Who answers when we call for help at the end of our ropes? And can being saved become a punishment worse than death?

When four-year-old Vivienne wanders away from her stepfather in a vast and unfamiliar desert, she tumbles into a ravine. Injured, frightened, and alone, Vivienne screams herself hoarse to alert help. But all that answers is the dark–a slithering entity that takes up residence inside of the child and turns her very voice into poison.

Years later, as a young adult, Vivienne has been weaponized by her stepfather and emotionally abandoned by her mother. Desperate, she seeks salvation in the form of a dangerous experimental exorcism performed by a medical student who only theoretically thinks such a procedure might succeed.

Thomas is hired to interpret for Vivienne, who does not speak. She resents the handsome stranger who–she knows–has been hired to shadow and spy on her every move. But something about him is different and strong enough to plant the smallest seed of hope in her heart. For his part, Thomas can’t quite figure out all of the pieces that make up the puzzling Vivienne. But he knows something has her running scared, blindly careening towards disaster.

I AM MADE OF DEATH is a dark and captivating mystery. Author Kelly Andrew spins a fresh story of possession amid young love and romance. The story is slightly unevenly paced, sometimes lagging before quickly accelerating to and through the action-packed resolution. It’s an engaging book that easily held my attention and kept me awake until late at night.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary ARC of I AM MADE OF DEATH in exchange for my honest opinions.