The Bleeding Woods

by Brittany Amara

In this chilling debut horror novel, a young woman discovering dangerous new powers finds herself lost in the Appalachian Mountains with her first love, the sister she betrayed, and an infatuated stranger bound to her telepathically as a string of vicious murders taints the woods red.

Clara Lovecroft didn’t mean to kill her parents. She was fourteen when it happened. Something inside her had awoken, something terrible and dangerous that Clara’s kept at bay with pills ever since. Not that her sister, Jade, will ever forgive her for what happened. Not that Clara will ever forgive herself.

Nearly a decade later, on the anniversary of their parents’ deaths, Clara joins Jade, their childhood friend, Grayson, and his younger brother, Joey, on a weekend getaway to repair their broken relationship. The spontaneous road trip stalls when their car breaks down, stranding them in Blackstone Forest—a place deeper and darker than anyone can imagine. Here, the forest whispers, and within its haunting foliage, a strange man waits for Clara among the trees, their destinies rooted in death.

He would die for Clara. In fact, he would kill for her.

Before the weekend is over, blood will spill in Blackstone Forest. When it does, Clara will have to face the irresistible stranger in all his terrifying glory. She’ll also discover the truth about their shared pasts. Like the forest itself, it’s monstrous.

Genres: Horror, Fantasy, Fiction, Adult, Paranormal, Horror Thriller, Science Fiction

263 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 14, 2025

About the author

Brittany A. Marasciulo, or Brittany Amara, is an author, actress and model with a passion for science fiction and fantasy that ventures beyond space and time! She loves writing about curious aliens, morally gray protagonists, other dimensions, rifts in reality and all things playfully wicked.

When she's not working on something new, Brittany can be found stargazing, collecting stuffed animals and baking pumpkin bread. However, she spends most of her time daydreaming and writing those daydreams down!

Reviews

[Stitching Ghost · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book MONTHS ago and still managed to be late for posting my review!

I really enjoyed the prose at the beginning of the book, it was very ornate and pretty, borderline flowery, which I love. It gets less stylized as the book goes on though. I also liked the tense siblings relationship and how emotionally oppressive this book was. The "romance" aspect was surreal in the best way.

I liked most of this book, the general story and general eerie vibe were really nice but without getting into spoilers there's a couple of secondary characters whose relationship wasn't particularly believable and their dynamic took up a lot of plot space to get to the ending and it felt rushed to me. There's overlap of events between POVs and while it did help to keep the timeline tidy it did add a bit of bulk.

There were definitely points where the story had me a bit on edge and wondering where it was all going which was great.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an eARC of this book.

[erica ࣪ ִֶָ☾. · Rating 4 out of 5]

4★
You got me… I judged an arc by its cover. And I’m so glad I did!! This was such an interesting experience, with eldritch horrors, romance, mystery, and some woods I would NOT want to get lost in!

The twists genuinely surprised me, like gasping out loud surprised me, and while the prose did get a bit much at times, it was still incredibly beautiful.
The horror aspects were also perfectly haunting and make-you-wanna-barf disgusting all at once, depending on the context!!

Also omg that ending. My reading play-by-play was like aw that’s sad. *flips page* no way… *flips page* NO WAY. Did not expect that!!!! I loved it 😍

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc! :)

[❁lilith❁ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley and 47North for this eARC! All thoughts are my own.
__________________

This was written quite well, but as I read on I found the prose to be at the detriment of the story. The flowery horror focused language was fine, but the story felt stilted and the characters were underdeveloped. I didn’t care for any of the relationships and the plot felt reminiscent of typical horror tropes and moments. Unfortunately as I read on I felt more and more bored.

[kiki’s delivery witch ౨ৎ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay, The Bleeding Woods... You had me at “haunted forest with mystical vibes.” I was ready to dive into your pages like I was sixteen again, sneaking a flashlight under the covers to read past bedtime. I imagined myself lost in a dark, enchanted woodland, heart racing, totally immersed. Instead, I got the literary equivalent of a hiking trip where the trail keeps looping back to the same muddy puddle.

The prose is where things first went wobbly. It’s like Amara tried to dress up a gritty fantasy in a frilly gown, and the result is stilted, like a knight clanking around in armor two sizes too small. The writing doesn’t flow with the story’s dark, earthy premise—it’s more like it’s trying to recite Shakespeare while stuck in a group chat. I kept waiting for the words to sink me into the world, but instead, I was skimming paragraphs, wondering if we’d ever get to the point.

One scene will get dragged out over three chapters because we’re flipping through multiple POVs like it’s a reality show reunion episode. It’s giving 2008 InvisionFree message board roleplay vibes, where every character on the message board has to describe their reaction to the same spooky breeze. I used to eat that stuff up as a teen, staying up late to post my characters dramatic inner monologue. But in a novel? It’s like reading a group DM where everyone’s arguing over who saw the ghost first. I was begging for someone to just move the plot along.

There’s a flicker of brilliance here—the world has some intriguing bones, and a couple of characters almost made me care. But it’s buried under repetitive scenes and dialogue that tries to sound deep but lands like a motivational poster in a dentist’s office. I wanted to love this book, I really did, but it’s like showing up for a haunted forest adventure and getting stuck in a team-building exercise instead.

[Alice · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read this book! I'm usually not a quitter, but I DNF'd this book at about the 11% mark and feel awful about it. I didn't even get 50 pages in. Based on the description, I wanted so badly to love it, but it just wasn't hooking me. The story starts so far back from the promise of the description and does nothing to attach us to the characters or world. The first chapter would work as a prologue, and then opening the story in the spooky forest with tension between the sisters (as Clara frets about her true nature and lack of medication, of course) would make for a more impactful beginning. We could easily learn about the characters within the forest without the "daily life" portion.

The writing style is modern, yet the word choice or poetic description often feels antiquated and I'm not sure when the book takes place or where.
"No one in this world is good, not really. People pretend to be more than they are, but human nature cannot be changed. We're selfish survivalists caught in a system built to kill us on an orb of misery spinning through a void."
"I am awoken by the sound of my cell phone. It barks, a beast of digital flesh and pixelated bone."
"He befriended me before the world was a stage and I stepped onto it in character."
"Jade's expression darkens, but through the storm clouds, there is a pocket of drizzle."
"She makes her displeasure known in every way at her disposal, but I will not be swayed."
Powerful poetry, but not great when overused in prose that's supposed to be about modern young adults. If this was only a trait of Clara's, who isn't exactly human or knows how to be human, then it makes her POV more compelling and stands out. Unfortunately, Clara and Grayson both read like this, and I'm sure Jade's and Joey's POVs would be the same.

I wanted to know more about the darker nature of Clara and whatever her scientist parents were involved in. I wanted to get to the spooky forest to see if Amara skipped city details for the the atmosphere of the sublime. I wanted to start unraveling the mystery! But reading through the shifting perspectives of "daily life" that all read the same was a slog.

[Bookaholic__Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will admit I was drawn to this book because of its title and the cover, which is absolutely gorgeous. The story was dark and honestly a little heartbreaking. I don't know if I was meant to feel bad for the monster, but I did.

The book was narrated by 3 separate narrators, which I loved. I am a bit partial to Steve West but the other narrators did a fantastic job as well.

This was a debut and I'm eager to see what Amara will write next.

I received a copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Tamina · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 30%

The first chapter was AMAZING and I was so intrigued but the rest of it fell flat. The insta-love felt super forced and I feel like a large part of it was just descriptive words over and over again. By the 30% mark I felt like I was just pushing through and wasn’t enjoying the story at all

[Carissa | the.grim.readers · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up to 4!

The Bleeding Woods was such an unexpected amalgamation of rather drastically different genres: it was packed with sci-fi elements, creature feature horror, and romantic subplots. I will say within the first 20% or so I was starting to get the ick with all of the instalove vibes - BUT this element was explained in a way that I thought made sense overall for the story. Which says a lot coming from a self-professed romance hater...

The writing was done well with a great balance of flowery, more lush prose with very basic and straight-forward language. This cover was what initially immediately drew me in, and the killer first chapter had me staying to figure it out until the end.

This book will definitely not be one for everyone but if you enjoy really strange character driven horror with sci fi and fantastical elements, I recommend giving this creepy gem a chance.

[Ellie]

dnf @ 10%

i do feel bad for this one, but mostly disappointed. the first chapter was so compelling and then my interest is nuked by insta-love, which apparently only gets worse. please stop with the excessive romance in otherwise-interesting horror books, i beggggg

[soph · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.75 ★

i wanted to like this so badly. the premise had everything i usually really love: creepy woods, folklore undertones and eerie horror vibes. it started off strong (the first chapter mostly) but the more i read the more the story just lost me.

the writing is very pretty, i can’t deny that and it’s very striking with all the swirly prose but often it felt like it was working against the story instead of adding to it. every single thing was overly described, over and over again and it got to a point i stopped feeling the atmosphere and was just tired of reading. i don’t mind lyrical prose but this was about style and not substance.

the multiple POVs didn’t help at all either, they made everything feel scattered and so so repetitive, like we were reliving the same thing a million times instead of moving forward with the plot. i couldn’t connect with the characters or their motives, clara did have her moments but the rest of them felt flat and the romance was a drag, so insta lovey and almost no chemistry.

still, there’s some potential here, the horror elements, the tension of trying not to be swallowed up by darkness and i loved the science/sci-fi aspects of it. i could see what the author was going for, but maybe their writing style just isn’t for me if her other works are all written in this style.

thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC — opinions expressed in this review are my own.

[Madeline · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m so devastated. I wanted to like this book so badly but I just couldn’t.

Clara was by far my favorite perspective to read from. She’s mentally all over the place, and it made her chapters so fun and captivating. I never knew what she was going to do and say next.

Grayson was my second favorite. His obsession with Clara helped fuel so many unhinged thoughts while still having a very calm, serene facade.

That is where my like for this book ends.

I found myself confused, wanting more, having to go back and reread, and sitting to think for a moment to make sure I understood everything correctly.

Jasper’s pov took me so far out of the book. The constant use of super complex words separated me from it so thoroughly.

Thank you to NetGalley and 47North for an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

[Stasia Roze · Rating 1 out of 5]

thank you to net galley for the ARC.

I'm really sad to say that I dnf'd this book at 30%. I can tell the author is trying hard to write a book worthy of literature greats, but it just fell flat. Every single thing had to be a metaphor, or described to an inch of its life. Its not often I say anything like this, but I think if the author put the thesaurus down and just wrote from her heart then this would be a much better book to read. In its current state its awkward, clunky and pretensious.

The characters also all read like they're the same person, there are no individual personalities, the narration of the book doesn't match the characters ages or personality either.

the premise of this book was really intriguing and I really hope the author considers reworking this book.

[Charlene (pageandplace) · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Maiden, monster and mayhem…”

When Clara was just 14 years old something awoke inside her and she accidentally killed her parents. Now she takes medication. 💊

A decade later, on the anniversary of their deaths Clara, her sister and their childhood friends head off on a road trip to mend and heal the broken relationship.

Unfortunately their car breaks down in Blackstone Forest. What waits for them among the trees is an infatuated stranger and a string of vicious murders.

This stranger would die for Clara, kill for her and she will learn about their shared past.

This description just screams “Don’t get in the car!” but you know you will for this horror joyride in the Appalachian Mountains! Anytime I see Appalachian, I know it’s going to be a wild story. 🚗

As a debut author you absolutely see the vision and promise of the story. If you can hang on through the pacing and repetition the atmospheric setting of this horror, sci-fi, monster esque story will be perfect for a little some different during spooky season.

Thank you to the author, Brittany Amara, Publisher 47North and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book. I received an epub and am leaving my review voluntarily.

[Caitlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I saw the cover of this book, and then read the blurb, I was looking forward to what this author had to offer.

There are flashes of brilliance in this book. There would be moments where I want, "Wow, this is incredible writing, and I love the image it's creating in my mind." I just needed there to be more of those moments. Because outside of them, the writing felt stilted and juvenile. A lot of the dialogue needed to be worked on to make these adults sound not so much like children/young adults. I think the immaturity of the characters unfortunately distracts from the deeper darker bits of the novel.

Also, I think the eldritch horror, while intriguing, needed to sound more intimidating especially when we had its POV, and less like a regular person.

I think with time, if the author works on their writing, they could be an excellent horror author. I'm certainly going to be curious to read their later works.

[Miranda · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really gave this a good shot but if a book hasn’t captured my attention by 25% then it’s going to be a DNF. Unfortunately this one suffers from just doing too much too fast. I was completely lost as the author was just bouncing around so quickly and introducing so many odd plot developments. Not sure if this one would get better if I continued to read but unfortunately I just don’t have the attention span when authors jump around like this. I didn’t really like any of the characters, they all seemed rather annoying and I haven’t a single clue why our MC needed these magic pink pills (it just felt so weird???). Will not be recommending this one to anyone which is sad cause I normally LOVE a story taking place within Appalachia.

Thank you Netgalley and 47 North for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. “The Bleeding Woods” is available for purchase now!

[Lena Reads Everything · Rating 2 out of 5]

When Clara Lovecroft was younger, something dark inside her awoke and it killed her parents. Years later, she joins her estranged sister and old friends on a trip meant to heal old wounds, only to break down in the eerie depths of Blackstone Forest. There, a haunting stranger waits for her, bound to her by blood, death, and a monstrous truth.

The first few chapters had me hooked. I was intrigued by Clara, her strained relationship with her sister, and the mystery surrounding her past. The scenes in the woods where their car breaks down were full of atmosphere, tension and wonderfully eerie.

However, as the story went on, the writing became a little too flowery for my taste, and I started to lose interest. Grayson and Jasper’s constant pining and emotional manipulation over Clara wore thin, and to be honest I found Clara herself not particularly compelling. The sister was intriguing, and perhaps more layered and I would have loved to have had her POV as well.

That said, the final 15% completely shifted in tone - I loved the scientific twist and the way the story wrapped up. But Clara’s sudden transformation into a total badass was surprising, if a bit jarring and just didn’t land for me (although I would have loved this growth shown through the narrative).

I went into this expecting more horror, but it leaned much more toward romantasy (or maybe scimance - is that a new subgenre?). Readers who enjoy love triangles and slightly obsessive male characters will likely get more out of this one than I did. 2/5

Thanks to 47North and the author for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Available from the 14th October, 2025.

[Arabella Téa · Rating 4 out of 5]

"𝑾𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒔, 𝒔𝒉𝒆'𝒔 𝒂 𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒇𝒖𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒄𝒖𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒃𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒎 𝒊𝒏 𝒂 𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒒𝒖𝒆𝒕. 𝑾𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒎𝒆, 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒂 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒅𝒇𝒍𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓."
_

ARC REVIEW:

3.5 / 5
_

This book was wild.
We follow Clara Lovecroft and she’s not your average main character.
Ten years after a huge turning point in her life, she goes on a trip with her sister Jade and two friends (brothers – Grayson and Joey) and ofc they end up near a haunted forest where allegedly no one comes out alive.
Enter Jasper (aka JS-7R)... and let me just say: obsessed. Like, literally. The moment he realises that Clara is like him, it’s game over.
His POV chapters were my fave - dark, poetic and twisted. He’s unhinged, but the writing makes it so captivating.

The first part of the book is a little slow, and the bickering between Clara and her sister Jade gets a bit tiring, but it does add to the tension and character dynamics. Once the story picks up, it really picks up. Twists, emotions, obsession, trauma.. all of it wrapped in this eerie, mysterious vibe that had me hooked.
There's a plot twist near the end that I did not expect AT ALL.
I'm kinda disappointed with the ending but it was still good.

_
The writing style is amazing, especially for a debut.
I’m super impressed by Brittany Amara and can’t wait to see what she writes next.
If you’re into dark romance with a touch of the paranormal, broken characters, and forests that absolutely should not be entered, add The Bleeding Woods to your TBR this October.

Huge thanks to NetGalley, 47North for the ARC!

[Danielle Strona · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you, NetGalley and 47North, for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

The story follows Clara, who accidentally killed her parents when she was 14. It was an accident, and when it happened, something in her awoke. What awoke in her was something terrible and dangerous that causes Clara to have to take a pill each day, otherwise another side of her will come out. A decade later, on the anniversary of her parents’ death, Clara joins her sister (who hates her and blames her for killing their parents), Grayson, their friend they grew up with, and his younger brother Joey on a getaway to repair their relationship. While on the way, their car breaks down in the middle of the forest, where something sinister is lurking. Clara, her sister, and their friends now must uncover the secrets that are hidden away in the forest while trying to get back home.

I liked the ending of this book, and felt like that saved it for me. I didn’t really vibe with the writing in the book. When I was reading the book, it felt like everything was a metaphor, and since it was written in first person, it read a little weird. It just didn’t feel as authentic as I had hoped. I felt like the book went on, the writing started to flow better, and then the story really picked up. Then that's when I really started to enjoy the story more.

While everyone is stuck in the forest, there is still so much action. The descriptions that Brittany Amara can create leave little to the imagination. You get all the gruesome details, and none are spared. The twists and turns at the end will have you gripping the edge of your seat. The last 100 pages had me gripping my Kindle, and I wasn’t putting it down until I finished the book. I did like the ending, and felt like the ending wrapped up nicely.

[Della · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars ✨

Oh, this was such a page turner! I was trying to piece together what was happening and why from the very beginning.

I absolutely adored Jasper’s yearning at first; the way it was written was so beautiful and raw that it made me believe every single word he said. I was fully kicking my feet at some of the things he said, then I had to remind myself, wait, I’m probably not supposed to like him… oops!

I enjoyed the multiple POVs, though I did feel that Grayson’s perspective fell a bit flat in the middle, and then picked up again later on. And the gruesome scenes? Absolutely loved them, they literally made my eyes twitch. So good, and exactly what I want from a horror novel. Jade was absolutely insufferable and I really hated her character, nothing anyone did was good enough for her. Joey, on the other hand, was absolutely lovely and so intelligent, and knew exactly when to listen to his gut feelings.

I really liked that the science and the process behind everything was explained well so I didn’t have to wonder.

It was so interesting that someone could become human again if they lost their black heart, especially since they only used about 20 something percent human DNA. That was wild! Also, I know Jasper was fully raised as a human and eventually got out of control, but it was a bit unclear if he had ever taken human form apart from the time at the gas station, as Clara seemed surprised to see him as a human. I need to reread that part!

The ending left me wanting more though, it felt a bit rushed, I needed more buildup there. There were also a few things that seemed unexplained to me towards the end, such as…

How is Clara supposed to live the rest of her life as a giant monster in the woods without anyone discovering her?

Grayson, on the other hand, fascinated me. He was so eerie at times that I just knew that he had to know something, and I was right! The way he spoke just screamed “I know exactly what you are” and I loved that tension. I wish he had gotten his happy ending ❤️‍🩹 Also… Grayson’s mum sucks. She was so far gone she didn’t even see how she was endangering her own family, starting with massively contributing to the death of her husband. My gal basically killed off her entire bloodline… may I ask… for what?

It’s a sad ending in a way, but I feel like Clara still got her happy ending after all: she finally found peace in who she really is and even managed to resolve things with her sister.

Overall, The Bleeding Woods was engrossing and perfectly haunting. This was a beautiful debut, and I cannot wait to see what Brittany Amara does next. Also, the cover is chef’s kiss!

Thank you NetGalley and Brittany Amara for this eARC!

[Esme · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this at the end of October and I honestly have been thinking about it since. This book was a rollercoaster and I loved my time on the ride. The book starts off fairly normally then we just descend into chaos in the best way possible. This is one that I honestly don't think I can talk too much about it without accidentally spoiling anything so I'm going to review this a little different than normal.

Writing: I'm a huge fan of Brittany Amara's writing, she was not afraid to go weird with it. When the book started the writing felt almost elegant in a way but as the story goes off the hinges it feel like the writing changed to reflect that.

Characters: I really enjoyed our characters, we did have a few but everyone served their purpose well. There were some character twists that I really didn't see coming and was as shook as the other characters. The book benefited a lot by the multiple character POV's! Really helped me connect to them and the story.

Audiobook: The audiobook was SO well done! We have a full cast of narrators for each POV's which really helped keep the characters and the story in order. 10/10 production!

Final thoughts: I still can't believe this is a debut book! Cannot wait to see and read anything Brittany Amara comes out with next! I also want to stress that this book will not be for everyone but if your a fan of really weird horror put this on your tbr!

thank you Netgalley & Brilliance Publishing for the audio copy! *all opinions are my own*

[Sarah Jensen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Review: The Bleeding Woods by Brittany Amara

Summary and Themes
Brittany Amara’s debut horror novel, The Bleeding Woods, is a chilling exploration of trauma, power, and the monstrous within. Set in the eerie Appalachian wilderness (one of my fav settings!), the story follows Clara Lovecroft, a young woman grappling with latent supernatural abilities and the guilt of her parents’ deaths. The novel deftly blends psychological horror, gothic atmosphere, and sci-fi elements, creating a narrative that is as unsettling as it is lyrical. Themes of familial betrayal, obsession, and the duality of human nature are woven throughout, anchored by Clara’s fraught relationship with her sister Jade and the enigmatic, dangerous stranger Jasper.

Strengths and Critique
Amara’s prose is undeniably lush, evoking a haunting, dreamlike quality that amplifies the novel’s eerie setting. Passages like “the forest whispers, and within its haunting foliage, a strange man waits” immerse readers in Blackstone Forest’s oppressive dread. However, the flowery language occasionally disrupts pacing, with metaphors sometimes overshadowing clarity (e.g., “map-devoted application”). The first-person perspective excels in Clara and Jasper’s scenes, heightening their unsettling dynamic, but secondary characters like Jade and Grayson lack depth.

Structural choices, such as repetitive perspective shifts, risk diluting tension, though the novel’s second half delivers gripping horror payoffs. The twist involving Jasper’s true nature may polarize readers—while inventive, it feels abrupt against earlier characterizations. Despite this, the climax’s visceral imagery (“blood will spill in Blackstone Forest”) lingers, showcasing Amara’s talent for atmospheric horror.

How I would describe this book:

- A lyrical nightmare—gothic horror meets Appalachian folklore with a twist you won’t see coming.
- Perfect for fans of The Hazel Wood and Annihilation, with a monster romance that thrills and unnerves.
- Amara’s debut is as beautiful as it is terrifying, a forest drenched in blood and secrets.

Acknowledgments
Thank you to 47 North for providing an advance review copy. The Bleeding Woods is a bold addition to contemporary horror, and I look forward to Amara’s future works.

Final Recommendation
While uneven in pacing and prose, The Bleeding Woods is a standout for readers seeking genre-blending horror with poetic flair. Its strengths—unsettling atmosphere, complex protagonist, and daring twists—far outweigh its stumbles, marking Amara as a writer to watch. 4/5 stars.

Audience: Fans of psychological horror, gothic fiction, and dark fantasy. Best approached with patience for its deliberate, moody buildup.

[Lauren Nicklaus · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Bleeding Woods by Brittany Amara had incredible potential upon reading the description. I really enjoyed the overall plot concept and the commentary on ethical uses of genetic manipulation by the government. I also really enjoyed Clara's character for the most part. Her inner conflict and guilt over her parents death, her role in it, and whether or not she is human felt very real and emotional. I could understand why she was struggling and the actions she took because of it, even if it was frustrating at times.

However, I had some issues with the book that prevented me from being invested in the story.

First, while I see how this is a horror story, at times it felt more like a love triangle where the two male love interests were competing for Clara's affection, which took away from a deeper meaning in the story. I feel like there could have been more emphasis on the Clara's inner conflict on what it means to be human, rather than Jasper and Grayson (mostly Jasper) trying to eliminate the competition out of jealousy.

Second, the prose was sometimes overly flowery, which made complicated to read at times. It used a lot of metaphors and imagery, which at times helped illustrate the setting and emotions of the characters, but also lost effectiveness due to oversaturation. The middle of the story felt very slow to read, as there was little action. It mostly felt like Jasper lamenting about his obsession with Clara, which I feel could have been reduced.

Last, the characters other than Clara and Jasper felt very two dimensional. The characters of Joey and even Jade slightly didn't serve a purpose other than to put doubt in Clara's mind about Jasper. While Jade somewhat developed Clara's forgiveness with herself over her parents death, Clara mostly worked through that on her own after discovering the truth about her identity. With a little more character and relationship development, their characters could have been really influential in this book. I especially liked Clara's ode to each of them at the end, which would have been more impactful with more relationship development.

Overall, I think this concept was interesting and I enjoyed the ending of the book. The pace picked up, and there was more character development, especially of Grayson which I liked. While this book and the execution was not for me, other people may enjoy it!

[Heather · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have never wanted to love a book more—seriously, just look at that cover! Huge thanks to NetGalley and 47North for the digital ARC. Unfortunately, I had to DNF this one. I couldn’t get past the writing style.

The story centers on Clara Lovecroft, a strange and secretive young woman who awakens something dormant within herself after her parents' deaths. Whatever it is, it’s held at bay by a special prescription. But now she only has a handful left. We don’t know what the pills are, what exactly is wrong with Clara, or how her parents were involved.

On a road trip with her sister, their best friend, and his younger brother, they encounter a mysterious stranger who shares an inexplicable connection with Clara.
Who is this man? What does he know about Clara’s past? How are their histories intertwined?

The premise drew me in and was compelling. I truly wanted to push through and uncover the secrets. But the writing didn’t work for me, and it pulled me out of the story too often to stay invested. It seemed like it was trying to be a bit off-putting and lyrical. Usually, I love weird, lyrical prose—give me Mona Awad, M.L. Rio, Olivie Blake—if it’s a little pretentious and dreamlike, I’m all in. But this just didn't hit for me.

I made it about 10% in before I had to set it down.

This one might be the right book for another reader, but unfortunately, it wasn’t for me. It is possible that the audiobook may flow a bit better!

[Savannah (chapters_of_mayhem) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was incredibly captivating. I was rushing through pages hoping to find the next bit of information quicker to unravel the story. I knew there was going to be a plot twist at the end but I couldn’t figure out what was going to happen!

The different points of view in this story were unique to each character, the tone they used really helped seperate the chapters and added depth to the story.

The intermingling of the creature, the created and the human was so interesting to read. I loved that there was no real concept of time and place only the setting which helped create the ambiguity of whether this could be happening in your town right now.

The science verse nature debate is not by any means a new concept but this book really created a story that will stand out among its genre.

I especially loved the authors throwbacks to other works of horror and science fiction. The little Easter eggs made me so happy when I uncovered them.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. This is my honest opinion.

[Hillareads · Rating 4 out of 5]

“I’ve only ever deemed myself a dragon, not just polluted, but pollution itself. Fire scorching all in its path. Ash that blackens the lungs afterward. But perhaps, for him, I could be . . . different.”

In Brittany Amara’s debut horror novel, our main character is struggling to hold on to her humanity while the dredges of her past cling to her like a second skin. Always trying to fit into a mold all her life, Clara Lovecroft realizes the truth of her origin from her parents which leads to a devastating outcome. Years pass and Clara’s futile relationship with a sister who blames her for their family trauma and a “something-more” relationship with her friend Grayson is all she has. In attempts to bridge the rift, Grayson, Clara and their two siblings take off on a roadtrip through the Appalachian Mountains. Unexpectedly, their vehicle breaks down and cell service is abysmal. To make matters worse, Clara begins hearing whispers in the forest of an alluring eldritch-esque being wanting to claim her as his own. Can she cling to her humanity or will she let the forest and the being within chew her up and spit her out a monster?

Stranger Things meets CG Drews’ Don’t Let Forest In.

This book was full of suspense, obsessive infatuation, plot twist emotional turmoil and Appalachian Eldritch horror.

[hannah mae · Rating 1 out of 5]

★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ /5

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

As someone who loves all things botanical horror and mystery, this book seemed right up my alley and I was eager to dive into it. However, it’s now been a few months since I started this book and unfortunately I don’t think it’s for me. While the premise itself seems quite interesting, the writing style is incredibly repetitive and it kept taking me out of the story, so much so that I had to DNF it around 25-30% into the book. I really disliked how each chapter repeated the last few pages of the previous chapter in a different characters POV. It just felt like I was reading the same thing over and over again. I wanted to be able to get past this constant repetition, but I just couldn’t get back into the book. Which is a shame since otherwise it seemed quite interesting.

If you’re able to get past this frequent repetition of the same interaction with multiple characters’ POVs then I’d say give this book a shot! I just unfortunately couldn’t.

[Ecb24 · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a rollercoaster. Probably one of the most suspenseful and creative books I've read in a long time. The detail to characters and scenes was beautifully haunting and gave me goosebumps throughout. So good and definetly recommend reading. The ending really came around full circle and I loved it!
Joey stole my heart❤️❤️

[Cassie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 3.5 / 5

Thank you, NetGalley, for the early release of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Clara was fourteen when she killed her parents. She doesn't think she's being hyperbolic. The consuming violent thoughts she has when her medication runs out seem to back up her recollection. At the very least she understands why her sister Jade blames her for their demise. A decade later she's determined to get the answers of the questions that still remain. A road trip with her childhood friend and his little brother along with her reluctant sister will bring her close to where she means to look.

There's just one problem.

She's running out of pills. The monster is stirring. And she's not the only one.

I thought this book would be a good edge into spooky season. It also didn't hurt that one of my absolute favorite narrators is part of the cast. I was a little weary at the dark romance tilt in the book's description given the very harmful depictions of 'romance' in many fantasy books these days. At least, being horror, I assumed it at least wouldn't be completely glamorized. Plus, with the mention of siblings and friends, it had an opportunity to explore other types of bonds.

At first, I confess, I had warning signs going off in my head concerning this dangerous stranger. I an not generally a fan of instant attraction of the all consuming variety. Clara's enchantment had me fearing it was going straight into the areas I was worried about. The longer I spent with the story, I started to see it as an actually decent depiction of how hard it is to escape a toxic, abusive, relationship with touches of gaslighting and codependency. As strange as this may sound, it also started to feel nostalgic.

Giving a way for the reader to understand the perspective had roots other than his own instinct played with reader's empathy. It also offered a logical reason for their connection, grounding the story a tad. The dazed and torn Clara, Jasper's molding of his world and his offers, wasn't unlike classic temptations of Unseelie fae and other creatures that tempted the innocent into their realms. It started to remind me of a situation such as in “The Phantom of the Opera” in which there is a common sorrow and an antagonist who has been wounded by others to set them off on their path.

Clara herself is more akin to Jekyll and Hyde. The Nature vs. Nurture battle becomes a central theme to the point where it is almost too blatant. It is also paired with the question of the consequences of the path you take and what it means to not only accept yourself but accept or reject others opinions. To conform, or want, standards or to set your own.

The character work is the highlight of this book. I wish we could have had a little more insight into Joey and Grayson's past as the age-gap partially-parental relationship they had was adorable. That aside, the author gave a really strong sense of not only who each of these characters were but how they fit into each other's world. The individual character voices were strong. At Jasper's perspective sometimes went over the top to be floral. Personally I wasn't too put off as that was the role of my mentioned favorite.

The pacing, however, leaves much to be desired. The set up and initial trouble was interesting. But there was a gurgle of a back and forth through an extensive middle that didn't quite hit a slog as things were certainly happening but also didn't always feel like progress. Then the book stops holding back its punches. I was pleasantly surprised to see what the ending transitioned to. It is this last section believe that will set this book apart. Unfortunately, until that moment, there is a lot that just feels to familiar to be innovative.

If you are a fan of dark atmosphere, slightly gory, tales you'll probably eat this up. If you appreciate fleshed out characters you'll also find something to like. If you have the pleasure of listening the performances are brilliant. But overall I didn't find it to be a particular stand out.

[Sabrina Reads & Roams · Rating 3 out of 5]

okay, the cover? stunning!
the premise? very promising!

the story started off with a bang, fell a little flat in the middle, but pulled itself together in the end.

plot: the synopsis of this hooked me, and i was prepared for this to be a good autumn read, but it ended up meandering about the forest (literally and figuratively) for entirely too long to hold my interest. i am not a big DNFer so i forced myself to finish, and i'm glad i did because i did enjoy the ending.

people: character development was slow and ultimately some didn't really develop as much as we were just told what their deal was. but, without any spoilers, good for clara.

prose: arguably the trickiest part of this book, the heavy use of metaphor really stretched the story away from itself. less of that and more focus on just the crux of the story would have helped this along tremendously.

the story is also told from multiple first person perspectives, which is generally fine, but each time perspective shifted we go back to relive the same event over again. this gave the sense that the story was not moving forward.

its not too long of a book so it's a good entry to spooky season reading if you want a warm up for some longer/heavier stuff!

big thanks to netgalley and 47 north for letting me read this ahead of publication date!

[Faye✨ · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF at 61%

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this e-ARC.

Clara Lovecraft has always been different. She knows she’s different, with this dangerous hunger deep inside her. But she knows that to live a normal life, to keep those she loves close to her, to stop the tragedy from her childhood from happening again, she needs to keep that part of her burried down. and she knows, that she can only do this by taking her little pink pills.
But when she’s nearly out, Clara goes in search of how to get more or some to get some idea of what’s in them. but what she didn’t bargain for is meeting someone just like her. Someone who has let their hunger free. Someone, or something.

The premise of this book had me so intrigued and I beleived it would be a book I would love, but it fell so flat for me and I just don’t care to continue on.

The first chapter was amazing and had me hooked, but at 61% in, there’s been hardly any progression, I may as well just be on chapter 2. The plot has so much potential and it could’ve made a really gritty story to get stuck into, but it feels like we’re just going in circles. Any progression that is made feels stinted as we get three chapters of the same content from different perspectives, and just as Clara starts to give into the darkeness within her, she gets interupted leaving us in a repetiative cycle.

The prose both made and broke the story. At times it was perfect, creating an atmospheric and creepy experience, but other times it was too descriptive and certain words broke up the flow of the story.

I really wanted to love this, but unfortunately I became uninterested and was forcing myself through it which is when I knew I should DNF the book.