I had the pleasure of reading and reviewing an early copy of Lockjaw by Matteo L. Cerilli, a new LGBTQIA+ young adult horror novel that just released, and I am so honored to be on the book tour for this wonderful book! While it is classified as young adult, it is such an advanced story, and the writing is absolutely gorgeous. I can’t praise it enough! Please enjoy my review, as well as some of my favorite quotes from the book and author’s note.

Lockjaw by Matteo L. Cerilli

Death is neither the beginning nor the end for the children of Bridlington in this debut trans YA horror book for fans of Rory Power and Danielle Vega.

Chuck Warren died tragically at the old abandoned mill, but Paz Espino knows it was no accident — there’s a monster under the town, and she’s determined to kill it before anyone else gets hurt. She’ll need the help of her crew — inseparable friends, bound by a childhood pact stronger than diamonds, distance or death — to hunt it down. But she’s up against a greater force of evil than she ever could have imagined.

With shifting timeframes and multiple perspectives, Lockjaw is a small-town ghost story, where monsters living and dead haunt the streets, the homes and the minds of the inhabitants. For readers of Wilder Girls and The Haunted, this trans YA horror book by an incredible debut author will grab you and never let you go.

Overall Rating

4/5

Quick Take

Lockjaw by Matteo L. Cerilli is a purely original young adult horror novel with gorgeous LGBTQIA+ representation and essences of IT and Cujo by Stephen King. I devoured it and would happily read it again.

Tell Me More

When I say that Lockjaw is one of the most original horror novels I have read, YA or otherwise, I truly mean it. While it has some subtle IT and Cujo vibes, the overall energy and concept were unique. Just about every character was diverse, and there was so much trans rep that it made my heart sing. But at the heart of this novel were the beauty, complexities, and pain of growing up – and growing up trans specifically. The ANGER that just about every character housed was magnificent – give me real and raw characters every time, and I will love them forever.

There were some horror moments that truly terrified me and were worded so well, which I don’t see often enough in YA horror novels. The twist itself was profound, fantastic, and surprisingly tragic – I didn’t see it coming all. The timeline shifts frequently, and there is a large cast of characters, which is why I rated it 4 instead of 5 stars because it can be difficult to follow – HOWEVER, it is one of those novels that makes you work, instead of spoon feeding you a story, and I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT! It took a few rereading of passages and chapters as they each cover a different character, but when you put the work in, it is absolutely brilliant.

I haven’t been able to stop talking about this beautiful book, and it is clear to me that Cerilli is leading the way in YA horror. I so wish YA horror had been this complex when I was younger, and I’m so proud of Cerilli for taking the jump and not dumbing anything down. Just pick up this novel, okay? It might be one of those that you either love or hate, but which I think are the BEST because they create such intense conversations.