Monstera by Delilah S Dawson

Book Review

Melody Bowles

Monstera is a short, self-contained horror novella. It’s pacy, it’s engaging, and it ends with a cool twist. This author is new to me, although looking at Goodreads it seems she’s written all kinds of genre fiction in her career. I’ve heard of Bloom, another horror novella which sounds similar to this one. I can definitely feel her experience on the page. The story is just so neat in the structure, the pacing, and the way it uses tension.

The story begins when Lucy Haskell moves into a flat owned by slumlord Roger. She pays in cash, planning to start a new life for herself after escaping an abusive household. Her new weightlifting, plant-loving neighbour, Saskia, immediately catches her eye. The two women strike up a friendship as they bond over Roger’s scumminess, baking, and movie nights. Of course, this is a horror novel, so there is an undercurrent of mysterious darkness under all the hearts and rainbows. The clash and then combination of horror and romance is handled masterfully.

The book successfully captures the excitement and drama of a new relationship. Sapphic relationships in particular are known for becoming very intense very quickly, and this book capitalises on that to make the plot feel believable.

I love how tight the writing is in this book. The chapters are short, the dialogue is considered, and every plot and character beat slides effortlessly into place as you read. Long works or series are often seen as the most prestigious in genre fiction, but I think the novella should be just as celebrated. I gobbled this up in one sitting, and it felt like one of the most satisfying reads I’d had in a while.

Read Monstera for excellent, character-driven horror that you can get through in an hour.