Direwood

July 11, 2022
In Yu’s chilling horror debut, set in the late 1990s, 16-year-old Chinese American Aja’s older sister Fiona goes missing just after Fiona’s 17th birthday. Soon, three more teenagers vanish from their insular, predominantly white neighborhood in Glen Hills, Mich. Aja, who’s “tired of being the younger version of my sister, the worse version, always falling short by comparison,” connects the disappearances to two events: the sudden and inexplicable emergence of white caterpillars with sharp teeth burrowing into and infecting the neighborhood’s trees, and strangely inclement weather patterns, which include blood rain and an impenetrable fog. Lured by a mysterious, “sweeter than honey” voice outside her window, Aja meets Padraic, an alluring vampire whom she believes took her sister. Hoping to rescue Fiona, Aja agrees to spend seven nights with him in the old, abandoned church in the woods. Yu carefully balances gory horror and vampire mysticism with the protagonist’s desire for independence. Aja’s gradual realization that Fiona’s life isn’t as perfect as she’d assumed, elevated by a riveting paranormal romance and enduring
sisterhood, make for an eerie tale that thoughtfully contemplates fitting in amid societal pressures. Ages 14–up. Agent: Erin Clyburn, Jennifer De Chiara Literary.

July 1, 2022
Aja searches for her missing sister after strange happenings hit their small town. Aja and her slightly older sister, Fiona, are the only Chinese American family in their mostly White town of Glenn Hills. Aja can't stand the pressure to conform and live up to the intimidating role model her sister is. Then Fiona's birthday party is ruined by strange, voracious bugs; an unearthly fog; and blood-red rain, and everything changes. The next morning Fiona is gone, and soon other teens go missing. When Aja hears a creepily seductive voice calling to her from the window, she follows the creature, vowing to rescue Fiona from him, and is drawn into the foggy world of vampire Padraic. The ordinary 1990s small-town America setting strongly contrasts with the graphic horror elements. Explorations of fitting in, the faces one shows to society, sisterly bonds, friendship, and social pressures are well developed. While the central mystery is predictable and genre fans will find the horror elements rather familiar, the themes of freedom, choice, and what separates monsters from humans are intriguing. Those who enjoy insta-love stories and vampire lore will be satisfied with those elements, but ultimately, the rushed, anticlimactic ending disappoints. An uneven read, although one filled with atmospheric creepiness and gore. (Paranormal horror. 13-17)

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August 1, 2022
Grades 9-12 Growing up as the invisible sister in the only Asian American family in otherwise all-white suburbia has left Aja feeling like an outsider in her own life. No one listens to her concerns when sharp-toothed insects begin chewing through the trees and a red mist descends over their town. When a group of teens, including her sister, goes missing, Aja knows there is something inhuman at play. Following a grotesque but seductive visitor into the night, Aja sets off to rescue her sister from the nest of vampires that have taken up residence in the woods, risking her own mortality. Yu's debut novel is set in the 1990s, and the aesthetic of babydoll dresses and velvet chokers meshes nicely with her romantic and bloody gothic imagery. Aja's narration is cloudy and delirious, which readers may find frustrating during the opening chapters, but it fits the dreamy thrall of a vampire lair well. Flesh-eating caterpillars, blood-sucking butterflies, and gruesome seductions make this a good choice for readers looking for a throwback vampire story.

COPYRIGHT(2022) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

September 1, 2022

Gr 9 Up-Aja desperately wants to be like her perfect older sister, Fiona, who knows how to blend into their quaint Michigan town, be their father's favorite, and charm everyone. But when Fiona makes a wish on her 17th birthday for everything to change, even the pretense of perfection vanishes from their lives. Fiona disappears, and Aja follows a charmingly terrifying vampire named Padraic through the woods to an abandoned church now turned into a vampire homestead. She stays in the nightmare world of vampires and bloodthirsty caterpillars and butterflies night after night, partly in search of Fiona, but also partly because the vampire's words make Aja feel beautiful and no longer second best to her sister. Aja tries to resist Padraic's thrall, but her conviction that there is something human in him clouds her judgement. Ultimately, the vampires remain monstrous, but show a glimmer of compassion in the moments before their demise. Yu has crafted a dark, bloody debut with rich Gothic atmosphere and a naive yet determined protagonist. Her inclusion of the body-horror caterpillars and butterflies adds an increased layer of tension and risk; even if the vampires don't drain the human characters, readers understand that the insatiable insects will. There are deep psychological threads at work in this story, from Aja's complicated relationship with sister to the pain and sadness that Fiona has hidden in plain sight, with a lot for readers to sink their teeth into. VERDICT Perfect for fans of body horror and truly terrifying vampires.-Jen McConnel

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