Old Wounds

By Logan-Ashley Kisner

Book Overview

Two transgender teens end up in a small, isolated town, where they must escape the locals who plan to sacrifice one of them to an ancient monster that only eats girls. A pulse-pounding thriller perfect for fans of Midsommar and Hell Followed with Us

A BULLETIN OF THE CENTER FOR CHILDREN'S BOOKS BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR

Erin and Max are two transgender teens trying to get to California. Max is desperate to finally transition, and Erin is longing to understand why she's on this trip to begin with. The last she spoke to Max was when he suddenly broke up with her two years ago.

But when they find themselves stranded in the middle of the woods in a small Kentucky town, they realize they have much bigger problems. The locals need a female sacrifice for the monster that lives in the woods--according to them, the sun won't come up again until the monster eats a girl . . . and it only eats what it kills. Fighting back is futile; no one selected as the offering has ever survived the night.

When the two strangers show up, the locals believe they have the perfect candidate. The irony of the situation is almost too much to fathom.

The thing is, the locals don't know who they just trapped as their sacrifice. They don't know Erin's and Max's secrets, which could be a death sentence on a good day. And the monster that lives in their woods has never faced prey who have already fought so hard to live.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0593814746
• ISBN13: 9780593814741
• Release Date: September 2024
• Publisher: Delacorte Press
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.4" x 5.8" x 8.4"
• Age Range: 14 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 9 and higher

Customer Reviews

Horror but trans-ed

Old Wounds is unabashedly trans-focused; arguably, the book dives into certain cliches, but they're given new life from the introduction of the trans dynamic of our main characters; Erin and Max who are a trans-woman and trans-man respectively. The story deals with heavy topics like transphobia, abuse, misogyny, depression and suicide, but, at least in my opinion, never feels grotesque about them, but it can be a hard thing to read, especially if you have experienced these things in things in the past; its an incredibly honest book in that way; it never glorifies these dark tones, but also never shies away from them. And while it deals with these concepts, it is also a story about trans-strength; about fighting back and surviving no matter the cost. It is not perfect; certain plot points could arguably be developed more and the story feels very much like a novelization of a horror movie in a way, but it remains an absolutely wonderful read, particularly for those who enjoy their queer stories with a touch of horror added to them. I'm very excited and hopefully to see what the Author has in store for us next!!