The Woods All Black by Lee Mandelo follows a trans nurse who gets a post in an isolated village in Appalachia, in 1929. It's obvious from the start that the village will be a problem - with their hate of strangers and everyone who's different. And even when the protagonist tries to pass for his safety, it's still not enough, being percieved as an unmarried working woman in a "godfearing" village where everyone know "their place". But he learns he's not alone, in the village there's another trans youth who's in constant opposition and fights with the pastor.

I don't think I need to tell you that this is one of those horror books where tensions and terror come from humans, ready to commit attrocities under the guise of religion. There's a great quote in the book that someone whose power is based on fighting demons needs to find demons wherever he can. And this story illustrates well how an oppresive society creates its own monsters where there were none to begin with.

And while the first part of the book was hard to read, with growing dread, the last part of the book was the "you're doing amazing, sweetie" meme. The ending was a cathartic experience after everything that happened.

The book is also an exploration of trans and queer identities in a historical context, learning about yourself when you had very little knowledge and language to explain yourself.
And the role nature plays here vs religion, especially in the context how queer/trans people are usually considered "unnatural", is just perfect.