This book has been pitched as a mashup between Mexican Gothic, Frankenstein, written through the lens of Oscar Wilde. I don’t think that’s a perfect description, but it (and some phenomenal cover art) put this book on my list as I tried to tackle the new releases of 2024. Gothic fiction may not be my favorite genre, but there was a lot to love in this debut novel, even if there were places it was rough around the edges.
Read If Looking For: realistic gay relationships, cool fungi, gothic vibes
Avoid if Looking For: Romances, something viscerally scary, satisfying character arcs
Elevator Pitch:
A botanist and taxidermist who live in a greenhouse dig up a dead body, throw an intelligent fungus inside it, and watch as their experiment grows into something utterly unexpected. As Chloe (their ‘daughter’) grows in ability and sentience, it strains the relationship between Gregor (the botanist), Simon (the Taxidermist) and Jenny (their housekeeper, and the ex-girlfriend of the human whose body hosts Chloe).
What Worked for Me
It took a little bit for the horror to start up, but once it did, Medlock did a phenomenal job of putting the right amount of detail and imagery in a scene to keep a picture in your head without dragging things to a stop. Some were classic ideas (a face against a window, plant roots digging into a body, etc etc) but others felt more intriguing, such as Simon’s grotesque taxidermic projects as he tries to process his conflicting feelings about Chloe and her growing role in their life. I don’t think anyone will describe this book as the scariest they’ve ever read, but it felt like it fit in with the Gothic Horror books I’d read before, where setting and mood are just as important as the concrete horror elements.
I also loved the relationship between Gregor and Simon. Oftentimes in Fantasy we see tragic love stories or (more commonly) saccharine romances without any teeth. I do love a sweet romance, but seeing an established couple that works through realistic arguments and challenges was refreshing. There are points in the story where you realize perhaps this relationship isn’t as healthy as you initially thought, was wonderful to see. It was probably the strongest character-writing of the book as well. The dynamic between them is of a truly established relationship with history and baggage and love and care. I wouldn’t particularly want to date either of these men, but it was an enjoyable relationship to follow.
What Didn’t Work for Me
Overall, I think this book suffered from a lot of typical debut novel challenges. The first chapter was a bit of a mess. The writing was overworked in an attempt to make a good first impression, and the style didn’t carry over into any other chapters, making it a really poor introduction to the story. The book had some general pacing issues that you see in debut works, but nothing else that was notable enough to lower my enjoyment significantly.
More importantly, the characters’ opinions of Chloe (the ‘daughter’) shifted abruptly, in arbitrary ways. There wasn’t meaningful build up or development that led to these shifts. Considering that Chloe, and her relationship with her ‘parents’ is the central conceit of the story, awkwardness here really yanked me out of the narrative. I could see Medlock pulling the strings to try and get the conflict to develop in a prescribed way, but one that left the book feeling transparent and flimsy when it happened.
In Conclusion: a gothic Frankenstein story with some issues, but a great dynamic between an established gay couple
- Characters – 3
- Worldbuilding – 4
- Craft – 3
- Themes – 3
- Enjoyment – 4
Marked for Plot 
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