Old Wounds by Logan Ashley Kisner Review

Title: Old Wounds

Author: Logan Ashley Kisner

Genre: YA Horror

Publisher: Usborne

Pages: 352

Release Date: 12 September 2024

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Hello fellow booklovers! Today I’m sharing my review of Old Wounds by Logan Ashley Kisner, YA Horror that is as emotionally thought-provoking as it was spine-chilling!

Synopsis

OLD WOUNDS...new monsters. Two trans 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... Fans of YA Horror, Darren Charlton or Aiden Thomas don’t want to miss this!

 Erin and Max are two trans kids, just trying to get to California. Max is desperate to finally be able to transition, and Erin is longing to understand why she's on this trip to begin with, after Max suddenly broke up with her two years earlier.

But when they find themselves stranded - and eventually separated - in the creepy woods of rural middle-America, they suddenly have much bigger problems.

First, there's the creature that, according to legend, feeds on girls, hunting them through the shadows.

And then there are the locals, who are searching for a female sacrifice. If either of them hope to survive to see the sunrise, Erin and Max will have to come together and stop from their attackers, from each other, and, ultimately, from themselves.

Review

Logan Ashley Kisner’s YA Horror debut was a terrifying, rollercoaster of a read that deftly explores gender and trans identity (and highlighting how historically underrepresented the trans and queer community have been in the genre.)

Readers looking for a heartfelt and unflinchingly honest depiction of the trans experience; of resilience, empowerment and a heartfelt journey towards healing — then you’ll definitely want to check this out.

Kisner’s skillful prose was really good! His atmospheric descriptions were brimming with an eerie, skin crawling undertone (encapsulated in the creepy, Midsommar/The Wicker Man-esque side characters) that I felt really upped the sense of danger and intensity of the plot —and made for an unforgettable, edge of your seat reading experience.

You know that mounting sense of dread you feel at the start of a Horror movie, right before the bad stuff starts? Well, if you love this genre, then you should be pleased to know you’ll find plenty of that here.

From the opening scenes, which document the complex bonds and family dynamics that both Erin and Max face, to their differing experiences as trans teens in (a largely unaccepting) small US town — the unease lies soo heavy in the air you’ll be hard pressed not to binge read in its entirety.

But, what I found most impressive was the depth we explore in our POV characters, Erin and Max (two flawed but compelling teens) and the sense of hope that’s woven through the heart of their story.

I don’t think my words can really do this book justice, so I’ll just say if you enjoy Horror Thrillers and have been eager to see more diverse perspectives, then you’ll probably gonna enjoy this one.

However, it does explore some pretty deep subject material (and references real life murders/suicides of trans people) so I do advise checking the CW/TWs beforehand.

Also, a huge thank you to Ayesha at Usborne for the proof.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5

About The Author 

Logan-Ashley Kisner is a trans + queer author born, raised, and still residing within Las Vegas, Nevada. He has a BA in Creative Writing and minored in Film Studies at UNLV. On top of being an author, he is also a transgender horror historian, cat dad, and horror addict (his favorites include Ginger Snaps, the Evil Deadseries, and Sleepaway Camp).

Old Wounds will be his debut novel.

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