Monday, March 3, 2025

I Am Made of Death by Kelly Andrew - OPTIONAL

I Am Made of Death by Kelly Andrew, 368 pages. Scholastic Press (Scholastic Inc), 2025. $20.

Language: R (84 swears, 18 “f”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: PG13

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SOME

College dropouts paying for their mother’s medical bills are beggars, not choosers, which is why Thomas (18yo) is living the Farrow household as an interpreter for Vivienne (18yo). Vivienne chooses not to speak, but she doesn’t need an interpreter-slash-babysitter. Once she finds a way to ditch Thomas, she can continue with her plans to fix herself—or else die trying.

The occult aspects of this story are not explained very clearly. The vagueness adds an element of horror in the beginning but distracts from the action the deeper readers go, turning mystery into confusion. In the end, the forces of evil somehow collapse, causing the antagonists to somehow face consequences while the protagonists drive hopefully into the dawn of a new day. A happy ending, if not a very disclosing conclusion.

The majority of characters are implied White, and Frances, Hudson, and Reed are part of the LGBT community. The mature content rating is for alcohol use, illegal activity, scary elements, mentions of prostitution, kissing, and innuendo. The violence rating is for assault, gun use, blood and gore, mentions of suicide, and murder.

Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

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