Published by Scholastic Press on April 2, 2024
Genres: YA Fantasy, Horror, Romance
Pages: 368
Format: Hardback (OwlCrate Edition)
Source: OwlCrate
Content Warnings: Death, Murder, Blood, Torture, Ritual Sacrifice, Child Neglect & Endangerment, Body Horror, Cults, Grief, Animal Death, Spiders
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Wyatt Westlock has one plan for the farmhouse she's just inherited -- to burn it to the ground. But during her final walkthrough of her childhood home, she makes a shocking discovery in the basement -- Peter, the boy she once considered her best friend, strung up in chains and left for dead. Unbeknownst to Wyatt, Peter has suffered hundreds of ritualistic deaths on her family's property. Semi-immortal, Peter never remains dead for long, but he can't really live, either. Not while he's bound to the farm, locked in a cycle of grisly deaths and painful rebirths. There's only one way for him to break free. He needs to end the Westlock line. He needs to kill Wyatt. With Wyatt's parents gone, the spells protecting the property have begun to unravel, and dark, ancient forces gather in the nearby forest. The only way for Wyatt to repair the wards is to work with Peter -- the one person who knows how to harness her volatile magic. But how can she trust a boy who's sworn an oath to destroy her? When the past turns up to haunt them in the most unexpected way, they are forced to rely on one another to survive, or else tear each other apart.
It has taken me a while to put my thoughts into words about Your Blood, My Bones. If I am being completely honest, the ending was devastating and I haven't necessarily wanted to revisit that feeling again quite so soon. I finished Your Blood, My Bones back in July (yes, almost two months ago) and I finally feel like I can properly express my feelings.
First and foremost, the story is extremely atmospheric and immersive with monsters lurking around every corner. Andrew's world-building is stunning and captivating and will leave you feeling as if you too are being watched and stalked by the eldritch horrors hiding in the woods. The creatures in the wood are reminiscent of those traditionally found in folk horror, especially along the East coast where Your Blood, My Bones takes place. They are secretive, deadly, and oh-so hungry to sink their teeth into our main characters. The eerie atmosphere paired with half-truths creates an environment of mystery that will leave you guessing until the very end.
This mystery and horror is paired with a beautiful romance, which works incredibly well together despite my original skepticism. The connection to the trio Andrew is able to cultivate in a reader is visceral, raw, and so real, allowing us to understand their childhood with very little page time. The romance is a slow burn with palpable tension with a hint of teenage tenderness. It's naive, but that doesn't make it feel any less real or worthy of attention. By the time the book ends, you will be left feeling just as raw and broken as Wyatt, who must learn to pick up the pieces of a shattered life. Just thinking about the ending has my eyes welling with tears and my heart racing in angst.
While this isn't a retelling of Peter Pan, there are certainly connections between the two. Peter is an immortal from across the stars, one who is never allowed to grow up due to the desires and whims of a cult started over a hundred years ago. The sacrifices, the pain, the suffering, and the isolation Peter is forced to endure at the hands of this cult is almost too much to bear, much less witness in real-time. His trauma oozes off the page, bleeding into every choice, every look, every sacrifice he makes to protect those he cares about most. His hatred stings like hot venom, piercing even the strongest of readers' hearts. He is by far one of the best-written young men in literature.
To add to everything, the book is told from the perspective of three different people, Wyatt, Peter, and James, childhood friends who played together every summer while darkness loomed unbeknownst to them. I adored the multiple perspectives, even when they were unreliable, not because they were being purposely deceptive, but because they simply didn't know any better or thought they were doing what was right. I know we have all been there...
Finally, I loved Wyatt's magical ability and the portrayal of magic in this story. It's unreliable, terrifying, and wholly untamed, leaving the reader concerned for the safety of everyone. The subtle hints of Wicca, modern paganism, and folklore are exciting for those of us in the community and largely accurate and respectful. There is nothing I hate more than a book that gets basic facts wrong about witchcraft when resources are so readily available nowadays. Obviously, there are fantastical elements to this tale, but it doesn't venture so far into the realm of fantasy that you lose the realism in the process.
Your Blood, My Bones will be a book that will keep me up at night for the rest of my life, one that reminds me that true love can span across time and space, and that great loss is not the end. It is so hauntingly beautiful, incorporating some of my favorite elements into one. I cannot recommend Your Blood, My Bones enough, and I hope you too will enjoy it as much as I did.
For those who have read The Whispering Dark by Kelly Andrew, Your Blood, My Bones apparently takes place in the same universe and there are apparently some spoilers for The Whispering Dark at the end. I haven't read The Whispering Dark as of yet so I can not testify to this claim, but it's certainly on my TBR!
PS: If you can snag yourself a copy of OwlCrate's edition of Your Blood, My Bones, I highly recommend it. It's one of the prettiest covers I have seen thus far!
