Lucy’s childhood was one of captivity and trauma. Now finally freed from her controlling religious grandfather, she rents half a Victorian home in Savannah, Georgia from a creepy landlord named Roger. Roger, is of course, a misogynist and peeping Tom who isn’t above hiding cameras in his new tenant’s apartment. While Lucy lives on the top floor, her fellow renter, Saskia, lives on the bottom floor. Saskia long ago decided to spend her time weight-lifting and growing plants rather than spending time with others. Lucy and Saskia get to know one another, but a series of odd encounters put them in close quarters and hidden secrets become bloody confessions.
Monstera is a novella easily digested in an afternoon. I have enjoyed almost everything by author Delilah S. Dawson but will admit I was disappointed by this one. Her prose is still beautiful and lyrical. Her characters still have compelling backstories. My biggest complaint is that the book feels rushed and unfinished. With long detailed passages about eating dinner together or Saskia’s workouts fill the pages, the actual story feels forced in and explanations at the end feel rushed. The book seems more fascinated with the writings and films of others than actually telling a story. Saskia and Lucy are beautiful together, but I was longing for so much more.
Monstera is now available from Titan Books.
