whimsydearest

Leslie Bruin is a trans nurse assigned to work at Spar Creek, a small Appalachian mining town. However, when he arrives, the townsfolk are closed off and secretive, and he can't help but feel a strange presence watching him from the woods. The Woods All Black by Lee Mandelo paints an unsettling historical horror that explores queerness, religious trauma, and survival. First off, this is a wonderfully atmospheric read. You can practically feel the mugginess of a late Kentucky summer and really get a sense of the late 20s time period. However, there were several aspects I didn’t enjoy as much. For starters, this book is a slow burn. For about 40% of the novella, Leslie isn’t receiving tasks from the townsfolk and instead spends his time passively waiting and listening to town gossip. I wish he could have tried to assist with helping around (and get turned away) or investigate the town’s mystery or at least something! Moreover, we’re told hints that the land Spar Creek sits on is str...

A ndrew and Eddie are the closest of friends, until Eddie leaves to pursue his undergrad in American Studies at Vanderbilt. However, days before Andrew’s meant to start the same program himself, Eddie is found dead by apparent suicide. Andrew suspects foul play though. He believes that Eddie’s research thesis paper on regional occult folklore came back to haunt him, so he tries to continue Eddie’s work in hopes of uncovering the mystery behind his death. Meanwhile, a hungry ghost appears to have latched onto him, and he’s forced to confront both his own dark past as well as Eddie’s. Summer Sons  by Lee Mandelo is a brooding tale about guilt, loss, and an inherited curse—written in deliciously lush and atmospheric prose. However, I think what drew me most to this book was how raw and believable its relationships felt. It wonderfully captures a sense of angst, longing, and wistful nostalgia as the story navigates flawed characters and their equally messy relationships. Because at its...