Bloom
Grade : B+

I have never read a novella quite like Delilah S. Dawson’s Bloom before. One review describes it as “sapphic cottagecore horror”, which is an accurate three-word summary. It’s an odd chimera of a story where cozy descriptions of gardens and cupcakes mingle with a disquieting mood and tension that eventually grows to a fever pitch. I thought this was going to be a DIK until the ending, but even so, it was an unforgettable read.

Rosemary - Ro - Dutton, a professor of literature, has broken up with a cheating ex-boyfriend and wants to move on. But her life feels hollow and her job provides no satisfaction either. She longs for something magical rather than mundane… and that’s when she goes to a farmer’s market where she sees a young woman behind a cupcake stall. The woman, Ash, is everything Ro isn’t - confident, lovely and aloof - and her cupcakes are soft, creamy and fragrant with flavors like lemon, lavender and maple-bacon. Oh, and the second time Ro visits the market, there’s a new kind of cupcake made with rosemary, for remembrance.

Ro is dazzled, and at first I could see why. Talented and self-sufficient, Ash raises chickens, makes soap, and cooks everything from scratch. She lives completely off the grid, in a cottage decorated with what sounds like a combination of Laura Ashley and Shabby Chic. It’s the ultimate pastoral fantasy. Ro has never been seriously attracted to a woman before, but now she falls hard, and each little glimpse into Ash’s picturesque life draws Ro deeper.
But at the same time, there are red flags. Ash divulges very little about her past, and won’t reveal her last name. She can be manipulative - for instance, negging Ro to make her unsure and off-balance - and anyone unlucky enough to anger Ash soon regrets it. Finally, when Ro is invited into Ash’s cottage, she tries to open a certain door, and Ash makes it very clear what she thinks of snooping. That door stays closed for most of the story, stoking Ro’s curiosity. She drops references to novels left and right, but sadly she doesn’t seem familiar with Bluebeard.

This was one of the few things that didn’t work for me. Ro later reflects that she would have been more cautious with a man, and Ash does have a lot in common with old-skool romance heroes, including the sad backstory to explain her faults. Unfortunately, Ro assumed the best of a beautiful young woman who bakes cupcakes. There are many hints that something is wrong, though, right from the start when Ash keeps calling her Rosemary even though Ro dislikes the name. It was difficult to care about Ro as a character because she’s blinded by her infatuation with Ash up until the end.

Oh yes, the end. This is where the lovely cottagecore atmosphere gives way to sheer horror so over-the-top that it’s practically Gothic. If Joanne Harris’s Chocolat and Stephen King’s Misery had a one-night stand, this book would be their secret baby. I saw some of it coming, but the entire lot was jawdropping.

This aspect of the story also sacrifices realism for shock factor. The first time I read it, I was horrified all right, and both the fast pace and the tension meant I wasn’t pausing to think critically. But when I went back into the book to write this review, I noticed some implausibilities. Finally, this is not the kind of horror story that ends with victory or hope for the future, so that’s also something to bear in mind.

But what this book does well, it does very well. The descriptions of food are lush and vivid, and the author’s writing pulled me right in.

She looks down at her wine glass and finds it almost empty. Her insides are as loose as good scrambled eggs, warm and golden.

She is struck anew with the richness: fresh, bright lemon and the sharp, woody tang of rosemary.

Then again, she’s talking to a girl who dresses like Laura Ingalls Wilder and doesn’t have a cell phone, so there will be no Weirdo Olympics here. Ash has already taken gold.

Should you read Bloom? I don’t know. I don’t even know if readers will enjoy this story, because getting through it will require some suspension of disbelief, and possibly a strong stomach. But as I said, it’s unusual and unforgettable. It was a worthwhile experience for me despite the bonkers ending, so much so that I immediately placed a hold for another of Ms. Dawson’s novels. And I googled recipes for maple-bacon cupcakes, too.

Note: This book contains gore, mutilation, murder, cannibalism, and a reference to the sexual abuse of a child.

Reviewed by Marian Perera
Grade : B+
Book Type: Fiction

Sensuality: Subtle

Review Date : March 9, 2024

Publication Date: 10/2023

Review Tags: F/F Novella horror

Recent Comments …

Marian Perera

I'm Marian, originally from Sri Lanka but grew up in the United Arab Emirates, studied in Georgia and Texas, ended up in Toronto. When I'm not at my job as a medical laboratory technologist, I read, write, do calligraphy, and grow vegetables in the back yard.
Subscribe
Notify of
guest

9 Comments
newest
oldest most voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
9
0
What's your opinion?x
()
x