Mazywood is phenomenal and Tananarive Due has once against mastered the art of introspective horror while paying homage to the genre. The story begins with the classics and the classic tale of what are you willing to risk for your wishes? We follow our protagonist down a path that stems from their desires, but what does this lead to? Due craftfully weaves deconstruction of social constructs and the way stereotypes define people’s actions. Absolutely loved every second of this terrifying adventure.
Your actions can haunt you louder than the ghosts will. That is the nature of this tale. What are you willing to risk fitting in with the crowd. I love books that rightfully throw shade at Hollywood and the whitewashing ways that have plagued the film industry. Think of the lens you see horror and how many of the horror classics are defined by whiteness or in defiance of whiteness. The characters come alive through turmoil and rich dialogue.
Spiral through the madness and fall in love with the eerie love of it all. Appreciate the eloquence of Due’s writing and how she creates long-lasting narratives. Absolutely a must read for those that love horror cinema and like to deconstruct the history behind it. Start thinking critically about the media you consume and where it comes from. And always be careful what you wish for. Thank you Tananarive Due, Saga Press, and Netgalley for this advanced digital copy. All opinions are my own.
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Mazywood is a tour de force. It is a combination of horror, social commentary, history, psychology, and family dynamics. The reader is immediately invested in Mazelle Washington, her quest for success, and the generational curses that plague her family. The novel explores racism, sexism, motherhood, family ties, hate, and love from the 1920s American South to present day California. Mazelle, traumatized, lonely, and ambitious, creates for herself a focus for her loyalty, caring, and affection and receives absolute love and devotion in return. Decades after her death, her grandson brings his family to her former home where they must come face to face with her secrets and survive. The brilliance of this novel is in its emotional deftness. The reader is immersed in fear, dread, and suspense while simultaneously overwhelmed with love, compassion, empathy, and pain. The characters are complex, thoughtful, and deeply flawed. Only the reader is shown the various motives and feelings behind pivotal events and important relationships, and that knowledge is sometimes excruciating. I bawled, y’all.

I’m calling it now, this is going to be a bestseller.

This had everything I love. Family secrets, Old Hollywood, generational rage, a creepy mountain retreat, and something dark hiding in the background. I was hooked from the premise alone.

The story felt powerful, layered, and unsettling in the best way. I loved how it mixed history, horror, and family legacy without losing that thriller feeling.

Absolutely a 5 star read for me.

Be careful what you wish for.

This book was so compulsively readable. I was obsessed from the very beginning, and then it became bone-chillingly scary.

The story starts with Mazy and Scout the Wonder Dog starring in an Our Gang-style rival show in the 1920s. Mazy finds Scout on the side of the road after wishing for a best friend, and they become inseperable. However, after Mazy’s acting contract ends, Scout mysteriously disappears.

In the present day, Mazy’s grandson Johnny brings his family to Mazywood, Mazy’s secluded cabin in Northern California. There, they are haunted by a terrifying fox-like creature that slithers beneath the snow. Johnny remembers seeing this thing as a child, but years of therapy convinced him he must have imagined it. Except it’s real — and it’s killing people.

As the story moves back and forth between past and present, we slowly learn more about Mazy’s Hollywood life as a young woman and the horrifying secrets tied to Scout’s disappearance and the end of Mazy’s life.

I was not expecting some of the turns this story took.

Whoaaaaaa. That was crazy. Scary. SO scary. What an amazing story. This NEEDS to be turned into a movie.

I was a big fan of Due's previous novel "The Reformatory", and this book is just as good. Buckle up for a wild ride!

Thank you to NetGalley and Saga Press for the advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review.