Your Boyfriend Needs an Exorcist

by Justine Pucella Winans

Jennifer'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.

Genres: Horror, Young Adult, Romance, Queer, LGBT, Fantasy, Paranormal

304 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2026

About the author

Justine 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.

Reviews

[Birdie Schae · Rating 5 out of 5]

i am so lucky to be alive at the same time as justine pucella winans

[Vanessa]

...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 "the real villain is a Nice Guy". 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

[Kimi Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

Is it a bit silly ? Yes. There are some plot points that I feel like don't make a lot of sense but it was a fun read. Body horror the YA version. So body horror lite, and some deep, emotional driven narratives. I think the whole book is a giant metaphor and I think that's really cool. Will I read it again? No. Would I recommend it? Not to anyone my age (I'm 30) 😭 but I don't regret reading it. Rather listening. The audio was entertaining.

[vianny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Your Boyfriend Needs an Exorcist was so fun, so campy, and so tender, I loved it. It's also darker than I expected, which worked in its favor, this one leans into real coming of age territory underneath all the chaos.

I genuinely can't believe this is YA, it goes places I wasn't expecting from the category, and I was here for every single bit of it.

FYI there's some body horror in here, so go in prepared.

You'll enjoy this if you love:
- fun, campy horror comedy
- surprisingly tender moments
- coming of age

Thanks to Libro.fm for the listening copy. All opinions are my own.

[MC · Rating 5 out of 5]

I did not expect a YA queer horror to be so affirming and sweet. But it was and I loved it. Your Boyfriend Needs an Exorcist is Jennifer’s Body meets Degrassi in this queer YA horror comedy that explore serious issues of violence, trauma, and queer identity. Our main character Sky is a ghost who happens to accidentally possess the boyfriend of the girl she has a crush on. The book begins with a thoughtful authors, note detailing trigger warnings and disclosing prior personal violence experience by the author. I don’t think I’ve ever felt so seen in an authors note. Reading it prior to starting the book was a complete game changer and a total must for your read. While the book focuses on violence and forgiveness, it does not suggest that predators deserve forgiveness. Instead, it focuses on Sky our main character, forgiving herself. Well, it feels silly to call a comedic YA horror book beautiful but it really was. It is the queer YA possession story I didn’t know I needed.

Thank you for the ALC Libro.FM!

[Eloise · Rating 4 out of 5]

How do you make a queer YA paranormal book dark, fun, and comforting all at the same time!? Read Your Boyfriend Needs an Exorcist!
Despite a few easy choices Oh, so the bad guy whose body you took possession of just happens to be perfectly happy not being in his body anymore and never speaking to another human again!?, I really enjoyed this book.
It has a lot of interesting social commentary about predatory men, while also exploring questions about life and death. I also really appreciated seeing a main character questioning their gender identity without having everything figured out yet.
Overall, a dark, fun, weird, and surprisingly comforting read!

[Skylar · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 rounded down
Really enjoyed this one!!!! I think the author writes herself into a corner sometimes, but i had such a fun time reading it!!

[ℂindy · Rating 2 out of 5]

A fun fast paced book with good morals. The main issue I had was with the tone. The writing was so juvenile. Takes you out of the story a bit.

[Avery · Rating 2.75 out of 5]

This had the potential to be campy fun Diablo Cody- coded but it just fell flat unfortunately

[Ebony · Rating 3 out of 5]

Schuyler has a dilemma: she has possessed the douchebag boyfriend of Wren, who lives in the house she haunts…and who she has been in love with since Wren moved into Schuyler’s old house.

As a bloodthirsty evil spirit, there isn’t much Schuyler has to look forward to in her afterlife. It’s the same old existence of talking to other ghost, snooping on the living people, hanging out in her ghost room, and cleaning the remains of whatever poor animal has become the victim over her latest bloody rampage––which is completely involuntary by the way. One such fit of rage overtakes her as she is watching Enzo, the truly horrible boyfriend of the girl who now lives in her house, and she accidentally possesses him. Because Schuyler has no acting skills to speak of and couldn’t lie convincingly to save her own (after)life, Enzo’s brother, Vinny, and Wren catch on almost immediately. Schuyler navigates the woes of a new body, evil-spirit bloodlust––which is way worse in a human body by the way––a bear, and high school. Vinny and Schuyler navigate all these challenges and enlist the help of an alcoholic nun to help them either exorcise Schuyler from Enzo’s body or find a way for Schuyler to take it for good. Winans crafts a cute story about found family, second chances, and standing up to one’s demons (literally). While the story was pretty cute, it was a bit chaotic at times and had some parts that didn’t add much to the plot.

Personally, I didn’t really like Schuyler as a character. I’m not used to seeing such meek characters that cry rather than find solutions and they were just a bit off putting for me as a main character.

[Nicole Austin · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5? The concept was good and writing style was fun. Had a good amount of humor without being over-the-top cringe and I feel like teens would relate to it, since it felt like how teens would speak now with all the cursing. The ghosts, evil spirits, and body possession discussions and moments are portrayed well in the book. Interesting storyline of ghost girl falling in love with girl who now occupies her old home, ghost girl accidentally possessing the body of crush’s boyfriend, and ghost girl now needs to figure out how to complete the possession or stop evil spirits from taking over her crush’s boyfriend’s body. 

Not really horror-like or thriller but does some descriptions of body horror and the usual stuff like ghosts, possession, evil spirits, and haunting. 

Author’s note at the beginning with some background, content warnings, and theme discussion was helpful! 

I liked that she did not end up with Wren by the close of the book but that they had a cute relationship. There were multiple discussions in the book about how abuse is not your fault - that people chose how they responded to you and people often choose to take advantage of you or think you owe them something (ex-boyfriend, and also best guy friend Key). It did have a huge emphasis on how Sky was not the bad guy even though she thinks everything is her fault, so there was a very clear woman-empowerment angle. 

Themes of trauma, resilience, self-forgiveness, second chances, and growth. Heavy emphasis on how sometimes people do bad things to survive but that doesn’t make it their fault or make them bad, that you need to learn to forgive and love yourself, and that you are strong and can do whatever it takes to survive. Covers identity with a very heavy-handed message that you can be whoever you want to be. Reminds us that change and things will happen not the way we want it, but we are still loved and we will get through it. 

Queer is very normalized. LGBTQIA+ with Vinny/Danny being gay, Jaime and Moose in Rainbow Club, Sky being genderfluid/trans and bisexual. Discussions of Sky feeling right in Enzo’s body as a boy and doing things that are more genderfluid in painting nails, etc. All the not-in-my-body stories I’ve read this year also explored transgenderism, which is not a surprise at all.

Lots of profanity/cursing. Underage drinking, getting drunk, sexual abuse and emotional abuse by ex-boyfriend, mentions of rape/sexual assault, creepy boys. Relationship-based trauma from abusive ex-boyfriend - controlling and manipulative. Body horror/body changes in horror genre, blood, murder/killing of people and of animals. Ghosts, possession, evil spirits, exorcism. Queer-friendly. Mentions of bullying.

"She's here, I'm queer, and my mind's in a panic. I'm going on a date!!!"

"She just freezes, lets it happen. She freezes and lets it happen. And I hate her for it."

[Amelia Vegan · Rating 5 out of 5]

"...being dead really messes up your sense of time..."
This was such a fun and at times gory book, I laughed and I teared up and I cringed sometimes because, well they are teenagers, they do sometimes say something cringey and it all made me enjoy the story even more. I honestly didn't expect to love this possession story this much, but I love ghosts and death always intrigued me so I had to read it. Can you blame me judging this book by it's cover? It's such a cool art! I loved the queer parts and questioning the gender identity and Jennifer's body reference was awesome and the characters were so real and most were likable and lovable. And there's cats and kittens! Even though there's scenes where Schuyler had to kill and eat woodland animals because of her spirit's uncontrollable evilness, I appreciated that she regretted killing every single animal. Also I approved of her killing the predator and nasty men.
I read an ARC and listened to the audiobook and I'm glad I did because apparently I was pronouncing Schuyler differently in my head and narrator did amazing job with character voices.
I loved the epilogue so much and it was a perfect ending. In the end these teenagers did surprise me with how they treated eachother, that was a nice dynamic.
Oh and chapter titles made me excited too, nice little tidbits of pop-culture references.
One thing I want to complain about is that we didn't get more scenes with the kittens! And I think I want a sequel and without spoiling anyone, I'd love to see these characters in the future and how they deal with life after the book ended. Wouldn't mind a Ghost CBS kind of show if they ever decide to adapt it, because that's my favourite show and I know this will turn out fun too.

[Janna Felix · Rating 4 out of 5]

Your Boyfriend Needs an Exorcist merges horror-comedy with queer longing in a narrative where an evil spirit literally inhabits someone's boyfriend, forcing both comedy and genuine terror throughout. Winans crafts a premise that could have devolved into pure humor but instead balances genuine scares against laugh-out-loud moments with remarkable precision. The central concept, what happens when a spirit decides love is worth a second chance, creates space to examine both paranormal possession and the messy reality of loving someone who's literally not themselves. The protagonist's perspective drives the narrative effectively; watching her navigate the impossible situation of loving her boyfriend while he's inhabited by something decidedly unholy creates authentic emotional conflict beneath the comedic surface. The queer representation feels organic rather than performative, and the romance developing amid supernatural chaos carries genuine tenderness. However, the horror elements occasionally feel inconsistently calibrated; some scenes prioritize humor when genuine scares would land harder, while others flip the approach with jarring tonal shifts. Certain worldbuilding details about how possession works and what the spirit actually wants could have been seeded more carefully throughout rather than revealed in exposition dumps. The supporting cast, while charming, remains somewhat underdeveloped despite occupying significant page time. The climax balances horror and humor reasonably well, though the resolution feels slightly too neat given the supernatural chaos established. This delivers a genuinely entertaining supernatural romance that understands comedy and horror need not be mutually exclusive.

[Liza Buss · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, this book was SO much fun.

I went into Your Boyfriend Needs an Exorcist expecting a chaotic YA horror, and it absolutely delivered. Schuyler is a ghost stuck haunting the neighborhood where she used to live, and things get even more complicated when she ends up possessing Enzo, the boyfriend of the girl she has a very obvious crush on. Watching her try to navigate life in his body while having absolutely no idea how to act like him was genuinely hilarious.

But what surprised me most was how much heart this story has. Beneath all the ghosts, possession, creepy moments, and ridiculous situations, there’s a really thoughtful exploration of identity, gender expectations, relationships, and learning to feel comfortable with yourself. Schuyler’s story also gets surprisingly emotional, especially when it comes to her family, her best friend, and the guilt she’s been carrying since her death.

I loved how the author managed to balance the darker themes with so much humor. There were definitely moments where I was laughing one second and then getting punched in the feelings the next. And the ending? I did NOT see that coming...

Huge thank you to Libro.fm for the audiobook! 🎧 The audio was such a fun way to experience this chaotic little ghost story.

If you’re looking for a YA horror that is creepy, funny, emotional, and just a little bit unhinged, definitely add this one to your TBR!

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

The comedy throughout this story kept it light enough that it never really felt like a horror book to me. There were definitely some darker and more intense moments, but overall, I found it much more touching than I anticipated.
Schuyler is an “evil spirit,” but somehow she’s also incredibly wholesome and tenderhearted. She has moments when her bloodthirst takes over, but she genuinely wants to be better. When she falls in love with the girl who now lives in the house she once called home, things get even more complicated. After possessing the girl’s boyfriend, Schuyler begins to see the possibility of something she never expected—a real chance at life, love, and connection.
There are a lot of heavier themes underneath the humor, including anger, loneliness, grief, forgiveness, friendship, love, and what it actually means to be “evil.” I especially liked how accessible the writing was. Even when the story dealt with darker subjects, it never became overwhelmingly heavy. Instead, it managed to be weird, funny, surprisingly heartfelt, and ultimately very sweet.
I went into this expecting something much more horror-focused and ended up getting a strangely wholesome story about love, loneliness, and wanting to become a better version of yourself.
Thank you to Bloomsbury YA and NetGalley for providing this ARC for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

[Mikey ಠ◡ಠ · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Brady · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Bloomsbury and NetGalley for this eARC, these opinions are my own. A wonderful mix of horror and comedy! Schuyler is an evil spirt and she’s fallen in love. She’s crushing hard on Wren, who now lives in the house Schuyler haunts. To make it worse Wren has a boyfriend who is not a good guy, he treats Wren terribly. And Schuyler’s just forced to watch that is until she ends up possessing him. Now she’ll have to pretend to be him until she can figure things out but soon she’s realizing she feels more at home in his body then she did her own. The closer she grows to his family, friends, and especially Wren she starts to wonder if this could be her new life. But keeping the body is harder then she thinks and it may require some spilled blood. Not to mention that she’s not the only spirit interested in the body and when the other spirit threatens her new friends and family she’ll have to decide how far she’s willing to go in order to keep her new found life. I loved the mix of humor, horror, and emotions in this one! Justine Pucella Winans does a great job of balancing the darker themes with the funny really well and creates a story that’s unputdownable! A story with a lot of depth, emotions, humor, great characters, and horror! Highly recommend!

[Pamela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book. Justine Pucella Winans delivers a wonderfully chaotic story about a ghost who gets an unexpected second chance at life. The plot follows Schuyler, an evil spirit who has a major crush on a girl named Wren. When Wren's awful boyfriend Enzo acts up, Schuyler decides to intervene and accidentally takes over his body. With Enzo missing, Schuyler has to fake her way through his daily life, but she quickly realizes she actually prefers living as a human. She ends up bonding closely with his family and getting closer to Wren, but keeping up the facade requires spilled blood and gets complicated when a rival spirit tries to steal her new body.

I gave this book 4 stars because it was super cute and a ton of fun to read. The mix of creepy horror vibes and laugh out loud comedy kept me hooked from start to finish. I especially loved the great queer representation and how the story focused on the deeper themes of discovering who you are and learning to stand up for yourself. It is a refreshing, heartwarming, and spooky read that is perfect for anyone looking for a unique paranormal comedy that focuses on identity and self-growth.

[Georgia · Rating 4 out of 5]

✨️Paranormal
✨️Fantasy
✨️Romance
✨️Horror
✨️Comedy
✨️Young Adult
✨️LGBTQ+ representation

This is a fun, fresh new story that I haven't read before. A perfect blend of horror, comedy and twists. The ending is my favorite part and the epilogue is perfect.

There were parts that didn't contribute much to the actual story, but also didn't take away from the reading experience. I enjoyed the deeper message about discovering yourself tucked within this story. This would be a wonderful read for a young adult reader. Not only is the story itself clever and written well, but the message within is very important.

Recommended to readers who enjoy laugh out loud moments mixed with horror, paranormal romance and a journey of finding and staying true to yourself.

Thank you to @coloredpagesbt, @bloomsburybooksus and author @justinepwinans for the gifted copy of this book and for having me on this book tour.

#YourBoyfriendNeedsAnExorcistTour #coloredpagesbooktours #paranormal #horror #youngadult

[TheNextGenLibrarian]

“Your Boyfriend Needs an Exorcist” by @justinepucellawinans for Feels vs Frights
👻
Bloodthirsty evil spirit Schuyler has been haunting Wren’s house (and crushing hard on her) when she accidentally possesses the body of Wren’s awful boyfriend, Enzo. As Schuyler gets increasingly comfortable in her new body and closer to Wren, keeping it requires more than pretending to be Enzo. And when another spirit wants the body too, things get bloody.
🩸
This is my first #FeelsVsFrights pick from @rachaelreads, and she definitely understood the assignment. Jennifer’s Body meets queer supernatural body #horror in this YA read. This is WAY outside my usual fall romance comfort zone, but I had so much fun with it! Schuyler is messy, murderous, and somehow still easy to root for, and I loved the combination of horror, dark humor, romance, and questions about identity and belonging. Can’t wait to dive into my adult pick in October! This book is great for high school readers.

CW: body horror, gore, blood, violence, death, murder, animal death, toxic/abusive relationship, gender/body dysmorphia

[Meagan McGee · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Gina Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

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!!

[james · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and Bloomsbury YA for the e-ARC!

While Your Boyfriend Needs an Exorcist covers some darker/more serious topics like abusive relationships, it's writing is light-hearted, simple, and clear, making it perfect for teens.

I thought that specifically the stuff about spirits and possession was interesting and I was invested in the storyline that followed the mystery of Schuyler possessing Enzo's body.

I really enjoyed the character of Vinny, Enzo's brother, as I think he added a lot to the story.

The other characters weren't necessarily so memorable, and I felt like the original Enzo could've gotten a little more backstory.

In general, I did feel like the topics were spread a little bit thin, but given this is a YA, I think it could work as an entertaining story with some important themes about self-worth for teens.

[Tori · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐⭐

YOUR BOYFRIEND NEEDS AN EXORCIST by Justine Pucella Winans (September 1, 2026)

Thank you Netgalley and Bloomsbury YA for the eArc

Schuyler is in love. The problem is, she an evil spirit. When Schuyler accidently possesses Enzo, she has no choice but to be him---his spirit is nowhere to be found. She's still an evil spirit, and to maintain strength, things get messy. It doesn't help that another evil spirit is trying to take over Enzo's body.
YOUR BOYFRIEND NEEDS AN EXORCIST is an upper YA paranormal thriller. The possession thing was kind of crazy. It was honestly a bit disturbing too---the gore of it all. It was violent and bl*ody but somehow wholesome and sweet. YOUR BOYFRIEND NEEDS AN EXORCIST was a whirlwind of an adventure. I laughed and cringed (not at the bl*od) throughout.

[RedReviews4You Susan-Dara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Your Boyfriend Needs an Exorcist is absolutely a YA novel — in pacing, tone, and the chaotic humor that keeps the story moving — but at its heart, it reaches a ghostly hand out to the adult reader and asks, Do you see what’s really happening here? Beneath the horror‑comedy surface is a story about identity, truth, and the parts of ourselves we hide in plain sight. What surprised me most was how deeply the book explores the tension between who we are and who we’re trying to be. Wren’s relationship with Enzo — complicated further by Schuyler’s possession — becomes a mirror held up to her own sense of self. The haunting isn’t just supernatural; it’s emotional, asking why Wren is caught in this conflict and what she discovers about herself in the process. This is a delightfully layered story, one that uses humor and horror to illuminate the quiet, profound truths we often overlook.

[Bhavana Nadig · Rating 1 out of 5]

Didn't like the MC, didn't like how the love interest was treated, growth was minimal and sudden and told to us rather than shown. What more, final push was given by the guy we were told was an asshole. I had so many problems with this one. I don't understand how people aren't commenting about the lack of personality and agency given to anyone other than the MC (who doesn't use their agency until the last 30 pages or so - come on dude) but especially the love interest.

Maybe it's just me but it's very very icky that Sky was ready to bang the girl they claim to love without being entirely honest with her and for the reason of "if I'm going to die let me at least get my rocks off". It's icky. especially coming from someone who was in an abusive and controlling relationship.

There were a lot of little things like this that made me feel uncomfortable.

[cal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, so everything Justine Pucella Winans writes is pure gold. Absolute perfection. Your Boyfriend Needs an Exorcist is no exception.

To start, Schuyler is a very relatable character to someone who was once a genderqueer teen (aka, me), and they were insanely realistic, despite being a spirit. Even though Schuyler was a great protagonist, my favorite person was definitely Vinny. He was probably the best support network a sport could’ve hoped for. He was also a great brother and a good person in general. Not to mention, his and Schuyler’s love of cats was probably one of the best parts of this book.

The ending was satisfying and definitely had a hilarious twist I didn’t expect.

Overall, a fantastic book that once you get into, you can’t put it down.

[Suzanne thebookblondie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A queer ghost becomes the inhabitant of the body of a high school jerk who dates one of the nicest, most beautiful girls in school... and we'll just leave it at that. This book has it all from complex family dynamics to death, guilt, and gender identity. It's queer horror with humor, but it also has such a heartfelt undertone as the teens in this book learn to accept who they are and stick up for one another.

Don't forget that when you read YA, you have to read it with a YA mindset. This book is not intended for an adult audience, and it is perfect for its audience. I loved the gory horror scenes and also found myself chuckling at some of the more comedic parts. 100% worth the read and a great way to add the paranormal genre and some queer representation to a classroom shelf.

[Maddie · Rating 5 out of 5]

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