'A Botanical Daughter' intricately parallels 'Frankenstein' in its exploration of creation and responsibility. Chloe, a botanical creation, disrupts life and death boundaries, mirroring Victor Frankenstein's creation. Gregor and Simon's evolving relationship with Chloe echoes Victor's struggle with his creation's consequences, delving into paternal feelings and societal disruptions in Victorian London.

The novel delves into the complexities of familial dynamics and societal norms as Chloe evolves, challenging Gregor and Simon's perceptions. Gregor's shifting views of Chloe, from daughter to monster, reflect his control-freak nature, adding depth to his character development.

Noah Medlock's descriptions of Chloe stand out, highlighting her uncanny beauty and disturbing nature. Chloe's existence blurs human definitions, prompting questions about humanity and possession narratives, creating a unique narrative experience.

At its core, 'A Botanical Daughter' delves into love transcending societal norms, embodying a whimsical yet tension-filled tale. Medlock's debut promises a fresh perspective on traditional themes, leaving readers eager for more from this promising author.

What an extraordinary book this was! A Botanical Daughter feels like a love letter to Mary Shelley and Nathaniel Hawthorne. For fans of Frankenstein or Rappaccini's Daughter accordingly, A Botanical Daughter offers the reader a fresh take on Gothic fiction with a clear appreciation for classic references and the camp that just oozes from classic gothic themes, with a modern eye for body horror, unlikable protagonists, and a keen observation of the queer experience. This is a book for anyone who has been Othered or feels like they exist on the outskirts of social norms. I look forward to reading more from the author. He is clearly gifted in this genre and I hope this won't be his last foray.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Titan Books for this ARC in exchange for my review.

DNF. The writing style was too overwhelming for me. While the plot is interesting and the characters well-constructed, the author's style wasn't for me.

The language and descriptions in this book were phenomenal. It was an engaging read, and I enjoyed reading an already-established couple deal with the tension of what they have created together. The characters were well-made, and the horror was subtle and damning. But it's a slow start, and there was too much exposition about the experiments and taxidermy rather than scenes with the character's personalities. Overall I enjoyed it and look forward to more by this author.

A Botanical Daughter by Noah Medlock was underwhelming. A Frankenstein reimagining is not necessarily groundbreaking, but the use of plants and fungi as the main part of the "monster" sounded new and different. It seemed the author did a lot of research into plants and fungi to make that part of the story very realistic and believable. However, the actual narrative and dialogue was less successful. The characters weren't fully developed and frequently changed their minds abruptly with no indication as to why they suddenly thought the complete opposite of what they previously expressed. These abrupt 180's were confusing. Additionally, I kept waiting for the characters to face some sort of consequence for the various crimes they committed. Even just a visit from the police or something would have made the story more believable and interesting, but nothing ever happened, which was just kind of boring.

While I was very intrigued by the premise and somewhat interested in characters, I unfortunately just could not jive with the writing style.

How do I explain this book without spoilers?
I'll be practical and say that it took a while to get me. The first third of it nothing really happens... The second third it starts to feel alive, and you love, hate and love and hate the characters.
Then it comer to the final third and wow!

This one moved a little slow for me, and it was hard to get into. But, I'm sure it'd be someone else's cup of tea.

This is phenomenal. It is a fantastic debut and soon to be a must have on everyone’s bookshelves. If you’re after cosy queer horror set in Victorian era England then look no further. I want to grab a stack of books and go live in the botanical oasis that is Simon and Gregor’s greenhouse. We begin this enticing Frankenstein inspired story with our botanical plant dads after receiving an exotic plant delivery that’s sure to change everything!

This book will be perfect for fans of musicals like The Little Shop of Horrors and Lizzie, and classics like Frankenstein and Dorian Grey.

A beautifully written book, for sure, but just one that I don't think was for me. You can clearly tell the amount of research that went into this book, and it was truly astounding, particularly to make this book truly feel like it had been plucked out of the Victorian era. However I felt like the characters fell flat for me, and I never really had a good idea of what was actually going on. I also think that for this to be being marketed as a horror, I needed more of an atmosphere to keep me engaged (especially if it is being compared to Mexican Gothic, which has one of the creepiest atmospheres I've seen). The idea was so interesting though, and I would like to see more from this author - this book in particular just didn't work for me personally.

I enjoy queer horror and plant horror so was quite excited for this premise. This one is quite slow and character focused. I don't mind these things if done right, but I did struggle at times with this one. I love the representation of queer characters, but as people I found this one flatter than I wanted. If a story is going to be slow, I need to be engrossed in the lives of the characters. I did enjoy the plant aspects but wish they had been punched up a little more.

Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

A Botanical Daughter is an original position. I was fascinated by the Victorian setting, the botanical garden and the allusions to Frankenstein. It’s a surprising mixture of gothic, horror and a twisted cosy fantasy narrative. There are many detailed descriptions of Simon’s taxidermical process and Gregor’s experiment, but there are also heartwarming scenes of found family bliss. Unfortunately, I would expect more insight into the characters' personalities and backgrounds from a book with a slower pace like this one.

I think this is my first full-length plant horror read and I enjoyed it enough. I do have to say, I wasn't as invested in the characters as I think I should've been. However, I liked a lot of the elements in this and I think they worked really well. Also, I didn't find it particularly horrific or scary, but I do agree with the Frankenstein + Little Shop of Horrors comparisons, and I liked the humor. Overall, I think it's a solid read and I wish I liked it more, but it was a good one.

This book did a lot of things right, particularly the pacing and the story itself, which hooked me from chapter one. I never once felt bored, and I was amazed at the amount of research that must have gone into this novel, at how seamlessly it was incorporated into the story. I know nothing about botany, but I loved reading about it here, and the scientific explanations weren't confusing or dragging the plot down. A Botanical Daughter is, first and foremost, a plot-driven novel. I never felt like there was a good grasp of who anyone really was, or what they would do next. I was kept on my toes when a character would do anything. This was a fun, uncomfortable, disgusting read, that delved into a lot of things i've never thought to be interested in knowing.

2.75

Setting: UK
Rep: gay autistic Mc, gay MC with ADHD, sapphic MC

I really thought this could be a five star read but it felt like it needed a lot more editing - I loved the concept, but it wasn't written that well. If anything, it was overwritten with a lot of unnecessary grandiose language and poor character development. I never got a strong sense of either Simon or Gregor as people, nor their relationship, and for the most part they felt interchangeable and I often forgot who was who. It had a lot of potential but unfortunately it needed more work to be a solid piece.

hmmmmmmmm. i think i'd give this a 2.5, but i'm rounding up for concept. this was a book i was deeply, deeply excited for, as it seemed to be inspired and influenced by so many elements that interest me. however, while the concept was strong, i found the execution to be severely lacking. even taking into account its state as a debut book, i found myself displeased with things. first and foremost, i do believe it could have benefited from a more thorough editing. it was too lengthy, with whole chapters not adding to the plot or to the characters. also a grin was described as "coprophagous" and like. i see the vision, but cmon. just in general, i found the character work to be surface level and inconsistent, the relationship development to be nonexistent, and several points seem to occur just to propel the plot but didn't actually make sense with what had been established. and towards the end, i found myself skimming just to finish. a disappointment but potential.

Though I enjoyed the first half of the book, it ultimately was not one specifically for me, however, I would wholeheartedly recommend this book to fans of Frankenstein and Poor Things, with the darkly whimsical and odd nature of Alice in Wonderland. A BOTANICAL DAUGHTER is slow burn story that is gorgeously vivid, atmospheric and rich, ornate, mesmerizing, and scenic. Through both traditional and epistolary narrative/format, the book explores grief as a kind of exhaustion, the question of sentience, of the soul in non-humans, metaphics and philosophy, confines of parenthood and trying to protect one's child from the harsh cruelties of the world, and whta it means to be a parent and take on the responsibility of creation, along with the ethical implications.

Author provides content warnings at the beginning of the novel.

Frankenstein meets Little Shop of Horrors meets The Secret Garden in this Victorian queer gothic horror. Like most good gothic tales, A Botanical Daughter is slow paced and the writing encourages readers to spend time amongst the imagery and phrases. Medlock's prose is a love language all on its own.

Pre-botanical experiment, Grimfern sounds like a heavenly place of solitude and acceptance that Gregor and Simon have nurtured together. Though as with most scientific geniuses, there is folly in quest for greatness. CHLOE is both fascinating and disturbing; and as expected the plot gets very messy (in more ways than one) after her introduction.

I really enjoyed the dichotomy of Jenny (and CHLOE to some extent) to Gregor and Simon. While I don't think that Gregor ever truly reckons with what he's created, I do think the narrative takes the creation of CHLOE (and the implications of it) seriously. There's a lot of meaning behind the lifestyle (and location) that Gregor and Simon have made for themselves as well as the implications about scientific discoveries.

This isn't going to be a book for those who need a fast paced plot, but for those readers who can enjoy the stillness, I think they'll end up really enjoying this one.

Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by NetGalley and Titan Books in exchange for an honest review.

**Thank you to NetGalley and Titan Books for the eARC of this title!**

I so badly wanted to love this book and maybe my high expectations hurt me in the end. This sounded like it would be everything I wanted - a gothic horror with plants?! I'm in. Unfortunately the pacing of this one was sooooo slow, I found that it put me into a reading slump and I had to set it aside.

The characters were one-dimensional for me and while I adored their professions and their projects - I didn't care about them at all. The plant, horror, and science elements of this one were absolutely incredible. The "people parts" just slowed this one down too much for me to find it enjoyable.

I think readers of gothic horror who like a slow, literary pace will really enjoy this one. Based on the ratings so far - this one clearly has an audience! I just wasn't that target person unfortunately.

I love the relationship between Simon and Gregor, and I especially love the queer representation in a horror/gothic novel. I loved the prose at the beginning of the novel, but it felt like I got lost somewhere. I lost the horror aspect, and while I don't always need incredibly graphic/gory horror, it felt like it slowly turned into a different genre.

I loved the writing style; it reminded me of Mary Shelley when I read Frankenstein for the first time; I was taken by the beautiful language and the lovable characters. Although I wish I could have seen more of some of the secondary/side characters, because it felt like they could have been developed a little more and interacted with in more scenes.

Overall I enjoyed this book and I'd definitely recommend it. Maybe as a slight horror novel or a gothic novel for my students.