Hello Readers,
If you are looking for a wonderfully strange blend of
queer horror, Victorian Gothic fiction, botanical horror, and found family, A
Botanical Daughter hits practically every single specific horror-reading taste
out there. I listened to the audiobook on Libby, and I ended up enjoying it so
much more than I expected.
Set in Victorian London, the story follows Gregor Sandys
(a botanist) and Simon Rievaulx (a taxidermist), two gentlemen living quietly
together in a secluded greenhouse to escape society's disapproving eyes. When
Gregor gets his hands on an unusual fungus, his scientific ambitions take a
very macabre turn. The resulting experiment is Chloe a peculiar creation made
from plant life, fungi, and a deceased human body. But as Chloe grows and
changes, the big question becomes whether she's just a lab project or someone and
something much more meaningful.
One of my absolute favourite things about the book is the
queer found family dynamic. Gregor and Simon are wonderfully eccentric and
deeply flawed, and their relationship feels genuinely lived-in rather than
polished for the page. Jennifer, their housekeeper, adds so much heart and
grounding to this completely bizarre household. It was a joy to watch their
bonds shift as they wrestle with what it means to create life, love someone,
and actually own up to the responsibilities of what you bring into the world.
The writing is gorgeous, atmospheric, and surprisingly
hilarious. Medlock nails the Victorian setting, balancing lush greenhouse
visuals with the wonderfully gross, tactile details of taxidermy, fungi, and
body horror. It’s genuinely unsettling, yet wrapped in enough warmth and
tenderness that it almost feels like cosy horror with a heavy-duty gruesome
edge. Think Frankenstein meets queer domesticity, packed with plant-based
nightmares.
Beneath all the gothic weirdness, there are some great
deeper questions about creation, autonomy, and the morality of scientific
ambition. It's a surprisingly thoughtful story about unconventional love and
what separates a person from a possession.
The audiobook narration on Libby was great, Keval Shah
brought Victorian mannerisms to life. Fair warning: there are some macabre
moments and plenty of gore, so this won't be for every reader, and the weirder
elements might not click with everyone. But for me, the sheer creativity and
charm completely overshadowed any minor quibbles.
If you love queer Gothic horror, plant horror, fungal
body horror, found family, and stories inspired by Frankenstein, definitely add
A Botanical Daughter to your reading list. It's creepy, whimsical, thoughtful,
and unexpectedly comforting a wonderfully weird botanical nightmare.
Trigger Warnings: Death, dead bodies, grief, murder,
blood and gore, violence, injury detail, eye horror, insects, fire, past
parental death, sexual content, homophobia, sexual harassment, sexual assault,
off-page animal death, and mentions of suicide.
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