As Andrew searches for the truth of Eddie’s death, he uncovers the lies and secrets left behind by the person he trusted most, discovering a family history soaked in blood and death. Whirling between the backstabbing academic world where Eddie spent his days and the circle of hot boys, fast cars, and hard drugs that ruled Eddie’s nights, the walls Andrew has built against the world begin to crumble.
And there is something awful lurking, waiting for those walls to fall.
It was only fitting that I read SUMMER SONS, the debut novel by Lee Mandelo, during an absolutely brutal heatwave…temps well into the 90’s, oppressive humidity…just that gnarly heat that clings to you all day long. Ugh.
SUMMER SONS is the debut novel by Lee Mandelo, and goddamn. What a gut-wrenching, visceral, haunting story this is.
When we meet Andrew Blur, he’s grieving the death of his best friend (and adoptive brother), Eddie. Eddie is thought to have died by suicide, but from the very beginning of the novel, something about this doesn’t sit right with Andrew.
Eddie has also left behind a considerable fortune to Andrew, along with a big old house in Nashville, a roommate that Andrew has never met, and also a creepy ghost/revenant that clings to Andrew like the aforementioned humidity. Fucking yikes.
As Andrew tries to pick up the pieces of his life, he finds himself chasing down clues & attempting to make sense of the last few months of Eddie’s life. Andrew discovers more about himself and Eddie than he ever imagined, and things take some dark, twisty turns.
This book is INTENSE. With drag racing, the dark academia vibe, and more than a little bit of the occult in the mix, SUMMER SONS definitely shares a bit in common with THE RAVEN BOYS. That said, this is unequivocally a horror novel, and it’s frequently quite squicky & disturbing.
This is one of those books where it’s not always super easy (or it wasn’t for me) to cheer on the main character, as Andrew’s various coping mechanisms leave everyone who cares about him a bit put out. But at the same time, you really get a feel for how much pain he is in. Grief is messy, nonlinear, and frequently does not bring out the best in people. This is something Mandelo conveys time & time again through Andrew.
Riley, Andrew’s new/inherited roommate, wound up being the character I truly liked the most. When all was said & done with this book, he really stood out as the level-headed, moral compass of the group, and there’s just something so fundamentally pure about Riley.
This was fucking outstanding. Lee Mandelo delivers some truly lush prose in their debut, while telling a propulsive, nightmarish story of grief & love & obsession & betrayal. This is definitely the queer horror novel to keep on your radar this summer!
Big thanks to Tor Dot Com Publishing for the copy! SUMMER SONS releases September 28th!
Grimdark Dad 