Review by Booklist Review
In this debut southern gothic with a queer spin, Andrew heads to Tennessee to investigate the unexpected death of his best friend, Eddie. Andrew and Eddie grew up closer than brothers after a shared trauma left them with the ability to see ghosts. Andrew plunges into Eddie's life--including a spot in a group of renegade street racers. Barely coping with his grief, Andrew has difficulty narrowing down the field of suspects in Eddie's death, which includes Sam, the magnetic ringleader of the racing crowd. As the trail starts to heat up, so does Andrew's relationship with Sam--but will he be able to solve the mystery before his life is also forfeited? Mandelo crafts a journey of heartache and self-discovery that forces Andrew to confront pieces of himself that he's been unwilling to acknowledge: his connection to death, his ability to use magic, and the depth of his love for Eddie. Summer Sons blends an academic setting with a healthy dose of body horror and powerful themes of redemption and queer yearning in a narrative that starts slowly and speeds over the finish line.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Mandelo brings a queer goth aesthetic to the Southern gothic in their slow-building, brooding contemporary fantasy debut--with drag-racing, drug-use, and plenty of ghosts to boot. When Eddie Fulton dies of an apparent suicide, his best friend Andrew Blur inherits his fortune, house, roommate, research topic at Vanderbilt's graduate program--and frightening sensitivity to ghosts. Andrew is convinced that Eddie didn't kill himself, and as he delves into the mystery of Eddie's death, no one is above suspicion and investigation, especially not Eddie's handsome, charismatic, and reckless friend Sam Halse. Torn between the bright halls and shady academics of Vanderbilt and the dark streets and drug-fueled parties of Sam and his gang, Andrew must confront his past with Eddie in order to avenge his friend and conquer his own demons, both psychological and paranormal. Despite the high-speed car races that wind through the novel, the first half drags at a snail's pace. Things pick up considerably in the second half, gaining urgency and narrative complexity, but the central mystery provides few interesting twists. Instead, the novel shines in the tortured love triangle between Andrew, an intriguing stranger, and the ghost that haunts him. Full of angst and lingering spirits, Mandelo's debut is like Tennessee molasses--dense, dark, slow-moving, and with a distinct Southern flavor. (Sept.)
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Review by Library Journal Review
DEBUT Eddie and Andrew have been best friends for years; they grew even closer after the accident that stranded them in a cavern as teens. Then Eddie kills himself at Vanderbilt; Andrew can't believe it, mostly because the "malevolent haunts" who have followed Andrew since the accident won't let him forget the past. Andrew visits Nashville to grapple with Eddie's death, sort out his inheritance, and try to figure out who really killed him and why--even if answering those questions means diving deeper into the supernatural curse that plagues him. The result is a satisfying, menacing, character-centered slow burn where every detail matters. Part nefarious ghost story, part academic thriller, with a Fast & Furious vibe, this compelling tale of mortal danger and dark supernatural power also thoughtfully grapples with notions of masculinity. VERDICT A great choice for readers who enjoy thought-provoking and engaging horror that asks its protagonists to come to terms with the monsters--both literal and metaphorical--in their past (such as Sam J. Miller's The Blade Between or Cynthia Pelayo's Children of Chicago). Also a good option for fans of dark academic thrillers, like Donna Tartt's The Secret History.
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