Old Wounds is an unapologetically queer horror story centering on two trans teens who are desperate to escape their suffocating Ohio hometown and start a new life in California.
Max has it all figured out: a new job, a new address, and a slightly less-than-new—but hopefully reliable—car to get him to accessible healthcare and away from his bigoted family. Erin is less certain. She has been (mostly) accepted by her mom and sister, but when Max, her ex-boyfriend and the only other trans kid at school, asks her to go with him, she can’t refuse.
As soon as they leave state boundaries, things get weird: an abandoned town in dead-end Kentucky, a group of men with sleazy grins, and, of course, the car breaks down. Max and Erin end up fighting for their lives against both humans and the supernatural in a night that just won’t end.
The use of present tense and dark humor makes this book easy to get into and impossible to put down. Kisner ensures that trans experiences take center stage, from Erin’s gender euphoria to Max’s insecurities about not passing. The supernatural element, however, was the least captivating aspect of the book—I found myself far more invested in the human elements of the story. The nuance of transitions, gender euphoria, growing up in an oppressive town, and making your escape all feature here.
An addictive horror story not to be missed.
Review by Morgan Lyons
Old Wounds
Logan-Ashley Kisner
Peach Tree Teen, 2024
Paperback, £9.99
ISBN: 9781682635872
