Publishers Weekly
07/11/2022
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. (Sept.)
From the Publisher
"Yu has crafted a dark, bloody debut with rich Gothic atmosphere and a naive yet determined protagonist [...] There are deep psychological threads at work in this story, [...] with a lot for readers to sink their teeth into."
—School Library Journal
"Flesh-eating caterpillars, blood-sucking butterflies, and gruesome seductions make this a good choice for readers looking for a throwback vampire story."
—Booklist
"[...] filled with atmospheric creepiness and gore."
—Kirkus Reviews
"An intriguing combination of horror and coming of age [...] that will have readers haunted for weeks after it's finished."
—BCCB
"Yu carefully balances gory horror and vampire mysticism with the protagonist's desire for independence [...] [A] riveting paranormal romance [...] that thoughtfully contemplates fitting in amid societal pressures."
—Publishers Weekly
“Drenched in blood-slick gothic dread and chewing under your skin to unsettle you down to the bones, Direwood is as sharp and hungry as the vampires inside it. Go on, open the door. See what happens.”
—Andrew Joseph White, author of Hell Followed with Us
“A blood-damp, butterfly-riddled fever dream, Direwood is both swoon- and shudder-worthy. What starts as a patter of fear turns into a torrential onslaught of dread as this surreal story beckons you down into its depths where something terrifying lurks in wait.”
—Elizabeth Kilcoyne, author of Wake the Bones
“Direwood is a lush, eerie debut, a gothic tangle of familial and societal expectations that is challenged—and then unraveled—by a supernatural presence. Yu makes the macabre beautiful and captivating, just like the creatures at the heart of the dire woods.”
—Alison Ames, author of To Break a Covenant
“Direwood is a sumptuous fever dream of a novel in the best way. Yu's ethereal prose shines in this gothic dissection of sisterhood, sacrifice, and monstrosity.”
—Tori Bovalino, author of Not Good for Maidens
author of Not Good for Maidens Tori Bovalino
Direwood is a sumptuous fever dream of a novel in the best way. Yu’s ethereal prose shines.”
School Library Journal
09/01/2022
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
Kirkus Reviews
2022-06-08
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)
