thomas Walsh, who after having to drop out of college after his Dad's passing to make sure he can take care of his Mom and little sister, he is funny, protective and a voice of semi-reason.

Vivianne and her family are full of secrets, some of them too dark to come to light, but Thomas doesn't care. He is there for a job, or maybe more, even when things come out to play at night.

There is so much banter and tension between the two MC, the mystery and suspense of Viv's "conditons" kept me hooked for 3/4 of the book, gave me k-drama vibes.

Overall, I enjoyed this, and it's a perfect romance for teens and young adults. No spice but romance to make you all giggly, and enough creepiness to make it horror.

I want to thank NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this e-book ARC.

4.5⭐️

I loved this! I loved watching the way Thomas and Vivienne's relationship grew from Vivienne resenting Thomas for 'spying' on her to being indifferent to each other to a tense friendship to more. I liked that Thomas wasn't a total pushover while trying to get close to Vivienne and how hit seemed that he was the only one to stand up to her. I loved the way that even in her silence, Vivienne seemed to have an almost siren-esque power to control everyone and how well that transitioned into her actual power. With Thomas' ability to stand up to Vivi, it made sense that her power might not work on him.

I loved the cult aspect of this story and the way the power they were seeking was found. Vivi being willing to undergo such experimental methods to get rid of the power before the cult could get their hands on it kept me on the edge of my seat. The only reason this wasn't a 5 star for me was because I feel like things got a bit convoluted around Thomas and his frat brother's 'walking' ability. I even went back and reread a few chapters and I'm still kind of confused how they had that power and what the 'walking' even meant. Other than that, this was wonderful!

Thanks Netgalley and Scholastic Press for providing this ARC to me.

I became a die-hard Kelly Andrew fan when I read her sophomore novel, YOUR BLOOD, MY BONES, and I'm so happy that I can continue to be so with I AM MADE OF DEATH! I loved this book so much. Andrew does a phenomenal job of blending romance and horror in this novel. I was swooning in every scene with Thomas and Vivienne and thoroughly creeped out by the horror bits. My one tiny gripe is that I don't entirely understand why Thomas is so quickly into Vivienne? They don't have much of a foundation before he's pushing guys up against the wall in defense of her, so it's a little insta-love-y for me, but I tend to forgive that in YA. And, Andrew is such a talented writer that I didn't think of this until after I'd finished reading. While I was in it, I was in it! I also love how Andrew has woven her three novels together—loosely. You don't have to read them in order, but I think it's a better reading experience if you do. 10/10 would recommend!

Series Info/Source: This is a stand alone book. I got a copy of this on ebook from NetGalley for review.

Thoughts: This was an odd read for me. It was engaging and I read it quickly, but when I finished, I was left trying to figure what the point was. I suppose there doesn't have to be a point, but this is a bit of an odd story. The whole thing left me feeling confused and ambivalent. It's also the type of story that I probably won't remember in a few months.

Thomas Walsh needs to make money, and the fact that his mom is deaf means he is proficient in ASL. Vivienne Farrow can't speak for fear of killing people with her voice. Vivienne's father hires Thomas as an interpreter for Vivienne, with a side job of babysitting her and spying on her every move. What no one, but Vivienne, seems to realize is that Vivienne isn't alone in her body anymore...she's been possessed by something evil...something that will use her voice and body to kill.

This book alternates between Vivienne and Thomas. Thomas is trying to keep this well-paying job so he can support his chronically ill mother and his younger sister. Vivienne is trying to make him quite. Both characters were okay but a bit shallow. Thomas was just kind of a "stick with it to get it done no matter how tough it is" kind of guy. Vivienne was supposed to come across as vicious, but when she was herself, she was pretty tame. I think the peak of her viciousness was shredding some clothes Thomas's that weren't even ones he bought?

I think what pulled me through the story was the fact that this book is like a train wreck waiting to happen. You just know that Vivienne is going to loose the battle with her possessor and blood and mayhem will result. That and there is a romance between Thomas and Vivienne which I didn't quite understand. Their romance was a bit to insta-love for me, and they really didn't seem to have much in common. I was confused about Thomas's dedication to Vivienne's well-being; I guess he had a serious white knight complex.

Things start to get defocused as the book continues. Suddenly, there are strange cults and generations of supernatural peeps involved (or were they dead peeps? maybe both?). Then there is a house that needs to be fed...the whole thing kind of went of the rails for the last bit. I ended up a bit confused about what the point was and why the story went that direction. It ended fine I guess.

I think I would give the first half of this book 4 stars and the last part 3 stars, so we're averaging 3.5 or so. The first two thirds was really engaging and really sucked me in, but as the mystery and story was unraveled, I got a bit confused and disillusioned. I finished it, so I guess that says something.

My Summary (3.5/5): Overall this was decent. The first part is really engaging, but as the story continues it gets a bit odd. I am not sure what I expected going into this book but I don't think this convoluted story of hungry houses and weird cults was it. The writing style is okay, and this was a fairly quick read. I don't think I will pick up future books by Andrew. If you are into YA romance with dark supernatural elements like demon possession and cults you might enjoy this.

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I Am Made of Death by Kelly Andrew is a bubblegum horror tale following a possessed ballerina and selective mute whose voice terrorizes any who hear as she tries to cure her curse will giving her new interpreter the slip.

Wow, what an incredibly refreshing story! It was sharp, endearing, and disturbing. I absolutely ate it up. It was a wonderful mix of yearning—for love and normalcy—with the thrilling elements aligned with body horror, dark family secrets, and exorcism. This is absolutely a story in its own genre and unlike anything I’ve ever read.

I rated this 4.5 stars because it was so refreshing and unnerving. It made me uncomfortable while still hitting the marks of what I love in books—romance, fresh plots, fast paced, good writing. You definitely need to add this to your tbr even if it will take you out of your comfort zone.

Kelly Andrew has done it again. I Am Made of Death has to be my new favorite of her books, when I don’t think anything could top Your Blood, My Bones. This is a Bubblegum Horror, a subgenre with bright colors and glitz, rather than just darker tones. The images of blood and rot are broken up by ballet shoes and pale pinks, a pillow of safety in the storm.

After the death of his father, Thomas Walsh has had to take many an odd job in order to keep a roof over his mother and sister’s heads. Anything to pay the bills, and keep his sick mother off of her feet. When he’s offered a high paying job as an interpreter for an heiress who doesn’t speak, Thomas doesn’t question it. As the hearing child of a deaf parent, he can sign in his sleep.

But something lurks under Vivienne Farrow’s pastel pink exterior. A selective mute, she hasn’t spoken a word in years, after a traumatic experience as a child left her unable to. Not only this, Vivienne is determined to shake her new babysitter, swearing she’ll drive him to quit. He’ll tell all of her secrets to her stepfather, including something she’s been searching to find for years- a cure to her little paranormal problem.

Thomas is thrust into a world of new money and secrets, ballet moves and the occult, and it seems like he and Vivienne are the only ones who can trust each other.

Kelly Andrew’s imagery is so VIVID. Every description seems to drip off of the page. I Am Made of Death was absolutely incredible, and I am so very grateful to the folks over at Netgalley and Scholastic for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book early! It publishes on March 4, so place your preorders and look out for it in stores!

I am made of death is a YA bubblegum horror that features bodyguard romance and dark family secrets. Ever since Vivienne went missing in the Red Rock Canyon when she was four years old, she hasn’t spoken a single word. No one knows what happened only that her voice is deadly as poison. Thomas, the hearing child of a deaf parent was hired by Vivienne family to be an interpreter for her. He also is expected to go with Vivienne wherever she goes.

This is the second Kelly Andrew book I’ve read and I really enjoyed reading this. She has such a gorgeous writing style and excels at the horror aspects of this book. It was haunting and an eeriness throughout the book. I enjoyed reading both POV’s and it was done very well. I love the development of Thomas and Vivienne relationship and how it grows and develops. I had such a fun time reading this book and I throughly enjoyed the characters, the plot, and the horror aspect.

I love the idea of interconnected standalone books and even though I only read your blood, my bones, you do not need to read her other books to fully understand this one. I need a map or a spreadsheet of all the interconnectedness between these books (I’m a visual learner).

I loved the sign language ( American Sign Language & Signed Exact English) representation in this book! I love how seamlessly this was incorporated into the story and how Kelly would describe the movements that the characters were making. This was a beautiful addition that I just loved so much.

I’ve been reading author note and acknowledgments more recently and one thing really stuck with me. “Maybe someday, people like Vivienne and I won’t have to choose between language and isolation. One can only hope.”

Thank you Scholastic & Tessa for sending me the final copy of this book!

Another hit from Kelly Andrew!

I love how Kelly writes horror- I’m not a big horror fan, but I like how atmospheric the genre is! Kelly is able to create such tension without me actually being scared or grossed out by gore and still maintaining that horror atmosphere. I also love her character work!

If you haven’t read The Whispering Dark, I highly recommend reading it before I am Made of Death.

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

I Am Made of Death was fresh and unexpected! Vivienne and Thomas are unique characters you want to root for and explore with. Their romance is sweet.

The best part of this book is the weird occult happenings. A girl with a monster living inside her. A boy that slips through the sky. A house built on an ancient monster. It all came together in a very interesting way and definitely kept me wanting to know more.

My only small complaint was the way minor characters jumped into the plot suddenly and ended up being critical without much development. But I also get that this is YA and fast-paced, and it did all come together at the end.

I would absolutely recommend this!

Thomas Walsh dropped out of college to support his chronically ill mother, but he desperately needs a consistent, well-paying job. When a wealthy businessman recruits Thomas, the child of a deaf adult, to be an ASL interpreter/wrangler for his daughter Vivienne, who's only a year younger than Thomas, it feels like a perfect opportunity. But Vivienne Farrow doesn't want anything to do with Thomas. She doesn't want him to discover the deadly secret that's kept her from speaking since she was four years old, not when all of her research, scheming, and blackmail are about to pay off. Thomas needs this job enough to stand stalwart at Vivienne’s side as she tries to push him away. But as he begins to understand her and her dark inclinations, he realizes he’s in too deep to walk away, even if he wanted to.

It's been a long time since I read a book that leaned into its horror elements as unrepentantly as I Am Made Of Death, and I loved it! It was a deliciously creepy take on demonic entities that actually had gory real-life consequences for the characters, wrapped in a layer of originality that felt so refreshing.

This made for really excellent pacing, too! There was one sequence in particular that was so good I assumed it was the climax of the book, only to realize I was only about halfway through. So much action had already happened, but thankfully there was also a lot more to come. In a bookish landscape with a lot of unnecessary duologies, it was nice to have one book pack in all the thrills.

Thomas and Vivienne were an intriguing pairing, but I do wish we got a scene or two more that showed their relationship developing. Just a smidgen more. Individually both characters were interesting and multifaceted, but in ways that may not work for everyone. Vivienne, in particular, has some truly morally grey moments that are a bit hard to swallow. However, they had some great moments and their relationship really made everything cohesive.

Kelly Andrew is a deaf author and, in a foreword, writes about how her experiences as a deaf woman shaped (and sometimes misshaped) her own relationships and inspired this story. Keeping that in mind really made Vivienne and Thomas’ relationship and struggles even more potent. Vivienne is a selective mute for reasons that become obvious pretty quickly, but I enjoy seeing how for her, silence and sign language are not a disability, but an actual deterrent against evil.

Unfortunately, I didn't know that this novel is loosely tied to Andrew’s debut, The Whispering Dark. While I don't think you have to read The Whispering Dark to enjoy I Am Made Of Death, the characters from that novel come into play and the writing definitely treats the reader as if you're already supposed to know them, with very little explanation despite the pretty significant role they play.

This is my first read from Kelly Andrew, but I enjoyed it so much that I'll definitely be checking out her previous works!