The Gravewood

by Kelly Andrew

IS IT LOVE . . . OR IS IT BLOODLUST?

Shea Parker has lived her entire life in the shadow of the Gravewood – a deadly forest that’s cut her town off from the world. With resources dwindling, she’s forced to ration her hearing aid batteries. When her stash runs out, she’ll be left in silence.

Her only hope is Oliver Lysander, the volatile leader of the vampires who rule the Gravewood. Their deal is simple: she gives him her blood, he brings her batteries. No lines crossed. Nothing personal.

Until Shea’s best friend is lured into the Gravewood, and her brother Asher Thorley returns from the frontlines, willing to expose Shea’s darkest secrets to get his sister back.

Ever the opportunist, Lysander offers a new bargain: if Asher kills his vampire rival, he’ll help find the missing girl. And if Shea agrees to Turn, he’ll cure her ailing mother.

But every deal pulls her closer to Lysander – and to becoming a monster herself.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Vampires, Young Adult Fantasy, Dystopia, Paranormal, Fantasy Romance

Kindle Edition

Expected publication April 7, 2026

Reviews

[Fernanda (ivyfer_isreading) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven't become this excited for a series since probably legendborn. I'm obsessed, this is perfect. If you liked the chemistry between the main characters of legendborn this book is perfect for you, run to get it the second it's available I'm dead serious.
I have a soft spot for vampire stories(must be the obsession with twilight when I was 13), particularly the dark ones, and let me tell you this delivered.
In this world vampires are treated more like zombies, it's an infection and they are killed because of that. Our main character, Shea, makes a deal with a powerful vampire exchanging blood for batteries for her hearing aids. One of her childhood friends, back from a time in the hunting force, is looking for his sister who disappeared and he blames Lys, said powerful vampire. We go from there, I don't want to say too much.
This book has the only type of love triangle that I believe in, when the two male leads also have some tension between them. Lys calls Asher “sunshine” like CMON THEY'RE FLIRTING. I was living for the dynamic between the three of them and every interaction had me giggling. But don't be fooled, this is dark and sometimes a little gruesome, in other words: a perfect vampire story.
I don't know how I'm supposed to wait for book two now, I need it NOW.

Thank you Netgalley and Scholastic for this ARC!

[Kelly Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, friends—here we are again. Another book of mine is slowly finding its way into the hands of early readers. Over the course of my last three books we've explored the dark side of campus, the dark side of childhood, and the dark side of girlhood.

In The Gravewood, we're going to be venturing into the dark side of the forest.

Some moments inside the Gravewood are heavy. As such, I wanted to share potential trigger warnings for those of you who may be looking.

I know there are some readers who view content warnings as spoilers, and so if that's you I encourage you to scroll no further.

Otherwise, please read on:




-Child abuse
-Abandonment
-Fictionalized substance addiction
-Domestic abuse
-Allusions to self-harm
-Ableism
-Bullying
-Paranormal horror elements
-Blood and gore depiction
-Pandemic / plague / contagion depiction

[Kamilah Cole · Rating 5 out of 5]

oh my fucking god OH my FUCKING god oh god oh my god

[Brittany Kilinsky · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m supposed to have WORDS to describe how amazing this was?! Impossible😩

[jenny reads a lot]

if there is a quest, of any variety, I'm gonna have a good time!

[BONNIE SMITH · Rating 5 out of 5]

My obsession with vampires and romance started many moons ago with the tension between Louis and Lestat and had me buying up every vampire book I could get my hands on as a youth. Now well into middle age, I admit, vampires are still my favorite fantasy storyline.

So, when The Gravewood became available on NetGalley for review, my fingers buzzed over to the request button quickly. Being actually chosen to review, had me giddy!

I went in almost completely blind and came out with this book on my top 5 reads of the year.
It has it all:
Post apocalyptical setting with dystopian vibes
Haunted forrest
Vampires AND Vampire Hunters
Yearning between two characters that will make you feel like your dying- but in the best way.

I seriously cannot thank NetGalley and Scholastic Press enough for the chance to read this, due out April of 2026. With that much time between now and the release, theres almost NO WAY I not do a re-read. And I wish and pray this gets some sort of excellent deluxe release with sprayed edges. Fingers crossed!

[Amanda Blanche · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC Read - Releases April 2026

In a futuristic, apocalyptic world, not too far off from our present, the world has been poisoned and is slowly wasting away from the Rot. It started by contaminating the water and soil, and then poisoning the people who ingested it. Turning them into vampiric monsters or hollows. Morphing nature as well, thus the evil gravewoods with trees that whisper your greatest desires and then never let you leave. At the heart of these woods - lies a manor with the so called devil of the gravewoods. Lysander, is a being powerful and monstrous. He is the leader of the mercy boys, a group of other vampires. People who come to him, either come to turn, or to die. Except for one. Shea comes wanting to bargain with the devil. Shea has nothing to lose, the outcast of her town due to her family history and her impaired hearing, all those she loves have left her. So she agrees to let Lys use her, and in return gets favors and necessities. Quickly their arrangement turns to obsession. But when a past crush of Sheas comes back to town, and he is on a mission to find his missing sister, they go to the gravewoods together to ask Lys for his help. He agrees on the terms that Shea accompanies him to a gathering, and that soldier Asher kills the head of the vampires. In somewhat agreement they venture the dark woods and all its dangers.

It’s a story of obsession, betrayal, humanity and connection.

[nikki | ཐི༏ཋྀ​​݁ ₊ ݁ .]

kelly andrew vampire book???? say less!

[Rainelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve read numerous books, mainly fantasy and young adult were the plots all have the same objective. Vampire seeks a human being with the blood that here needs. He desires. I didn’t find the plot to be too original. The did a good job of improving further in the book. The characters and the plot objectives appear to work hand in hand. I thought that it did seem to help the story seem more sensible in certain ways. The dialogue between the characters was appropriate for the age range of the characters. I found it to collaborate well with the modern time and genre. The characters each have the personality that’s wonderfully detailed in the book. I thought this helps the readers to become more acquainted with the characters. The characters motivations are sensible and exceptionally written. The motivations draws on the interest of the main characters and the plot. It offers up that intriguing plot that gives the readers that anticipated exciting story. The ending was good. I enjoyed the book very much. Until next time my fellow readers. Read on!

[Kaylee Pereyra · Rating 5 out of 5]

YEP!!!! YEP!!!!!! THIS ONE IS *IT*!!!!!!!!!! That man YEARNS

[Ramsha · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 // If you know me you know I’ve loved Kelly since she published the first book, the whispering dark, which is my fav of hers. I’ve loved everything she’s written so far, but her new book the gravewood has quickly taken my second favorite spot.

This book is perfect for spooky season because we have vampires, vampire hunters, a haunted forest, and also some dystopian vibes. We follow Shea who makes a deal with the gravewood devil to give him her blood in exchange for batteries for her hearing aids. But things get complicated when her best friend goes missing and her best friends brother shows up to find her. Together the three of them embark on a dark journey through the treacherous Gravewood. The relationship between these three characters is so tension filled and interesting. The yearning and angst is crazyyy. And I love Lys so much, he’s so tortured and brooding. His need to portray himself as a villain to prevent people from getting close to him and the way Shea sees through him 😭 And as always Kelly’s writing is so atmospheric and immersive.

This book comes out April 7th!! Thank you to Scholastic Press and NetGalley for the eARC!!

[h i n d]

auto buy. period.

[Marcella · Rating 5 out of 5]

All my love! Kelly did it again! Think... Peter Pan, but make it vampire .
I love all the emotional rollercoaster and angst ugh the love triangle was no joke. I enjoyed the torture tho! I love how brazen Shea is, how adorable Poppy is (the mvp tbh), Asher is a lil sus but he is okayyyy... Lys tho? I'm annoyed and intrigued by him in equal measures. The setting and writing? Immaculate.
I really enjoyed it and aaaaa can't wait for the next book!

[Siobhan · Rating 4 out of 5]

NOW WTF KELLY

got the arc from netgalley 😈

[Lynette (Storyhooked) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I may never recover from this 💀

Vampire gang leader or vampire hunter childhood best friend brother AGHHHHHHH 🤩

“Is this transactional or do we love each other” AGHHHHHHHHHHHH 🔥

Perfection. Somebody sedate me until Kelly’s next book 🫠

[Haley · Rating 5 out of 5]

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

Ladies and gentlemen.....HER! Once again, Kelly Andrew has delivered the perfect book, wrapped up in spookiness and longing. She has blessed us with a vampire dystopian that is so unique it doesn't feel like either of those descriptors but still scratches that itch in the best possible way. She's given us a book that we never knew we needed, and now we will be unable to sleep until book 2.

This is a book full of longing, not only in the romantic sense, but also in the sense of wanting a world that accepts you and supports you - for who you are. Shea and her search for accessibility is so heart wrenchingly real (see today's political climate). Shea isn't who she is "in spite" of her disability - she is who she is because she's cultivated herself and her life to such a degree that the horrible outside world cannot penetrate into the depths of her. She wants desperately to be seen, but she's terrified of allowing any sort of perception of herself. She lives in a world that uses that perception to hit her where it hurts the most. And she's determined to have the last word.

From Kelly's signature prose to her signature messy love triangle full of longing and eldritch horrors alike, this is a book that is brining vampires back in the best way possible. And you won't want to miss the age of the beast.

[Kalyani · Rating 4 out of 5]

dream road trip and it’s you, the vampire that’s obsessed with you, your childhood best friends’s brother, a girl who knits poorly, and a opossum

(kelly andrew continues to deliver romantic angst and gorgeous writing. this is her first duology and I think there’s some pacing unevenness compared to her standalones because there’s set uo for book 2. I think this also feels the most “YA” of her books so far but the characters and their messy dynamics remain entertaining!!!)

(I also haven’t seen Buffy but what I do know this books feels very much like an homage to me)

(also lys is down so bad it’s hilarious. Definition of “my girl is mad at me I hope I die)

[Vivian · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was unique take on Vampires. It's like vampires and zombies had a baby and it was this book. I couldn't really tell you what the main plot of this book was, but here they were, these teens in a dystopian world and have to figure out how to heal the main characters mom and get her friend back. It's incredible and left on a couple of cliffhangers. Aside from being dystopian, there wasn't much world building nor really explaining anything, but it felt eerie. which I think is a really cool feat. Andrew really set up the book at the end for the series to continue. I'm curious to see where she goes with it because boy oh boy are there breadcrumbs.

[Starr ❇✌❇]

more Andrew bubblegum horror 🙌

[Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

I love a vampire story, and this one was a unique and compelling genre-mash up with dystopian. With that, it didn't feel like a cookie-cutter premise - from the Rot to the Gravewood to everything else, there was something fresh here that can be hard to find with vamps!

The beginning and ending of the book are its strongest points! I was utterly gripped by the first few chapters and flipping pages of the last. I think the beginning does a great job of drawing you in with tension, danger, and enough questions to leave you wanting answers. The end packs a punch with action, twists, and a satisfying closure for this book's arc while offering a cliffhanger that makes you want to BEG for the next book.

I did struggle with most of the story being slow paced, but I really enjoyed the danger and action that we did get in in the story, particularly at the end. The twists and increased pacing drew me back in with the same intensity that the beginning hooked me with. I was able to guess one of the reveals, but the others I didn't! I think the worldbuilding is also done really well throughout the story. We get a good amount of detail in the beginning, but it is delivered strategically in a way that doesn't feel like an 'info dump.' Kelly Andrew was able to weave it into the storytelling and marry it to the building tension and eerie feeling that made it feel like learning the creepy lore of the 'world.'

I really enjoyed the spin on vampires in here with the Rot and how that also played into the dystopian lean. I thought it was super intriguing how the Rot affects people differently and how 'Turning' into a vampire was connected to that sort of nature-based poison rather than a bite (as it usually is). I think this first installment does a great job of setting up the world for more expansion in the next one, both in terms of the history and future (as is alluded to in the story).

While I didn't feel entirely connected to the story because of the slower pace and not a ton of action (it was a bit repetitive on their travels), I did find myself really caring about the characters! The FMC, Shea, made my heart break. I ached for her wanting to feel like she belonged, wanting to be loved, wanting to feel like she had a purpose, and wanting people to stop leaving her. It was so interesting to follow her battle this while at the same time seeing how many people around her DO care for her. Asher, oh Asher. I absolutely adored him. His subtle yearning compared to Lys, his compassion and protectiveness. I ached for him, too, caught in the web/love triangle with Shea and Lys. His heart was on his sleeve, and the author made me want to root for him the whole way. Lys has a very compelling and enigmatic history that always made me want more details! Poppy is at once a breath of levity and just a great side character!

I will say that one downfall for me was that a lot of the story focuses on the push and pull of Lys and Shea. While the tension and yearning is on point, I just felt that I couldn't buy into their feelings in the way I could for Shea and Asher's relationship. I think that perhaps if we had been able to hear/read about genuine feelings growing over the six month time skip in the beginning I would have been more connected to them. While I appreciate that even the characters express that their connection is at least partly 'synthetic,' their adamance that they DO love each other beyond that wasn't supported.

I was really intrigued by the initial setup of Shea's friend/Asher's sister, Camellia, having gone missing, along with the early establishment of a 'villain' (Keeling) coming after Lys. I found myself wanting more action and development throughout the whole story for that, but it only really came into play at the beginning and end, which I think is why I enjoyed those portions the most!

Overall, it was a fresh vampire story with a strong beginning and end, along with twists! I struggled getting immersed in the story because of the slower pace (for the majority) and not being able to connect to the main romance, but I think the action at the end and the strong development of both the world and individual characters are highlights!

*Thanks to NetGalley and Scholastic for the early copy to read and review!

[Jenna O'Malley · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars! 🌹☠️✨

“Don’t go into the forest. Don’t answer if it calls. Don’t bleed where the trees can taste it. No one comes back from the Gravewood alive.”

Kelly Andrew has done it again with this gorgeous gem of a story! If you like “The Last of Us” mixed with “American Horror Story: season 10” you will adore “The Gravewood”

Big thanks to Scholastic for sending me an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

In “The Gravewood” we are introduced to Shea Parker. In the past few years life has become increasingly difficult due to the state of the world, and she has had to quickly adapt in order to survive. Her father had gone missing a few years ago, and her mother is unrecognizable due to the rot that has spread through her body. Desperate for the batteries she is in dire need of for her hearing aids she makes the brave decision to confront an erratic and dangerously powerful vampire Lysander with a deal. She will offer up her blood in exchange for the supplies that she needs. Shortly after this agreement takes place her best friend goes missing and her brother Asher shows back up in town looking for answers. Asher demands that Shea bring him to Lys in order to find his sister, which leads the trio on a wild journey into the gravewood. Why can’t Lys get Shea off his mind? Why does it seem Asher is hiding something? What can stop the rot that has flipped the world upside down?

I need the next book in the series asap. How dare you leave me on that cliffhanger 😮‍💨.
As you can tell from my rating I LOVED this book. Kelly Andrew has a talent for creating the most eerie and captivating stories that are hard to put down. I LOVE her take on “zombies.” If you ingest the rot, you either become a vampire, or the rot will take over your body and turn you into something unimaginable and creature-like. It reminds me of AHS season 10 where you would drink a liquid that turned you into a vampire and enhanced your already existing talent. However, if you were not talented the liquid would turn you essentially into a zombie. This has a very dystopian quality to the mix. Food, supplies, and sources are hard to come by, and the world is in shambles.

A MAN WHO YEARNS IS A MEAN WHO EARNS. We love a man who is down BAD for his girl. Lys is your softie bad boy, and I eat uppppp reading from his perspective.

Not sure how I feel about Asher. I understand his intentions, but I am not positive I agree with his execution.

There is so much more I want to say - but - I can’t spoil this book. You will get horror, friendship, found family, adventure, suspense, and romance! All I can say is that you will not be disappointed if you read this. ❤️

[peyton · Rating 3 out of 5]

I adore Kelly Andrew and this book was so up my alley I knew I had to pick it up immediately. Despite those things, this book suffers from so much under writing and missed a lot of vital pieces for me to enjoy it.

Let's start with the good- Lysander and Shea. OH MY GOD. These two characters have an insane amount of chemistry and their relationship was delicious. Their banter, quips, and half-hearted insults were so fun to read. I was hanging on every word between them. They're both interesting characters on their own, with unique motivations and history. Part of me did feel as those we were dropped into their story, though. At the start of the book, they've had a preexisting arrangement that made feelings build, resulting in two people who were near in love by the time the story starts. I wish we as the reader could have been privy to the start of their relationship.

Now the bad. The world in this story is a mess. The blub says there's a carnivorous forest, but besides calling it The Gravewood there's no carnivorous forest in this book. But the forest turns some people into vampires? Others zombies? Also I think you drink the water to turn? Also the apocalypse has happened. I was grasping at straws trying to imagine this world.

Though Lysander and Shea have this great dynamic, all other relationships in this story feel incredibly shallow. The troupe is trying to track down their friend (and sister) Ellie, but no one spends any time thinking, reminiscing, or missing her. Shea's other best friend, Poppy, is traveling with them, but these two girls hardly act like they know each other. Finally, her childhood crush Asher is traveling with them, creating what is maybe the most piss poor love triangle I've ever read. There is no chemistry between them and their feelings are unbelievable. There were so many inbetween scenes that should have been written between these characters.

Finally, the plot. I don't even know what to say here. The circumstances are entirely manufactured just to get Lysander and Shea extended time together, but it was clunky and altogether abandoned at times. The villian is given no background or context. The story moves along at a decent pace, but this book needed to slow down.

Overall, this book is not what I wanted it to be. It could easily be twice as long and provide the beginnings of Lysander and Shea's relationship, deep, meaningful connections between the side characters, and context for the world and villian. Three stars are earned because I loved the dynamics of Lys and Shea, but not enough to go any higher.

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Stars.

The vibes:
- book 1 in duology
- hearing inpared rep
- YA fantasy
- Vampires
- Very atmospheric/slow paced
- Love triangle
- Post apocalyptic
- Closed door

My thoughts:
I find myself toggling between 2.5 and 3 stars on this. Ultimately, the atmosphere of the story pulls it to a 3 star for me, but I had quite a lot confusion and concern while reading. The world building was confusing; the relationships didn’t connect for me; and the love triangle felt too share-y for my liking.

I liked the idea of this book, and I loved the atmosphere of it. It definitely felt like the perfect eerie, Gothic setting, which would be perfect for October. I liked the moments of Shea’s memory of her history with Asher, and I loved the way that Shae’s hearing loss was written into her character and into the plot.

Overall, I couldn’t figure out if Shae had a personality or not. She felt quite bland for a lot of the book. I had a hard time understanding her feelings and where she was coming from in relation to Lys. I understood the surface level transaction but as far as the deeper connection…I had a hard time feeling anything for them. There’s a lot of talk of love, love, love, and it only felt like a blood-lust to me. Which may be the point, but I digress.

I love an angsty love triangle, but there were a few moments that had me feeling the major ick and feeling concerned that I was about to be thrown into some why choose situation. It did not go there, but there’s a moment where a character is in a sensual situation with another one and tells the third party to stay… he does not stay. And in another scene they all are sharing a bed in a non-sexual way, but the main character wakes up and is all tangled up with both guys. Again, nothing happens. I think they literally just woke up cuddled together, but even though nothing happened, it felt very gross to me. One of the guys says “I don’t care if you’re his as long as you’re also mine”, and I felt like that confirmed some of my weird feelings concerning this. Take from this what you will. I just did not enjoy this dynamic.

There’s also mentions of a devil and at some moments it seemed like this was going to become part of the plot line. I don’t personally want to read about a devil character so I found this off putting.

Note- language; closed door.
Release date: April 6, 2026.

Thank you so much to Kelly Andrew, Scholastic, and NetGalley for the gifted copy.

[Gina Dutton · Rating 5 out of 5]

❤️ The Gravewood is addictive & wrapped in dark bargains and intense emotions! Throughout the story are woven threads of similarities between the fairytale Beauty and the Beast, making this book even more intriguing. Andrews has created an intense setting that feels dangerous & so full of secrets. There’s tension, suspense, and an undeniable chemistry between Shea and Lysander that keeps the reader engaged from the beginning.

🖤 Shea Parker has been trapped in a town surrounded by the Gravewood, a forbidden forest filled with dark secrets where venturing too far means risking losing one’s self forever. But she is desperate; needing hearing aid batteries, she makes a deal with Oliver Lysander, a vampire — her blood for batteries.

❤️ When her best friend, Ellie, vanishes, her brother Asher returns home to look for her. Poppy, one of Shea’s closest friends, joins the search party, determined to uncover the truth. As a new deal is set in place, Lysander, Asher, Poppy, and Shea begin their journey. Along the way, she questions loyalty, truth, and her feelings toward Lysander and even Asher. Still, the reader sees the chemistry between her and Lysander burning with flames that just keep growing.

🖤 However, while the story is undeniably intense, the pacing does move slowly at times. The plot takes its time to unfold & unravel, and there are moments when the story does not have as much action. Despite the slower pacing, this book is addictive and wonderfully written! I highly recommend that it be added to the top of your TBR list.

[Makenzie Latham · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all, thank you to Kelly Andrew and Scholastic Press for this ARC!

Kelly Andrew continues to be one of my favorite authors. Her stories are consistently unique, atmospheric, and deeply compelling.

There’s one thing I love above all else, and that’s vampires. Kelly’s fresh take on the classic vampire mythos was fascinating, and I found myself completely enthralled by the way she reinvented familiar tropes. The plot was captivating from start to finish; not once did my attention waver.

The characters are irresistibly endearing. Lys is everything to me. He’s the dark, brooding, and beautifully misunderstood love interest that calls directly to my soul. Surprisingly, I also found myself drawn to Asher, which is rare for me in a love triangle. Shea is such a resilient protagonist, and I admire her unwavering determination to fight for what she believes in. And Poppy is precious! She’s quirky, whimsical, and adds such a lovely balance of humor and heart.

The romantic connection between Shea and Lys is absolutely breathtaking. They’re caught in this bittersweet limbo, unable to discern whether their feelings are genuine or merely the result of circumstance until it’s far too late. It’s tragic, consuming, and utterly devastating to my emotional well-being (in the best way possible).

I sincerely hope there will be a Book Two, and if there is, I’ll be first in line to devour it!

[Brittney · Rating 5 out of 5]

🌲 THE GRAVEWOOD Kelly Andrew
Coming April 7, 2026 | @Scholastic

Dark YA Fantasy • Vampires • Disability Rep • Obsession 🩸

“She made a deal with the monster in the woods… and fell in love with the darkness instead.”

I am OBSESSED. This book has everything I crave in a dark YA romantasy with eerie forests, desperate bargains, morally gray vampires, and chemistry that crackles. ⚡️

Shea Parker trades her blood for hearing aid batteries, but when her best friend goes missing, the fragile truce between humans and monsters begins to unravel. Enter Oliver Lysander, the volatile vampire who rules the Gravewood and Asher Thorley, the soldier willing to burn it all down to save his sister.

The tension between these three? Unholy perfection.
The Gravewood is haunting, feral, and heartbreakingly human, a gothic fever dream for fans of Legendborn, The Coldest Girl in Coldtown, and The Silver Kiss.

🩸 What to Expect:
🌑 Deaf heroine + fierce determination
🦇 Vampiric gangs + infected monsters
🔥 Enemies-to-lovers tension
🌲 Dark forest gothic vibes
💔 Blood bargains & moral decay
💫 The only kind of love triangle that makes sense 👀

“Lys calls Asher sunshine and honestly? They’re flirting, your honor.” ☀️🖤

#TheGravewood #KellyAndrew #DarkFantasy #YAFantasy #VampireRomance #LegendbornVibes #FantasyBooks #DarkRomance #YAReads #BookishCommunity #Romantasy #BookRecs #SpookyReads #FantasyBookstagram #BookishAddict #UpcomingRelease #BiteMe #scholastic

[Dianna Dietrich · Rating 3 out of 5]

Many thanks to Scholastic and NetGalley for the advanced copy!

In a world where vampires and humans need to coexist in a post-apocalyptic kind of world, there’s bound to be subterfuge, betrayal, and endless scheming for domination. The Gravewood by Kelly Andrew is filled with this and brings a fast-paced story revolving around Shea Parker - a human girl who makes a deal with Oliver Lysander, the vampiric leader of The Gravewood, in exchange for hearing aid batteries. Her world gets turned upside down when childhood friend Asher Thorley shows back up in town, leaving her no choice but to strike a new deal with Lysander.

What I loved about Kelly’s latest novel was the worldbuilding and how easy it was to care about what happens to the characters. It’s one that keeps you turning the page until you find the answers. I also enjoyed the banters between Lysander and Asher.

Where I felt it fell flat were the relationships between Shea + Lysander, and Shea + Asher. Although there’s two potential love interests, the interactions between Shea and the first MMC felt so toxic 90% of the time that it was hard to believe there was any genuine feelings there - even when the chapter was in his POV. And with the second MMC, I felt the history between them, but the present state was just as toxic.

Overall, it’s a good read and may have you anticipating the next book in the series.

[Kaitlin Rowan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first novel by Kelly Andrew and I am itching to dive into her backlist!

The residents of Little Hill, New Hampshire have always lived with the Gravewood forest at their backs. Its whispers calling to the townspeople, inviting them in. Only once you enter the Gravewood, you don’t come back. Desperate for supplies, Shea Parker ignores the rules she’s had drilled into her since a child, and enters the forest. There she makes a deal with the Gravewood Devil: blood in exchange for hearing aid batteries. Months later, Shea’s best friend’s older brother returns home after she goes missing, and they enter the forest to make another deal with the devil.

This love triangle is top tier: best friend’s older brother who happens to be a monster hunter, and the beastly vampire bound to her by blood. This is a story full of obsession, complex relationships, and a quest to find her best friend. Once I started, I could not put it down. This book pulled at the nostalgia of my younger years watching Vampire Diaries on TV.

If you are a fan of eerie, YA paranormal romance with a love triangle at the center, pick this one up. Out in April 2026!

Thank you Scholastic Press for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

[Kayla Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am unwell. There is no one that can write a chaotic messy love trio like Kelly Andrew and I have been longing for her to give us another one since Your Blood, My Bones.

This is the first book in a duology and we are following Shea as she tries to survive on her own in a cut throat and damning world. Her town has been cut off from resources by a deadly virus as well as the deadly woods which are under the command of a vicious vampire gang and Shea must make a deal with the Gravewood devil in order to ensure deliveries of the batteries she needs for her hearing aids. Lucky for her, a certain devilish vampire leader is enamored by her and her blood from the moment her sees her and is more than willing to do anything that keeps her in his circle. But wait! The boy from Shea's childhood enters the stage on military leave and he's determined to get both Shea and his sister back and take down the vampires while doing it.

The dynamics between Lys and Shea and Asher were unbearable in all the best ways. The yearning in this book. THE YEARNING. Impeccable. If Asher is down bad for Shea then Lys is longing for her from the depths of the earth's core. Also, the flirty moments between Lys and Asher?! You cannot tell me that Kelly wrote that scene where Asher grabs Lys' chin and didn't expect all of us to audibly gasp. I. Am. Invested. I'm so curious to see where the relationships with this trio go in the next book because the ending of this book... the twists, the reveals, the betrayals, the guilt... what the fuck.

Now, one of my favorite elements to all of Kelly Andrew's books is that she writes disability representation so incredibly well. I thought that she had written the penultimate character for me in another one of her books. I thought that there was no way I could feel more seen and represented in a character than that. Enter Shea. Shea is so remarkably broken and sad but also determined to survive. She feels like a burden to those around her. She feels unlovable. She feels misunderstood and she struggles to even understand herself. She hates her body but she wants to keep it alive. She feels like her anger and resentment towards her disability has hurt those around her and she has a hard time reconciling that in her head.

I find Shea to be so relatable and honest and real. As someone with a disability, it feels like more times than not I struggle with negative feelings towards myself and my body and my relationships with others because of my disability. It is hard not to feel like a burden, not to push people away, not to resent having to live life a certain way because of something completely out of your control. And that, the idea of resenting and being sad and frustrated about how difficult your disability makes your life but also still wanting to live your life is such a nuanced and vulnerable thing to capture and yet Kelly did it so perfectly. Shea is flawed. She is not your inspiration porn. She does not survive in spite of her disability. Shea survives and lives because she wants to but that doesn't mean she isn't weighed down and confused by how she feels about herself and her actions and her existence.

Obviously, this book heavily tackles topics around disability and the lack of resources and support. It echoes so explicitly what we are seeing play out today with rollbacks on services and resources meant to protect the disabled community, the elimination of laws that provide equity and equality, the resurgence of comfort in people to use slurs and hate and blame towards those with disabilities and, perhaps the scariest reality, the renewed desire to eliminate the disabled population to minimize the "draw" on societal resources. In The Gravewood, we watch as Shea is cut off from all resources and must bargain with sure death in order to secure the ability to hear. This really mirrors the realities people must go through to access mobility aids, assistive devices, medications and therapies in order to both survive and thrive. Shea is LITERALLY bleeding herself dry to afford medical care.

The way love is portrayed in this book is also so interesting. We watch as Shea struggles with feeling like a burden and thus not being worthy of love but we also see that same mentality in other characters. Lys is also afflicted with a condition, if you will, outside of his control that leaves him feeling unworthy of those around him despite the fact that he is one of the most feared and powerful beings around. Lys and Shea, in particular, are so broken but find such a unique solace in one another that is far from perfect but so realistic. As per usual, Kelly has also integrated so much botanical, literary and mythological imagery and symbolism into this book that I cannot wait to re-read over and over and break down in detail.

Also, we get an opossum animal companion brought along on the journey by an epic best friend that is the exact girlhood friendship that everyone deserves to read about. 10/10. Everyone should pick this book up. Get your vampire fix. Get your messy love triangle fix. Get your heart broken. It's a great time.

Content Warning: blood, ableism, drugging, child abuse, abandonment, fictionalized substance addiction, domestic abuse, allusions to self harm, bullying, military presence, murder, gore

*Thank you to the publisher for the advanced copy of this book.

[Bobbi Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so excited to get this ARC from NetGalley ,pretty sure I screamed loud enough to wake a few zombies hiding in my house.
The angst? Delicious. The love triangle? Brutal. I enjoyed every second of the emotional torture.

The writing and setting were chef’s kiss ,dark, vivid, and completely immersive. Kelly Andrew’s take on the vampire myth is fresh and utterly captivating. I devoured this in one sitting and already need more. The dual POVs were perfection; I loved seeing inside both minds, and the yearning between them just hurt so good.

This was my first Kelly Andrew book, but definitely not my last. Now I’ll just be over here impatiently waiting (and maybe screaming again) for the next one.