A review by brookeandbooks
The Woods All Black by Lee Mandelo

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.0

Thank you to NetGalley, Tor Publishing, and Lee Mandelo for access to an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Woods All Black is a short, impactful novella set in 1920s Appalachia. Leslie is a transgender former army nurse whose job has sent him to a rural, closed off town of Spar Creek. There is something unsettling about the town and its fiery preacher that sets him on edge, even after the horrors of the trenches in World War I.

This book tells such a complete story and touches on so many complex topics despite its short length. I really enjoyed the perspective of a historical LGBTQ character, and admittedly, didn’t really know much about the experiences of transgender individuals in the past. The author provided a list of sources used in their research and further reading suggestions in their acknowledgements, which is such a nice resource. There were some unexpected moments in the story that really surprised me, and it is quite violent at times, so check CW!