Bad in the Blood coming September 2nd, 2025 from Penguin Random House; 392 pages
About the Author: “Matteo L. Cerilli (he/him) is a transmasc author and activist specializing in speculative fiction for all ages. His work features the YA horror novel LOCKJAW (Tundra, 2024); middle grade ghost story SOMETHING’S UP WITH ARLO (Harper Collins Canada, 2025); YA noir BAD IN THE BLOOD (Tundra, 2025); young YA gamer action FATHOM FALL (Bloomsbury, 2026); a featured short story in BURY YOUR GAYS: AN ANTHOLOGY OF TRAGIC QUEER HORROR (Ghoulish Books, 2024); and poetry in Augur magazine. His activism work has included setting up gender care for trans students at York University, helping to found the Students for Queer Liberation—Tkaronto, and organizing with the No Pride in Policing Coalition” (Bio from author’s website).
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“EVIL RUNS IN THE BLOOD.”
In the roaring, steam-powered city of Puck’s Port, tensions between humans and fey run high, and are only made worse by a brutal dockside murder which appears to be the work of a fey. Gristle Senan Maxim Junior, a reluctant teenage investigator, is pulled into the case—following in his father’s footsteps—when his sister, Hawthorne, a powerful fey, becomes the prime suspect. As the siblings navigate rising fear and political unrest, they must work together to uncover the truth and clear her name. But with Hawthorne’s fiery powers growing harder to control and the city on the brink of chaos, time is running out to catch the true killer and prove that evil has nothing to do with blood.
What immediately stood out to me about this book wasn’t the plot or the characters—it was the ambition. This is a story aiming to do a lot: blend noir mystery with queer fantasy, tackle themes of identity and control, and build a world where magic is both feared and misunderstood. The alternate 1920s setting is richly imagined, with layered world-building and clever use of faux primary sources like newspaper clippings that help ground the, perhaps intentional, chaos of the story. My personal favorite part of Bad in the Blood was its layered use of fey as an allegory for neurodivergence and queerness. The inclusive elements—such as characters choosing their names and pronouns, and the shift in narrative perspective tied to identity—are thoughtfully done and genuinely powerful, especially in a book that is intended for a younger audience like teens. However, while the setup soars, the character work falls a bit flat. Gristle and Hawthorne felt more like concepts than people, to the point where I found it hard to care for their struggles on occasion. The emotional stakes felt distant, and the writing—while stylistically intriguing—often obscures more than it reveals, though this could have definitely been an intentional stylistic choice by the author. Still, Bad in the Blood is a story worth reading for the way it humanizes queer characters through an inventive parallel between fey and marginalized identities in the real world.
Bad in the Blood releases on September 2nd, 2025.
Pine Reads Review would like to thank NetGalley and Penguin Random House for sending us an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change before final publication.
Vanshikha Vij, Pine Reads Review Writer