“Do you mind me asking—what kind of help do you need?”

After losing her job and her fiancé and moving back from the city to live with her parents, Shell Pine needs some help. And according to the sign in the window, the florist shop in the mall does too. Shell gets the gig, and the flowers she works with there are just the thing she needs to cheer up. Or maybe it’s Neve, the beautiful shop manager, who is making her days so rosy?

But you have to get your hands dirty if you want your garden to grow—and Neve’s secrets are as dark and dangerous as they come. In the back room of the flower shop, a young sentient orchid actually runs the show, and he is hungry . . . and he has a plan for them all.

When the choices are to either bury yourself in the warmth of someone else’s fertile soil, or face the cold and disappointing world outside—which would you choose? And what if putting down roots came at a cost far higher than just your freedom?

This is a story about desire, dreams, decay—and working retail at the end of the world.

In Eat the Ones You Love by Sara Maria Griffin, the tone is horrifying and absorbing, embracing a Little Shop of Horrors vibe but redefining the narrative to something much darker and much more toxic. From the very start, it is the voice of the characters that wraps around you and envelops you into the story, carrying you along as Shell discovers Neve’s secrets. 

This is a story of desire and love but also about toxic relationships, the kind we know we should walk away from but still fling ourselves into because they feel so good at the time. The horror creeps up on you like an ex stalking you and never letting go. And just when you think the characters escape the manipulations of the plant, there are unexpected turns in the story. Add to that an unsettling ending and you will find yourself unable to tear yourself away from this story, especially the voices of the characters. 

If you like creepy horror wrapped with desire and dreams, this one will drag you into it’s embrace. I loved the tone of the story and the way the plant plays a part in the narrative. The author also uses an interesting technique with emails to bring in a third protagonist which adds to the weight of the story. The narrative is dark, rich and intriguing and well worth the read.

Rating: 5 out of 5 vines

MacMillan Publishing

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