I AM MADE OF DEATH, by Kelly Andrew, Scholastic Press, March 4, 2025, Hardcover, $19.99 (young adult, ages 14 and up)
A young man is hired as an interpreter for a girl who harbors a deadly secret in I Am Made of Death, a dark romance by Kelly Andrew.
Following the death of his father, Thomas Walsh had to grow up quickly, taking on odd-jobs to keep food on the table and help pay his gravely ill mother’s medical bills. When he’s offered a highly paid position as an interpreter for an heiress who exclusively signs, Thomas — the hearing child of a Deaf adult — jumps at the opportunity.
But the job is not without its challenges. Thomas is expected to accompany Vivienne wherever she goes, but from the start, she seems determined to shake him. To make matters worse, her parents keep her on an extremely short leash. She is not to go anywhere without express permission. She is not to deviate from her routine.
She is, most importantly, not to be out after dark.
A selective-mute, Vivienne Farrow hasn’t said a word in years — not since going missing in Red Rock Canyon when she was four years old. No one knows quite what happened to her out in the dark. They only know that the sound of her voice is now as deadly as a poison. Anyone who hears her speak suffers a horrible death.
Ever since that fatal family vacation, Vivienne has been desperately searching for a way to regain control of both her voice and her body. Because the face staring out of the mirror isn’t hers. It’s something with teeth.
Thankfully, Vivienne has a plan. She’s finally found someone who claims to be able to perform a surgical exorcism. She just needs to find a way to get rid of Thomas first. But Thomas can’t afford to walk away, nor is he willing to abandon the mysterious girl he’s quickly falling for, no matter what dark powers threaten to swallow them both whole. —Synopsis provided by Scholastic Press
Author Kelly Andrew (Your Blood, My Bones) has a knack for dark romance. She is adept at crafting creepy, twisted, otherworldly settings that set you on edge while remaining slightly plausible.
In I Am Made of Death Andrew draws from her own experiences with language. Andrew lost her hearing at the age of 4, and there were few resources. In her author’s note she explains, “…my access to signed language was minimal. For the next several years, I railed against the silence. Vivienne Farrow is my own personal demon.”
Andrew harnesses that anger and feeling of otherization in the way Vivienne communicates. This authenticity is what grounds the book and makes Vivienne someone worth reading about.
Told from alternating viewpoints, readers also get to see what makes Thomas tick. He’s equally well developed, and the book wouldn’t work if told by only one character.
I Am Made of Death features a number of potentially triggering or disturbing themes including allusions to abuse, violence, cults, death and torture. There are a few key plot elements toward the end that feel a bit rushed/too convenient, but it’s otherwise a solid offering.
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