Thank you Net Galley for allowing me to review this gorgeous book!

If love dark, lush, gothic stories then this one is for you! The prose and descriptions in this book are absolutely beautiful. I was really excited by the concept of this book and Andrew's did not disappoint. This is one book that delivers what it promises and then some.

The character development was so well done in this book. I enjoyed every step of the journey as I watched them grow.

The world building is lush and dark and gorgeous and I had no problem imagining the world in the story. I also had no problem imaging the horrors, but honestly so worth it.

I would say you could read this anytime you want to dive into a story that will suck you in and keep you locked in until the very end.

Kelly is the queen of atmospheric writing!

This book is the perfect cottage-horror-core with a little bit of heart-wrenching romance and I ate it up. The star of this book to me is the setting and then way it was written. I could just *feel* the house rotting and being reclaimed by the land as the book progressed. I love the dynamic between Peter, Wyatt, and James, and I think having the story focused on a trio made it more interesting than it would have otherwise been if it were just two main characters. It’s a little bit spooky but not too scary for people who aren’t fans of horror. I think the straddles the line of genres really well. I will definitely be reading whatever Kelly writes next!

This is one of the most beautifully written books I've ever read. I honestly had to read this book with a thesaurus open next to me because I had to look up so much of the lush, beautiful prose. I loved Kelly Andrew's debut, The Whispering Dark, so I had extremely high hopes for this follow up and I loved this book even more. Andrew writes beautiful, character driven stories that will completely horrify and disgust you in the best ways.

I don't think it is necessary to speak on the plot of this book other than to say that Wyatt is left her ancestral home and returns to burn it down only to find the boy she loved and left there...and oh yeah, he has to kill her to be free. Intriguing plot summary, no? But what the book really is, is a lush, devastating portrait of power, love and death and what we will do to hold on to those things. The friendship and love that tethers the main characters together in this book is heartbreakingly rendered in this book I had trouble putting down, even when there were copious amounts of descriptions of spiders.

This book isn't for the faint of heart--the lush and gorgeous descriptions and prose of this book are a double edged sword: not only will you get beautiful descriptions of the love these characters have for each other but also the eldritch horror that lives in the woods. I deeply loved this book, horror phobe that I am and Andrew has proven herself once again an absolute menace with a laptop and an active imagination.

Thank you so much to Scholastic and NetGalley for the opportunity to live in this world briefly and for allowing me to read an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

⭐ 5 !

Thank you Netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

Beautiful. Tragic. So worth your time. Your Blood, My Bones is exceptionally atmospheric in the worst and best ways, every moment full of tension, lush forest, and unimaginable, hungry monsters. Although I wish we had more time in the world's mystery and magic, I do see why it is purposefully open-ended, to foster unease within you as the plot unfolds. The romance was sweet but not overly so, its just enough to make you feel for their impending tragedy and wince. These relationships are complicated. People aren't necessarily good but they're doing their best in the circumstances. This is a book without a cookie-cutter storybook ending, and it does not hide this, but you can't help hoping for one anyway. If you're interested in horror, mystery, murderous cults, undead, and unfathomable horrors...I'd highly recommend. Even though I have already read the book through Netgalley, I will be buying it when it releases. The story really spoke to me.

TW: child murder, mild torture, violence, grief, animal death (off page mostly).

Thank you Netgalley & publisher for this e-arc of Your Blood, My Bones by Kelly Andrew.

This is a fantasy novel. 3.5-4+*; one unique aspect is a tragic and grotesque romance and the mix of genres.

Synopsis:
The protagonist Wyatt Westlock returns to her family's farmhouse with the intention of burning it down after her father's death. However, her plans take a drastic turn when she discovers her childhood friend Peter chained in the basement. What she doesn't know is that Peter is immortal and has been ritually sacrificed by generations of Wyatt's family to keep dark forces at bay. Despite their shared history and unspoken love, Peter is bound to kill Wyatt, the last of the Westlocks, to break free from his cycle of death and rebirth.
As Wyatt and Peter navigate their complicated relationship, they must also confront the encroaching darkness that threatens to consume them and the farm. With vivid descriptions and a palpable sense of foreboding, Andrew weaves a tale of forbidden love, ancient curses, and the lengths people will go to protect those they care about. As Wyatt delves into her family's dark secrets and grapples with her own burgeoning powers, she and Peter must confront their intertwined fates and decide whether they can defy destiny and forge their own path.
"Your Blood, My Bones" is a blend of romance, supernatural horror, and mystery that will captivate fans of dark fantasy. With its richly drawn characters and atmospheric setting, it is a story of love and sacrifice that lingers in the mind after the final page.

Things I liked:
• Rich Character Development
• Atmospheric Setting
• Compelling Genre Fusion

Things I disliked (if you can call it that):
• Evocative Writing; Sparse Explanations at times
• Unpredictable Ending
• Character-Centric Focus

Super atmospheric and creepy. The Midwest, middle of nowhere setting created such an isolating feeling. Mixed with the bittersweet nostalgia of a childhood friendship gone awry. Another tension filled horror with such unique plot and characters. So happy to have gotten the chance to read this early.

Following her estranged father's death, Wyatt returns home to her family farm in rural Maine. There, to her horror, she finds her childhood best friend, Peter, chained up in her basement. She learns that he is semi-immortal and that her bloodline has been ritualistically killing him and harvesting his bones to stave off the dark forces within the woods.

However, the blood moon is approaching and the woods are so very hungry--leaving Wyatt with the difficult decision of either sacrificing her friend or letting the darkness consume her town.

Your Blood, My Bones by Kelly Andrew paints a haunting New England gothic filled with compelling characters and achingly beautiful prose.

Oh, man. If you loved the lyricism, unbreakable bonds, and angst of The Raven Boys, buckle up because you’re going to love this one as well. It’s wonderfully atmospheric and wistfully nostalgic. It’s got creepy woods, the supernatural, folk horror (or should I say cottagegore?), and a dash of heartbreaking, star-crossed love.

All in all, Andrew is a gifted storyteller who knows how to emotionally punch readers in the gut. She’s definitely an author to keep your eye on because this is one of the best YA books I’ve read in ages, and I do not say that lightly.

“He tasted like a tragedy.”

What a beautiful surprise this book was!

I received this as a last minute ARC just 4 days before its release, and my oh my am I thanking the publisher and Netgalley for gifting me this little gem. Because this story is lovely. It’s dark, it’s hopeful, it’s tender, it’s brutal and it’s horribly sad – basically everything I look for in a book.

“He didn’t want to tell her that most curses looked like gifts, at the start.”

Wyatt Westlock spent the happiest and saddest days of her childhood at Willow Heath. In the Summer, odd men would arrive and strange rituals would take place while Wyatt was never allowed to know anything. But it was always the promise that she would be reunited with Peter and James that made those Summers meaningful. Until the day she was ripped from her happy trio, and never brought back to the farmhouse or to hear from her bestfriends again. Now five years later, Wyatt returns to Willow Heath after her father’s death, in which the property passes ownership to her…and all Wyatt wants to do is burn it to the ground. But when she discovers Peter is still there, and tied up in chains, she is forced to come to terms with the sinister events that took place when she was a little girl. Why was Peter still there? Where was James? And what was really going on all those years?

“His anonymity was an accident. He’d spent so long saying so little— tucking his secrets into his cheek like sugar candies— that when he finally went looking for them, they were gone. By that time, there’d been no one alive who remembered who he’d been before he came to Willow Heath.”

This is by far one of the most beautiful stories of friendship, love, forgiveness and chosen family. I was immediately struck by how nostalgic the childhood flashbacks were. How I was instantly transported to lazy Summer days of adventure, mischief, tears and adolescence. It was impossible not to fall in love with Wyatt as an emotional little girl who cried at everything and wanted to play “wedding” with the boys, a quiet Peter who was always watching, and a boisterous and sneaky James who bossed everyone around.

“James, the daring rogue, his broadsword whittled from the arm of a sapling oak. Wyatt, the captured queen, moored upon the rocky outcrop of a stone. And Peter, the shark. Circling her in the shallows.”

But though the flashbacks were touching and very much enjoyed, this isn’t a fluffy tale with a happy ending. It’s dark, gritty, unhinged and dirty. It reminds me of Wilder Girls in how hauntingly beautiful the flaws of the characters are, and how realistically human they are. There is a bundle of sorrow in this story that will make you weep, with moments of hope that will make your heart soar.

“He thought of the stars wheeling overhead and her hand in his. The hard beat of her pulse against his fingertips and the way he’d thought maybe another lifetime on the wrong side of the sky wouldn’t be so unbearable with Wyatt and James at his side.”

The main plot of this story is that Wyatt comes back to Willow Heath, happens upon Peter in a dire state, and starts to unravel the secrets of what was really going on. The men who frequented the property were practicing rituals and science experiments on Peter, a boy who they found to be immortal. They would kill him repeatedly over the years, and he would always come back. The rituals that would take place were a necessary evil for keeping the darkness and evil at bay from overtaking the property. And in order for Peter to be free of his hell and to finally go home, he must kill Wyatt.

“He could still feel the phantom of Wyatt’s pulse in the pads of his fingers. He was torn between the desire to scrape it out of him or to stitch it into his skin.”

I really felt for Wyatt in this book. This girl has her world literally flipped on its axis and everything she thought to be true turned out to be a lie. The worst part is living through those beautiful childhood moments with Peter and James, and then Peter telling her it was all basically a lie to get her to trust him so he could kill her.

“Dully , she wondered if this was what heartbreak felt like— looking into the eyes of someone she’d spent her whole life memorizing and finding nothing recognizable left over in their depths.”

Like damn.

Rip a girl’s heart out, why don’t you?

“You look at Wyatt like that,” he’d accused.

Pedyr’s heart thudded dully in his chest. “Like I’m waiting for her to die?”

“No,” James said. “Like you’re waiting for the chance to strike.”

This book is honestly a whirlwind of emotion. It brings you up into an oblivion so high you feel your heart may burst from happiness, and then it crashes you back down into the depths of despair and makes you wonder why you would ever trust Kelly Andrew with your fragile heart.

My heart still hurts from this book, and I finished it two days ago.

“He withdrew his hand, flexing out his fingers as if it hurt him to touch her. She hoped it did. She hoped it shattered him the way it shattered her.”

Probably one of the coolest aspects of this story is the world the author has created that is both fantastical and nightmarish. There are monsters and demonic creatures lurking around playing mind games and trying to lure the characters into brutal deaths and the elements begin to cave in on them, like some sort of freakish Jumanji jungle that wants to poke their eyes out with pretty vines. The world is frightening but so realistic and eerie, it’s almost like a swamp takes over and sets a misty tone across the entire time they reside at Willow Heath.

“If nothing is done,” he said, “Willow Heath will wither and die. When it does, the dark between worlds will devour us both.”

I have nothing but amazing things to say about this story and I beg everyone to read it immediately. You’ll come for the romance but you’ll stay for the ambiance. It’s the perfect chosen-family story and one that will make you want to hold onto the people you love just a little tighter.

“Don’t cry.”

Peter, James and Wyatt have been interwoven the way trees wind themselves together since they were small children. The three of them spent their summers together on the Westlock farm that has harbored deep and dark secrets for centuries. Unbeknownst to Wyatt Peter has been wrapped up in this land for far longer than her mind can fathom until one day after the passing of her father she comes back to the farm to set it ablaze. Before saying goodbye to the home she spent her childhood in she wanders through the house and is pulled to the basemnt were somehow someway Peter is bound by the roots of a tree, he looks as though he has been left there for years in these horrid restraints and yet somehow he is still alive.

This is where things truly begin to unravel and come together for Wyatt Westlock. She discovers the secret that runs through her veins, the creatures that lurk in the woods that her family has been keeping at bay for longer than she can imagine and the truth about the boy that she has always loved.

#YourBloodMyBones by #KelleyAndrew is a dark tale about childhood and growth. Learning how to let go of things you want so much to hold close and learning to be stong in who you are.

I want to thank #Netgalley for the chance to read the eArc of #YourBloodMyBones in return for a fair and honest review.
I thought the book was amazing and was so pulled in by the charaters especially that of Peter.

This was by far one of the most unique and enthralling stories that I've encountered in my many years of reading. The writing was exceptional, from the plot to the characters to the descriptions, and everything else in between. Starting with the very first chapter, this book sunk its jagged claws into me and pulled me into its rotting, dark embrace. Even when there wasn't a terrifying creature on the page, the element of wrongness and uncanniness oozed its way into every nook and cranny of this story. I particularly enjoyed that it was so character driven — Wyatt, Peter, and James' friendship was messy, toxic, and heartbreakingly tragic. I would have happily read hundreds of pages more on just their relationships alone. I also thoroughly enjoyed the overall horror element, I was expecting this to lean more fantasy than it did and I was pleasantly surprised.

This wasn't quite a 5 star read for me because I felt like the pacing was off at times. Something would be happening for a couple paragraphs and then the next it was over and something else was going on. I'm not sure if I just wasn't in the right head space while reading, or if it was intentionally written that way, but it pulled me out of being immersed every time. I also found myself wishing that the magic system, particularly Wyatt's magic, had been expounded upon further. This goes for the creatures and the world they come from as well. However, if my rating was based on just vibes alone this would have easily been 5 stars.

This was my first time reading something by Kelly Andrew and I can't wait to see what else she comes up with! I will definitely be checking out all of her future works.

Thank you NetGalley and Scholastic Press for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was messy.

“Your Blood, My Bones” throws everything it can at the wall as Wyatt return to her childhood home following her fathers death only to find her presumed dead best friend Peter chained in the basement. As the secrets of his past come to light the forest outside creeps closer to tearing her world apart.

I was lost the entire time. Hours felt like days which felt like minutes somehow I have no idea how this book was paced making the entirety of the plot feel so rushed as I worked my way through it. There’s a lot happening and unless you nod and shrug along with our main character you’re going to be more than a bit confused at how any of it works.

The characters were fine I guess? It’s a lot of two dimensional like dynamics here where the strongest relationships are shown via flashback which is the only thing that carried me through this read. I think however it all leads back to the pacing and if we had taken time to explain things a little better and flesh out the people moving through the plot it would have made it hit home in the way it was trying to. It’s also a shame that by just throwing it at the wall the parts that could have been very creepy were left somewhat comical in how they just were there hanging out instead of inciting chaos and mistrust in order to achieve the goals it had wanted.

This one is odd and it’s a shame because I think a few small tweaks would have made this a standout but unfortunately this just did not work for me though I wish other readers a more enjoyable experience!

**special thanks to the publishers and netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review.**

This one makes you ache all the way through. Kelly Andrew is a master of juxtapositions, especially my favorite one: creepy beautiful. Here she weaves a story that is romantic yet horrifying, grotesque yet lovely, brutal yet tender. And always, always her prose is simply gorgeous, making the world so incredibly vibrant and alive, AND MAKING ME SO INCREDIBLY JEALOUS. In awe of this book.

Goodreads review posted 4/1/24 (see link below)

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read ahead of release for an honest review!

3.75✨

This is a gothic-horror-dark-fantasy-romance in the YA variety. Kind of out of my wheelhouse, but the cover and blurb had me intrigued. I did like it, but this one is actually pretty hard for me to review.

I had really, probably unfairly high expectations and/or hopes for this novel, and while there were definite successes and it is certainly a good book overall, I just don’t think it hit all the marks it set for itself. And this doesn’t make it a bad book; the writing is actually pretty close to faultless, editorial wise, and the haunting visage that Andrew spins with their words sets a truly gothic and unsettling scene. This also isn’t a happy book, really in any way. Maybe some hopefulness, if you squint for some type of message, but overall, it’s just really sad and sorrowful, which leads me to believe this was the full intention of the author. I would recommend this book, for readers who love a bittersweet tale that's mostly bitter, and for a glimpse at the horrors of man, and the choices people have to make to survive, or keep the ones they love alive. So there are very very deep messages here at play, and it's all intertwined.

There’s a lot of speak of the power of three, or the core three characters, Wyatt, Peter, and James, and while I loved the glimpses into their past to further develop their relationships, I would’ve loved to have seen the true bond of them more plainly laid out physically, rather than in disjointed throwbacks. I wanted to truly feel that power of three, the magic, and love, and hate, and fear, and loss, and EVERYTHING between them three, and it scratched the surface, but just that. I wanted my emotions to be crawling out of my chest, and they were in terms of the treatment of the characters, and all the horrors, especially Peter, has had to endure, and I would’ve loved to see that mirrored in the intimate emotions of love, happiness, bittersweetness, confusion, uncertainty, etc between the three characters. Because the setting, and the writing, and the weaving of the dark tone was so masterfully done, I was expecting the character work to just take this for a homerun, and I think the character work is where this ultimately fell short, for me.

The ending also felt a little abrupt, as did the introduction of more secondary characters towards the end of the novel. Having the entire focus on the main trio would’ve tightened this up, made it so much more targeted and direct and impactful, I think. Reading this book certainly made me feel things as I read, the writing is wonderfully haunting, but I wish I was left with more of an impression, left with a last bite of the book apple, to chew on and ponder when the last page closed, and I didn’t get that. The immersion ended the moment the book was closed. But it was certainly engaging while I was immersed!

But for her writing ability alone, plus this being very early in their publishing career (I believe), Kelly Andrew is surely an author to watch, and I’ll keep an eye out for her future works!

Oh my goodness y'all, this book was WILD! Super atmospheric and dark, VERY much a gothic paranormal romance. And though Your Blood, My Bones wasn't my typical read, I LOVED the vibes of this book. The writing is hauntingly beautiful, and if you love forbidden romance with a paranormal twist, you DEFINITELY want to get this book on your TBR.

Wyatt returns to her family home after her father's untimely death intending to burn it to the ground - until she discovers her childhood friend Peter (and not so secret crush) shackled in the basement. In addition, strange things keep happening around the house and property. Wyatt learns that with the magical wards keeping evil away from the surrounding area are falling and it is up to her and Peter to repair them. However, Peter is hiding things about his past and his intentions. Can she trust him to help her? Will they survive their own revelations as the Westlock House falls all around them?

Oh my goodness, what a unique story. The conflict between Wyatt and Peter's feelings for each other and their own obligations is just so masterfully done. I LOVE an atmospheric read and y'all, this book has the BEST vibes. It reads like a freaking movie - the descriptions are lush and I could see every scene vividly in my mind. And while I was much more caught up in the story itself than I was the romance, I loved all of the pining and angst!

Thank you so much to Kelly Andrew, Colored Pages Book Tour, and Scholastic for the opportunity to read this one early! I LOVED Kelly's first book The Whispering Dark, and I've gotta say, I'll definitely be watching for more from her. So. Freaking. Good.

This book is gonna be on my mind for a while. It's been days since I finished it, and I want to reread it because I love a book that hurts me. Your Blood, My Bones bring us to this horror light fantasy that is so captivating, I couldn’t stop reading - even if I wanted! I loved the exquisite prose, dark fantasy, friends-turned enemies-turned lovers, creepy vibes... and all in a small town setting. This isn't your normal "small town" kind of book.
I usually don't read horror of any kind, but everyone told me this one was great.
I had what seemed to be a very early unedited copy so these few critiques may have been corrected since I read it.
The time jumps were not labeled in any way so it was like whiplash when the story line went back to their childhood and then back to the present. It felt kind of like whiplash.

Other than that, this book was a solid 4 stars for me.

Your Blood, My Bones is a dark horror mystery with a fantasy twist and a teeny tiny bit of romance. The focus is very much on the characters and building them up, which meant that at times the book felt pretty slow. I didn't enjoy this pace and overall didn't like the book as much as I'd hoped to as a result!

Thank you to the publisher for providing a review copy

***ARC received from Scholastic Press and NetGalley for honest review, opinions are all my own. Thank you!***

Wyatt returns home after the death of her father having been away for years finding Wyatt hanging in the basement. Setting of a beautiful and sad story about trust, friendship and the sacrifices we make for others.

I loved all the characters so much. Wyatt, Peter and James all bring something unique to this story, they all have their own struggles. Wyatt is a conflicted character, who came with a single minded intention that gets blown up the minute she meets her childhood friend. I loved Wyatt, I loved her struggle as she tries to find her place in this world that she has been thrusted back into. She deals with a lot of self doubts as her magic is so far out of her control having already hurt others with it. I did wonder sometimes how Wyatt didn’t notice some of the things going around her but maybe she does. And Peter, sweet and sad Peter who is desperate to break a horrible loop. I loved how conflicted he was as he slowly reconnected with Wyatt and James, burdened and haunted by the terrible things that he did and what he blames himself for. As much as he wants to be free he doesn’t want to do it at the expense of his friends. His conflict through out the book as he comes to realize what he must do is some painfully beautiful. I also adored James as well, his relationship with those around him isn’t always the healthiest but he cares for Wyatt and Peter.

The writing in this book is beautiful. The decrepit house comes alive as it is slowly eaten up by the forest feeling the confines of the walls as the characters do. I love how atmospheric this book is. The horror elements of the book are definitely more of the psychological than the gross out horror, fitting well with the rest of the book. They do briefly leave the main setting of the story and as much as I understand why I didn’t really want them to leave the house as the scenery of the book is such a huge aspect of the story.

This book is a very character driven story, while there is some actions sequences they are few and far between which is completely fine with me. Much of what makes this book such a beautiful read is seeing Wyatt and Peter rebuild their relationship while still keeping secrets from each other. Neither is fully honest and open as they work on the trust they have in each other. Its so sad watching their progress and expected setbacks as they worked through years of trauma, many years in Peter’s case. We get to see some of Peter’s backstory and its as sad as to be expected.

The ending of this book is achingly sad even if it was expected and basically really the only plausible ending it was still so sad yet still to me gave a bit of hope for a happy ending. There was a bit of a stumble for me at the end, yes it was a build up to this but I don’t know if it really needed it seeing how this is such a character driven story. The ending would have been okay without it.

I just highly recommend this book.

Absolutely tragic and beautiful. Kelly Andrew's writing sucks you in from the very beginning into this thrilling and haunting tale. I loved the gothic atmosphere of this book, and the unexpected turns it took. There were a few parts where I felt disconnected from the characters and found myself questioning their motivations, but I still thoroughly enjoyed it.

It took a bit for me to get into the book, but I really liked it. It seemed more Thriller to me than romance, but it was very well written. It kept me engaged, had a lot of twists & was an easy read.

Two years ago I read Andrew's debut novel The Whispering Dark and fell in love, so when I saw she had another novel - a companion novel to it even - coming out I was super excited, and it certainly didn't disappoint. Andrew's sophomore novel is a fascinating mix of gothic romance, eldritch horror, and urban fantasy that she mixes together into something very wholly her own. Her prose is beautiful, and the emotion she manages to wring out of her writing is nothing short of magical; I'm also sending her my therapy bill because THE AUDACITY! That old song, "shot through the heart, and you're to blame" fits perfectly here. While there are a few cliches here, the main one being the fact that cellphones somehow don't work on this one particular farm, and a mid-book twist I did see coming I really don't have much to complain about. Every now and then I was a little confused about what exactly was transpiring, which led to some backtracking from time to time, but nothing bigger than that. In all honesty it just made me want to revisit both The Whispering Dark and this book (preferably back to back, since they do connect) at some point in the future so I can really savor them both. I was also thrilled to find out that this book is going to be the B&N April YA book club pick, so I'm certainly going to be hand-selling the crap out of this one no doubt. The fact that more people don't know about Andrew and her books is a damn shame, and I'm certainly going to do my best to remedy that at my store.