scijessreads

Kelly Andrew has the ability to make horror stories that wrap a glossy, cracking surface over a tense, coiled monster ready to strike when you least expect it. In the case of I Am Made of Death, what we see is a hint of dark academia, along the lines of movies like Cruel Intentions (or any that involve secret societies and rich socialites behaving badly). And when the characters step away from their expected public face, we get to see who they really are when the world is not watching. And what they wish they could be if things had not gone so horribly wrong in the past.

Vivienne is a ballerina with a secret that can kill. Literally. Thomas is looking for a way to keep his family afloat. He answers a posting for an interpreter, and ends up as a de facto driver, intepreter, bodyguard, and punching bag for Vivienne, who has her own plans and does not want Thomas getting in the way of them. But try as she might, Thomas refuses to quit. He digs in further, plucking away at Vivienne’s shell and asking questions. He doesn’t let her push him away. At the same time, Vivienne is collecting favors, manipulating others to her plans to rid herself of the thing that has taken over her body, consequences be damned.

I loved the atmosphere created, the vicious push and pull between our leads. The entanglements between family and cult and dark power that claims a steep price for being called upon. We know what is happening, but yet we never have all of the pieces at once, to see the final picture until the very end. It is horror wrapped in a pretty pink bow, razor sharp and toxic. But it also gives us moments to see the slivers of humanity that manage to hold on in the cracks, digging in like weeds in an attempt to prevent total destruction for as long as possible. I also love the tenacity we see in both Thomas and Vivienne. They know what they want, and they fight for it at their own peril sometimes.