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3.67 AVERAGE
3.67 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
dark
emotional
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
A truly unexpected story in every way! The premise grabbed me immediately, and certainly didn't disappoint, Simon and Gregor were not your typical couple, and the little family they built was anything but normal. The little nods to actual Victorian sensibilities around queerness and oddities were nice inclusions, but I appreciated how Medlock wove these into the story without making it all about homophobia and intolerance. All of Medlock's descriptions of Gregor's greenhouse and Simon's taxidermy works were so lush and wonderful, and getting to see them through their housekeeper Jenny's eyes was great framing for exploring their home. The tensions that arise from Gregor's determination to create a living scaffold for his new mycelium were so well paced and the story wasn't afraid to look the darkness caused straight in the eye. Seeing Gregor become consumed by obsession with his own genius and ability to control his surroundings as the others work to see the 'daughter' as her own being and help her grow was an exercise in patience as I got more and more frustrated with him. Simon and Gregor flip-flopping in their feelings song Chloe was pretty frustrating, but i understood where it came from in a character building way. It honestly didnt bother me how vicious Gregor became about using Chloe to get rid of his (everyone's really) enemies, it added to the situational horror for me. A very impressive debut novel, I cannot wait to see what Noah Medlock creates next.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Sexual content, Violence, Murder
Moderate: Child death, Confinement, Homophobia, Toxic relationship
Minor: Animal death, Outing, Colonisation, Classism
slow-paced
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Hmm. I'll start with the good, which is that this book made me laugh out loud several times. The scene of Simon trying to get over the Finches' gate really got me. I also enjoy how the language used shifts with each character's perspective. Simon's sections are awkward, Chloe's are verdant and teeming with life and rhythm. I also liked when it got real nasty.
That said, overall this was a bit disappointing to me. It was very oddly paced, with any climax (of which I'd say there are arguably two) fizzling out almost immediately. There were no consequences or repercussions faced by the protagonists, which in a book compared to Shelley is... a bit astounding. Nothing ever came of the tension produced by Jenny not knowing of Chloe's true origins. Simon and Gregor (Boo!!! Gregor sucks btw!) just get to live happily ever after or whatever. There is zero character development or journey happening here, which is so frustrating because there was so much that could've been done with Simon and Gregor acting as foils to each other.
There's a lot of potential here, and I'd be willing to get into more of this author's work just because I was really impressed by this quirky, silly, but violent and gothic setting. But overall I found it quite shallow and extremely unsatisfying.
P.S. I have absolutely zero qualms about monster fucking. I understand the monster fucking itself and the ensuing consequences were the biggest ode to Shelley this book deigned to bother with. But I still hated it and think it was the point where the book really took a nose dive for me.
That said, overall this was a bit disappointing to me. It was very oddly paced, with any climax (of which I'd say there are arguably two) fizzling out almost immediately. There were no consequences or repercussions faced by the protagonists, which in a book compared to Shelley is... a bit astounding. Nothing ever came of the tension produced by Jenny not knowing of Chloe's true origins. Simon and Gregor (Boo!!! Gregor sucks btw!) just get to live happily ever after or whatever. There is zero character development or journey happening here, which is so frustrating because there was so much that could've been done with Simon and Gregor acting as foils to each other.
There's a lot of potential here, and I'd be willing to get into more of this author's work just because I was really impressed by this quirky, silly, but violent and gothic setting. But overall I found it quite shallow and extremely unsatisfying.
P.S. I have absolutely zero qualms about monster fucking. I understand the monster fucking itself and the ensuing consequences were the biggest ode to Shelley this book deigned to bother with. But I still hated it and think it was the point where the book really took a nose dive for me.
dark
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Between the beautiful cover and the mix of queer romance and horror, I was so excited for this read. Unfortunately it didn’t deliver the way I hoped. Too much technical plant speak took me out of it and i really wanted more of the relationship between the 2 main characters and more horror elements. The shocking event at the end really supports my opinion that men shouldn’t write female characters. Mostly disappointed because i saw lots of potential. Full review is up on the podcast - Fully Booked and Caffeinated
I truly adored this book: the plot, the characters, the detailed descriptions, the mechanics of Choe, the chemistry between characters, and of course how unhinged some of them were. Not every character was loveable, of course; some of them were easy to hate, but that is how they were written to be. What I especially loved was Chloe, she was written to be equally horrifying, adorable, and curious about the world around her. Jennifer's character was a wonderful example of non-conformity, especially when it came to her thoughts, sexuality, and preference to wear men's clothing. I think Simon had the best character development; at first, he was a bit shy and nearly anti-social, preferring his taxidermy and oddities over social interactions. It was quite fun watching Gregor spiral and lose his humanity. He was a complete hypocrite and manipulative, making him a great antihero, but leans towards villain in the end. The only thing I didn't like was the ending for Chloe and Jennifer, but not every book has a happy ending for everyone. It was a happy ending for Gregor and Simon, but I wanted to see Chloe and Jennifer have a happy ending together. The ending I wanted is not something I would take away a star for, the ending was still good.
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
informative
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes