Mazywood

by Tananarive Due

All the Sinners Bleed meets My Sister, the Serial Killer in this literary thriller following the grandson of a famous Black actress from the 1940s and 1950s, now a filmmaker himself, who returns to his grandmother’s cabin retreat in the California mountains only to encounter the legacy of her rage.

With flashbacks to Johnny’s grandmother, this novel explores three generations beginning with Mazelle Washington’s life as a young actress. Fifty years after Mazelle’s death, Johnny will discover the secret she’s kept and nurtured since she was a child when she had a dark wish come true.

There’s a monster in the woods outside her mountain retreat, Mazywood, and it is lonely and angry.

Genres: Horror, Historical Fiction, Thriller, Fiction, Mystery, Adult, Horror Thriller

609 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication September 22, 2026

About the author

TANANARIVE DUE (tah-nah-nah-REEVE doo) is the award-winning author of The Wishing Pool & Other Stories and the upcoming The Reformatory ("A masterpiece"--Library Journal). She and her husband, Steven Barnes, co-wrote the Black Horror graphic novel The Keeper, illustrated by Marco Finnegan. Due and Barnes co-host a podcast, "Lifewriting: Write for Your Life!"

A leading voice in Black speculative fiction for more than 20 years, Due has won an American Book Award, an NAACP Image Award, and a British Fantasy Award, and her writing has been included in best-of-the-year anthologies. Her books include Ghost Summer: Stories, My Soul to Keep, and The Good House. She and her late mother, civil rights activist Patricia Stephens Due, co-authored Freedom in the Family: A Mother-Daughter Memoir of the Fight for Civil Rights. She and her husband live with their son, Jason.

Reviews

[DianaRose]

i absolutely loved the reformatory despite its gruesome plot (especially the double whammy of reading it directly after the nickel boys…) and now tananarive due has solidified herself as an autobuy author for me🙂‍↕️

mazywood is a paranormal thriller that alternates povs between mazelle washington’s life in the past, and her grandson johnny washington's life in the present as a director… upon returning to her cabin retreat, johnny and his family encounter mazelle's gruesome legacy of rage…

[Becky Spratford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading for review in a future issue of Booklist

Three Words That Describe This Book: brains and bite, racism, old hollywood

So many more words....

Perfectly paced, great world building, generation trauma, Old Hollywood (with real stuff), racism, awesome old fashioned monster horror with modern sensibilities, brains and bite, perfectly paced. dual time frames, perfect use of foreshadowing, natural storytelling, multi-pov.

This is a good old fashioned supernatural horror novel. It is long, there are two time frames, the world building and charcater are spectacular. Readers will be glued to their seats.

Mazelle (Mazy) Washington is one of the first negro stars in Hollywood. As a kid actor in a Little Rascals type production. She is from a show business family-- live shows around the South-- and as a kid, in Gracetown, FL, goes into the woods to make a wish at the wishing pool. She wants a friend and success. What she gets is Scout the Wonderdog. Scout leaves her at one point and her career flags after. Also she is too early to be taken seriously. But she does find a way to make films-- as a dumb maid in a series of Lazy Mazy films-- She builds a Negro Only ski resort in the CA mountains-- Bear Creek Lodge aka Mazywood.

The other timeline is Johnny, her grandson who is in the present day and is a film maker at a crossroads in his own career. He is known for his horror movies, but he is trying to get a more serious film made. He does well for himself. He never had a relationship with his grandmother because of a bad experience when he visited her as a child. Now, he brings his 2 teenaged sisters and wife to Bear Creek Lodge (he is the last living family member), but the creature he remembers encountering there-- the thing he thought he imagined-- has been alone for years, has grown, and is hunting his family.

This novel is a perfect horror novel and also a great look at racism in America but specifically Hollywood and how it affects even well off families. It is about generational trauma as well. And it is an edge of your seat exciting supernatural creature feature!!!

What makes it all work-- giving the reader time to understand and think about the serious parts, but also get excited about the monsters and danger-- is that Due does not switch time lines quickly. Rather readers spend large chunks of the story in Mazelle's story. Her world is built, we get to go on the set of Gone with the Wind, spend time on sets, at Hollywood parties, with Sammy Davis Jr at the lodge, etc.... You are fully vested and living in Mazelle's world and then something big happens and we are left on the cliff, dangling, sent to Johnny's story told by him and his wife and both girls. It is all third person omniscient so it flows well. We get invested into their family and its drama and details. Again fully vested and living in it. And then they chose to go to Bear Creek Lodge, in a snow storm, with no cell service.....

Again, it switches back to Mazelle's POV and time line just as the danger is cresting. Then we get vested again. And it repeats but again, only a few times.

This long time in each time frame not only helps the characters world Building, and pacing, but it also does the work of planting seeds of info, foreshadowing, leaving trails in the snow (word choice on purpose) to help inform the other time line.

I don't want to give anything away because there are so many discoveries and revelations and surprises here-- like a great movie. Some of these discoveries are of the horror type but others are the family story parts. Just know that when the story fades to black, readers will want to give the book a standing ovation worthy of an award winning film.

For fans of Hollywood set Horror in the vein of Coldheart Canyon by Barker and through provoking supernatural monsters like in The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones.

Also a great true readalike is Mallory O'Meara's Daughter of Daring. A perfect book to pair here. About the awful sexism of Hollywood and one woman who was ahead of her time and didn't get the respect or money she deserved because of it.

[Panda]

OMG! Finally! The cover! I cannot wait for this read!

Tananarive has been busy. It's been nearly 3 years since the publication of the awesome 5 star read, The Reformatory. September is still 6 months away, but it's coming! 🎞️📽🎞️

[Kimberly Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn’t put this one down. An intense blend of horror and emotional storytelling. This follows Johnny and his family as they return to his Aunt Mazelle’s secluded ski resort. Unbeknownst to him the land holds a dark secret that could destroy his family. An eerie tale reminiscent of The Shining and The Hellbound Heart. The unpredictability keeps the pacing steady and the anxiety high. I was stressed for them the ENTIRE time.

Layered beneath the horror is a thoughtful exploration of Black Hollywood, generational struggle, and mental health. The use of time jumps and flashbacks adds depth revealing trauma that shapes the family’s present.

[She’s Stranger Than Fiction · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mazywood is a tour de force. It is a combination of horror, social commentary, history, psychology, and family dynamics. The reader is immediately invested in Mazelle Washington, her quest for success, and the generational curses that plague her family. The novel explores racism, sexism, motherhood, family ties, hate, and love from the 1920s American South to present day California. Mazelle, traumatized, lonely, and ambitious, creates for herself a focus for her loyalty, caring, and affection and receives absolute love and devotion in return. Decades after her death, her grandson brings his family to her former home where they must come face to face with her secrets and survive. The brilliance of this novel is in its emotional deftness. The reader is immersed in fear, dread, and suspense while simultaneously overwhelmed with love, compassion, empathy, and pain. The characters are complex, thoughtful, and deeply flawed. Only the reader is shown the various motives and feelings behind pivotal events and important relationships, and that knowledge is sometimes excruciating. I bawled, y’all.

[Chelsea (gofetchabook) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, this one evoked so many emotions. I don’t even know where to begin. It’s horror, but two very different types.

The first is the horror of Mazelle Washington, a black actress in the 1920’s - 40’s and how her life and career were taken advantage of and destroyed.

In the present day, Mazelle’s grandson brings his family for a vacation at her estate, and new horrors await them.

This one was incredibly thought provoking. I loved how it followed Mazelle’s life from childhood and all through her career. It was horror in a sense that your heart just kept repeatedly breaking for her, but you understood how and why she ended up like she did.

I liked the present story less until it all clicked for me and then it was horror in more of a sad way.

Overall, I highly recommend. This one was great.

[Lila · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the takeaways from this book is that wishes try to trick you. If you are not as careful and precise as possible, there could be repercussions for generations.
Mazelle Washington comes from a family who made their living as traveling entertainers until the struggles of traveling as Black performers led them to quit. They are struggling until a wish brings Scout the Wonder Dog into Mazelle’s life. She is the only one Scout will obey is Mazelle and together they star in a series of films similar to The Little Rascals called “Lil’ Gumshoes.” Scout appears to be able to read Mazelle’s thoughts and they share emotions; Scout is angry or sad when Mazelle displays the same emotions.

Hollywood is not as glamorous on the inside as it is from outside. Days on the set are long, sometimes boring, and difficult. The overt racist tone of the scripts that Mazelle is given make her angry but the money pays for her family to have a much nicer life in California than they ever had back in Florida. She meets and becomes friends with celebrities like Charlie Chaplin, Clark Gable, Lena Horne, Sammy Davis Jr, and Diahann Carroll. As she ages out for childhood, roles become scarce. She becomes an extra on Gone With The Wind as a freed slave but leaves with a friendship with Hattie McDaniel. Her career fades out after a series of slapstick comedies in which she plays a maid called “Lazy Mazy.”
Her grandson, Jonny Washington, is a director best known for a series of slashers. In some ways, he is still battling the racism his grandmother faced in Hollywood. After his script for an erotic supernatural thriller is rejected, he and his wife, Tasha, decide to take their two daughters to his grandmother’s lodge, Bear Creek Lodge. Jonny’s memories of the place are terrible as he remembers his grandmother as an ill tempered, abusive woman. However, there is a ski run and his daughters, Imani and Sharise, are snowboarders. Tasha, Jonny’s wife and a professor of African American Studies, wants to use the trip to tell the girls that she is pregnant. Johnny is haunted by his last trip to the lodge during which he saw a mysterious creature in the snow. The terrible secrets his grandmother kept and their consequences for Johnny’s family will be revealed during this trip back to her lodge.

Due (The Wishing Pool and Other Stories) uses dark foreshadowing in the book through dreams, nightmares and characters having premonitions or hearing an inner voice tell them that something bad is to happen. One idea repeated in the text is that bad luck always follows good luck. The narrative shifts between character and between the present and Mazelle’s early life through her career. Wishes, even those made innocently and with good intentions, can turn into a terrible inheritance, causing ripples across generations. That inheritance includes the strength that Mazelle had to survive the racism of early Hollywood resonates in Johnny’s daughters. Mazywood is part of a recent trend of horror books which channel a deep, female rage. There both strength and terror in shared family knowledge and inheritance. Is every legacy worth fighting for?

While the book is terrifying as a folk horror book, much of the horror comes from the legacy of American anti-Black racism that Mazelle fought in it’s most ugly and open state but which her grandson and his family still fight. The terror that made Mazelle who she was come from decades of fighting both racism and sexism. The characters in the book are complex and will have readers developing similarly complex feelings, understanding terrible choices even as they know there will be dreadful consequences. As in The Reformatory, Due has again used American history as a framework for developing both a genuinely haunting novel as well as showing that the terrors of the past are not so far away. We have all inherited their legacy.
Recommended for fans of Andy Davidson’s The Hollow Kind as well as Due’s other works, especially The Wishing Pool and Other Stories.

[S.H. Mansouri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spanning one hundred years of history, Mazywood is so many things: a monster story, a historical family saga, and a contemporary isolation/survival horror tale, all wrapped up around you like a fur coat in winter. Told in six parts with alternating timelines and points of view (this is accomplished seamlessly), we begin with seven-year-old Mazelle Washington in Gracetown. Really, we begin with a wish made in a muddy pond in the woods, because ‘Mazelle Washington worshipped the woods.’

She wishes for a best friend, forever, and that wish will both bless and curse her and her family for generations to come. Because ‘wishes always try to trick you.’ Details and spoilers aside, what Mazelle gets is a dog named Scout, and they become like ‘two pack animals with a special bond.’ What Mazelle also gets is a Hollywood role in Li’l Gumshoes, playing a character she despises, a ridiculous caricature who, much like the wish she made as a child, will haunt her, her career as an actress, and her family for the next one hundred years. The weight of the Washington’s financial well-being is placed on her shoulders, essentially parentifying her, locking her into scammy contracts (where she can be traded back and forth between studios) and a role wrought with systemic racism and ritualistic humiliation prevalent of both the era and modern day Hollywood. Not to mention having to live with Aunt Ruby…

Flash forward to the present day, L.A.: Johnny Washington has had some success in Hollywood as a screenwriter, but his current project is stalling out due to some white executive bullshit, and Tasha, his wife, is pregnant. The problem with that is, Johnny and Tasha have two children already, Sharise and Imani, and they’re getting ‘older,’ looking forward to enjoying their lives post-parenthood (not that that ever ends, anyway). Long story short, the Washington family packs into a RAV4 rental and heads to Mount Shasta, where Johnny’s grandmother—Mazelle, of course—owned a place named Bear Creek Lodge… a place Johnny vowed never to return to.

Secrets can do a lot of damage, and Bear Creek Lodge is full of them. Johnny Washington is full of them, too. We find out that Uncle Ricky went into the woods and never came back. If only he’d spilled the beans earlier. Tasha, who looks a lot like Johnny’s grandmother, wants to write a book about Mazelle, Johnny would rather forget her, and Sharise and Imani just want to go snowboarding. The girls find a deer head and a freezer full of fifty-year-old meat, Johnny confronts his trauma and ‘the punishment room,’ Tasha has strange dreams and really likes that fur coat, and when the power goes out, something big and fast starts to move in the snow around their cabin, making its way inside. Now, as a Southern Californian who recently moved into a cabin in the middle of nowhere—near Mount Shasta, I might add—where the snow is a nightmare, this part of the story hit hard. But at least I didn’t find a strange Jeep parked outside, and a body part underneath it. Johnny gets knocked out, Tasha goes missing, and it’s up to Sharise and Imani to save the day.

We get another part showing the progression/regression of Mazelle’s career, the celebrities she meets, the slimy character of Jerry Lorenzo, and how she begins to dissociate from the horrible things happening to her, the husband who beats her, the children she didn’t want, the aging of her parents, and how: ‘more and more, Mazelle felt the urge to hurt someone.’ Eventually, she makes her way back to the ‘Wishing Pool’. And this time ‘it wasn’t a wish, but a negotiation.’ Once we get to chapter 30, the truth starts to unravel, and man, it’s bone-chilling! There’s a chapter, 36 I think, that will totally shred your heart, ruin you, and change your mind about Mazelle as she ages. ‘She understood how the temporary madness unleashed by the world receded under Death’s gaze.’ Note here* Don’t ever forget to tell the people you love that you love them. It could be your last words.

Can’t say much about the last five chapters but they’re awesome, and Due certainly lands the ending, a drive back home that’s both hopeful and terrifying. While all the characters are well-realized, I have to say, Johnny and Sharise pissed me off for most of the story—just stuck in neutral and frozen in thought, but not everyone can be a hero. Favorite characters: Mazelle, Imani (the real hero), and Uncle Ricky. Would love a story with Imani and Uncle Ricky. To sum it up: one of the best novels I’ve read in a while.

Thanks to NetGalley, Saga Press (you’re crushing it), and Tananarive Due for a wonderful story!

[Craig Matthews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tananarive Due returns this year with her first novel since the phenomenon that was The Reformatory – perhaps the best horror novel of the 2020s to date. This is the type of follow-up effort that often leaves authors in a difficult position. Do they try and capitalise on that success with more of the same, perhaps even a sequel or something set in the same world? Or do they go in a different direction? Due has gone with the latter with Mazywood and produced a novel that I'm sure won't be a disappointment to her many fans.

The story unfolds with dual timelines, alternating sections between past and present. The past focuses on Mazelle, a young girl who prays for a forever best friend at a wishing pool and meets a stray white dog called Scout. They form an immediate bond, seemingly able to read each other's thoughts, and become an acclaimed double act that propels young Mazelle into stardom. The sections set in the present day follow Johnny, the grandson of Mazelle, and his family as they navigate an unexpected pregnancy later in life. They decide to take a vacation to the isolated ski resort that Mazelle bought during her fame, but Johnny feels uneasy about returning to a place he spent time at, for reasons he can't quite piece back together from his half-remembered childhood. Secrets, lies, forgotten moments and unexpected developments all threaten to converge on Johnny's family and make the trip to Mazywood one they will never forget, even if they manage to survive it.

Due juggles a lot here. The sections with Mazelle cover a vast period of Black Hollywood history, from her childhood starring in Little Rascals-esque films through to adulthood and beyond. There's an almost James Ellroy quality to the way myth and fact become intertwined, historical fiction where our protagonist could meet Charlie Chaplin or Clark Gable, and it fits the story perfectly. There's obviously a great deal of research gone into these chapters, and I found them captivating – although I do already have a lot of interest in this area of movie history.

The modern-day sections start with family drama and quickly build into more traditional genre fare. An isolated cabin; snowbanks that block off access to the outside world; and some sort of creature or creatures that our protagonists can't identify, if they even know it's there: These are all classic tropes that many readers will have seen often before. That doesn't mean these sections aren't tense, thrilling or effective, however. Due's fantastic characterisation and ability to make us care about each member of the family made these parts so engrossing to me, and it only got better as the barriers between time started breaking down and what was really going on became clearer.

This book isn't The Reformatory. It didn't eviscerate me emotionally, although there are a number of touching moments, and some parts towards the end did put a lump in my throat. It doesn't have the same gut punches, but there are plenty of times where the flagrant racism and misogyny of the old Hollywood era devastated me, knowing how real this treatment was. What Mazywood is, what Due has crafted here, is a fantastic piece of horror fiction, enhanced by a multiple-generation-spanning family drama, with some unique twists along the way. I'm not sure yet if this is my current favourite book of 2026, but it's certainly in the top 3.

[ezra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Titan Books for this ARC!

“Mazywood” is the second book by the amazing Tananarive Due, following “The Reformatory” (which everyone should read as well, btw). In this book we follow the story of five people, told in two different timelines. First, we meet Mazelle Washington, who wishes upon a mystical Wishing Pool, wanting a best friend. That best friend shows up in the form of Scout the Wonder Dog, a little white dog that is eerily intelligent. Together, they make “Mazy” a child star in Hollywood. In the later timeline, we meet Johnny Washington, mazelle’s grandson, and his family. After one of his screenwriting projects falls through yet again, he agrees to take his wife and his two daughters to Mazywood, the remote mountain retreat he inherited from his grandmother. But while they are there, circumstances grow increasingly worse, but the snow and isolation aren’t the only danger they face…

What a stunning book. The way Due writes is precise, wonderfully readable, and makes time just flow by as you read.

I read a lot of horror, and I would like to think that my skin has grown quite thick by now, that I don’t get scared easily. So I can’t quite put into words what about this book had me feeling so nervous. When I was reading at night, I would constantly feel the need to look up and check my surroundings! I haven’t experienced that in ages. If I were to theorise, I would say that it’s partially the profound sense of isolation this book creates, partially how hopeless things feel.

Now, the horror I mentioned above is what we see in the current timeline. But the past timeline, Mazelle’s timeline, portrays a different facet of horror. A young black girl in 1920s Hollywood, later a young black woman in the 1930s-1960s, the racism and exploitation Mazelle faces is its own kind of horror.

In general, I really liked the amount of nuance this topic was portrayed with here. The kinds of movies available for Mazelle to star in are exploitative, portray her and the Black population generally in an extremely bad, racist, stereotypical light. The people making those movies know this, the people starring in them know this, the people watching them know this. This ended up receiving criticism in later decades, and the way this criticism is treated in this book, juxtaposed with the view Mazelle and other black actresses of her time have on this topic, is extremely interesting and handled tremendously.

The characters in this book are fantastically complex. My favourite part was admittedly to follow Mazelle’s journey as she grows from a young child into a middle-aged woman, but I also really liked watching how Johnny changed over the course of the story. There is also his 13 year old daughter Imani, who we early on learn is diagnosed with ADHD, but based on the characteristics she displays I would argue also has autism. To me, this representation is done accurately, and I saw myself in a lot of the things she struggled with.

Mazywood is a beautifully executed narrative of family, Black personhood, racism both in old Hollywood and in our current day, and how our experiences shape us – both for the worse, and the better. I highly recommend this book, even to people who maybe are a little bit newer to horror, and especially think it would be an enjoyable read for self-proclaimed cinephiles.

[Chelsea Knowles · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance reader copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.*

Mazywood follows Mazelle Washington in 1926 who finds the Wishing Pool and makes a wish to have a best friend who will love her and be there for her forever. Scout the Wonder Dog appears and suddenly, her entire life changes. She becomes a star of the silver screen, her family is lifted from poverty and she has a best friend in her dog, Scout. In the present, Mazelle’s grandson Johnny is a screenwriter for Hollywood films and he needs a break after his big project falls through. Hollywood still won’t produce movies that show Black people in their full humanity so Johnny takes his wife and daughters to Mazywood. Mazywood is a remote retreat that his grandmother built but danger lurks in the forest around Mazywood alongside a dark history of racism and pain. Johnny and his family are thrust into a desperate fight for survival in the woods surrounding Mazywood and to survive they will need to uncover Mazelle’s lost legacy.

I had a great time reading this novel and it was really good to be back with Tananarive Due’s writing. I binged the majority of their books in 2024 so it was a real delight to experience their work again. This book is written well and I especially loved reading from Mazelle’s point of view as I love reading books about the Golden Age of Hollywood. This book is particularly interesting due to the complexities of race as Mazelle starts her acting career in a time where Black actors were forced into certain roles. Only certain Black actors were allowed to succeed and to achieve success they had to take on roles that denigrated the race and themselves. Mazelle is forced into Black minstrelsy as a child and any opportunities she has to become a big star are squandered by her managers as she is manipulated by the people that should be supporting her career. This book also shows the pressure of being a child star and how tough it is for a child to be the person keeping their family out of poverty.

Mazelle has a lot of anger due to what happened to her career and at times it is not easy to read from her point of view. I liked reading from Johnny’s point of view because he gave a different perspective of Hollywood. I did get a little bit bored with the present timeline because it felt a little dragged out and I do think this book is a bit too long. That said, this is really good and I enjoyed reading this. This has a lot to say on race, Hollywood and Black power. Mazelle takes back the power that was stolen from her through Scout and finds her own way of succeeding despite society being against her success. Since this involves elements of Black minstrelsy, I would recommend Darkology by Rhae Lynn Barnes alongside this for people who want a non-fiction book that involves Blackface and Black people’s role in Hollywood.

[Kimberly Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars

Tananrive Due hits another home run with Mazywood. This horror story is heavy on famiy and generational trauma and told in dual timelines spanning from the 1930's into modern day. For fans of the author's prior short story collection, The Wishing Pool and Other Stories, this one will be familiar. Based on the short story Incident at Bear Creek Lodge, we first encounter main character Mazelle Washington as a child with big dreams. She makes a fateful wish at the wishing pool which is granted, but there's always a catch.

Mazelle's dreams of Hollywood fame and fortune come true when she stars in her own series with her faithful companion, Scout the wonder dog. But the fame doesn't last and the jobs dry up and then Scout disappears. Mazelle struggles as a young black woman in Hollywood, trying to separate herself from the character she played as a child, Lazy Mazy continues to haunt her throughout her life.

The second timeline revolves around Johnny Washington, the grandson of Mazelle, his wife Tasha, and daughters Sharise and Imani. Johnny is a writer in Hollywood and has had a successful horror franchise but his current script isn't getting anywhere. After a frustrating encounter with his studio, Johnny and Tasha pack up the girls for a weekend trip to his grandmother's old lodge, the Bear Creek Lodge. A weekend of snowboarding and togetherness should be the right backdrop for Johnny and Tasha to finally tell the girls that they are about to have a new sibling. After arriving at the lodge, things get out of control quickly and the terrifying beast Johnny remembers from his childhood stay just might be real.

The characters are the heart of this story. Mazelle especially was so complex and I found myself loving her and hating her in equal measures. The main horror in this story comes from Scout, who starts as a sweet, white dog who is totally bonded to Mazelle and becomes something much more sinister after Mazelle's second trip to the Wishing Pool. The underlying horror is clearly racism and that theme is present from beginning to end, masterfully woven into the narrative.

I loved this book and would recommend it to anyone who is a fan of this author, a fan of horror and creature features, and who is looking for something sinister to read this fall.

Thank you to NetGalley and Saga Press for the eArc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Jensen McCorkel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A breathtaking multigenerational horror novel that seamlessly blends ghost story, family saga, and a poignant meditation on the cost of ambition. At its heart lies the haunting idea that the past is never truly gone and that every wish, no matter how innocent, eventually demands a price.

The novel's structure is expertly crafted. Moving between past and present, the narrative gradually unveils generations of family secrets with remarkable precision. Each revelation deepens the emotional stakes, and by the time the full truth comes to light, the impact is both devastating and deeply satisfying. The horror resonates not only because of its supernatural elements, but because the characters have so much at risk.

The standout thread is Mazelle Washington's story. Her rise from a poor Black girl in the 1920s to a Hollywood star is captivating, and the notion that a single childhood wish could shape the destiny of an entire family gives the novel tremendous emotional and supernatural weight. Due beautifully illustrates how dreams, sacrifices, and buried secrets can echo across generations.

The atmosphere is exceptional. Mazywood itself feels alive with mystery and unease, and the sense of dread steadily intensifies throughout the novel. Whether exploring the glamour of Old Hollywood, long-hidden family histories, or the darkness lurking beyond the edges of the estate, Due creates a richly immersive world that lingers long after the final page.

The only reason this falls short of a full five-star read for me is that the pacing occasionally slows in the middle sections. Some portions of the family history, while beautifully written, feel slightly overextended and momentarily disrupt the narrative momentum. I also found myself wishing for more time with certain present-day characters whose storylines are somewhat overshadowed by the strength of Mazelle's narrative.

Even so, these are minor criticisms in an otherwise remarkable novel. The payoff is well worth the patience, and the final act brings together the book's themes and mysteries in a way that is both emotionally resonant and deeply satisfying.

Overall, Mazywood is atmospheric, intelligent, and profoundly moving. It is a horror novel that understands the most frightening things are often the legacies we inherit, making it an easy recommendation for readers who enjoy literary horror, family sagas, and stories where the past refuses to stay buried.

[Megan Janae · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some books fit neatly into a genre.

Mazywood refuses.

This is the kind of story that beautifully blurs boundaries; braiding historical fiction, horror, family saga, and something deeply human into a novel that feels wholly original.

It’s haunting, heart-wrenching, and layered with the kind of emotional depth that settles into your bones.

What Tananarive Due does so masterfully and absolutely on once again is her ability to write characters that don’t simply live on the page… is they linger. They simmer. They wound you. They resonate long after you’ve finished reading. They feel painfully real. The kind of people you know, the kind of people you love, the kind of people you struggle to forgive, and the kind of people you can never fully forget.

At its core, Mazywood is about family. The beautiful, bruised, complicated kind. Generational closeness. Generational pain. The quiet sacrifices made in love. The impossible weight of protection, unconditional support, and what it means to carry people even when carrying them hurts. The relationships here are raw and complex.

And then there’s the world-building.

The old Hollywood thread adds such richness; glamour shadowed by performance, mythmaking, and the painful distance between who someone is and who the world believes them to be. Through Mazy and Mayzelle Washington, we’re allowed to explore both persona and personhood in a way that feels textured, tragic, and beautifully rendered.

The setting itself becomes a character, particularly the Mount Shasta imagery, which is so vivid and precise you can feel the chill of the caverns in your bones. Mount Shasta becomes more than backdrop, it becomes atmosphere, tension, and myth.

And as always, Tananarive Due never looks away from uncomfortable truths. She writes them plainly, powerfully, and with remarkable honesty, challenging the reader while trusting them enough to sit in that discomfort.

That’s what makes her work extraordinary.

She doesn’t simply tell stories.

She excavates truths.

And with Mazywood, she has absolutely done it again. Some books entertain you. Some unsettle you. Some break your heart a little. The rare ones do all three and stay with you. Mazywood is one of those books.



Thank you NetGalley and Saga Press for the opportunity and the ARC.

[Annelise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mazelle Washington's career was built on stereotypes. Though a talented actress who had made the transition from silent pictures to talkies as a child, much of her adulthood was spent playing 'Lazy Mazy', a comedic maid character. Mazelle constructs a ski lodge near Mount Shasta as a getaway from the Hollywood lifestyle. In the year 2026, Mazelle's grandson, Johnny, brings his wife and teenage daughters to the lodge. While the lack of internet and faulty electricity cause the family some discomfort, it's nothing compared to what lives in the woods around the cabin. Some of Mazelle's costars miss her dearly.

This was my first time reading Tananarive Due, and wow! 'Mazywood' is a long book, but not a detail is out of place or extraneous. It's a tapestry of complicated familial relationships, classic Hollywood studio deals and deceptions, and the horror of surviving in the wilderness when you’re up to your knees in snow. Due did her research for the Golden Age of Hollywood, and none of the cameos of actors or directors feel like fan service. Not only that, but the fictional studios and directors blend in well enough with the historic happenings. I’m always happy to see a Charlie Chaplin cameo, but the scene with Sammy Davis Jr. was probably my favorite.

‘Mazywood’s biggest strength is its characters. Each generation of the Washington family feels realistic and nuanced, even the members who we only meet post-mortem. Johnny’s immediate family gets a special mention, though–Imari and Sharise had a great sister dynamic, and I enjoyed how Imari was depicted as neurodivergent without being written as being annoying or having ‘magical autism powers’. As always, though, I relate to the apprehensive and overly-cautious eldest daughter, so a lot of things Sharise did had me saying ‘Oh, I’d do that, too’. And Scout! If we gave out awards to dogs in books, he’d deserve one. Mazelle is the star, though, and is equal parts sympathetic and intimidating as someone who causes so much horror yet desperately needs a break.

‘Mazywood’ is a dazzling book, and a stunning adventure from start to finish.

[Beth Gordon · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

After a career disappointment, Johnny and his wife Tasha take their two teenage daughters on a trip to stay at Johnny’s deceased grandmother’s old ski resort in the California mountains. Johnny had a conflicted relationship with his grandmother when she was alive, and his uncle Richard had disappeared long ago. When things go awry on their trip to the mountains, the family realizes that a Beast is living and hunting on the property.

The past strand of this novel shows Johnny’s grandmother Mazelle’s career in Hollywood. She got her start as a child with her extremely obedient dog Scout. A pawn in the studio system, her career has fits and starts, and I loved how real-life actors and actresses glided through these pages.

I was entranced by both the present and past timelines in this novel. While I would say this is technically a horror novel, there was a lot of tension, but the novel never got too scary for me. Both settings (the snowy ski lodge and Old Hollywood) were amazing. The pages turned quickly.

🩷 Loved the snowy mountain setting in the present timeline
🩷 Two riveting timelines - the present timeline being adventure/horror with a family going to the family matriarch’s old ski lodge and the past timeline showing the grandmother’s career in Old Hollywood
🩷 Really appreciated how real-life figures (Lena Horne, Sammy Davis Jr., Hattie McDaniel) from Old Hollywood were integrated into the novel
🩷 The younger daughter Imani has AHDH and is on the spectrum. She displays extraordinary talents in the present day timeline, so I appreciated how multi-dimensional the author made her characters.

⚠️ I wanted to know more of the inner workings of Mazelle, especially after she was 30 years old. Maybe a little more space to Mazelle?

As well-written as her previous books, Due’s newest will keep you on the edge of your seat and also gives homage to Old Hollywood!

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster/Saga Press for an Advance Reader Copy. My review is completely my own.

It publishes September 22, 2026.

[Nikki Kossaris · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you like your horror layered with historical Hollywood, trauma and just enough magic to feel dangerous, Mazywood by Tananarive Due is going to mess you up in the best way.

This is not a quick read. It’s big, generational, and moves back and forth through time, but it never feels wasted. We start with young (Mazelle) Mazy making a wish at the Wishing Pool (world building) that should have been left alone, and from there everything just keeps unfolding.

Mazy’s story in old Hollywood is one of my favorite parts. She’s this talented Black girl trying to survive in spaces that were never meant for her but should have been, brushing up against names like Sammy Davis Jr., Lucille Ball, Hattie McDaniel, Lena Horne, and Groucho Marx, but still having to fight for every inch of respect. That anger and hurt never really leave. It grows into something else.

Then you get Mazywood, the mountain retreat she creates as a safe place during segregation. A place for her and her friends when hotels wouldn’t take them.

When we get to Johnny, her grandson, I was locked in. He’s a horror movie writer and director, which makes everything hit a little harder. He brings his family, Tasha, Imani, and Sharise, to stay at Mazywood after fixing it up, and from the second they get there you can feel it. Something is off. Something is waiting.

There’s generational trauma running through all of this, and you feel it in every timeline.

I got really attached to this family, which made the horror land even harder. There’s a moment in this book where my heart genuinely felt like it stopped. That’s the kind of tension Tananarive Due builds. She makes you fall in love through her words.

Also the horror references were so good. The mention of The Shining had me smiling, and when Candyman came up I had that full fan moment. It fits the story and never feels forced.

I flew through this even though it’s long because I needed to know how it ended. It’s emotional, tense, and haunting.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

You see the name Tananarive Due, and you know you're in for a remarkable reading experience. She is an extraordinary writer, a master at weaving atmosphere, history, family, memory, and the supernatural into stories that feel both intimate and haunting.

With MAZYWOOD, Due delivers another knockout. Following the success of THE REFORMATORY - a novel that earned every bit of the acclaim it received - she once again demonstrates why she is one of the most vital voices in horror today.

What I love most about Due's work is her understanding that the deepest horror often lies in what is hidden, inherited, and deliberately forgotten. MAZYWOOD uses horror as a lens to explore the historical and systemic impacts of racism in Hollywood and American society. Spanning multiple eras and drawing from the realities of the entertainment industry, the novel examines how Black artists have been exploited, overlooked, and forced to navigate systems designed to exclude them.

Some readers may hesitate when they see the horror label, but I hope that doesn't keep them from discovering this book. MAZYWOOD is far more than a horror novel. It is a story about legacy, grief, family, ambition, survival, and the ghosts - both literal and metaphorical - that follow us through generations.

Due creates such a rich and immersive world that I completely disappeared into it. At one point, I was so absorbed in the story that a friend had to tap me to get my attention, and it genuinely took me a moment to return to reality. That kind of immersion is rare - the feeling that you're no longer reading a story but living inside it.

MAZYWOOD is unsettling, powerful and beautifully crafted. Tananarive Due doesn't simply use horror to frighten; she uses it to uncover truths, give voice to history, and remind us that the past is never as distant as we would like to believe.

Another unforgettable work from a master storyteller.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tananarive Due has done it again! Her new novel Mazywood is absolutely fantastic!

My summary:

It all started with a wish in a wishing well.

An intricately woven tale of a grandmother’s life and legacy and her grandchildren’s discovery of what all that legacy entailed.

My overall thoughts:

Utterly unique and original. This story took me on an epic journey and I am so glad to have read it! Equal parts historical fiction, on the struggles of being a Black actress in Old Hollywood, and horror centering on a creature lurking near her isolated ski lodge in the woods. These two stories weave together to create a fascinating saga filled with Hollywood cameos, heart pounding action, and an unsettling look into racism during the golden age of film. Somehow two entirely different tones coexisted together and eventually merged to create one multifaceted read. It’s hard to describe to be honest but trust me it’s masterfully done.

If you appreciate historical horror this is an absolute MUST read.

My rating: 4.75 ⭐️
Release Date: September 22nd

What I loved:

- The glimpse into Old Hollywood! I’m not a film buff so I’m sure some of the name drops and accuracy went over my head, but I loved learning more about this time. This novel was filled with important Black actresses and actors and the struggles they faced. It felt like a window into a time I will never be able to fully grasp and yet I now have a deeper appreciation for.

- The characters! I found myself caring about each of them and even getting emotional at times. So layered and fleshed out and complex.

- The atmosphere! My word was the atmosphere in this novel absolutely stellar! If you can make me FEEL it too then you know it’s well done and boy did I feel it. The crunch of the snow, the swish of the snowboard . . . the dread. 👀

Thank you to Saga Press for the advanced copy. I was blown away by this absolutely fantastic novel! All thoughts and opinions are my own and this is my voluntary review.

[Ladiami · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tananarive Due delivered another powerful and emotionally layered story with this one. I was immediately pulled into the atmosphere surrounding Mazywood and the way the novel blended family history, horror, grief, and generational trauma together. The flashbacks involving Johnny’s grandmother were some of my favorite parts because they added so much depth to the story while also giving a glimpse into Black excellence and history through references to icons like Lena Horne, Sammy Davis Jr., Hattie McDaniel, and others. Those moments made the story feel rich and grounded even when the horror elements became unsettling.

I also really appreciated the subtle nods to The Shining throughout the book. They never felt forced or overly obvious, but if you catch them, they add another layer to the reading experience. The isolated setting, the growing tension, and the emotional unraveling gave the story that same eerie feeling while still feeling completely original and uniquely Tananarive Due.

The writing itself was immersive and beautifully detailed, although I will admit there were sections that felt a little drawn out at times. Some parts moved slower than I expected, especially in the middle, but the emotional weight of the story kept me invested enough to continue pushing through.

What stayed with me most by the end was how conflicted I felt about the creature itself. I went into the story expecting clear lines between monster and victim, but by the final pages I found myself wrestling with sympathy, anger, sadness, and understanding all at once. Tananarive Due has a way of making horror feel deeply human, and that emotional complexity is what made this book stand out for me long after I finished reading it.

Thanks Netgalley and Saga Press | S&S/Saga Press for the ARC and opportunity to provide an honest review.

[Katrina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mazywood by Tananarive Due introduces us to a young Mazelle Washington. Mazelle comes from a family of travelling entertainers no longer in the business and struggling to keep their heads above water.

After an ill-conceived wish, Mazelle finds Scout, a stray dog with uncanny abilities that can help launch her own career in Hollywood, but as she was warned, 'wishes always try to trick you'.

Set over two timelines, featuring three generations, Mazywood is an incredible novel with a multitude of themes. The story is a concoction of social history, folk horror, generational trauma, tragedy, and love.

Due created such an immersive world and compelling character in Mazelle Washington that I honestly struggled to put the book down. The trials and barriers she faced trying to make a career for herself in the golden era of Hollywood, where even African American Oscar winners were shunted to segregated tables at the far side of the room during the ceremony, were heartbreaking and anger-inducing.

Her loyal sidekick Scout also tugged at my heartstrings and grabbed my attention every moment he appeared on the page. He truly was the best boy and could do no wrong.

All the characters featured in Mazywood were layered as well as engaging. While Mazelle Washington was the star of the book, none of the other characters fell flat or came across as uninteresting.

While I did feel, to a certain extent, that the modern-day setting paled in comparison to Mazelle's timeline, I was still utterly invested in Johnny and his family's survival when the danger they faced at the cabin finally presented itself.

All in all, I loved this book and it's not often a novel makes me teary-eyed, but Mazywood did just that. I was also very satisfied with the conclusion.
Still early days, but I suspect this will be in my top ten reads of the year.

Highly recommended.

[Lindsey Hull · Rating 3 out of 5]

Here's a balanced ARC review that reflects your experience while acknowledging the book's strengths.

I received an advance reader copy of **Mazywood** in exchange for an honest review.

**⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3/5)**

As someone who reads a lot of horror, *Mazywood* ultimately felt like a story I'd experienced before. The setup checks many familiar boxes: a remote cabin deep in the woods, no electricity, no internet, an approaching snowstorm, and a growing sense of dread. While those ingredients can absolutely make for an effective horror novel, they didn't bring enough new to the table for me personally.

The novel also explores Hollywood's history of racism, family secrets, generational trauma, and the paranormal. Those themes add emotional depth to the story, and I appreciated the attempt to weave them together with the horror elements. There are some genuinely unsettling moments, some gore, and supernatural happenings that will likely satisfy readers looking for a dark, atmospheric read.

I also enjoy novels with multiple points of view, but Johnny's chapters simply didn't work for me. They felt much longer than necessary and were filled with details that slowed the pacing rather than building tension. I found myself wanting to get back to the central story, and by the halfway point I was struggling to stay engaged.

While I found much of the plot predictable, I can absolutely see this finding an audience. Readers who enjoy slow-burn horror with strong family dynamics, buried secrets, paranormal elements, and graphic horror may have a very different experience than I did.

Unfortunately, this one just wasn't the right fit for my horror tastes. While I appreciated the opportunity to read it early, *Mazywood* never fully captured my attention and ended up being an average read for me.

[Erricka Hager · Rating 3 out of 5]

It hurts to type this, but let’s just rip the band-aid off: this was a disappointment for me. After loving The Reformatory, I had high hopes going into Mazywood.

The story follows two timelines. In the 1920s, we meet Mazelle Washington, who feels like an outcast in her talented family. She seeks out an infamous wishing well to request a best friend—someone to perform with, have fun with, love her, and keep her safe. Her wish is granted in the form of a mangy mutt named Scout, who can perform incredible tricks on Mazy’s command. Together, they break into Hollywood, but when Scout disappears later in her career, a devastated Mazy returns to the well. However, the Scout that comes back is... different.

In the present day, we follow Mazy’s grandson, Johnny, a struggling movie producer balancing career pressure with an expanding family. During a family trip to his grandmother's cabin to share some big news with his daughters, they quickly realize Mazy's history isn't the only thing waiting for them.

Mazy’s timeline was easily the highlight—her experiences as a Black woman in 1920s Hollywood and her relationships with fellow Black actors were captivating. On the other hand, Johnny’s timeline felt a bit disjointed and didn't hold my attention as well. Additionally, the overall structure and the inclusion of short stories felt jarring at times.

Final Verdict: Mazy’s storyline was strong enough to keep this at a 3.5/5 stars for me, even if the present-day POV fell short. If you don't mind a unique structure and are interested in 1920s Black Hollywood with a side of modern "cabin in the woods" suspense, it's worth checking out. Just temper your expectations if you're coming off her previous work.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Release Date: September 22, 2026.

[The Speculative Shelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

A haunting and layered creature feature that begins with an ill-conceived wish that reshapes the course of one family from Old Hollywood to today. As a child, Mazelle “Mazy” Washington makes a seemingly benign yet careless wish that alters the trajectory of her life and those of her descendants in unexpected ways.

Due constructs a riveting and believable backstory for Mazelle, a one-time child star, juxtaposed against her film director grandson visiting her cabin many decades later.

With the two timelines playing out in parallel, flashbacks to Mazelle’s life gradually add pieces to the puzzle of what’s transpiring in the present day and recontextualize what came before in a really satisfying way. There’s a real depth to Mazelle and her Old Hollywood trappings, growing up in the industry as a Black performer, as she rubs shoulders with everyone from Cary Grant to Lena Horne. I found these Old Hollywood sections fantastic while the present-day storyline felt a little lacking by comparison. Some of the contemporary action sequences feel overwritten and could have been tighter, as well.

Even with some pacing issues in the present-day sections, this is a consistently compelling story. Due writes Mazelle with such depth and grace that her halo elevates the entire novel.

My thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Blog | Twitter | Instagram | Bluesky

[Nailya · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have a massive review backlog, but I immediately propelled #Mazywood by #TananariveDue to the top of the pile as soon as I finished reading it. Black Old Hollywood meets Cabin in the Woods in this methodically researched intricate horror novel.

The story follows Mazelle, who came to film prominence as a child performer in the 1920s and established her own comedy franchise in the 1940s. Her 'Lazy Mazy' racially stereotypical character both made her famous in a Hollywood with very limited opportunities for Black actors, and made sure that she would never get any complex or interesting roles as the cultural climate was changing afterwards. In the modern day, we meet Johnny, her grandson, a Hollywood horror writer made famous by a slasher franchise for a White audience. He and his family visit Mazywood/Bear Creek Lodge, Mazelle's now abandoned small private skiing resort, and something that terrified Johnny as a teenager is now on the hunt for him and his family...

I really enjoyed the meticulous storytelling. I was completely absorbed by Mazelle's story in the historic chapters, and I followed contrasting survival in the woods Johnny chapters with interest. I kept thinking about this book whenever I wasn't reading it, and I devoured it hungrily when I was, quickly and without giving it space to breathe, like hot fresh pastries from a stellar bakery. Both sides of the story are quite a slow build, reminiscent of but pacier than The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones. The stories come together beautifully to tell a tale of nuance and the importance of understanding the past in its complexity rather than creating idols of pioneers. Mazelle was done dirty by her environment but that does not make her a good person//a saint by default. That theme is reflected in the nature of the Mazywood monster.

I wasn't always sold on character development. We get pages upon pages of tracking in the woods, but Mazelle and Johhny's relationship, the core of the emotional narrative of reckoning, is speedtracked in mere paragraphs very close to the end of the book. However, this book is greater than the sum of its parts. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you read "Mazywood" you'll be treated to two novels woven together. The first is a fascinating journey through old Hollywood, from the silent film era into the 1930s and 1940s. The second shifts into supernatural horror, following the descendants of the woman at the heart of the first story.

The old Hollywood storyline was the highlight for me. Like "All the Stars in the Heavens" by Adriana Trigiani, "Mazywood" pulls back the curtain on Hollywood's Golden Age. Due tells a story that shines a light on the experiences of Black American performers during that time, whose contributions were overlooked and whose treatment was glaringly unequal to that of their White counterparts. Her research is evident on every page, bringing the era vividly to life. I especially enjoyed the sections involving "Gone with the Wind" and was surprised to see in the acknowledgements that Due had not seen the movie. The honest portrayal of the limited opportunities and unequal treatment Black performers faced during that time made the novel feel richer and more meaningful and gave me much to think about while seamlessly moving the story forward.

The modern storyline is where the horror takes center stage. It is suspenseful, creepy, and very creative. While I appreciated the author's skill, it got a little too stressful for my taste. Readers who enjoy supernatural horror will likely connect with this portion of the novel more than I did.

Even with my personal preferences, both storylines kept me engaged, and I admired Due's ability to blend historical fiction with horror while exploring themes of family, legacy, and the lingering effects of the past.

One final thought: I think my next pet is going to be named Scout.

[Ashton Ahart · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this dual-timeline novel spanning from the 1920s to modern day, Mazywood tells the haunting story of two Hollywood stars, one an actress who rose to fame for a number of controversial roles in the late 20s-40s, another, a writer whose cliched scripts earned him fame yet held him back creatively. As each story unfolds so does the horror that surrounds one wish and its repercussions.

Mazelle Washington, a little girl who dreams of stardom wishes for a best friend to ease her loneliness. Her wish gets granted through a wonder dog that leads her through a world of stardom and typecasting. As she struggles to break free from the harmful Black stereotypes that plagued old Hollywood, she finds that her wish left her more alone than she already was and creates a monster of her.

Johnny Washington, a filmmaker who got big through a series of slasher films, struggles with the racism that still exists within the film elite despite the ‘progress’ Hollywood has made. After his latest and most meaningful script gets rejected again by executives, his anxieties about his work and life come to a tipping point. With a recently pregnant wife despite the couple’s late age and two children to look after, Johnny decides to travel back to a haunted house from his past – a decision that leaves them trapped in a snowstorm miles from civilization and any sort of cell service.

Instead of an early Christmas family getaway, the Washingtons have to battle monsters from the past while dealing with present traumas that threaten both their existence and their relationships. This book deals with themes of racism, old Hollywood controversies, and generational trauma all while spanning through a timeline of bloodshed and rage.

[Kyle Goins · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you’ve only read The Reformatory by Tananarive Due, you’re in for a different kind of treat in this one. It carries all the same beautiful language, rich character and world building, and examinations of racism on every scale. But this time, there’s a creature! This should not be a surprise to you if you’ve read the previous two Bear Creek Lodge stories and really, you should. They aren’t required to understand this tale because Due is such a skilled author, but they’re great stories and add some depth to the proceedings. We first visited this snowy retreat in Incident at Bear Creek Lodge in the Other Terrors anthology and then checked in on our protagonist in Return to Bear Creek Lodge in the Christmas & Other Horrors anthology.

I had been waiting years to find out more of the story and Due delivers the goods here. To me, Mazywood feels much more spiritually related to her novel The Good House than it does The Reformatory. It weaves its way through multiple timelines, while having deeply nuanced and authentic characters come to terms with generational trauma.

The one thing that didn’t work for me is that the frequent time jumps lead to some uneven pacing. There are some inconsistencies in character ages that briefly broke me out of the narrative. And even though the timelines obviously impact each other and thematically they are intertwined, the substance of the two stories is so different that it breaks up the tension to switch between them.

All that said, there is no such thing as a bad Tananarive Due story. I maintain that she’s one of the greatest modern authors we have and Mazywood is a worthy addition to the pantheon of her horror.

Thank you to Saga Press Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this one early! Opinions, as always, are my own.

[Ginger · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Glorious Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Ebook format 📖

ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review via NetGalley.

And on the last day of the month, I finished one of the best books that I’ve read for the year!

Y’all, if you haven’t heard of Tananarive Due, you might be living under a rock. Crawl out from under that rock and check out one of her books. Maybe this one?!

Here’s the thing. This lady is a storyteller.
She will wring the emotion out of you like a wet rag. You’ll not only feel sad and gutted, but hopeful and reflective after finishing this book.

Mazywood is a journey.
A journey into glitzy Old Hollywood when racism is so thick it’s a bowl of oatmeal with molasses thrown in for good measure.

“Mammy”, “Geisha Girl”, “ Drunk Indian”, “Pickaninny” and more were common caricatures in Hollywood for years. If a talented actor or actress wanted to do something different than this type of role, well that was just too damn bad.

This was Mazelle Washington’s life. She was a talented child star and young woman who became broken by this system.
She’s also furious and has dark secrets. Secrets that bring her to a mountain retreat and becomes a recluse from Hollywood.

In present day, Mazelle’s grandson Johnny hasn’t been back to Bear Creek Lodge since she passed away. What type of adventure, terror and trauma will he find when he finally returns and brings his own family?

Part historical fiction, family saga and supernatural horror, Mazywood shows us what generational trauma and dark secrets can do to a family, and how resilience and strength can bring the same family into the light.

I loved this one and I’m always excited to read a book by Tananarive Due!

[LateNightDadReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tananarive Due's Mazywood, makes for a really solid read. Chilling, suspenseful, and horrifying in more ways than one, Due's dual timeline horror novel keeps the reader on their toes and wanting more the entire time.

The book switches viewpoints between Mazelle Washington, a young black actress growing up in the 20's, and Mazelle's grandson, Johnny, present day. Mazelle's story kept me hooked as Due explored what Hollywood was like for a black actress in Hollywood during the early to mid 20th century. While a child, Mazelle made a wish that surprisingly came true, but would have consequences for generations. Johnny's story is a strong tale of family, unity, and perseverance in the face of insurmountable odds.

Due had a tough task - following up The Reformatory, a book that really took off and is critically acclaimed and universally admired. I can feel the love and time Due put into the subject matter, especially the early Hollywood scenes. For me, Mazywood didn't have quite the emotional pull that The Reformatory had, but there were plenty of moments within that had me uneasy with mid-century America. That real life horror hit just as hard, if not harder, than the monster in the present day sections of the book.

If you've read and enjoyed Tananarive Due's work before, you will surely like this as well. If you're new to Due, I would strongly encourage you to read her. Her work is as beautiful as it is haunting.

Thank you to SagaPress, NetGalley, and Tananarive Due for providing the ARC!