What do you think?
Rate this book
Direwood
In this velvet-clad 1990s gothic horror, Aja encounters a charming vampire who wants to lure her into the woods—just like her missing sister.
No one ever pays attention to sixteen-year-old Aja until her perfect older sister Fiona goes missing. In
the days leading up to Fiona’s disappearance, Aja notices some extraordinary a strange fog
rolling through their idyllic suburban town, a brief moment when the sky seems to rain blood, and a
host of parasitic caterpillars burrowing their way through the trees. Aja’s father, the neighbors, and
even her ex-friend Mary all play down this strange string of occurrences, claiming there must be some
natural explanation. It seems everyone is willing to keep living in denial until other teens start to go
missing too.
Aja is horrified when she meets Padraic, the vampire responsible for all the strange occurrences. His
hypnotic voice lures her to the window and tells her everything she’s longed to hear—she’s beautiful and
special, and he wants nothing more than for Aja to come with him. Aja knows she shouldn’t trust him,
but she’s barely able to resist his enthrallment. And following him into the woods may be the only way
to find Fiona, so she agrees on one He must let her leave alive if she is not wooed after one
week. Though Aja plans to kill him before the week is out, Padraic has his own secrets as well.
In the misty woods, Aja finds that Padraic has made his nest with another vampire in a dilapidated
church infested by blood-sucking butterflies. Within its walls, the vampires are waited on and entertained by other children they’ve enthralled, but there is no sign of Fiona. Before her bargain is up, Aja must find a way to turn her classmates against their captors, find her sister, and save them all—or be forced to join the very monsters she wants to destroy.
No one ever pays attention to sixteen-year-old Aja until her perfect older sister Fiona goes missing. In
the days leading up to Fiona’s disappearance, Aja notices some extraordinary a strange fog
rolling through their idyllic suburban town, a brief moment when the sky seems to rain blood, and a
host of parasitic caterpillars burrowing their way through the trees. Aja’s father, the neighbors, and
even her ex-friend Mary all play down this strange string of occurrences, claiming there must be some
natural explanation. It seems everyone is willing to keep living in denial until other teens start to go
missing too.
Aja is horrified when she meets Padraic, the vampire responsible for all the strange occurrences. His
hypnotic voice lures her to the window and tells her everything she’s longed to hear—she’s beautiful and
special, and he wants nothing more than for Aja to come with him. Aja knows she shouldn’t trust him,
but she’s barely able to resist his enthrallment. And following him into the woods may be the only way
to find Fiona, so she agrees on one He must let her leave alive if she is not wooed after one
week. Though Aja plans to kill him before the week is out, Padraic has his own secrets as well.
In the misty woods, Aja finds that Padraic has made his nest with another vampire in a dilapidated
church infested by blood-sucking butterflies. Within its walls, the vampires are waited on and entertained by other children they’ve enthralled, but there is no sign of Fiona. Before her bargain is up, Aja must find a way to turn her classmates against their captors, find her sister, and save them all—or be forced to join the very monsters she wants to destroy.
288 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 20, 2022
27 people are currently reading
10610 people want to read
About the author
Catherine Yu
5 books117 followersCatherine Yu writes dark speculative fiction. Her debut YA novel DIREWOOD will be published September 20th, 2022 by Page Street Publishing.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 240 reviews
March 31, 2024
things i like: gore.
things i don't like: sister drama. boredom. maybe vampires?
the second i heard this book was vampire gothic horror set in the 90s, i was like...gimme.
but now i'm in the midst of an existential crisis, questioning everything about myself. in spite of my inhuman ability to rewatch the twilight franchise multiple times a year...do i dislike vampires? in spite of my sensitive stomach and physical rejection of all things gross...do i like gore? and in spite of the world-record-breaking excitement indicated by "vampire gothic horror in the 90s"...was this boring?
or maybe this book just wasn't for me.
one or the other.
bottom line: another thing i dislike - being disappointed by anticipated releases.
(thanks to the publisher for the arc)
things i don't like: sister drama. boredom. maybe vampires?
the second i heard this book was vampire gothic horror set in the 90s, i was like...gimme.
but now i'm in the midst of an existential crisis, questioning everything about myself. in spite of my inhuman ability to rewatch the twilight franchise multiple times a year...do i dislike vampires? in spite of my sensitive stomach and physical rejection of all things gross...do i like gore? and in spite of the world-record-breaking excitement indicated by "vampire gothic horror in the 90s"...was this boring?
or maybe this book just wasn't for me.
one or the other.
bottom line: another thing i dislike - being disappointed by anticipated releases.
(thanks to the publisher for the arc)
Read
June 28, 2022Hi! Author here. I’m super excited for everyone to read my debut YA gothic horror, DIREWOOD.
I also wanted to provide some quick content notes below. DIREWOOD is categorically horror, so there are definitely some spooky elements. I want to make sure everyone has a comfortable reading experience, so please check out the list below if you have hesitations.
»»————- ☠ ————-««
content notes: body & bug horror, death, on-page violence, racial microaggressions.
Thank you and happy reading! 🖤
I also wanted to provide some quick content notes below. DIREWOOD is categorically horror, so there are definitely some spooky elements. I want to make sure everyone has a comfortable reading experience, so please check out the list below if you have hesitations.
»»————- ☠ ————-««
content notes: body & bug horror, death, on-page violence, racial microaggressions.
Thank you and happy reading! 🖤
September 22, 2022
Star Rating: —> 4.5 Stars
WOW— I cannot believe this was Catherine Yu’s DEBUT! I will 100% be looking out for more from her in the future, because it takes a lot for me to become as riveted as I did in so little time when it comes to horror. I am a tough critic in the genre. Cindy Kay was freaking flawless & fantastic as the audiobook narrator, as always, & I enjoyed every second of this book!
It truly was an absolutely horrifying, thrilling, gothic romp that screamed of 1990’s vampire horror, and it was absolutely riveting from moment one for me, even if the MC was initially pretty unlikable, but i’m pretty sure that was the point! There were times I was truly (delightfully) disgusted by the body horror, and what more are you looking for from that part of the genre? Haha.
Ultimately, there was wonderful, readable prose, character growth, thrills, chills, and a near flawless, flowing, plot that had me vividly picturing the vamps Darla, & Drusilla, from Buffy the Vampire Slayer (which if ykyk, just look them up otherwise 😉)— & *squeeeee* was THAT a treat. The CONSTANT mysterious horrors, & the constant guessing as to what in the bloody hell was going on—OH!— and the is he, isn’t he (evil), guessing game when it came to the hot af male vamp, were all extremely addictive aspects to this YA horror adventure!
I loved this SO MUCH. I don’t want to spoil ANYTHING, because I don’t want to ruin the effect of the author’s velvety prose, that slowly stitches together an unforgettable, yet original to the genre, plot that will stick with you for a very long time!
Thank you SO MUCH to NetGalley, Tantor Audio, Page Street Publishing, & Catherine Yu for the audio-arc in exchange for an honest review.
WOW— I cannot believe this was Catherine Yu’s DEBUT! I will 100% be looking out for more from her in the future, because it takes a lot for me to become as riveted as I did in so little time when it comes to horror. I am a tough critic in the genre. Cindy Kay was freaking flawless & fantastic as the audiobook narrator, as always, & I enjoyed every second of this book!
It truly was an absolutely horrifying, thrilling, gothic romp that screamed of 1990’s vampire horror, and it was absolutely riveting from moment one for me, even if the MC was initially pretty unlikable, but i’m pretty sure that was the point! There were times I was truly (delightfully) disgusted by the body horror, and what more are you looking for from that part of the genre? Haha.
Ultimately, there was wonderful, readable prose, character growth, thrills, chills, and a near flawless, flowing, plot that had me vividly picturing the vamps Darla, & Drusilla, from Buffy the Vampire Slayer (which if ykyk, just look them up otherwise 😉)— & *squeeeee* was THAT a treat. The CONSTANT mysterious horrors, & the constant guessing as to what in the bloody hell was going on—OH!— and the is he, isn’t he (evil), guessing game when it came to the hot af male vamp, were all extremely addictive aspects to this YA horror adventure!
I loved this SO MUCH. I don’t want to spoil ANYTHING, because I don’t want to ruin the effect of the author’s velvety prose, that slowly stitches together an unforgettable, yet original to the genre, plot that will stick with you for a very long time!
Thank you SO MUCH to NetGalley, Tantor Audio, Page Street Publishing, & Catherine Yu for the audio-arc in exchange for an honest review.
Want to read
April 18, 2022... velvet-clad 1990s gothic horror ...
I'm sold.
August 4, 2022
This could have been a short story, and it would have worked a lot better.
Not enough content to flesh out, got very repetitive very fast (If I have to read another description of a caterpillar my eyes will roll right out of my skull through no fault of my own). Flip floppy MC who couldn't appreciate her best friend, and then accuses her of having a hero complex without really confronting her or dealing with whatever got them into their last fight (which I still don't know what happened to make them mad at each other to such extremes) even though her best friend almost DIED trying to find her. The MC is pretty unlikable all around, with a super heightened inferiority complex due to her "perfect" sister (her sister barely has a personality, is barely a person, but then again every other character is pretty cliché).
The ending had actions from certain vampires that didn't make sense, and the "twist" was so obvious... nice try, but next 🙄
Not enough content to flesh out, got very repetitive very fast (If I have to read another description of a caterpillar my eyes will roll right out of my skull through no fault of my own). Flip floppy MC who couldn't appreciate her best friend, and then accuses her of having a hero complex without really confronting her or dealing with whatever got them into their last fight (which I still don't know what happened to make them mad at each other to such extremes) even though her best friend almost DIED trying to find her. The MC is pretty unlikable all around, with a super heightened inferiority complex due to her "perfect" sister (her sister barely has a personality, is barely a person, but then again every other character is pretty cliché).
The ending had actions from certain vampires that didn't make sense, and the "twist" was so obvious... nice try, but next 🙄
September 19, 2022
The body horror and gore in this book is absolutely spot on. The last 15% of this book really pulled me in. I will never think about caterpillars being cute little fuzzy creatures again
The first 80% though is so slow though. I found myself wanting Aja to get on with the story because so much time was focused on the realization that the vampires had such a pull on the kidnapped teens and whether or not they were good versus when everything finally goes south and they need to escape.
I probably should’ve DNFed but Cindy Kay is an incredible narrator.
Thank you to Tantor Audio for providing a review copy. This did not influence my drive. All opinions are my own.
The first 80% though is so slow though. I found myself wanting Aja to get on with the story because so much time was focused on the realization that the vampires had such a pull on the kidnapped teens and whether or not they were good versus when everything finally goes south and they need to escape.
I probably should’ve DNFed but Cindy Kay is an incredible narrator.
Thank you to Tantor Audio for providing a review copy. This did not influence my drive. All opinions are my own.
June 25, 2023
This was so creepy and gory and such an insular horror story !! I loved this take on vampires and despite others not enjoying the slowness of the plot, I think it worked perfectly! The slowness and the uncertainty really added to the story and made it even more compelling!! I do enjoy how heavy it went on the gore at times and just how weird it was and how nicely it wrapped up at the end, a great standalone for an afternoon.
If you like weird, beautifully written low plot books with interesting unique horror elements I recommend this, I read it in one sitting and I had a lot of fun with it. I’ll be for sure picking up further horror from this author in the future!
If you like weird, beautifully written low plot books with interesting unique horror elements I recommend this, I read it in one sitting and I had a lot of fun with it. I’ll be for sure picking up further horror from this author in the future!
October 23, 2022
Aja is the younger sister to “perfect” Fiona in a small suburban town. Aja notices a fog rolling in, a red rain, an infestation of white caterpillars. When teens goes missing, including Fiona, the weirdness can no longer be ignored. Lured into the woods by a beautiful vampire, Padraic, with promises of being his favorite, Aja knows that this monster is behind it all. She agrees to go, under the condition that if in one week she is not wooed into wanting to stay, he will let her leave alive. Aja has no intention other than finding her sister and escaping. Aja is taken to a dilapidated church where Padraic has nested with another vampire and the missing teens from town serve them and entertain them. It’s filled with vampiric white and red butterflies and white caterpillars. Fiona is nowhere to be found. Can Aja find her sister and escape? Can Aja resist the charms of Padraic? Will their town ever be the same again? Read to find out!
Ok, I had many issues with this story. Aja is not likeable at all; her reactions to things along the way make absolutely no sense. She’s that meme where the house is on fire and the dog is saying “This is fine.” It’s like she’s unfazed by horrific shit and just goes along with insanity. I don’t believe her reactions align with the situations appropriately. Things were also not adequately explained. Where did these vampires come from all of a sudden? What the hell is this blood rain and why is it happening? Why are the townspeople so stupid that they don’t notice anything or freak out? There were plenty of holes in this story, to phrase it simply. Here is what I LOVED and made it a 3 star read—the imagery. The picture that Catherine Yu paints in this book is deeply dark and disturbing and beautiful. I loved it. The vampires and their connection to the insects, the contrast between all of the red and white (blood rain-white fences, blood stains-white nightgowns, red and white butterflies, etc), the charm of the vamps over the people—I just loved the image Yu gives us. I would love to see certain scenes as actual paintings. It was beautiful, in a creepy way. It was like a painting, in words. As a book, I think it could have used more. As an idea, it was wonderful.
Ok, I had many issues with this story. Aja is not likeable at all; her reactions to things along the way make absolutely no sense. She’s that meme where the house is on fire and the dog is saying “This is fine.” It’s like she’s unfazed by horrific shit and just goes along with insanity. I don’t believe her reactions align with the situations appropriately. Things were also not adequately explained. Where did these vampires come from all of a sudden? What the hell is this blood rain and why is it happening? Why are the townspeople so stupid that they don’t notice anything or freak out? There were plenty of holes in this story, to phrase it simply. Here is what I LOVED and made it a 3 star read—the imagery. The picture that Catherine Yu paints in this book is deeply dark and disturbing and beautiful. I loved it. The vampires and their connection to the insects, the contrast between all of the red and white (blood rain-white fences, blood stains-white nightgowns, red and white butterflies, etc), the charm of the vamps over the people—I just loved the image Yu gives us. I would love to see certain scenes as actual paintings. It was beautiful, in a creepy way. It was like a painting, in words. As a book, I think it could have used more. As an idea, it was wonderful.
September 29, 2022
WOW this was painfully boring. i don't know why but vampire stories are not working for me even though i really want them to. nothing really happens... at all. except for our MC just thinking the vampire is hot lol anyway i'm going to delete this from my brain
thanks to netgalley for an advanced copy of this book!
thanks to netgalley for an advanced copy of this book!
September 28, 2022
This was not as good as I wanted it to be.
It was not quite horror, not quite romance, not quite paranormal thriller.
It kind of dipped it's toes in each genres, but never fully immersed itself in any of them.
I love me some vampire stories, but this one felt forced.
Not really sure what else to say, nothing really stood out, good or bad.
Thank you (?) to NetGalley & Tantor Audio for my copy.
It was not quite horror, not quite romance, not quite paranormal thriller.
It kind of dipped it's toes in each genres, but never fully immersed itself in any of them.
I love me some vampire stories, but this one felt forced.
Not really sure what else to say, nothing really stood out, good or bad.
Thank you (?) to NetGalley & Tantor Audio for my copy.
September 3, 2022
Got an arc from ALA
So AJ blurbed this and told me about it so I knew it was gonna be absolutely wild and wow he wasn’t kidding. I joked that this book is specifically written for people like me who watched the obscure vampire anime Shiki and made it their whole personality, but for real, it hit a lot of those same beats and scratched that itch in my brain that watching Shiki put there. So if you’re one of the five people who’ve enjoyed Shiki, this is for you.
Some of the writing was a little clunky, like the number of times epithets ie “the vampire” instead of names were used was…enough for me to notice so that’s a bit much. But honestly it was so bonkers as a whole that I didn’t get too hung up on anything for too long
So AJ blurbed this and told me about it so I knew it was gonna be absolutely wild and wow he wasn’t kidding. I joked that this book is specifically written for people like me who watched the obscure vampire anime Shiki and made it their whole personality, but for real, it hit a lot of those same beats and scratched that itch in my brain that watching Shiki put there. So if you’re one of the five people who’ve enjoyed Shiki, this is for you.
Some of the writing was a little clunky, like the number of times epithets ie “the vampire” instead of names were used was…enough for me to notice so that’s a bit much. But honestly it was so bonkers as a whole that I didn’t get too hung up on anything for too long
September 21, 2022
excellent body horror and spooky atmospheric descriptions but it does become somewhat repetitive later on
thank you Page Street Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC
thank you Page Street Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC
September 29, 2022
3.75 stars rounded to 4. A bit repetitive at times, but a stellar debut....also I'm now officially terrified of caterpillars.... Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an AudioARC in exchange for an honest review.
Aja has always felt second fiddle...second fiddle to her white friends, and second fiddle to her gorgeous and adored sister, Fiona. When Fiona goes missing after her 17th birthday, Aja is anxious to find her.... especially after fellow classmates continue to go missing as well. When a dark stranger comes to Aja's window one evening, she makes a deal with a devil in hopes of finding Fiona: Five nights spent in the company of the devil....and if she can retain her will to leave by the fifth night she can walk away. What will Aja find lurking in the woods? And will she be able to resist the dark stranger for all five nights?
In a world saturated with Vampires we all crave something refreshing to sink our teeth into. While the Vampires themselves appear more typical, their caterpillar and butterfly companions are terrifying and new. White butterflies whose wings fill red as they drink your blood.... caterpillars with chomping teeth and soulless black eyes continuously pursuing you. Aja herself means well, but falling in and out of the vampire's spell, while necessary to the story, felt repetitive in its delivery. I wish there was something charming about the vampires we meet so I could have fallen under the spell as hard as Aja did at times. The climax was predictable, but with fresh elements that kept me from feeling like I'd been there before.
3.75 out of 4 stars with a forever fear of caterpillars and white butterflies. Recommended for readers of vampire tales more focused on gore than romance. Age range recommended is 15+ as there is body gore.
Aja has always felt second fiddle...second fiddle to her white friends, and second fiddle to her gorgeous and adored sister, Fiona. When Fiona goes missing after her 17th birthday, Aja is anxious to find her.... especially after fellow classmates continue to go missing as well. When a dark stranger comes to Aja's window one evening, she makes a deal with a devil in hopes of finding Fiona: Five nights spent in the company of the devil....and if she can retain her will to leave by the fifth night she can walk away. What will Aja find lurking in the woods? And will she be able to resist the dark stranger for all five nights?
In a world saturated with Vampires we all crave something refreshing to sink our teeth into. While the Vampires themselves appear more typical, their caterpillar and butterfly companions are terrifying and new. White butterflies whose wings fill red as they drink your blood.... caterpillars with chomping teeth and soulless black eyes continuously pursuing you. Aja herself means well, but falling in and out of the vampire's spell, while necessary to the story, felt repetitive in its delivery. I wish there was something charming about the vampires we meet so I could have fallen under the spell as hard as Aja did at times. The climax was predictable, but with fresh elements that kept me from feeling like I'd been there before.
3.75 out of 4 stars with a forever fear of caterpillars and white butterflies. Recommended for readers of vampire tales more focused on gore than romance. Age range recommended is 15+ as there is body gore.
September 15, 2022
This book read like a fever dream. It was eerie, weird and at times grotesque. I’ll never look at butterflies the same way again and don’t even get me started on caterpillars! I felt like this story touched on the theme of monsters and who/what is a monster? The vampires wanted blood but they also craved other things from when they were once human. Similarly the main characters who are human craved things and some were willing to shed their humanity while trying to obtain their hopes and desires.
This book also touches on microaggressions and I could feel the anger. As an Asian American I related to how Aja and her family felt. Aja often feels as though she is an outsider and that often times her friends are not genuine. That it’s edgy or cool to want to be her friend because she’s “different” I think this is an important theme and I appreciated the inclusion. Although I thought more could have been added towards the end that while this is a valid feeling Aja friendships weren’t all motivated by an underlying negative intent. Also I think theme of being “perfect” and the perception of achieving it all related to the model minority stereotype. It really added to the suffocating small town feel and fed into the overall despair and underlying horror in the story.
The storyline and pacing of the plot were done well. I think the time constraints made sense and the story didn’t feel too rushed. The characters were all interesting and they each stood out individually while adding to the story. There never felt like there were too many side plots or extra fluff.
Overall this is a solid Ya debut. It a quick read but definitely has darker themes and is horror. TW include body & bug horror, death, on page violence, and racial microaggressions. Definitely give this a read if you’re a fan of YA dark fantasy horror or looking for a 90’s gothic vampire book.
Thank you Page Street YA Publishing for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This book also touches on microaggressions and I could feel the anger. As an Asian American I related to how Aja and her family felt. Aja often feels as though she is an outsider and that often times her friends are not genuine. That it’s edgy or cool to want to be her friend because she’s “different” I think this is an important theme and I appreciated the inclusion. Although I thought more could have been added towards the end that while this is a valid feeling Aja friendships weren’t all motivated by an underlying negative intent. Also I think theme of being “perfect” and the perception of achieving it all related to the model minority stereotype. It really added to the suffocating small town feel and fed into the overall despair and underlying horror in the story.
The storyline and pacing of the plot were done well. I think the time constraints made sense and the story didn’t feel too rushed. The characters were all interesting and they each stood out individually while adding to the story. There never felt like there were too many side plots or extra fluff.
Overall this is a solid Ya debut. It a quick read but definitely has darker themes and is horror. TW include body & bug horror, death, on page violence, and racial microaggressions. Definitely give this a read if you’re a fan of YA dark fantasy horror or looking for a 90’s gothic vampire book.
Thank you Page Street YA Publishing for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
April 12, 2022
what the actual hell, this book is AMAZING. Atomspheric, gorgeous, terrifying; perfect for fans of The Coldest Girl in Coldtown.
August 26, 2022
4.5/5
Lovely atmospheric horror with fantastic body horror descriptions. I appreciate that the vampires always felt menacing, even if they were seductive at times
Lovely atmospheric horror with fantastic body horror descriptions. I appreciate that the vampires always felt menacing, even if they were seductive at times
October 26, 2022
DNF at 15%. Oh my god, how do you make a YA vampire story boring? The classics with their antiquated language are even way better.
July 11, 2024
3.5
This gave me crimson peak vibes although it’s totally different.
I feel like this book would be a fire movie. The vampire plot, but not the sexy shiny ones, these are gross. The caterpillars (ew btw, what I pictured was absolutely disgusting). The semi unhappy ending, I liked it a lot.
As usual the FMC was a bit annoying, I just feel like she lost crucial time and I was confused sometimes with her relationship with the vampire. But this was a fun listen.
This gave me crimson peak vibes although it’s totally different.
I feel like this book would be a fire movie. The vampire plot, but not the sexy shiny ones, these are gross. The caterpillars (ew btw, what I pictured was absolutely disgusting). The semi unhappy ending, I liked it a lot.
As usual the FMC was a bit annoying, I just feel like she lost crucial time and I was confused sometimes with her relationship with the vampire. But this was a fun listen.
October 13, 2022
It wasn't what I was expecting, but that's not really the fault of the book. It was just a bit of a let down, and that was compacted by the lack of character building.
A number of times I felt like I had missed entire chunks of story, had no idea what was happening or how we got to this point and not in a way that might slowly unfold. But in a poor story telling way.
It sucks because this had so much potential even into the final pages. So much I loved and could have loved about it. But it just never delivered.
I also don't understand why this had the 1990's setting pushed so much when it was so not an aspect of the story. This book could have literally taken place yesterday, and every pop culture reference that reminded me the time period was more jarring than fun because nothing else anchored it to the 90's. Yet it was so much a part of the marketing.
A number of times I felt like I had missed entire chunks of story, had no idea what was happening or how we got to this point and not in a way that might slowly unfold. But in a poor story telling way.
It sucks because this had so much potential even into the final pages. So much I loved and could have loved about it. But it just never delivered.
I also don't understand why this had the 1990's setting pushed so much when it was so not an aspect of the story. This book could have literally taken place yesterday, and every pop culture reference that reminded me the time period was more jarring than fun because nothing else anchored it to the 90's. Yet it was so much a part of the marketing.
September 21, 2022
This is not necessarily a bad review. This is solidly 3.5 stars (Curse u goodreads for not giving us half-stars!) I just didn’t walk away from this one feeling good enough to bump it to a 4.
I’ll say that this book for me generally wasn’t a bad experience, I just had mixed feelings about DIREWOOD.
On the one hand, the gory, gothic feel of this book was 100% on point. This isn’t a book you should read without a strong stomach because sometimes it just gets straight up gross, but that wasn’t a bad thing at all. We also have 90s small town nostalgia and a unique take on vampires that I haven’t seen before, so kudos to the author on that. Aja’s story reminded me a lot of books like THE CRUEL PRINCE and A DOWRY OF BLOOD and I savored every moment of the darker parts of the novel. On the other hand, this book moves remarkably slow for most of it, and it took me a minute to connect with the main character and the story. It got better later in the novel, but slow pacing for such a long time just made reading this book feel like a chore at times.
So not a bad book, just needed better pacing.
I’ll say that this book for me generally wasn’t a bad experience, I just had mixed feelings about DIREWOOD.
On the one hand, the gory, gothic feel of this book was 100% on point. This isn’t a book you should read without a strong stomach because sometimes it just gets straight up gross, but that wasn’t a bad thing at all. We also have 90s small town nostalgia and a unique take on vampires that I haven’t seen before, so kudos to the author on that. Aja’s story reminded me a lot of books like THE CRUEL PRINCE and A DOWRY OF BLOOD and I savored every moment of the darker parts of the novel. On the other hand, this book moves remarkably slow for most of it, and it took me a minute to connect with the main character and the story. It got better later in the novel, but slow pacing for such a long time just made reading this book feel like a chore at times.
So not a bad book, just needed better pacing.
September 18, 2022
4 or 4.5. This is a massively high ratings from me because I loathe vampire books for the most part. But this was very creepy and different. Definitely makes me think of a YA version of Thr Southern Book Clubs Guide to Slaying Vampires.
October 26, 2022
This book was such a rollercoaster of a ride! I am absolutely obsessed with what seems to be the recent surge of YA Dark Fantasy stories entering the market! Keep 👏 them 👏 coming!
I suck at doing synopsis, and I feel like if I attempted one with this book it would be even more awful than most, but here's what you can expect from this book: parasitic and hypnotic vampires, creepy and ravenous caterpillars all over this suburban town, a gothic castle/church (I forget, but it's spooky), and a younger sister wanting to prove herself and find her missing perfect sister.
What I loved about Direwood: the atmospheric, bordering gothic horror vibes; eerie references to carnivorous caterpillars—gave me goosebumps; the controlling, terrifying, toxic vampires who were almost spider-like in nature; Aja's relationship with her sister and how it unfolded throughout the story; and the fact that our main character comes from a family of immigrants (this was illustrated nicely throughout the story: i.e. her challenges fitting it, language barriers with distant relatives, etc); THE ENDING, and how it wasn't afraid to throw punches, or send the reader home sobbing 😅
What I didn't love: the romance...
I was tempted to give this book a 3 because I was so frustrated while reading 70% of it...but I honestly think it would've been an enjoyable read if I could've gotten out of my head about the romance and just trusted my gut about where it was going to end.
I suck at doing synopsis, and I feel like if I attempted one with this book it would be even more awful than most, but here's what you can expect from this book: parasitic and hypnotic vampires, creepy and ravenous caterpillars all over this suburban town, a gothic castle/church (I forget, but it's spooky), and a younger sister wanting to prove herself and find her missing perfect sister.
What I loved about Direwood: the atmospheric, bordering gothic horror vibes; eerie references to carnivorous caterpillars—gave me goosebumps; the controlling, terrifying, toxic vampires who were almost spider-like in nature; Aja's relationship with her sister and how it unfolded throughout the story; and the fact that our main character comes from a family of immigrants (this was illustrated nicely throughout the story: i.e. her challenges fitting it, language barriers with distant relatives, etc); THE ENDING, and how it wasn't afraid to throw punches, or send the reader home sobbing 😅
What I didn't love: the romance...
I was tempted to give this book a 3 because I was so frustrated while reading 70% of it...but I honestly think it would've been an enjoyable read if I could've gotten out of my head about the romance and just trusted my gut about where it was going to end.
August 2, 2022
Thank you to NetGalley and Page Street Publishing for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
Catherine Yu's "Direwood" is a velvet-clad 1990s vampire horror story that centers around Aja who is trying to find her missing older sister and ends up finding a monster or two.
I enjoyed this SO much. I saw a lot of reviews really hating on Aja but I think a lot of the reviews forget that she is a teenage girl, one who on top of feeling racially set apart from her small town, also felt isolated in her family. When she comes across a beautiful monster in the form of Padraic offering a way out, of course she acts selfishly (she makes the decision based on Fiona going missing but still) and makes stupid decisions. That said, I felt like Aja was a realistic depiction of a teenage girl, especially one that clearly deals with a lot of anxieties. I felt like this story followed a lot of the cliche Young Adult vampire romance books (think "Twilight", "The Vampire Diaries", etc.) but what sets this story apart I think is the body horror elements and the depiction of the vampires.
Without getting into spoilers, I will say TRIGGER WARNING for BODY HORROR, VIOLENCE, and BUGS. There were some scenes that were genuinely gross and I say that as somebody who enjoys Cronenberg. Honestly, I was surprised that this is categorized as YA with how vivid some of the descriptions were. I have got to hand it to Yu for that because man, her writing is top notch. I'd love to read a more "adult" horror from her. Anyways, I thought the body horror worked really well with Yu's depiction of vampires. I haven't seen vampires really described this way in any of the vampire books I read growing up and recently and I really enjoyed it. The vampires in this story were still beautiful and absolutely tempting but as Aja slowly begins to lower the rose tinted glasses and sees the horror of them, we the reader are also horrified and feel just as stupid as Aja for falling for the glamour.
I enjoyed this a lot and was so surprised at it. I also didn't expect the main character to be Asian American so that was also a huge plus. We deserve to be just as flawed and foolish as our white counterparts (I also feel like a lot of reviews seem to border on racist in the way they write about Aja in that it felt like a lot of people were attaching the model minority myth to her when the whole point was that she's not a model minority and neither was Fiona but that's a whole other discussion!). I definitely recommend this especially for how the vampires are depicted !
Catherine Yu's "Direwood" is a velvet-clad 1990s vampire horror story that centers around Aja who is trying to find her missing older sister and ends up finding a monster or two.
I enjoyed this SO much. I saw a lot of reviews really hating on Aja but I think a lot of the reviews forget that she is a teenage girl, one who on top of feeling racially set apart from her small town, also felt isolated in her family. When she comes across a beautiful monster in the form of Padraic offering a way out, of course she acts selfishly (she makes the decision based on Fiona going missing but still) and makes stupid decisions. That said, I felt like Aja was a realistic depiction of a teenage girl, especially one that clearly deals with a lot of anxieties. I felt like this story followed a lot of the cliche Young Adult vampire romance books (think "Twilight", "The Vampire Diaries", etc.) but what sets this story apart I think is the body horror elements and the depiction of the vampires.
Without getting into spoilers, I will say TRIGGER WARNING for BODY HORROR, VIOLENCE, and BUGS. There were some scenes that were genuinely gross and I say that as somebody who enjoys Cronenberg. Honestly, I was surprised that this is categorized as YA with how vivid some of the descriptions were. I have got to hand it to Yu for that because man, her writing is top notch. I'd love to read a more "adult" horror from her. Anyways, I thought the body horror worked really well with Yu's depiction of vampires. I haven't seen vampires really described this way in any of the vampire books I read growing up and recently and I really enjoyed it. The vampires in this story were still beautiful and absolutely tempting but as Aja slowly begins to lower the rose tinted glasses and sees the horror of them, we the reader are also horrified and feel just as stupid as Aja for falling for the glamour.
I enjoyed this a lot and was so surprised at it. I also didn't expect the main character to be Asian American so that was also a huge plus. We deserve to be just as flawed and foolish as our white counterparts (I also feel like a lot of reviews seem to border on racist in the way they write about Aja in that it felt like a lot of people were attaching the model minority myth to her when the whole point was that she's not a model minority and neither was Fiona but that's a whole other discussion!). I definitely recommend this especially for how the vampires are depicted !
dnf
September 25, 2022Thank you to the publisher for providing an arc via NetGalley.
DNF @ 46%
This is a case of it’s just not for me. I was first drawn into this book by that cover because it’s so eye catching. And then, I requested it because it sounded really interesting. Unfortunately I just wasn’t into it as much as I’d hoped to be.
I found that the writing style felt a bit off to me, and it didn’t make me want to keep reading. I skimmed a lot, and it was easy to put down the book. Ultimately I realized I’m not invested in the characters or story.
This one might work for others even though it wasn’t for me.
DNF @ 46%
This is a case of it’s just not for me. I was first drawn into this book by that cover because it’s so eye catching. And then, I requested it because it sounded really interesting. Unfortunately I just wasn’t into it as much as I’d hoped to be.
I found that the writing style felt a bit off to me, and it didn’t make me want to keep reading. I skimmed a lot, and it was easy to put down the book. Ultimately I realized I’m not invested in the characters or story.
This one might work for others even though it wasn’t for me.
March 20, 2023
Full review to come, but I can't stop talking about this book to anyone who'll listen. One of my favorite novels of the year.
Read
September 22, 2022Dnf 41% shockingly boring
September 30, 2022
Listened to a NetGalley AudioARC
Content warning: body & bug horror, death, on-page violence, racial microaggressions, vomiting
Aja’s perfect sister Fiona goes missing and strange things start happening: blood rain, a mysterious fog, blood-sucking grubs, all precursors to the arrival of a vampire. She strikes a bargain with Padraic and tries to free the kids in his thrall, including her ex-friend Mary.
Gross, goth, and steeped in 90’s vampire aesthetic, a fun read for folks constantly searching for new vampire content.
The horror here comes from the atmosphere and the constant presence of insects in places you really don’t expect them. The detail of the blood-sucking caterpillars and the incredibly aesthetically appropriate butterflies is so good. Most of the action takes place in an abandoned church in the woods, and it’s drenched in atmosphere. The ticking clock on Aja on finding her sister also works incredibly. The tension is tight from start to finish, wound up like a violin string.
What I found the most compelling about this horror is Aja’s relationship with her sister, Fiona. She always felt like she has been in her sister’s shadow, trying her hardest to not be seen anyway. Coupled with the context of her ex-friendship with Mary, the tension is so good. It’s great to see her grow from start to finish, but, since this is a horror novel, it comes at a great cost, the likes of which I will not spoil.
I also appreciated how monstrous but alluring the vampires were. It’s easy to understand how Aja fell into Padraic’s thrall. Seeing Padraic reconnect with his humanity plays well with Aja coming into her own and scheming like a vampire hunter. The fact that she seems aware of vampires as a lore concept felt super refreshing as far as the worldbuilding goes, so it’s fun to see that cleverness play out, especially as things get dire. This book goes to some bonkers imagery and deeply aesthetic emotional beats.
If you’re not bothered by caterpillars and butterflies in places they shouldn’t be, definitely give this fun time a go.
Content warning: body & bug horror, death, on-page violence, racial microaggressions, vomiting
Aja’s perfect sister Fiona goes missing and strange things start happening: blood rain, a mysterious fog, blood-sucking grubs, all precursors to the arrival of a vampire. She strikes a bargain with Padraic and tries to free the kids in his thrall, including her ex-friend Mary.
Gross, goth, and steeped in 90’s vampire aesthetic, a fun read for folks constantly searching for new vampire content.
The horror here comes from the atmosphere and the constant presence of insects in places you really don’t expect them. The detail of the blood-sucking caterpillars and the incredibly aesthetically appropriate butterflies is so good. Most of the action takes place in an abandoned church in the woods, and it’s drenched in atmosphere. The ticking clock on Aja on finding her sister also works incredibly. The tension is tight from start to finish, wound up like a violin string.
What I found the most compelling about this horror is Aja’s relationship with her sister, Fiona. She always felt like she has been in her sister’s shadow, trying her hardest to not be seen anyway. Coupled with the context of her ex-friendship with Mary, the tension is so good. It’s great to see her grow from start to finish, but, since this is a horror novel, it comes at a great cost, the likes of which I will not spoil.
I also appreciated how monstrous but alluring the vampires were. It’s easy to understand how Aja fell into Padraic’s thrall. Seeing Padraic reconnect with his humanity plays well with Aja coming into her own and scheming like a vampire hunter. The fact that she seems aware of vampires as a lore concept felt super refreshing as far as the worldbuilding goes, so it’s fun to see that cleverness play out, especially as things get dire. This book goes to some bonkers imagery and deeply aesthetic emotional beats.
If you’re not bothered by caterpillars and butterflies in places they shouldn’t be, definitely give this fun time a go.
Read
February 14, 2023Vampires will never die—get it? Because they are undead and eternal and literally cannot? LOL, I really get myself sometimes. But seriously, the trope of vampires in horror fiction refuses to be staked to death, and this YA novel offers a new look at these ancient beings.
What I did really enjoy about this book were the vampiric caterpillars and butterflies that drenched the pages—what an evocative visual and interesting underscoring of the theme on metamorphosis. I can't say I've seen that comparison made about vampires before and it's very apt.
Unfortunately, the plot of this one felt underbaked to me and ran into the trap of repetitive and circular writing, with the main character Aja running up against a deadline but never really making any progress. While Aja's ultimate reason for engaging with the vampires was clear, her moment-to-moment motivation was confusing at best. In addition, the book suffered for me because the characters fell flat and the main twist felt obvious from the start.
While this one was not for me, the author has an interesting and unique way of contrasting the beautiful with the horrific, and I'd be interested to see what she comes up with in the future.
My thanks to the publisher for my review copy.
What I did really enjoy about this book were the vampiric caterpillars and butterflies that drenched the pages—what an evocative visual and interesting underscoring of the theme on metamorphosis. I can't say I've seen that comparison made about vampires before and it's very apt.
Unfortunately, the plot of this one felt underbaked to me and ran into the trap of repetitive and circular writing, with the main character Aja running up against a deadline but never really making any progress. While Aja's ultimate reason for engaging with the vampires was clear, her moment-to-moment motivation was confusing at best. In addition, the book suffered for me because the characters fell flat and the main twist felt obvious from the start.
While this one was not for me, the author has an interesting and unique way of contrasting the beautiful with the horrific, and I'd be interested to see what she comes up with in the future.
My thanks to the publisher for my review copy.
November 12, 2022
A slow start that builds to a masterfully creepy and disturbing crescendo in this buggy twist on a 90s vampiric horror!
I enjoyed this book so much more than I was expecting with its slow start. But between the almost lyrical writing style and the sometimes disturbing af content (like blood-sucking, flesh-eating, caterpillars for one, and some good old vampiric grooming for another), the book delivered an excellent gothic creepy vibe with some unexpected surprises along the way!
Note on the audiobook: the narration was excellent and felt very YA while still delivering the appropriate ambiance.
Thank you to Netgalley, Tantor Audio, and Catherine Yu for providing me with an audiobook ARC! This review is provided voluntarily.
I enjoyed this book so much more than I was expecting with its slow start. But between the almost lyrical writing style and the sometimes disturbing af content (like blood-sucking, flesh-eating, caterpillars for one, and some good old vampiric grooming for another), the book delivered an excellent gothic creepy vibe with some unexpected surprises along the way!
Note on the audiobook: the narration was excellent and felt very YA while still delivering the appropriate ambiance.
Thank you to Netgalley, Tantor Audio, and Catherine Yu for providing me with an audiobook ARC! This review is provided voluntarily.
September 19, 2022
Catherine Yu's debut, Direwood, is a very atmospheric, mesmerizing, and fairly short book which moved along at a medium pace. I was fully immersed in the story within a couple pages. The descriptions of the characters, sounds, events, and world are just beautifully written. I absolutely loved Cindy Kay's narration.
Aja was a great character, however, I could have done without her self depreciation; thankfully it was only sporadic. Aja is very angry because nobody will listen to a thing she says about her missing sister. Can she find her and bring her home?
Thank you Netgalley and Tantor Audio for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Aja was a great character, however, I could have done without her self depreciation; thankfully it was only sporadic. Aja is very angry because nobody will listen to a thing she says about her missing sister. Can she find her and bring her home?
Thank you Netgalley and Tantor Audio for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 240 reviews