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minervacerridwen's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Overall I enjoyed spending time in this greenhouse and with the characters. Simon and Gregor are a queer couple living together in Victorian times, with relatable autistic and ADHD traits respectively. Gregor attempts to keep a stiff upper lip through some serious family trauma and tends to forget that the people around him have feelings too. Jennifer, the other main character, possesses a far more practical mind but not half the men's pride, and when she's put to work as the couple's housekeeper, she feels at home in their "strange" living arrangement. I liked the atmosphere of the story and the queer found family vibes. Finding comfort in the strange! I loved how two neurodivergent people living together would have managed to create a welcoming family for younger queer people from the village, if only it hadn't been for the botanist's pride. In that sense it can also be seen as a strong commentary on current society, where ambition and gatekeeping sometimes keep people from establishing fully accepting environments.
However, when I look back upon the book, it feels a little as if the author hadn't always taken clear decisions in what sort of story this should become, which made it hard to make sense of certain things
Simon knelt before him so he could look him in the eyes. He'd heard people like it when you make eye contact. It sounded improbable to him, and rather frightful, but he deferred to the popular opinion.
Some of the jokes were used one too many times or didn't work as well after the atmosphere of the story had shifted. The pacing suffered from a similar problem between the middle of the book and the end. Sometimes it felt as if Jennifer was on the brink of finding out something she shouldn't, only for that tension to fall flat without being picked up again.
At certain points I found myself wondering whether the fact that it was impossible to love a character as much as I did earlier in the story actually made them into complex characters, or whether that meant their decisions were just difficult to believe.
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Violence, Animal death, Death of parent, Gore, Grief, Homophobia, Confinement, Death, Alcohol, Classism, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, and Emotional abuse
ilaxaria's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
2.0
Graphic: Murder, Violence, Grief, Confinement, and Sexual content
Moderate: Suicide and Blood
Minor: Homophobia and Vomit
txikimandy's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The characters are multi-faceted and sympathetic, even as they do highly questionable (at best) things. It’s as if Seymour Krelborn became Dr. Frankenstein.
I adored this book and I highly recommend it. It’s a stunning blend of fantasy and horror, but not dark enough that I couldn’t read it at night.
Graphic: Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Blood, Murder, Violence, and Sexual content
Moderate: Animal death, Confinement, Lesbophobia, Death of parent, and Grief
Minor: Suicide, Alcohol, and Fire/Fire injury
aidareads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Blood and Body horror
Moderate: Homophobia
Minor: Suicide
augusto_aaa's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Gore and Murder
Moderate: Suicide and Sexual content
_serena_'s review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
This queer, gothic horror surprised me! I loved how methodical the beginning was, the botanical process and explanations.
Simon and Gregor’s relationship with their creation develops nonstop throughout the story.
I loved how much Jenny grew as their housekeeper and new found family member.
The majority of the story is a slow paced process. I didn’t expect the fast paced ending, but I think it all wrapped up very nicely.
Graphic: Sexual content, Suicide, Death, and Homophobia
krholin's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
Graphic: Suicide, Gore, Sexual harassment, Homophobia, Murder, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Lesbophobia
bebidocrimes's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Death of parent, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Murder, Violence, Blood, Alcohol, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Hate crime, and Sexual content
Moderate: Gun violence, Medical content, and Body horror
Minor: Suicide and Animal death