The Gravewood: The new paranormal vampire romance from the bestselling author, Kelly Andrew

Gravewood #1

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

374 pages, 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

[Nicole is Reading Fantasy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautifully written and executed YA vampire romance that has more depth to it than you’d expect from the genre. The post-apocalyptic setting is incredibly unique and well thought out. Kelly’s prose, and her ability to capture every moment so vividly, created an atmospheric read that grounded me in the present but could also briefly whisk me away to the past, eliciting feelings of nostalgia for life from before. This is a slower paced read, especially towards the middle of the book, but as a whole, I really enjoyed this one and would definitely recommend.

Thank you Scholastic for the arc!

[Mai ༊*·˚]

I feel like I'm reconnecting with my teen roots by reading a YA Vampire book 🙂‍↔️


_______________

Thank you to Scholastic Press for the ARC.

[Kamilah Cole · Rating 5 out of 5]

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

[thevampireslibrary · Rating 5 out of 5]

it's giving "2026s Twilight"

SHUTUP THIS WAS DELICIOUS OMG

What am I meant to do with my life now? I finished The Gravewood (or more like it finished me 😭 ) and it's honestly top tier love triangle story of my dreams, this generations Twilight, I am utterly obsessed with it, in my top books of *all time* the worldbuilding was vivid with a refreshing spin on vampire lore with some good ol dystopian thrown in, we LOVE dual pov 😌 the tension and yearning was *aggresive chefs kiss* I cannot wait for more in this series

[Kaylee Pereyra · Rating 5 out of 5]

YEP!!!! YEP!!!!!! THIS ONE IS *IT*!!!!!!!!!! That man YEARNS
--
GRAVEWOOD BRAINROT (ha) INCOMING. WELCOME TO MY NEW OBSESSION.

HANDS DOWN my absolute favorite Kelly Andrew book! The premise for this is sooo delicious, and boy, did it deliver. Dystopian vampires--say less. Tortured emo vamp boy HORRENDOUSLY down bad for the girl--SAY LESS. SLOW BURN YEARN-FEST--I SAID SAY LESS! (I apologize for the amount of caps lock this review is about to unlock in me)

First of all, I loved the worldbuilding of this! A really refreshing blend of vamp-contagion with some extra monstrous-ness that made me devour 80% in one sitting. PLUS DUAL POV THIS IS WHAT DREAMS ARE MADE OF. Shea Parker, I ADORE YOU. I loved her strength, her fear, her longing. Her realism in this dark world while still seeing shards of hope; it's so easy to root for her even when she's being stubborn and getting herself nearly killed 24/7. Oliver Lysander, you absolute yearner. YOU SMITTEN FOOL. I love him soooooo much. His chapters kinda carved a hole in my chest, they were so thrilling and GOD, I cannot stress enough how GONE he is for Shea. AND IT'S GLORIOUS. This might be the most I've ever highlighted on my Kindle because I would constantly highlight a whole page and take a moment to be like, christ I hope the ending of this book doesn't break me because this is SO GOOD. And if you're looking for a slowwwww burn, you've got it here. I'm in shambles over these two.

Aside from the impeccable romance, this book HITS on other relationships as well. Shea/her parents, Shea/Asher, Shea/Poppy (I LOVE POPPY), Lys/Asher, Shea/Camellia, Poppy/Camellia, Lys/Paris ... I could truly go on about nearly every character interaction because they all are so fascinating and complex. I incorrectly thought this was a standalone going in, but MAN am I excited to see more of these characters and this world. I'm writing this review the morning after (I was up til 2AM buzzing around my room) and I'm honestly STILL buzzing.

This is IT. The vampire book of 2026, calling it now.

[Antonia Parker · Rating 5 out of 5]

LYSANDER !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pls bite me

(Proper review to come - thank you NetGalley for the arc!)

[Clara (bookish_clara) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐

I absolutely loved every single thing about this book, I couldn't put it down once I started. The Gravewood was dark and gritty with its dystopian vibes and it was so atmospheric. I could visualise every single detail within the world and especially the haunted forest that Kelly had created where the vampires are treated more like zombies, an infection and they are killed because of it.

I got the same type of feelings reading this book as I did when I read Legendborn and the chemistry between the main characters from that series, the dynamic between all three characters in The Gravewood is amazing and I loved the banter between them but especially between Lysander our vampire MMC and Asher the childhood friend who reappears in Shae the FMCs life after his sister goes missing. The way there is this tension between Lys and Asher is written so exceptionally well, I mean he calls Asher ''Sunshine''

This is also one of those books where the love triangle kind of works as not only does Lys and Asher have this tension and angst but it's also there between Shae and both Asher and Lys. For me though it's the yearning between Shae and Lys and it is utter perfection, what starts as a mutual bargain turns into the type of yearning love that haunts you. Especially from Lys side reading his POV and the way he feels about Shae got me so much.

This book is sometimes gruesome and dark but for me it was the perfect vampire story, I cannot wait for book two!

Thank you so much to the publisher for the opportunity to read and review an early copy ahead of publication. All opinions are my own.

[Brittany Kilinsky · Rating 5 out of 5]

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

[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!

[jenny reads a lot]

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

[Lauren (thebookscript) · Rating 4 out of 5]

HOW DID I NOT KNOW THIS WASN'T A STANDALONE!!

Me reading the last 15 pages: "wow I wonder how this will wrap up..we are running out of pages"
Hits end of book: "what the....oh so it's like that now isn't it...." runs to see if this is a series...yep.

This was my first book by Kelly but definitely not my last. If you enjoy fantasy with a touch of horror this is for you. Think... end of the world with plague dystopian vibes, and then add in some vampires & spooky hallucinatory trees.

One of my favorite niche movies is Warm bodies...and while that movie is definitely more humorous and light, I still felt like I got some of those vibes here. Maybe it's the undead love interest at the end of humanity. Talking about love interests...there are two...and while I was picking up on some possible why choose vibes...I DESPERATELY hope this stays in love triangle territory - because I love how at this point it could go either way.

The writing and atmosphere were what made this book come alive for me. I love genre bending books that have a little bit of everything for different kinds of readers.

This book is creepy, mysterious, and romantic all wrapped up in one. It it sounds like your scene, you should definitely give it a try.

[Amelia · Rating 5 out of 5]

The way Kelly Andrew writes was so unexpected, it blew my mind. I could feel the cold from the forest in the book seeping through my bones.

This is a post apocalyptic YA novel that follows Shea, a 17 year old girl trying to navigate her life while surviving in a small town next to the Gravewood forest, home of the famous Gravewood devil. Except, she’s well acquainted with said devil.

Lys, the devil in question, formed his own little kingdom in the cursed forest that’s affected by rot. Did I mention the trees have teeth? That’s because of the Rot which infects both nature and humans - some turn into vampires, other turn into a hybrid more similar to zombies. I really enjoyed this particular take on the concept of those creatures.

The plot is fast paced and engaging, but my absolute favorite thing is the atmospheric writing that’s so haunting. It was an absolute pleasure just going through this book and its characters. I was convinced this was a standalone and I’m both gland and upset it isn’t. Glad because I am nowhere near ready to move away from either the plot or the characters, sad because I have to wait for the next release.

Arc provided by NetGalley, thank you so much to both them and the publishers!

[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.

[Salima || salimateez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me? Loving a book Kelly writes? TYPICALLLLLL (in Schmidt’s voice),,

RTC, this one needs to ferment in my mind,, so many thoughts, so many things, parallels and such things,, as it stands, TWD, Until December, YBMB, Gravewood/The Hare & the Hound/ IAMOD, i think that’s where we’re at….

[Casey Bee · Rating 5 out of 5]

My new favorite of Kelly Andrews! First, I love the dystopian world we are presented with. There is something called “the rot” and it’s ruining the land and food and its inhabitants. If people ingest the rot, they either take to it and get turned into vampires, or they don’t take to it and they turn into mindless zombie-like creatures. It’s a bleak world, but people are surviving the best they can and continuing on with “normal” life. They stay away from the rot and woods. It also presents a unique opportunity for people to potentially choose to join the vampires, instead of whatever bleak human future they have on the horizon. Shea is deaf and getting batteries for her hearing aids in this climate is a challenge. She decides to brave the woods to make a deal with “the devil”. Lys is the leader of the vampires in the Gravewood. She agrees to let him feed off of her, if he provides the batteries she needs. When a childhood friend, Asher, comes home from military training, things get complicated.

The entire vibe of the book is so great. The bleak world, the eery woods, the vampires. I loved the reality that people could choose to ingest the rot, if they wanted. That thought sent me on a mental spiral. There’s a sexy undertone as Shea can’t tell if she’s really attracted to Lys or if it’s just their connection as his bloodletter. The dynamic between Shea, Lys and Asher is incredible! I love the witty banter and the fun poking and prodding. And then there’s this overarching story and mystery of what happened to Asher’s sister, who is Shea’s best friend, and the vampire leader calling them to join in on a revel. I’m just telling you, I really loved this story and this world. There are some twists and turns! And I appreciated the deaf representation and being in Shea’s head for her perspective on that.

Thank you to Kelly Andrew herself for the physical ARC! Book releases 4/7/26.

[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!!

[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!

[Fearn Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh how this has reminded me how much I love a vampire story. This was gloriously addictive.

Set in a post apocalyptic world where vampires are not your usual tick box classic Dracula vampire. No in this world, it's giving zombie contagion vibes. Already I'm sold on this concept and throwing the cliche garlic out of the window.

The characters are so well written. The dialogue felt so natural and the witty back and forth between our main travelling foursome was a pure delight. The tension between our two main characters Lys and Shea was exactly the type of forbidden romance/slow burn I crave whilst having a little sprinkling of a love triangle that didn't annoy the hell out of me and had me rooting for everyone.

This was far from predictable and exactly what I needed. I literally could not put this down and now I'm not sure what I'm going to do as that ending has left me begging for more. I need the next book now.

Thank you so much to Wayward for an early copy of this addictive and amazing world.

[Stephanie B. •literaryland_livin• · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shea Parker has spent her life surviving in the shadow of the Gravewood, a deadly forest ruled by vampires that has cut her town off from the rest of the world. With her hearing dependent on batteries she can’t easily replace, she makes a risky deal with the vampire leader, Oliver Lysander, her blood in exchange for the ability to hear. But when her best friend disappears into the forest and her past resurfaces, the bargain becomes far more dangerous than she ever expected, pulling Shea closer to the Gravewood and to becoming something she may not be able to come back from.

This one immediately pulled me in with its dark, eerie atmosphere. The Gravewood feels alive in that quiet unsettling way. The constant tension of survival adds so much weight to the story. I especially loved how the stakes weren’t just life or death, but also something as personal as Shea’s ability to hear it made everything feel more grounded and emotional. Shea was also a strong and thoughtful FMC. She isn’t reckless and the choices she makes were always shaped by everything she had been through. Watching her navigate fear, responsibility, and her own limits made her journey incredibly compelling. The character relationships were also one of my favorite aspects. There’s a steady, underlying tension throughout, and the push and pull between them all which kept things interesting without ever feeling overdone. Leaning more into emotional connection and conflict than anything overly intense. Overall, this was a moody, atmospheric YA vampiric read with strong character dynamics, a haunting setting, and just enough mystery to keep me hooked.

Thank you NetGalley and Scholastic Press for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

[Ashley Wilson · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

Im very thankful for the opportunity from Wayward to read this e-arc book. I was excited to read this one, however it just didn’t really deliver for me.

It felt like half the story was missing and I was jumping in to a sequel rather than the first book of a duology. There was no set up, no background, very limited world building. There was no explanation of the different areas, about the rot, what are mercy boys, what is the wood watch, how this actually all came about.

The beginning of the book we are introduced to Lys and Shea meeting for the first time - don’t know how and don’t know anything further than that. It jumps to 6 months later and she’s meeting him sporadically to let him feed on her in exchange for hearing aid batteries. Again, no background to their meeting, the deal, the build up of their “relationship”.

My other issue was the pacing and lack of anything happening. Spent the majority of the book with them just travelling about. And nothing happens. Little bits of conversation here and there. Felt like it was always just skimming the surface. There was no depth.

Unfortunately because there was no depth to the story there was also no depth to the characters. And because we had no build up to whatever is going on between Lys and Shea I just didn’t feel any connection there. There’s also a bit of a love triangle going on - I’m sure that will be explored more in book 2.

The story did pick up in the last 15% so a slight redemption. Sadly The Gravewood just wasn’t for me but I was determined to get to the end to see what happened.

Thank you again for the opportunity to read this arc!

[dani · Rating 2 out of 5]

dnf 60%

it so very hurts me to not only rate this so low but to also dnf it. i was so so excited for this when it was announced, especially because i loved kelly’s last two releases and this one sounded incredible.

but unfortunately it lacked alot. i understand that its a duology and wont be as fast paced as a standalone, but this was just boring chapter to chapter. the beginning had me enticed don’t get me wrong, but after that i kept waiting and waiting for something to happen and nothing ever did. because of that, i couldn’t connect at all to the characters and found that they lacked personality completely.

the “romance” wasnt good either, which surprised me considering the relationships in both her previous books had me either giggling or crying but with these three it was blander than a piece of cracker. no chemistry whatsoever, especially between shea and lys (clearly the main) and their dynamic didn’t feel natural and almost like we were thrown into the middle of it rather than watching it bloom from nothing to something.

im super sad about this because again, kelly became an auto buy author for me so it truly did pain me to dislike this. i tried my best to push through hoping it would get better (and maybe the ending is super incredible and i missed out, who knows!) but my motto is that if a book is still boring or not interesting enough by the halfway mark, then its not a good book even if the ending is a 10/10.

thank you scholastic for the finished copy!

[h i n d · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an absolutely delicious read. Vampires, love triangle, dystopian, it was WILD.

It is unsurprising that I'm obsessed with a Kelly Andrew book. It was immersive and had absolutely excellent character dynamics, everything I love in a story.
I can't spoil but the reason the world is dystopian when it's explained?? Chills. The romance ate, I cannot wait for the second book.
What I love most about her books is that she lets the story breath, it's not nonstop action, there is lulls where we get to know the characters better and see them interact.

Honestly I loved this so much I'm probably going to reread it

Thank you so much to the publisher for sending me an arc via Edelweiss+. All opinions are my own.

[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.

[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!

[Starr ❇✌❇ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.8
*Review to come*

[Siobhan · Rating 4 out of 5]

NOW WTF KELLY

got the arc from netgalley 😈

[Constance · Rating 5 out of 5]

The hardest part of getting to read The Gravewood early is the fact that now I’ll have to wait twice as long for the sequel to come out! I have been obsessed with the way Kelly Andrew writes ever since I received Your Blood, My Bones in my first ever Owlcrate box, and I will continue to love her writing.

In The Gravewood, we meet Shea Parker, a deaf teenager who makes a deal with vampire Oliver Lysander out of necessity. She needs batteries for her hearing aids, and with the dangers surrounding her town in this post-apocalyptic world, he’s the only person who can get them for her. In exchange, she gives him her blood. These two form a symbiotic relationship, and they’re so tangled up in each other that they don’t know where Lys starts and Shea begins. Their relationship is complicated and masterfully crafted. Kelly writes characters who are a little too dependent on each other really well.

The world building is extremely well done. A contagion known as The Rot has invaded the water, the crops, the very essence of the world as we know it. Those who ingest anything tainted with the rot have two possible fates: they turn into a vampire, or they’re left hollow. I really hope we get to explore more of the world in the sequel, as I couldn’t get enough of the abandoned buildings and overgrown forests. This is also one of the most interesting spins on vampirism I have read!

I also loved how although Lys is a vampire, and somewhat of a mob boss, he’s still a teenage boy. A bratty teenage boy, but nonetheless, it makes him somehow still human. And the love triangle here is so extremely well done. I wasn’t sure who to root for- overprotective best friend’s brother Archer, or Lys? Both MMCs have their pros and cons.

Thank you so much to Scholastic and Netgalley for the e-arc! The Gravewood releases on April 7th!

[Alexandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Gravewood is a dark, atmospheric take on vampires, set in a dystopian world where they feel more like an infection than something romanticized

The story follows Shea, Lysander, and Asher, and the love triangle between them adds so much tension and complexity to both the plot and the romance. The slow burn is what really stood out to me though!! It builds gradually through hesitation, longing, and emotionally charged moments, making every interaction feel meaningful

"I don't care if you're his, as long as you're also mine" UHN HELLO???? LYSANDER WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO ME?!! (pls bite me) Also, THAT ENDING?! I need book 2 ASAP!! Please and thank you