Eat the Ones You Love

When I was a baby hippie who had recently discovered Joni Mitchell and was also a horror lover, maybe 13 years old, I wrote a short story for a class assignment about a daisy whose field was paved over that was reincarnated as a bulldozer and wreaked revenge on all parties involved in the destruction of her field.

Fast-forward a few years, and, within several weeks, I have finished my third novel featuring sentient plant life - a Frankenstein retelling in A Botanical Daughter, alien plant pod people in Overgrown, and now, a hungry greenhouse dweller who also narrates a great deal of the novel in Eat the Ones You Love.

The portions narrated by the plant reveal him to think and act like a classic psychopathic villain, who has no trouble rationalizing his appetites which take the guise of love and attraction from his point of view and is the most overtly horrific plot line, but Eat also has more subtle horrors, such as having to start over - or worse, “go back home” - and with a minimum wage job, after years working in one’s chosen career and on a relationship.

Humor comes from this as well, like when Shellie’s former friends plan a confrontation out of “concern” for her at a baby shower which focuses on how her life events impacted them.

Also - highly recommend the audio version - very well produced.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review. Pub. date: 4/22/25

Support your favorite indie bookstore (and me) by using my link to order the audiobook from https://libro.fm/referral?rf_code=lfm60355 OR if you prefer using your eyes to read, support your favorite indie (and give us both 20% off if it’s your first purchase) by using my link at https://refer.bookshop.org/candidanorwood.