I’m going to start this review by saying that I absolutely had no idea what I was getting myself into however I really ended up liking it. I liked the idea, the whole garden coming alive thanks to Rosemary’s tainted blood and how it all played out. I was just kind of sad that we didn’t get more/ the story wasn’t longer. Normally I don’t mind some mystery, but I was still left with a lot of questions at the end.
I do love the whole symbolism behind the ending, I think what the writer wanted to teach us was that miracles are miracles because they don’t happen often and with Rosemary asking more and more, it all went downhill. So what I’ve learned from this short story is: be careful what you wish for and stay away from cabbages 😉

Cabbage by C.S. Fritz is a bizarre short story that repurposes the classic childhood nostalgia of Cabbage Patch Kids in a self contained, but weird tale. It focuses on an elderly couple who, through a short series of miracles (or perhaps ill fated luck) find a small child in their farmland's vegetable patch.

Beyond that, it is also a tale about pain, about grief, and about sacrifice. What happens when we spill blood in the name of desire? What happens when we put too much of ourselves into another person or a thing? It's about what changes a person when it comes down to desperation and grief, and how the intricacies of life and death intertwine.

All in all, Cabbage was a fun little tale that was both eerie and addicting, kept the pages turning, and carries the weight of a full range of emotions within it.

Thank you Netgalley, Albatross Book Co., and Independent Book Publishers Association for this arc.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

This is a very strong horror novella, with definite eldritch influences and lashings of faerie tale sprinkled throughout. It was a really fun read, with some very graphic descriptions of the situation and the challenges that the characters were facing. I do wish that this story was one in a full collection of these types of stories - It would work so much nicer and would really allow for things to be fleshed out a little more.

The characters could have also stood to have had a little more development, but all in all this was a strong horror short story with really interesting influences. I'd be keen to see more of what the author can do with the influences drawn into this book.

This was a good little story. It only took about 20/30 minutes to read but the writing was smooth and easy to follow, and the horror was paced well.

Rosemary is dying of cancer, and it is up to her husband Thomas to care for her. While she has been at the hospital, Thomas has lovingly built her the garden of her dreams. One night, Thomas accidentally spills Rosemary’s blood in the garden, and monstrous things follow soon after.

I would definitely read from this author again. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the arc.

I want to say a huge thank you netgalley for an advanced ARC of this short story

While reading this short horror story I felt for the main character, his the carer for his dying wife doing All he can for here in her last days.

When they story begins you see him showing her the garden his done & each section of the garden has a loving memory to their past. Reading this I was feeling the love come off the page, now days it's rare to find love that shows it in ways no one would think to and this is a a way his wife can see the love each day displayed right in her back garden.

The most painful thing is losing yourself in the process of loving someone else too much....

Earnest Hemingway

While going on this journey of love, despair, heartache and fear... we see though the husbands elderly eyes that life is not so sweet, full of hardship that he tries to fight but its always front and center in his mind . But one day when the cabbages start to act weird at first he is excited but slowly starts to realise that everything comes at a cost.

His wife see's what's happening though as a miracle and one she wants to take full advantage of but her blood is needed.

As time goes by you see the wife's character change and shift into something that's not like her at all or is it?

Allot of time in life people keep how they truly feel to themselves, so this could be the real her finally showing her true colours ?!!

The grief in this short story fro. The husband and the irrationality of the wife shows more then what's just on the page.... I would of loved for this story to be longer because it left more to be explored in this tale.

This was a short story but it packed a hell of a punch! So eerie, daunting, creepy. It was so captivating and so good!!!

So short but very interesting and well written. What was meant as a gift ended up giving the dying Rosemary and her husband Thomas the possibility of what can only be considered miracles. But regrets from the past made them ask for what cannot be returned and this results in a crop that strains their minds and relationship and ends up in their demise.
“Does the seed know it must die?”

I was immediately struck by the unique and peculiar storyline. It was intriguing and captivating, drawing me in right from the start and I remained interested throughout the story. However, I couldn't help but feel that it was too short and rushed. At just under 50 pages, it seemed to end just as it was really getting started. Given the excellent concept and potential, I felt that the storyline could have benefited from more character development and backstory. Despite this, I found the book to be an unusual and creative story, and I recommend this book to anyone looking for a quick and unique read.

3.5 stars
Recommended if you like: weird stories, eco horror

This review has been posted to Goodreads as of 2/29 and will be posted to my book blog on 3/28.

This is....not horror. I would dare say it isn't even creepy. It is weird, I'll give it that, but I spent the whole novella bracing for something that never came. The last chapter arrived and I was kind of left sitting there like "that's it?". While I'm sure the events of the story were unsettling for the characters, I didn't find any of it all that worrisome.

Rosemary isn't that likeable of a character, and I don't think she's supposed to be, but other than at the very beginning, there's little to endear her to readers the way she seems to have endeared herself to Thomas. Thomas is remarkably devoted to her, even when she's awful to him, and it's clear he loves her and doesn't know how to help her, but at the same time...there's a distance between all those feelings and how I felt toward her. Similarly, while Thomas is the main actor in the story, he's also just kind of there. His horror at the garden's 'curse' is hollow and even the high point of his terror at the very end felt meh.

I think the problem with this book is that the setup is so fantastic, and I've been treated to fantastic takes of similar stories, that distant characters and a distinct lack of true horror makes this story fall flat. T. Kingfisher has a number of eco-horror novellas that are short but manage to pack both emotion and horror into them. Likewise, I've read some eco-horror YA novels that manage to convey the simmering, low-level terror characters get when something natural is just a little bit Off. I wanted this book to be like those. I wanted to feel unnerved and wanted to see the terror the garden could unleash, and instead things just fell kind of flat.

⇢ 4.4 ★

thank you to netgalley for the ARC.

if you enjoyed the films "annihilation" or "mother!", get your hands on this short story immediately. i was enamored by this story. in horror, i am a firm believer that the "nature's revenge" trope is criminally underutilized. fritz did a STELLAR job at this. i was listening to the curated playlist the author included with the story, and it gave me chills the entire time i was reading. it's a quick read-- i finished it in one setting. i quite literally could not put this one down. i think this would be a superb A24 film, or even a short film. the poems implemented into the beginning of each chapter were right on point with each chapter's theme. the artwork between each chapter was stunning as well.

fitz does an excellent job at creating atmosphere. in the beginning, you are following along with the lives of this objectively wholesome older couple. the wife has stage four pancreatic cancer, and her dying wish was for her husband to plant her a gorgeous garden. however, you can literally feel this overwhelming sense of dread as the storyline progresses. the playlist the author provides in the book was SO perfect for each scene. it's my understanding fitz has another book, "a fig for all the devils", and i 100% plan to get my hands on it as soon as possible. the author's writing is gorgeous and haunting.

౨ৎ TRIGGER WARNINGS
ᡣ𐭩 body horror

౨ৎ QUOTES
ᡣ𐭩 "Does the seed know it must die? Does the seed know that with the springing forth of every wild rose, the seed in the earth must first die? Crushed by its own purpose for life to blossom. But does the seed have a choice? Does the earth ever pardon it? Does the black dirt cry or feel remorse? This is what garden soil longs to do, to break and bless the ground. To fill the green world with fresh color. Resurrecting shades of dragon pink and angel blue... but does the seed know this? Do you?"

I enjoyed this for a short horror. I felt unnerved and I think that the escalation of it was just right for a short story, it didn't feel like it was rushed or that everything happened right at the end.

What would you do when you accidentally spill a loved one’s blood in your garden, only for it to birth a mind-blogging, horrific creature of sorts the next day?

For Thomas, he does what his dying wife wants. He takes more of her blood and sprinkles it over their garden — the one she dreamed of so he worked hard to turn into reality — and the next day, her wish comes true. She does this again and again, and it gets more ghastly the more she loses herself in this “miraculous” ability of hers that could give her what she has always, truly wanted: her deceased baby back to life and proper parents to care for the child.

In essence, this short story is hair-raising. It’s so creepy, so odd that imagining it brings shivers down my spine. Sadly, the juvenile execution does this short story no justice.

Cabbage suffers from writing with a flow akin to endless stumbling. It switches between moments of smoothness and moments when the imagery sticks out like a sore thumb. For instance, the usage of “thick, purple life” for blood coming out of a human’s veins makes it feel alien/sci-fi but it’s not? And, the phrase “his leaking wife” should sound scary but brings incontinence to mind instead of what’s actually intended.

Moreover, both Thomas and Rosemary aren’t fleshed out enough, even for a short story. Thomas feels too caricaturish. Rosemary has stronger wants, needs and desires but is relegated to side character status. Neither make me want to root for them even though I understand where they’re coming from. Nevertheless, I do think Cabbage would’ve worked better in Rosemary’s POV because of those aforesaid wants, needs and desires. There’s a lot of potential for it to have a stronger horror/gothic atmosphere too.

Also, this might just be me, but the playlist, poems and quotes were unnecessary. Sure, they’re cool but I believe that when doing this, they should be there to add to the short story. Instead, they appear as distractions here because they don’t really bring value or depth and rather, act more like an attempt to cover up the aspects that were lacking.

Everything considered, Cabbage could’ve been a haunting tale but ultimately fell short.

This book is weird, but too me not super horror-y. It is a short story so there wasn't a lot of explanation because there wasn't that much time but I felt a little lost at the big turning point like what actually happened all those years ago. The end I didn't see coming and it made sense for the most part.

Thanks to netgally and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book!

This is a perfect short story.
A little old man and a little old woman live on a farm all alone.
The little old woman is nearing the end of her life and the little old man wants to make her last days special.
What we don't know at first is that the little old man is trying to forget past wrongs while the little old woman will never forget.
A strange miracle comes their way that gives the little old woman her revenge and the little old man his undoing.
Can't wait to read more from this author.
10/10 no notes.

“Cabbage” is the marriage of a love and horror story that explores the extreme lengths people would go to for their loved ones.

Thomas plants Rosemary’s dream garden to cheer her up during her final days on Earth, but this beautiful gift quickly turns into Thomas’ nightmare.

This short story was an easy, quick read. The plot moves forward quickly and consistently; it doesn’t allow you to catch your breath which really helps play into the suspense the end of the book creates. The plot is also something I have never read before. If the words “cursed cabbage patch” appeal to you, you should give this a read. The wording and imagery used was also super vivid, and the images between chapters worked perfectly to really make the “miracles” into a solid picture in my mind.

Trigger warnings: blood, live burial

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Firstly, the cover of this short story is immaculate. Probably one of my favorite covers ever. Beyond that, the short story was weird, but in the best way possible. If you are drawn to stories written by Lovecraft or Poe, I think you will enjoy this short story.

This story does explore grief and the horrors that it can bring to life, so be mindful of that going in if you are sensitive to that.

This was a fun short story! Cabbage has a strong atmosphere and the imagery is creepy; definitely good if you like uneasy, dread-building horror vs. more gore and violence. I also enjoyed the artwork in between the chapters, it was creepy without being overdone and really added something instead of feeling thrown in for the sake of it.

I think my main complaint is actually that I can’t say the same for a lot of the quotes/other pieces of literature and poetry which were also added between the chapters. While I appreciated the connections to the story and its themes, I think I would have preferred for that space to have been taken up with more of the author building out the themes for himself, as well as a little more backstory. I feel like this story could gain around ten pages or even be worked into a short novella and benefit heavily from the extra length; as is, Cabbage can be read in around 30 minutes, and it left me wanting more from it.

Overall, though, this one is a fun, quick read, and I would definitely pick up another release from this author. Solid writing, solid concept, solid execution! Recommended for fans of weird horror.

I really did not enjoy this book. The dialogue felt wooden and unnatural, I didn’t feel any warmth between Thomas and Rosemary, perhaps this could be explained later in the story, but the dialogue also seemed to lack any familiarity between the characters. I also did not feel especially compelled by the plot, it felt more like a fable than horror to me. I will say that the accompanying playlist did help a little with the mood and was a nice touch that I’ve never seen before.

It's a good short story about grief, not without humor and scares. Additional points for the included art.

A very short (47 pages) novella describing the horrors of loosing a child, cancer treatment and coping with grief. Sprinkle in some body-gore and blood and you have yourself a very quick horror story. Kept me engaged, loved the artwork sprinkled in, can imagine this bound up.