Review: Honeysuckle by Bar Fridman-Tell

Honeysuckle was pitched to me as a feminist Frankenstein with flowers and it delivered on all counts.

This is a heartbreaking story about control and possession through the prism of a classic tale and Welsh folklore. It encapsulates horror’s ability to recontextualise something we are familiar with and make it anew. I loved how Fridman-Tell reimagined the story of Blodeuwedd, a Welsh myth that I wasn’t familiar with but now want to know everything about. It combines so well with the familiar echoes of Frankenstein thematically and feels like a sadly increasingly timely read as the discussion around women’s bodies and autonomy grows louder and more divided. At the same this, this is something fresh and new and exciting.

There is a stunning quality to the writing that halts you in your tracks and keeps you glued to the pages. The turn of phrase is deliberate and devastating at times and at others utterly gorgeous. It moves delicately between love and horror with an emotional edge to it at all times. You delve deeply into issues around bodily autonomy presented in this speculative lens and the world-building around the folklore. This is an art that people can study and that pursuit of knowledge pushes Rory. He claims it is to serve Daye but the novel is less sure of that assertion. His character arc is a fascinating one and showcases a story of obsession masquerading as love. It is a terrifying headspace to inhabit at times, but Fridman-Tell cleverly shows his motivations and justifications. You can understand why he thinks he is right and yet still recognise him as being wrong.

A real strength of this book is the characterisation. The emotional beats only land as impactfully because you wholly believe in these characters. They are so well-constructed with intriguing character arcs that may just reveal the depths to them that were present from the first page. Daye is a great protagonist and the journey she goes on as a character is fascinating. The trajectory is so tragic and beautiful in equal measure. You instinctively root for her and connect to her vulnerability and the love that consumes her. She is devoted to Rory but that devotion is built on an imbalance of power. There are scenes in here that caused my skin to shudder and the way Fridman-Tell builds on these later on is masterful. Rory is also devoted to Daye from childhood friends and protector to other dynamics. The initial fledgling sparks of romance are written in such a rose-tinted glow but as a reader, you cannot help but feel uneasy and a little sick.

There is that undercurrent throughout of violence and possession, even from Daye’s initial creation. This is a magic that demands sacrifice, that will break and eventually erode. That fragility is paradoxically so human and epitomises that careful integration of the speculative elements to highlight the experiences of humanity being explored. It is used as a metaphorical tool to show a mirror to our world. Within this, there is a palpable anger that runs through the book and sits with the reader long after the final page. And yet, there is also a palpable sense of hope against all odds. It is but a glimmer but it is there in the moments of Daye being at one with herself and her world and in the childhood friendship that starts this whole chain of events.

Honeysuckle is exquisite horror with prose that feels like a fever dream and a story that sweeps you up into its world. A very strong debut from a promising writer you should keep your eye on.

Honeysuckle is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org, Waterstones, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore.

Will you be picking up Honeysuckle? Tell us in the comments below!

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Synopsis

Once upon a time, on the edge of a forest, there was a lonely child with only his older sister for company. So his sister made him a playmate — Daye, a girl woven from carefully selected flowers and words.

Rory is gloriously happy, until he learns that Daye is a seasonal creature. At the end of each season, she must be woven back together or fall gruesomely apart. And when, one autumn, his sister fails to return home from university in time, Rory has no choice but to watch his best friend slowly crumble.

Realizing he can no longer rely on his sister to keep Daye alive, Rory determines he must leave home to learn how to do it himself. Rory sinks deeper into research and experiments to end the cycle of bloom and decay. But as Rory grows older, his thoughts turn darker . . .

An entrancing, inventive and unsettling reimagining of the story of Blodeuwedd from Welsh mythology, Honeysuckle by Bar Fridman-Tell is a feminist Frankenstein with flowers; a deliciously dark, twisted, horror-tinged fairytale with rot at its heart . . .