Monstera by Delilah S. Dawson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Monstera. Monstera. Monstera.
I anticipated this book for so long that I may have inadvertently set myself up for failure. Granted a 3.5-star rating is a good rating don’t get me wrong, but I was predicting this would be 5-stars for me, so was a little sad when it didn’t quite meet those lofty expectations.
This story follows Lucy, a reclusive young woman, who at the start of the novella is moving into a lovely new apartment in downtown Savannah.
Lucy has been suffering living for years under the strong arm of her overbearing Grandfather, but after his death, Lucy finds herself in the position to start afresh.
Even though the landlord is a bit of a creeper, the apartment itself has everything she could ever want, including a beautiful green space in the back. Her downstairs neighbor, Saskia, a power-lifter with a green thumb, is also quite intriguing to doe-eyed Lucy.
The two women are drawn together, and Lucy finds herself on the verge of her very first, true adult friendship. As the women grow closer, they discover they share a lot more in common than just an apartment building.
Okay, yeah, so this was fine for me. I thought it was a little plain and predictable, if I’m being honest, but you certainly can’t fault the writing, which is wonderful. Further, if you’re just here for the Sapphic vibes, that part is great. Besides that, I didn’t feel like it had much going on.
IDK. I was underwhelmed.
There is a ton of detailed character work though, so for people who enjoy more character-driven stories, this could be a huge hit. I think it’s clear that Dawson took a lot of time and care developing these two main characters, as they were very well-fleshed out.
I think for me, I was just expecting something a bit darker and more deranged. I wanted thrills and chills, in addition to the Sapphic vibes. I just feel like I didn’t get that.
Nevertheless, this is just my opinion and just because it didn’t necessarily knock me out of the park, it could be a new favorite for you. Don’t take my word for it, pick it up for yourself and see what you think.
I would definitely recommend if you pick it to try to get the audiobook. The narration from Laura English is perfect for Lucy’s character. It really helped keep me invested in the story, when I might have not been as motivated otherwise.
Thank you to the publisher, Tor Nightfire and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. Though not my favorite from this author, I’ll definitely be back for more!