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Your Boyfriend Needs an Exorcist
Not yet published
Expected 1 Sep 26Jennifer's Body meets The Weight of Blood in this horror-comedy about an evil spirit looking for a second chance at love and life.
Just because Schuyler is a bloodthirsty evil spirit doesn't mean she can't fall in love. Ever since Wren Castillo moved into the house Schuyler haunts, Schuyler has been crushing hard. But Wren has a boyfriend, Enzo, and he's the worst. Schuyler has no choice but to watch as Enzo treats Wren terribly-until she accidentally possesses him.
With Enzo's spirit nowhere to be found, Schuyler must pretend to be him until she can set things right. But Schuyler feels more at home in Enzo's body than she ever did in her own, and as she grows closer to his family and friends-including Wren-she starts to wonder if this could all be for keeps.
Maintaining a possession is harder than Schuyler expected, though, and it might just take some spilled blood to keep her new body going strong. Worse, it turns out she's not the only one interested in stealing Enzo's body. When another evil spirit threatens everyone Schuyler now holds dear, she must decide just how far she's willing to go to secure her second chance at love-and life.
Just because Schuyler is a bloodthirsty evil spirit doesn't mean she can't fall in love. Ever since Wren Castillo moved into the house Schuyler haunts, Schuyler has been crushing hard. But Wren has a boyfriend, Enzo, and he's the worst. Schuyler has no choice but to watch as Enzo treats Wren terribly-until she accidentally possesses him.
With Enzo's spirit nowhere to be found, Schuyler must pretend to be him until she can set things right. But Schuyler feels more at home in Enzo's body than she ever did in her own, and as she grows closer to his family and friends-including Wren-she starts to wonder if this could all be for keeps.
Maintaining a possession is harder than Schuyler expected, though, and it might just take some spilled blood to keep her new body going strong. Worse, it turns out she's not the only one interested in stealing Enzo's body. When another evil spirit threatens everyone Schuyler now holds dear, she must decide just how far she's willing to go to secure her second chance at love-and life.
304 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication September 1, 2026
About the author
Justine Pucella Winans
8 books196 followersJustine Pucella Winans (they/she) is a critically acclaimed and award winning author of queer fiction. They have written a variety of funny and/or scary books across age ranges, receiving accolades such as a Stonewall Honor, Indies Introduce, Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selections, and multiple starred reviews. When not writing, she can be found taking too many photos of her cats, training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, actively avoiding real life scary situations, and working their true goal of becoming a Pokémon trainer.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you NetGalley and Bloomsbury YA for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
If you pitched me a book as ‘Jennifer’s Body vibes but make it queer, chaotic, and weirdly heartfelt,’ I’m already in, and “Your Boyfriend Needs an Exorcist” by Justine Pucella Winans absolutely delivers on that energy.
This book is such a fun, slightly unhinged mix of horror, humor, and emotions. You’ve got Schuyler who is, yes, technically an “evil spirit” haunting her old neighborhood after dying in a car accident with her best friend. She’s stuck in this in-between state, dealing with guilt, trauma, and also a crush on the girl now living in her house. Casual ghost problems.
Then things go completely off the rails (in the best way) when she accidentally possesses that girl’s terrible boyfriend, Enzo. Watching Schuyler try and fail to convincingly act like a mediocre dude is honestly one of the funniest parts of the book. She is so bad at being him, and it leads to a lot of awkward, chaotic, and weirdly sweet moments.
But underneath all the chaos, this story actually has a lot going on. It digs into gender expression, identity, toxic masculinity, consent in relationships, and what it means to feel at home in your own body (or someone else’s). Schuyler’s experience of being forced into a very specific version of femininity in life and then suddenly existing in a boy’s body adds an extra layer that feels really thoughtful without being heavy-handed.
Emotionally, it hits harder than you might expect. Schuyler’s guilt, her protectiveness over her little brother Vinny, and the way she’s still trying to figure herself out even after death? Yeah, it hurts a little. There are some genuinely heartbreaking moments mixed in with all the humor and horror.
Tone-wise, it balances creepy and funny really well. There’s gore and possession and darker themes, but it never loses that chaotic, slightly absurd energy. Think: nuns with questionable habits, adorable cats, and a general “what is even happening right now” vibe.
That said, it’s not perfect. Some parts feel a bit rushed, and the big reveal doesn’t hit quite as hard as it’s built up to. There are also a few moments where the timeline/details can feel a little fuzzy. But honestly? It didn’t take away much from the overall experience because the book is just so fun and full of personality.
And the ending? Completely unexpected in the best way. It leans a little wild, a little chaotic, and somehow still lands in a way that feels satisfying and memorable.
Overall, this is a super entertaining YA horror with heart; it’s messy, funny, a little creepy, and surprisingly thoughtful. If you like possession stories with humor, emotional depth, and characters who are absolutely going through it, this is 100% worth picking up.
If you pitched me a book as ‘Jennifer’s Body vibes but make it queer, chaotic, and weirdly heartfelt,’ I’m already in, and “Your Boyfriend Needs an Exorcist” by Justine Pucella Winans absolutely delivers on that energy.
This book is such a fun, slightly unhinged mix of horror, humor, and emotions. You’ve got Schuyler who is, yes, technically an “evil spirit” haunting her old neighborhood after dying in a car accident with her best friend. She’s stuck in this in-between state, dealing with guilt, trauma, and also a crush on the girl now living in her house. Casual ghost problems.
Then things go completely off the rails (in the best way) when she accidentally possesses that girl’s terrible boyfriend, Enzo. Watching Schuyler try and fail to convincingly act like a mediocre dude is honestly one of the funniest parts of the book. She is so bad at being him, and it leads to a lot of awkward, chaotic, and weirdly sweet moments.
But underneath all the chaos, this story actually has a lot going on. It digs into gender expression, identity, toxic masculinity, consent in relationships, and what it means to feel at home in your own body (or someone else’s). Schuyler’s experience of being forced into a very specific version of femininity in life and then suddenly existing in a boy’s body adds an extra layer that feels really thoughtful without being heavy-handed.
Emotionally, it hits harder than you might expect. Schuyler’s guilt, her protectiveness over her little brother Vinny, and the way she’s still trying to figure herself out even after death? Yeah, it hurts a little. There are some genuinely heartbreaking moments mixed in with all the humor and horror.
Tone-wise, it balances creepy and funny really well. There’s gore and possession and darker themes, but it never loses that chaotic, slightly absurd energy. Think: nuns with questionable habits, adorable cats, and a general “what is even happening right now” vibe.
That said, it’s not perfect. Some parts feel a bit rushed, and the big reveal doesn’t hit quite as hard as it’s built up to. There are also a few moments where the timeline/details can feel a little fuzzy. But honestly? It didn’t take away much from the overall experience because the book is just so fun and full of personality.
And the ending? Completely unexpected in the best way. It leans a little wild, a little chaotic, and somehow still lands in a way that feels satisfying and memorable.
Overall, this is a super entertaining YA horror with heart; it’s messy, funny, a little creepy, and surprisingly thoughtful. If you like possession stories with humor, emotional depth, and characters who are absolutely going through it, this is 100% worth picking up.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This was a very cute, fun read!
If you like nuns with bad habits, kittens, and you chose the bear in the great man vs. bear online debate, then this is the book for you. There's a lot of really important conversations in this story for young adults to read and I really appreciate it. Conversations regarding gender expression, consent while dating, and parental care & love.
What stopped this from being a 5 star for me personally is I struggled trying to figure out when Schuyler died, sometimes it seemed like surely Schuyler died in the 90s due to their reactions to technology and other times it seems liked they only died a few years ago. But that's just my personal struggle. Also since I'm a woman in my mid 30s I was able to anticipate certain plot twists due to being alive longer than the characters and reading a lot of YA in my time when I actually was a YA.
What I didn't anticipate was that endinggggg!!! Easily my favorite epilogue of all time and something I have personally always wanted. 😂 (If you've read this too then you know what I'm referring to!) So adorable, so fun, literally so jealous.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.
If you like nuns with bad habits, kittens, and you chose the bear in the great man vs. bear online debate, then this is the book for you. There's a lot of really important conversations in this story for young adults to read and I really appreciate it. Conversations regarding gender expression, consent while dating, and parental care & love.
What stopped this from being a 5 star for me personally is I struggled trying to figure out when Schuyler died, sometimes it seemed like surely Schuyler died in the 90s due to their reactions to technology and other times it seems liked they only died a few years ago. But that's just my personal struggle. Also since I'm a woman in my mid 30s I was able to anticipate certain plot twists due to being alive longer than the characters and reading a lot of YA in my time when I actually was a YA.
What I didn't anticipate was that endinggggg!!! Easily my favorite epilogue of all time and something I have personally always wanted. 😂 (If you've read this too then you know what I'm referring to!) So adorable, so fun, literally so jealous.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Read
April 15, 2026...Hmmm. This'll probably be a hit with the teen crowd who loved the Jennifer's Body renaissance and Lisa Frankenstein. Lots of fun ideas and interesting dynamics, from Schuyler and her bestie who she accidentally killed and therefore trapped in unlife forever, to Vinny and the ghost who took over his bully brother's body, so on.
But this read as very...internet-approved to me?? Like, I KNOW this author is chronically online, from the "gay ally's bad behaviour" to "mean cis white straight men deserve to be eviscerated--don't worry they were REALLY PROBLEMATIC" to . It was simultaneously trying to be really laissez-faire about death in the style of Jen's Body/Lisa/Bottoms, but also it took social issues SO seriously (with progressive-approved phrasing and everything) that it made the whole reading experience really dissonant. Also can we STOP letting authors put Twitter jokes-of-the-week in their books? The "I choose the bear" stuff aged terribly and I'm reading an ARC 6 months before publication!! It'll be dead-on-arrival in September.
idk i hope the teens like it
But this read as very...internet-approved to me?? Like, I KNOW this author is chronically online, from the "gay ally's bad behaviour" to "mean cis white straight men deserve to be eviscerated--don't worry they were REALLY PROBLEMATIC" to . It was simultaneously trying to be really laissez-faire about death in the style of Jen's Body/Lisa/Bottoms, but also it took social issues SO seriously (with progressive-approved phrasing and everything) that it made the whole reading experience really dissonant. Also can we STOP letting authors put Twitter jokes-of-the-week in their books? The "I choose the bear" stuff aged terribly and I'm reading an ARC 6 months before publication!! It'll be dead-on-arrival in September.
idk i hope the teens like it
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book for an honest review!!
Your Boyfriend Needs an Exorcist was such a fun mix of horror, humor and so many emotions!
I loved the chaotic energy and how real the friendships felt, especially with the deeper themes of identity and connection woven through. It had a balance of creepy and funny moments.
I did not expect the beginning at all, poor Schuyler went through so much and the guilt carried broke my heart. Oreo is so adorable and the way Schuyler hugged that stuffy broke my heart. This book kept breaking my heart, Let's be honest!
I love how protective Schuyler is over Vinny, "But when this is over... you're still gonna be my little brother and I'm still going to protect you. I promise." IM CRYING
And that ending! Wow! I didn't expect it at all!
Overall this was a unique and heartfelt read that had me at the edge of my seat the entire time and I’d definitely recommend if you like horror with a lot of personality.
Your Boyfriend Needs an Exorcist was such a fun mix of horror, humor and so many emotions!
I loved the chaotic energy and how real the friendships felt, especially with the deeper themes of identity and connection woven through. It had a balance of creepy and funny moments.
I did not expect the beginning at all, poor Schuyler went through so much and the guilt carried broke my heart. Oreo is so adorable and the way Schuyler hugged that stuffy broke my heart. This book kept breaking my heart, Let's be honest!
I love how protective Schuyler is over Vinny, "But when this is over... you're still gonna be my little brother and I'm still going to protect you. I promise." IM CRYING
And that ending! Wow! I didn't expect it at all!
Overall this was a unique and heartfelt read that had me at the edge of my seat the entire time and I’d definitely recommend if you like horror with a lot of personality.
April 15, 2026
Schuyler is a ghost - an evil spirit, in fact. She died like, idk, maybe 2010s era? She seems to know what phones are and be familiar with all that stuff. But she haunts the neighborhood she lived in, alongside her best friend Key, who died in the same car accident she did. She spends the most of her time in her old house, of course because it's familiar to her but alsoooo she has a crush on the girl who lives there!!
The girl who lives there has the utterly shittiest boyfriend known to man, Enzo, and while Schuyler is lamenting his shittiness she somehow accidentally jumps into his body and now she has possessed him :-)
It's her first chance in years to leave the road she lives on, and also to like, see what it's like to be a teenager in the modern era, also kind of explore gender stuff tbh since she was made to live pretty primly and feminine by her mom, who we get the impression was overbearing about societal norms.
Yeah so she initially tries to fake being Enzo but she is NOT good at being a POS boy surprisingly! So Enzo's brother picks up pretty quick that she is... well... a ghost possessing his brother.
Basically her evil spirit side (that needs to basically have blood or something idk) is trying to take over since she's not fully in Enzo's body, but neither is Enzo, and there's a WORSE, MORE evil spirit somewhere on the loose, and she's also finally unpacking trauma from her death, and trying to date her crush, so miss girl is going through it bad.
There are some important topics brushed on in this one: gender, of course, toxic masculinity and controlling/abusive relationships, "nice guys", also like death obviously lol
The end was maybe a little silly and rushed but overall this was definitely cute, easy, and had just enough heavy stuff to not feel frivolous, which is typically what I get out of JPW books!!
The girl who lives there has the utterly shittiest boyfriend known to man, Enzo, and while Schuyler is lamenting his shittiness she somehow accidentally jumps into his body and now she has possessed him :-)
It's her first chance in years to leave the road she lives on, and also to like, see what it's like to be a teenager in the modern era, also kind of explore gender stuff tbh since she was made to live pretty primly and feminine by her mom, who we get the impression was overbearing about societal norms.
Yeah so she initially tries to fake being Enzo but she is NOT good at being a POS boy surprisingly! So Enzo's brother picks up pretty quick that she is... well... a ghost possessing his brother.
Basically her evil spirit side (that needs to basically have blood or something idk) is trying to take over since she's not fully in Enzo's body, but neither is Enzo, and there's a WORSE, MORE evil spirit somewhere on the loose, and she's also finally unpacking trauma from her death, and trying to date her crush, so miss girl is going through it bad.
There are some important topics brushed on in this one: gender, of course, toxic masculinity and controlling/abusive relationships, "nice guys", also like death obviously lol
The end was maybe a little silly and rushed but overall this was definitely cute, easy, and had just enough heavy stuff to not feel frivolous, which is typically what I get out of JPW books!!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
thank you to netgalley and the publishers for an e arc in exchange for an honest review!
this was exactly what I wanted from this book! I put it for It as a wishlist item on netgalley because the premise sounded like a fun concept and it definitely delivered!
Not only was the possession aspect different to anything I've read so far, but I also loved all the main characters and found them to be so enjoyable to follow along and was thoroughly invested to see how they ended up.
Bonus there was LGBTQ rep, and found the way transness/gender fluidity to be handled really unique and suited back to the whole possession storyline
this was exactly what I wanted from this book! I put it for It as a wishlist item on netgalley because the premise sounded like a fun concept and it definitely delivered!
Not only was the possession aspect different to anything I've read so far, but I also loved all the main characters and found them to be so enjoyable to follow along and was thoroughly invested to see how they ended up.
Bonus there was LGBTQ rep, and found the way transness/gender fluidity to be handled really unique and suited back to the whole possession storyline
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
When a book is pitched as Jennifer’s Body meets The Weight of Blood, I’m immediately interested. This was a fast paced, entertaining YA horror with some humor mixed in. There were some plot holes and the “big reveal” wasn’t as big as it was built up to be but it didn’t take away from the overall fun of the story.
Review of advance copy received from Author
When I tell you this book is *unfairly* good, I mean it. Sharp, hilarious, gory, and wrenchingly emotional. Also wins the Biggest Epilogue Plot Twist award. If you want more spooky, queer YA, you need YOUR BOYFRIEND NEEDS AN EXORCIST on your radar!!
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews