A love letter to the kids who like to play in dirt ❤️ Joey Santore embraces the true scientific method of asking “Why does it work that way?” until a thorough understanding is reached. This takes patience, ability to listen, and the opposite of gatekeeping. Not only are we brought along through the discoveries of a very curious botanist, we are presented information in a very accessible (as well as actionable) way. I felt called to jump in to the party! There are so many great ways to get started on your own journey of understanding the flora and fauna around you. Would highly highly recommend!

i am disgusted. isn't that wonderful??! it's been a long time since horror of any media type left me feeling so uncomfortable in my skin. last time might've been reading "what moves the dead". how utterly fantastic!!

kingfisher is a master at balancing the darker side of nature with well-placed humor (and its GOOD witty humor too, not that half-funny crap) and absolutely delightful characters. the atmosphere she builds here is so rich and stifling in the best way. the story is compelling with a healthy dose of mystery and perfectly feeds into the horror aspect. the pacing is perfect, it builds dread with just enough foreshadowing to make my skin crawl and feel out of my gourd desperate to uncover the secrets of the story. with that being said i wasn't the most sold with the "why" of it all - it worked but the element introduced in the last quarter was just ehh for me. the final confrontation was a bit underwhelming as well. better to just stick with the believable natural horrors and twisted minds for me. but that's just one girl's preference, i always appreciate kingfisher's signature foray into the magical side of things.

and can i just take a second to call out how strong kingfisher's characters are time and time again? there's no throwaways, there's no cop outs. each one is their own entire person and feels so real and lived in. they're complex, practical, and warm which makes it so easy to want to follow their stories. it's always a breath of fresh air from the rinse and repeat tropes and formulaic builds in the half-cocked barrage of books being pumped out these days. such a treat to experience.

big huge neon blinding sign for body horror and parasites - but if you're into that kind of stuff, definitely pick this up.