11/09/2015
Debut author Ward sets teen romance against apocalyptic mayhem in this uneven cautionary tale. The premise is decidedly gruesome: blood begins seeping out of the ground, followed by clumps of hair and even bones, resulting in the breakdown of society as the blood level, and terror, rises. High school senior Lea loves hanging out with her friends and exploring her romance with her girlfriend, Aracely, but becomes cut off as schools and businesses begin to close, and the struggle for food and water begins. Nearly half the book is spent setting up the action, and Lea gives much more thought to getting closer to Aracely than what is happening in the world around her, her narration lacking the urgency that the situation would suggest. Things take a shocking, abrupt turn for Lea in the third act, and Lea and Aracely must make their way to safety while navigating hunger, thirst, and threats of violence. The ecological message is fairly unsubtle, and readers are left wondering about the origins of the blood, which goes unexplained. Ages 14–up. Agent: Sarah LaPolla, Bradford Literary Agency. (Feb.)
"Dark, gory, and impossibe to put down. A worthy addition to the horror genre!" —Gretchen McNeil, author of Ten and the Don't Get Mad series
*STARRED REVIEW: "In the spirit of M.T. Anderson's Thirsty (1997), Ward's apocalyptic novel will have readers checking the ground beneath their feet after each turn of the page. Readers meet Lea, a confident teenage girl who just wants to hang out with her friends and spend quality time with her new girlfriend, Aracely. But when the Earth begins to ooze blood and other body parts, Lea's hometown becomes a war zone, with citizens fighting over fresh water and food rations, and Lea becomes ever more concerned with her dwindling faith in humanity, her declining mental state, and the blood that won't stop rising. To her family and close friends, Lea's sexuality is largely a nonissue, which is refreshing (and sensible, considering the impending apocalypse); furthermore, readers looking for the next LGBT heroine will love Lea's strong-willed attitude. The frightful moments are craftily deployed, creeping up and startling readers when they're least expecting it. And the government PSAs regarding the blood that punctuate Lea's narration are enough to panic even the most fearless of readers, their commonplace mundanity highlighting the freakishness. Grisly and sickening (but in the best way possible), the novel more than delivers on its promise of the macabre for lovers of horror, and curious readers will close the book with countless questions about religion, science, and human nature." —Kirkus Reviews
"BLEEDING EARTH is an intense horror novel with a post-apocalyptic theme as well as a bit of romance. The storyline is captivating and incredibly unique; there's never a dull moment." - TeenReads
“Bone chilling” - Gay YA
“Ward’s novel brilliantly evokes both revulsion and a less obvious, but more ominous, sense of dread, as everything we take for granted is called into question….Ward depicts LGBTQ people as we are in real life–complicated, nuanced, and not excited about wading to school through ankle-deep blood.” – AfterEllen.com
01/01/2016
Gr 8 Up—Lea can't believe it when the blood first appears, oozing out of the ground at the cemetery. She and her friend Hillary are sure there must be an explanation. But the blood continues to rise, while animals disappear and businesses close indefinitely; soon the blood steadily seeping from the ground is a worldwide natural disaster. Before long there is hair and then bones mixed in with the blood. Lea's parents board up their home and begin rationing food and water, and although she knows it is safer to stay indoors, the solitude becomes too much for Lea. She misses Hillary and her friends from high school; she misses her semi-secret girlfriend, Aracely. But the rising blood brings out the worst in Lea's neighbors—her social life won't matter if she doesn't survive. Well written and descriptive, this is the story of a regular girl forced to deal with an unprecedented event. Rising blood levels set the pace, while internal turmoil and external chaos set the mood. Lea is relatable, though her credibility is sometimes questionable. Realistic depictions of the town's reaction to the natural disaster, progressive changes to the blood itself, and Lea's developing relationship with her not-yet-out girlfriend ground the work's unnatural setting. A smattering of strong language and some sexual situations are included. VERDICT Vivid images of blood, hair, and bones, and a budding romantic relationship—this is for readers who like their apocalyptic horror grounded in reality and kind of gross.—Maggie Mason Smith, Clemson University R. M. Cooper Library, South Carolina
★ 2015-11-17
"Bones Found to Be of Human Origin, Blood Beginning to Fester." In the spirit of M.T. Anderson's Thirsty (1997), Ward's apocalyptic novel will have readers checking the ground beneath their feet after each turn of the page. Readers meet Lea, a confident teenage girl who just wants to hang out with her friends and spend quality time with her new girlfriend, Aracely. But when the Earth begins to ooze blood and other body parts, Lea's hometown becomes a war zone, with citizens fighting over fresh water and food rations, and Lea becomes ever more concerned with her dwindling faith in humanity, her declining mental state, and the blood that won't stop rising. To her family and close friends, Lea's sexuality is largely a nonissue, which is refreshing (and sensible, considering the impending apocalypse); furthermore, readers looking for the next LGBT heroine will love Lea's strong-willed attitude. The frightful moments are craftily deployed, creeping up and startling readers when they're least expecting it. And the government PSAs regarding the blood that punctuate Lea's narration are enough to panic even the most fearless of readers, their commonplace mundanity highlighting the freakishness. Grisly and sickening (but in the best way possible), the novel more than delivers on its promise of the macabre for lovers of horror, and curious readers will close the book with countless questions about religion, science, and human nature. (Horror. 13 & up)
