Ok first of all if you are looking for a creepy transitional read into the fall season, look no further because this book was it. The way Blake mixes horror, gothic literature and historical fiction in this book is masterful because I really felt as though I was reading a historical account, or at least a gothic tale. While it takes place in the 1950s really, the story is so unsettling that I felt as though it was happening right now. Marie Catherine Hale is a super interesting antagonist and I loved how we were viewing her from a teenage boys eyes. We did fall in love with Marie and we did believe her - not sure if I would have felt this way were it from any other perspective, but it worked. This book never confirms if vampires are real or not, so if you're looking for a conclusive ending, you will not find it here but I love ambiguous endings so I was so happy with it (also, the last 20 or so pages are SO creepy). If this book was on your radar, I would highly recommend picking it up!

Thank you to the publisher, Quill Tree Books, HCC Frenzy, and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

In the summer of 1958, there is a trail of mysterious murders across the Midwest where the victims are found completely drained of blood. The Carlson family, who live in a small Minnesota town is the site of the latest murders, but this time, a girl named Marie Catherine Hale is found at the scene covered in blood. Initially assumed to be a survivor, she is taken into custody when it is found that none of the blood is hers, and she has not a single scratch upon her. The hunt begins for her accomplice, because a teenage girl could not have carried out all these murders by herself. Michael Jensen, the sheriff’s teenage son, is an aspiring journalist, and when Marie decides he is the only one she’ll tell her story to, it falls to him to record her confession and sort through her increasingly bizarre account and find the truth about what happened to the Carlsons and how Marie is involved in it all.

Paranormal mysteries are not common on my TBR, but the minute I heard about this book, I knew I had to read it. I don’t know anything about the real-life case this is based on, but the premise sounded really promising and the book did not disappoint. It was very unlike Kendare Blake’s last work, the Three Dark Crowns series, and the writing style was quite different too, but it worked for this type of story. The setting of a small 50s town, with the case of the mysterious murders and Marie’s seemingly impossible story really set the mood for this book and it made for an interesting read. I thought the narrative did a great job at keeping things feeling real even as it strayed into supernatural territory.

All These Bodies is narrated through Michael’s perspective. Where he initially thought that interviewing Marie would be his ticket to a good college and career, he quickly realizes that there is much more going on than what he has signed up for. Marie was a thoroughly puzzling character and I loved that about her because as a reader, it had me second guessing myself constantly about who she truly was and if Michael was just being tricked. To be honest, it was the sense of mystery around Marie that truly drew me into the narrative and held my attention rather than Michael who felt like he was there only as a means of telling the story. That said, I feel that this book needed a little more of the supernatural in it, and perhaps a few POVs from Marie’s angle.

I would say this book was a creepy read, but personally, I felt that the way it was narrated, through Michael’s interviews with Marie made it less scary – but still, maybe check your doors and windows and leave your lights on? This was a fast paced read that will keep you turning the pages and leave you guessing even after the book is over. Yes, it’s one of those books with an inconclusive ending, which I half expected going into it – something about the mood of the book just indicated that we would not really get a concrete finish. There is a lot left up to the reader’s interpretation, so it might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I enjoyed it all the same and would recommend this book. For all the fans of mysteries and thrillers, this is the perfect addition to your TBR this month to get into the Halloween mood!

I was looking forward to a book by Kendare Blake, because I enjoyed her other books very much. However, this book was not nearly as good. It is slow out the gate and I found myself wanting to skip the long, descriptive paragraphs. I didn't connect with a single character to the point I couldn't even recall their names when describing the book to another person. It is all plot and no character connections, which I don't think is best for YA. For teens, they want to be able to feel like they are reading a story instead of a book report. I won't be recommending this book to my students for this reason.

Perfect for true crime podcast fans! Reminds me a little of Sadie, little of One of Us Is Lying (tone-wise). I'm a little worried that having Marie on the front will deter male readers, since the protagonist is male (Michael). I hope that's not the case though because this is great for true crime and mystery fans!

This book was addicting to read, and I was completely scared during a few parts. If someone is looking for a horror/mystery book during this fall, then this is DEFINITELY a good recommendation for you!!!! 4/5 stars

Thank you to netgalley for providing an egalley for review. Kendare Blake always writes thrillers with thought, and this does not fail. Marie Catherine Hale is a young teen girl, almost sixteen, almost the most powerful time to be a teen girl, but could she have killed multiple people, all by herself? She will only tell her story to the police chief's son because she knows he has no pre-conceived notions of her and this case. Who tells the story, and where it is published is a narrative that needs to be questioned so often in today's world, but it hasn't changed much from the 50's either.

I had trouble reading this story. The plot is very slow, and the plot is teased out in little bits throughout the story. I liked how the story was told from the perspective of a boy interviewing Marie. The ending was disappointing. I feel like some people might like the intentional vagueness and open-endedness, but unfortunately it wasn't for me.

I absolutely loved that this book was set in the 50’s. It was so fun to read about a time like that. It was wildly entertaining and a little frightening.

4.5/5⭐️

“𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻’𝘁 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆.“

This book…. Where do I even start? I’m not sure where I WANT to start. Initially, the whole idea of this story spooked me, just because I don’t read a ton of mystery/horror novels. But once I got into it I literally couldn’t put it down.

The way this mystery unfolded was fascinating. It’s told from the perspective of 17-year-old Michael, a wannabe journalist in a rural town in Minnesota. He has been following a string of serial murders in the midwest, and gets sucked into the investigation when a family in his towns winds up dead. The kicker? The victims have all been drained of blood, and the girl they found on the scene? She’s covered in it.

I loved the way all the pieces of the mystery fit together, and the speculative paranormal aspect. It was so cerebral, in the sense that it made me question everything I know about the truth—that it is colored by those telling it. The fact that one person’s truth may be another’s scary story.

And I just KNEW the ending was gonna leave me feeling a certain kind of way. I didn’t know how, but I knew it. And I was right. Excuse me while I take a few days to process and question everything I’ve ever known.

𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗼 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝗚𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝗔𝗥𝗖 𝗶𝗻 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻 𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄!

I knew the minute I read the synopsis that this book would be really good, and it would be a huge fall read. And that was absolutely correct!

In the late 1950s there is a series of murders referred to as the bloodless murders, as the victims are found with no blood or signs of struggle. A family is murdered in Michaels town and a witness/accomplice is found covered in blood in the house with the bodies. But the murder is gone without a trace. Marie, the accomplice to the murders agrees to tell her story but only to Michael, the sheriffs 17 year old son.

This book was spooky, addictive and an absolutely must for a murder mystery fan, or someone looking for a good fall spooky read. Thought the story is fiction some of the story and murders are based off real events. Minus the bloodless parts.

I absolutely loved this book and will be highly recommending it!

I wish I had read a little bit more about this before I started it. I was expecting a historical mystery along the lines of In Cold Blood, but a fictionalized version. It kind of was, but there was a whole supernatural element that I wasn't really expecting, or wasn't expecting to turn out the way it did. The premise of this is that main character Michael is 17 year old aspiring journalist and Sheriff's son in small town Minnesota. He (along with everyone else in town) has been following news reports of a murder spree across the Midwest that leaves victims dead of exsanguination but with no blood at the crime scenes. Right at the beginning of the novel, the murderer strikes in Michael's town, but there's something different about the scene this time: there's a teenaged girl there, covered in blood that's not her own. She's not a member of the family that was murdered, so she must be a witness or an accomplice. Because the spree started in Nebraska, a Nebraska DA tries to take her back to that state to try her (because accomplices in murder investigations could apparently be convicted and given the death penalty in Nebraska at the time), but she doesn't want to go. She works out a deal with a judge in Minnesota that she'll tell her whole story, but only to Michael. It's not very realistic, imo, but I don't know much about the justice system in the late 50s. Over weeks/months, she tells Michael her story, but he and most others who hear it don't believe her because she claims the murderer drank all the blood from the victims. Slowly, weird events around town convince Michael that she might actually be telling the truth, and the whole town goes into a sort of low level hysteria about her, about the story, and about Michael ultimately befriending her. Definitely a creative approach, but not at all what I was expecting.

The writing was good but I found this really unsatisfying. I like resolution to my plots. There was too much ambiguity to the ending for me.

I quite enjoyed the book and found it hard to stop reading once you get started. You just have to know the ending. What happened? Okay, what really happened? Okay, NOW what happened?? It was crazy. Halfway through, I just wanted to throttle all the characters and yell until I got answers. And by the time it's over, you realize just how incredibly well done this book really is. The ending had me screaming. The greatest joy I get out of this ARC is knowing how much everyone else will be screaming once it finally releases. I am going to take great pleasure in recommending this to all my friends.

Kendare Blake solidifies herself as an auto-buy author with All These Bodies. She brings us an unusual. gripping YA mystery mixed with historical fiction being set in 1958. Michael is a young aspiring journalist with the sheriff for a father. A gruesome killer is leaving a trail of bodies drained of blood. When murders happen close to home and someone is found alive at the scene covered in blood, she'll only tell her story to Michael. What really happened? And how did this girl turn up at the scene alive? Kendare Blake is fantastic at atmospheric mysteries and creepy characters. Be sure to check this one out ahead of the Halloween holiday. Highly recommended!

This atmospheric mystery engages the reader from page one. Blake's writing whisked me away to another time and place and it felt as if I were there, right alongside Michael as he interviewed Marie Catherine Hale and investigated the murders of the Carlson family. A page turner that I look forward to recommending to our teens (and adults) in the library.

I want to start this by saying, I am a really big fan of Kendare Blake. But what I will say with All These Bodies, is I had a harder time connecting to the characters due to the fact that I felt it was so plot driven. Now this isn't necessarily a bad thing, and it might even be the preference of some readers. But for me I have a hard time connecting to stories when I don't feel connected or invested in it's characters. I thought that a lot of times the writing felt a little detached and it was almost as though there were two different styles of writing mixed into one book. Marie and Michael were likable enough, but I felt like there was something missing. I also had trouble with the pacing and the ending. I think that a lot of my issues with this book stem from the fact that I have read some of the authors other work and was able to connect, so I sort of held out hope that the same would be said about this book but then it sort of fell flat for me. I still think that others should try reading it because it might work for them, but I was in all honesty left wanting more because I have gotten so much more from the author in the past.

I really enjoyed Kendare Blake's other novels but this one was just hard for me to make a connection. Michael and Catherine are interesting enough but it just missed the mark for me.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
This was a 3.5/5 star read for me.
The story has a great plot that makes you so anxious for answers. The reason I couldn’t rate this book higher is because the ending felt rushed and very confusing. I really enjoyed the writing style- it was told by a single POV and read almost like a case file. This was an enjoyable read for me but I don’t know if I’ll ever re-read it.

I was given the opportunity, by NetGalley and Quill Tree Books, to read an advanced e-copy of All These Bodies by Kendare Blake. All these opinions are my own and have not been influenced by the chance to read the arc.
~
I'll start by saying that this book was well outside my comfort zone, but that didn't stop me from enjoying it. It was interesting, a mix of past, present, and future at the same time. Throughout the book, the main character Micheal, tells of things that happened, then immediately goes on to say that later in his world that something else happened. Then it would go back to the current time in the story. The book was written as if he was telling the story after the fact. So it was interesting to get that mixed presence thing, but it actually worked well. It kept me reading and wanting to know how that thing he briefly mentioned would come to be.
~
Another thing that was out of my comfort zone was the fact that this book takes place in 1958-59. I don't usually read historical fiction, but this one was done well. I enjoyed the little moments that pointed to it being in the past. Also not having cellphones and the internet made this story so much more interesting.
~
The final thing that was out of my comfort zone was the fact that this book is a low fantasy, paranormal book. If you are looking for a who-done-it where a normal human is involved, this is not the book for you. Now when I first set out with reading this, I either forgot about the paranormal pieces or was not aware. Anyway, that made for an interesting discovery, and I am not sure that I like it. It was interesting and done well, just not really my thing.
~
With that being said, the mystery aspect was interestingly good. I was kept on my toes, wanting to know what happened and who-done-it. But in the end, personally, I felt it to be a little lackluster and missing something. It didn't really feel like it came to a cohesive ending, it left too much to be discovered. Though, maybe the author is setting up for book two.

This book is a bit different from this author’s other books, but in some ways it was the same. It is historical fiction with a supernatural feel to it. The writing was amazing and the plot left you wondering what was true and what was lies. And even after the end you are still wondering.

The story is told from Michael’s point of view. He is a young man, the son of the sheriff, who finds himself in the difficult position of having to interview a young girl accused of a string of horrific murders. Michael doesn’t want to believe that Marie is capable of these horrible things, but he isn’t sure what to make of her story either. But Michael wants to be a journalist and so tries to be impartial, but isn’t quite able to.

Marie does present as a young naive fifteen year old, but there are flashes that she is older than she seems. She has seen things that she can not forget. I am not entirely convinced that her story was true, but there is evidence that some of what she says matches with the evidence. I wanted to like Marie, but found it hard, although I was able to find some sympathy for her and her circumstances that lead her to this situation.

This is a plot driven story, and it is quite the plot. It is loosely based on a murder spree committed by a young couple in the 1950’s in the midwest. The setting of a small midwestern town was well done. The fear and superstitions of this type of setting played well into the story. The whole feel of the story was creepy and eerie. This would make a great book to read on a stormy autumn night.

I am not usually a fan of endings that leave you to make your own conclusions as to what happens next, but for this book it totally worked. I am still trying to work out what was real and what wasn’t. There is a bit of magical realism with the supernatural part of the story and that was what made the story so creepy and spooky at times.

If you enjoyed this author’s other books, I think you will like this one too. You need to go into it knowing that it is different from the others in that it reads like a historical fiction but it will keep you wondering about what is real and what isn’t.