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swolf9 's review for:
A Botanical Daughter
by Noah Medlock
A Botanical Daughter, by Noah Medlock, has an intriguing premise and exciting potential themes—its exploration of queer found family and Frankenstein-esque horror—but ultimately, it failed to connect with me on either an emotional or intellectual level and left me indifferent rather than engaged.
One of the novel’s biggest weaknesses was its characterization. Simon and Gregor, two of the central characters, lacked any real depth. Characters can have negative traits—curmudgeonliness, for instance—and can still be likable if there’s something else that makes them endearing. However, these two felt flat, making it difficult for me to understand their motivations or feel invested in their relationship. Their dynamic lacked believability, as their relationship seemed more like an accident of circumstance than a genuine connection.
Also, Gregor’s mind is described as “fevered” early in the book, which set me up for a deep dive into the psyche of a mad genius, but in this case, the descriptor merely seems to indicate his thoughts and actions would be opaque. This book just didn’t provide me with enough insight into his inner workings to make his behavior or emotions feel meaningful.
Marketing A Botanical Daughter as a "witty horror" felt a bit misleading. I expect horror to provoke some reaction—whether fear, unease, shock, or suspense—but this book failed to do any of that for me. While I don’t consider myself an expert in the genre by any means, I expected at least some tension or discomfort, yet I found the horror elements were just too weak to leave an impact.
Additionally, I found there were some missed opportunities in theme exploration. The novel briefly introduced some intriguing ideas early on, they just weren’t developed well enough to be truly thought-provoking. There were two descriptions that stood out to me: one comparing an orchid to the Art Nouveau style—a style inspired by natural forms—and another describing a character’s mouth in terms of a perfect parabola—a mathematically defined shape. These moments hinted at a potentially interesting exploration of how humans impose structure and classification on nature, say, or perhaps even touching on themes of British imperialism. Unfortunately, the novel failed to fully explore these ideas, and my growing boredom kept me from seeking out additional examples that might have revealed a deeper thematic intent.
A Botanical Daughter had many of the ingredients for an engaging novel but it lacked the execution to make them compelling. While some readers might find value in its quieter moments or underlying themes, it ultimately did not work for me.
One of the novel’s biggest weaknesses was its characterization. Simon and Gregor, two of the central characters, lacked any real depth. Characters can have negative traits—curmudgeonliness, for instance—and can still be likable if there’s something else that makes them endearing. However, these two felt flat, making it difficult for me to understand their motivations or feel invested in their relationship. Their dynamic lacked believability, as their relationship seemed more like an accident of circumstance than a genuine connection.
Also, Gregor’s mind is described as “fevered” early in the book, which set me up for a deep dive into the psyche of a mad genius, but in this case, the descriptor merely seems to indicate his thoughts and actions would be opaque. This book just didn’t provide me with enough insight into his inner workings to make his behavior or emotions feel meaningful.
Marketing A Botanical Daughter as a "witty horror" felt a bit misleading. I expect horror to provoke some reaction—whether fear, unease, shock, or suspense—but this book failed to do any of that for me. While I don’t consider myself an expert in the genre by any means, I expected at least some tension or discomfort, yet I found the horror elements were just too weak to leave an impact.
Additionally, I found there were some missed opportunities in theme exploration. The novel briefly introduced some intriguing ideas early on, they just weren’t developed well enough to be truly thought-provoking. There were two descriptions that stood out to me: one comparing an orchid to the Art Nouveau style—a style inspired by natural forms—and another describing a character’s mouth in terms of a perfect parabola—a mathematically defined shape. These moments hinted at a potentially interesting exploration of how humans impose structure and classification on nature, say, or perhaps even touching on themes of British imperialism. Unfortunately, the novel failed to fully explore these ideas, and my growing boredom kept me from seeking out additional examples that might have revealed a deeper thematic intent.
A Botanical Daughter had many of the ingredients for an engaging novel but it lacked the execution to make them compelling. While some readers might find value in its quieter moments or underlying themes, it ultimately did not work for me.