What do you think?
Rate this book
Seeders by J.
George Brookes is a brilliant but reclusive plant biologist living on a remote Canadian island. After his mysterious death, the heirs to his estate arrive on the island, including his daughter Isabelle, her teenage children, and Jules Beecher, a friend and pioneer in plant neurobiology. They will be isolated on the frigid island for two weeks, until the next supply boat arrives.As Jules begins investigating the laboratory and scientific papers left by George, he comes to realize that his mentor may have achieved a monumental scientific communication between plants and humans. Within days, the island begins to have strange and violent effects on the group, especially Jules who becomes obsessed with George’s journal, the strange fungus growing on every plant and tree, and horrible secrets that lay buried in the woods. It doesn’t take long for Isabelle to realize that her father may have unleashed something sinister on the island, a malignant force that’s far more deadly than any human. As a fierce storm hits and the power goes out, she knows they’ll be lucky to make it out alive.A.J. Colucci masterfully weaves real science with horror to create a truly terrifying thriller, drawing from astonishing new discoveries about plants and exploring their eerie implications. Seeders is a feast of horror and suspense.
Hardcover
First published July 15, 2014
6 people are currently reading
644 people want to read
About the author
A.J. Colucci
4 books43 followersA.J. Colucci is an author of science thrillers, stories that combine true, cutting-edge science with the adrenaline-rush a thriller. Her latest novel, SEEDERS, was described by #1 New York Times bestselling author Douglas Preston as “Gripping and brilliantly original.” Her debut novel THE COLONY was given a starred review by Publishers Weekly and Booklist called it “a frightening combination of well-researched science and scenes of pure horror.”
" I like to write about nature because it can be a brutal place—kill or be killed,” said Colucci, “But it's also filled with a sort of beauty and logic that makes you wonder which species are truly evolved. Humans have a tendency to separate themselves from everything non-human. We consider ourselves above nature, not part of it. I think it's important to recognize what we have in common and gain a better understanding of all living creatures that share this planet."
A.J. spent 15 years as a newspaper reporter, magazine editor and writer for corporate America. Today she is a full-time author who lives in New Jersey with her husband, two daughters and a couple of adorable cats.
A.J. is a member of International Thriller Writers.
" I like to write about nature because it can be a brutal place—kill or be killed,” said Colucci, “But it's also filled with a sort of beauty and logic that makes you wonder which species are truly evolved. Humans have a tendency to separate themselves from everything non-human. We consider ourselves above nature, not part of it. I think it's important to recognize what we have in common and gain a better understanding of all living creatures that share this planet."
A.J. spent 15 years as a newspaper reporter, magazine editor and writer for corporate America. Today she is a full-time author who lives in New Jersey with her husband, two daughters and a couple of adorable cats.
A.J. is a member of International Thriller Writers.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
June 11, 2018
A reclusive plant biologist dies. After his death, his heirs travel to the isolated island where he had lived alone. The heirs include his daughter and her teenagers and a fellow plant biologist. As they go through his belongings and research, they start to realize something sinister is on the island with them.
A creepy read about plants. This book falls in the sci-fi horror genre. The biologist in the story has found a way to communicate with plants. And those plants have emotions. Powerful emotions. Entertaining, but not great. Good for fans of The Ruins, Annihilation, and Michael Crichton books.
A creepy read about plants. This book falls in the sci-fi horror genre. The biologist in the story has found a way to communicate with plants. And those plants have emotions. Powerful emotions. Entertaining, but not great. Good for fans of The Ruins, Annihilation, and Michael Crichton books.
August 16, 2014
The blurb on the cover of A.J. Colucci's novel "Seeders" touts the book as being "Gripping and brilliantly original." I'll agree with the first part.
As for the "brilliantly original" part, I disagree, mainly because as I read the novel, I could immediately see the many sources from which Colluci borrowed heavily. Not that being derivative is a bad thing. Hell, Quentin Tarantino has made a career on it, and a successful one at that.
Colluci's creepy little sci-fi horror novel is a good read, don't get me wrong. It's just also reminiscent of (in a clever way, not a plagiaristic way) other classic horror novels like Shirley Jackson's "The Haunting of Hill House", Scott Smith's "The Ruins", and basically anything written by Michael Crichton.
The main character is a desperate housewife and mother of two boys named Isabelle Maguire. She has just found out that her father, George Brookes, has died and left her most of the family estate. It is a creepy old mansion located on an isolated little island off the coast of Nova Scotia. Fans of horror fiction are probably drooling with anticipation right about now.
The twist is that her father was a scientist, and a possibly mad one at that. His specialty was plant biology. In his later years, he had been working on a way to "communicate" with plants, as he believed that plants were sentient beings like humans. Clearly, the fans of science fiction out there will begin to see the potential here.
"Seeders" is a suspenseful thriller. It reminds me of the late-night low-budget horror movies I used to watch as a kid on Friday nights. Like those movies, "Seeders" is good, clean creepy fun. Strictly entertaining, and guaranteed to not give you too-scary nightmares.
As for the "brilliantly original" part, I disagree, mainly because as I read the novel, I could immediately see the many sources from which Colluci borrowed heavily. Not that being derivative is a bad thing. Hell, Quentin Tarantino has made a career on it, and a successful one at that.
Colluci's creepy little sci-fi horror novel is a good read, don't get me wrong. It's just also reminiscent of (in a clever way, not a plagiaristic way) other classic horror novels like Shirley Jackson's "The Haunting of Hill House", Scott Smith's "The Ruins", and basically anything written by Michael Crichton.
The main character is a desperate housewife and mother of two boys named Isabelle Maguire. She has just found out that her father, George Brookes, has died and left her most of the family estate. It is a creepy old mansion located on an isolated little island off the coast of Nova Scotia. Fans of horror fiction are probably drooling with anticipation right about now.
The twist is that her father was a scientist, and a possibly mad one at that. His specialty was plant biology. In his later years, he had been working on a way to "communicate" with plants, as he believed that plants were sentient beings like humans. Clearly, the fans of science fiction out there will begin to see the potential here.
"Seeders" is a suspenseful thriller. It reminds me of the late-night low-budget horror movies I used to watch as a kid on Friday nights. Like those movies, "Seeders" is good, clean creepy fun. Strictly entertaining, and guaranteed to not give you too-scary nightmares.
August 15, 2014
I think that reading this book was much like reading the script for a bad horror movie, including a gathering of the dumbest people you could ever get stuck on a creepy island with. At one point I slammed my hand down on the couch yelling at two of the characters because they were such amazing idiots.
Other issues I have are the pretty huge inconsistencies in the story. Unfortunately, I can't figure out how to hash those out here without spoilers. When everything was said and done, the way the book ended made no sense to me.
I will give everyone a heads up that this is a "humans are destroying the earth" kind of book.
Other issues I have are the pretty huge inconsistencies in the story. Unfortunately, I can't figure out how to hash those out here without spoilers. When everything was said and done, the way the book ended made no sense to me.
I will give everyone a heads up that this is a "humans are destroying the earth" kind of book.
December 16, 2014
Colucci explores another branch (pardon the pun) of science in her second novel. George Brookes, a botanist working on the remote Sparrow Island, off the coast of Nova Scotia, has been studying some highly controversial plantlife. When he is found dead, the executor of his estate calls those who are set to inherit something to come to the island to receive their share. Isabelle Macguire, George's daughter, agrees to head up to Canada, bringing her two boys for the predicted two-week trip. Two others, close to George, also show up on the Island, which remains isolated from the outside world. While on the Island, the group uncovers some interesting mysteries, including a body that turns up in the forest and unexplained hallucinations. Isabelle's older son, Luke, begins to wonder if the flora on the Island could be the cause of many issues, especially since his grandfather's life work focussed on levels of intelligence of plant life. With fourteen days stuck on the Island, its temporary inhabitants must learn what happened to George, as well as stay one step ahead of whatever lurks around the corner, or is buried in the soil beneath their feet. A highly thought provoking novel that may leave the reader starving for something, though food is clearly off the proverbial table.
As with her novel, THE COLONY, Colucci has opened the minds of her readers, seeking that they look outside their own lives and ask, 'what if?'. Could plants actually be as intelligent as the human race, or perhaps more so? Does world harmony rest in the branches of trees and the stems of plants? Colucci posits both that plants can feel those emotions previously thought to be brain-centric and that said plants can communicate effectively between one another and across barriers, given the opportunity. While highly sci-fi and perhaps slightly B horror movie, Colucci surely does present some interesting ideas and leaves the reader to wonder if hugging a tree might have a mainstream benefit.
Kudos, Madam Colucci for this highly intriguing novel. I look forward to what you have in store for us next.
As with her novel, THE COLONY, Colucci has opened the minds of her readers, seeking that they look outside their own lives and ask, 'what if?'. Could plants actually be as intelligent as the human race, or perhaps more so? Does world harmony rest in the branches of trees and the stems of plants? Colucci posits both that plants can feel those emotions previously thought to be brain-centric and that said plants can communicate effectively between one another and across barriers, given the opportunity. While highly sci-fi and perhaps slightly B horror movie, Colucci surely does present some interesting ideas and leaves the reader to wonder if hugging a tree might have a mainstream benefit.
Kudos, Madam Colucci for this highly intriguing novel. I look forward to what you have in store for us next.
December 10, 2014
Pseudoscience at it's WORST! Reads like a B horror movie, a bad one.
January 11, 2019
3.75✪'s
Creepy sci-fi, horror-ish.
I found the premise of the book rather interesting and it was a quick read.
Creepy sci-fi, horror-ish.
I found the premise of the book rather interesting and it was a quick read.
July 24, 2014
http://www.mybookishways.com/2014/07/...
The new horror thriller by AJ Colucci features a secluded island, plant communication, and a group of six people secluded on said island for two weeks. Off to a good start, yes? One particular blurb likened it to The Shining crossed with The Ruins, and The Ruins I agree with, but I think I’d put it more in the And Then There Were None category. I really enjoyed Colucci’s first novel, The Colony, and while there is a science-y aspect to Seeders, as with The Colony, that’s really where the similarities end, so don’t expect more of the same. Isabelle Maguire has taken her two children, Luke and Sean (who hasn’t spoken since an accident), and their ward, Monica to the secluded Sparrow Island after her father, George Brookes, jumps to his death. George was a brilliant, if controversial, botanist, and when Isabelle and family arrive on the island, she finds Dr. Jules Beecher, a former colleague of her father’s, and also Ginny Shufflebottom, her father’s on and off companion of 10 years. They’re all there to hear the reading of the will and get her father’s estate in order. They get quite a lot more than they bargain for, however.
The basis of Seeders is that George Brookes has discovered a way for plants to communicate with humans, and that plants have…emotions, and can even feel pain. So, you can probably guess, if that’s the case, how happy plants and trees are with us, considering what we’re doing to the planet. During the couple of weeks that the group spends on the island, Jules starts hearing some voices in the woods (and becomes a flat out menace), bodies start piling up in those same woods, the kids are sent on a scavenger hunt for a diamond that has been left to Ginny Shufflebottom, and the plants? Well…the plants aren’t idle, that’s for sure. Isabelle is doing her best to keep everyone safe, but Sean seems to be helping out Jules a little too much in those increasingly threatening woods, and the teenage Luke is way too preoccupied with Monica. Teenage hormones are almost as dangerous as the plants, seriously. I have to admit, Monica drove me nuts. She’s kind of awful, but luckily, Luke is smarter than that, and doesn’t completely fall for her crap (in spite of the siren song of his groin.) He even notices his mother’s newfound independence once she’s away from his bullying father. Colucci is good at building the isolated, very eerie atmosphere of the island and the creepiness of sentient plants, and she also doesn’t shy away from some pretty strong horror elements. I like that about her. Things get pretty awful from our little group, and one begins to wonder if rescue will ever come. I’m not going to give that away, but…AJ Colucci knows her horror, and horror fans always know that in stories like this, a not so happy ending is always a possibility. This book is scary fun, and speculating about the possible sentient nature of organisms that are responsible for so many of the good things about our planet (and that humans continually abuse) is equally fun, fascinating, and food for thought.
The new horror thriller by AJ Colucci features a secluded island, plant communication, and a group of six people secluded on said island for two weeks. Off to a good start, yes? One particular blurb likened it to The Shining crossed with The Ruins, and The Ruins I agree with, but I think I’d put it more in the And Then There Were None category. I really enjoyed Colucci’s first novel, The Colony, and while there is a science-y aspect to Seeders, as with The Colony, that’s really where the similarities end, so don’t expect more of the same. Isabelle Maguire has taken her two children, Luke and Sean (who hasn’t spoken since an accident), and their ward, Monica to the secluded Sparrow Island after her father, George Brookes, jumps to his death. George was a brilliant, if controversial, botanist, and when Isabelle and family arrive on the island, she finds Dr. Jules Beecher, a former colleague of her father’s, and also Ginny Shufflebottom, her father’s on and off companion of 10 years. They’re all there to hear the reading of the will and get her father’s estate in order. They get quite a lot more than they bargain for, however.
The basis of Seeders is that George Brookes has discovered a way for plants to communicate with humans, and that plants have…emotions, and can even feel pain. So, you can probably guess, if that’s the case, how happy plants and trees are with us, considering what we’re doing to the planet. During the couple of weeks that the group spends on the island, Jules starts hearing some voices in the woods (and becomes a flat out menace), bodies start piling up in those same woods, the kids are sent on a scavenger hunt for a diamond that has been left to Ginny Shufflebottom, and the plants? Well…the plants aren’t idle, that’s for sure. Isabelle is doing her best to keep everyone safe, but Sean seems to be helping out Jules a little too much in those increasingly threatening woods, and the teenage Luke is way too preoccupied with Monica. Teenage hormones are almost as dangerous as the plants, seriously. I have to admit, Monica drove me nuts. She’s kind of awful, but luckily, Luke is smarter than that, and doesn’t completely fall for her crap (in spite of the siren song of his groin.) He even notices his mother’s newfound independence once she’s away from his bullying father. Colucci is good at building the isolated, very eerie atmosphere of the island and the creepiness of sentient plants, and she also doesn’t shy away from some pretty strong horror elements. I like that about her. Things get pretty awful from our little group, and one begins to wonder if rescue will ever come. I’m not going to give that away, but…AJ Colucci knows her horror, and horror fans always know that in stories like this, a not so happy ending is always a possibility. This book is scary fun, and speculating about the possible sentient nature of organisms that are responsible for so many of the good things about our planet (and that humans continually abuse) is equally fun, fascinating, and food for thought.
February 8, 2022
Spoilers ahead! Not a boring book by any means, and it had a memorable cast of characters. What really killed the book for me was the last 50 pages. The ending was awful, and somehow a horror novel got turned into a “deforestation bad” message. Which I agree with, but then why is the villain the one with that message? Also, the treatment of two characters in particular, Sean and Monica, really bothered me. Sean is a smart kid, and the one time we get his point of view he seems like he could be better than the crazy stuff going on. But suddenly he goes insane. Why is the one character in the book with a disability the one that is the secret killer the whole time? That’s a weird coincidence. As for Monica, she is a victim the whole time. Being slut shamed for her mom’s choices. The scene where she died was so brutal I almost put down the book right there. Nasty girl has sex and now she has to die, right? I dunno, the (probably/hopefully) unintentional sexism and ableism in this book was very noticeable. I’m not even typically one to pick up on that kind of thing.
At the end of the day though it was an entertaining book, so I can’t rate it too low.
At the end of the day though it was an entertaining book, so I can’t rate it too low.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 2, 2020
Usually I can find some redeeming qualities to a book. This has none. I am sorry I wasted time with it.
November 23, 2014
For readers, half the enjoyment derived from today’s horror is in the never-ending quest to find the next malevolent source of what’s going to do us in; for writers, it’s the challenge. In an admittedly jaded age when we’ve all been there and read that, the focus has imperceptivity shifted from pure originality in concept to creative reinvention. Supernatural threats in their myriad forms, serial killers with (literal) axes to grind, and flesh-feasting zombies have long been staples in the modern horror author’s arsenal – but readers quickly tire of uninspired rehashes. Even in the perennial recycle bin of ideas, readers want to find gems of imagination and ingenuity.
A.J. Colucci doesn’t so much invent as she reinvents by dipping back into an older horror mainstay: the eco-horror subgenre. It’s territory she’s explored previously in her debut novel, The Colony, and one with a rich history in horror literature that includes The Rats by the late James Herbert (1974), Killer Crabs by Guy N. Smith (1978), The Portent by Marilyn Harris (1980), and – more recently – The Ruins by Scott Smith (2006) and Fragment by Warren Fahy (2009). In Seeders, the New Jersey native’s sophomore effort, Colucci calls to mind films like The Day of the Triffids and The Ruins with a thoroughly engrossing tale of botanical terror. Imagine M. Night Shyamalan’s atrociously misguided The Happening done right.
Read the rest of the review here at Dark Scribe Magazine.
A.J. Colucci doesn’t so much invent as she reinvents by dipping back into an older horror mainstay: the eco-horror subgenre. It’s territory she’s explored previously in her debut novel, The Colony, and one with a rich history in horror literature that includes The Rats by the late James Herbert (1974), Killer Crabs by Guy N. Smith (1978), The Portent by Marilyn Harris (1980), and – more recently – The Ruins by Scott Smith (2006) and Fragment by Warren Fahy (2009). In Seeders, the New Jersey native’s sophomore effort, Colucci calls to mind films like The Day of the Triffids and The Ruins with a thoroughly engrossing tale of botanical terror. Imagine M. Night Shyamalan’s atrociously misguided The Happening done right.
Read the rest of the review here at Dark Scribe Magazine.
February 6, 2017
This is easy to rate. Five stars all the way. So unique, compelling, brilliantly written, scary, thought provoking, captivating, all those great things we look for in a good read.
This is the best book Ive read in a year. I love stumbling upon books like this.
Ill deff think twice before I pull weeds from my garden again. Poor things lol.
This is the best book Ive read in a year. I love stumbling upon books like this.
Ill deff think twice before I pull weeds from my garden again. Poor things lol.
October 19, 2014
A forgettable SFnal thriller with a lot of pseudoscience in the style of Michael Crichton.
August 11, 2014
Kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. Couldn't stop reading it.
August 13, 2014
Delightfully creepy.
January 9, 2024
I think I like this story…lol. I also think this is the first time I felt unsure if I liked a story or not. It really does play like a movie in your brain; I can see this story being made into a movie and I think it would be a good, scary movie if done right.
Isabelle is a the daughter of a recently deceased scientist who was living secluded on an island (Sparrow Island) and working to prove that plants have consciousness. When she inherits her fathers island, the lawyer convinces to her take a vacation from her abusive police husband, take her two teenage sons and a troubled teenage girl, to the island for the reading of her fathers will. With other people also summoned, including a man she used to love and who used to work with her father, Isabelle and the others soon begin to experience strange happenings. Whispering in the woods, corpses buried in the earth, a strong desire to “let go”. Murderous tendencies surface and people fight against one another for survival. All the while this creepy dark fungus grows and spreads over the plants and trees and into their brains.
The premise of this story is creepy in its own way. I like how the ending wrapped up; not a happy ending by any means, but everything was tied together so nicely that it seemed suitable. Sean’s demise was creepy and sad; especially for his mother to sit and watch him taken over and used in such a way. I was sad that Luke died in the story. The suspense scenes were good, the writing was excellent (in my opinion). Engaging and dramatic, but lacking a bit of that special something that makes it actually scary. Creepy sure, but not scary. Would recommend and would definitely watch if it is ever made into a movie.
Isabelle is a the daughter of a recently deceased scientist who was living secluded on an island (Sparrow Island) and working to prove that plants have consciousness. When she inherits her fathers island, the lawyer convinces to her take a vacation from her abusive police husband, take her two teenage sons and a troubled teenage girl, to the island for the reading of her fathers will. With other people also summoned, including a man she used to love and who used to work with her father, Isabelle and the others soon begin to experience strange happenings. Whispering in the woods, corpses buried in the earth, a strong desire to “let go”. Murderous tendencies surface and people fight against one another for survival. All the while this creepy dark fungus grows and spreads over the plants and trees and into their brains.
The premise of this story is creepy in its own way. I like how the ending wrapped up; not a happy ending by any means, but everything was tied together so nicely that it seemed suitable. Sean’s demise was creepy and sad; especially for his mother to sit and watch him taken over and used in such a way. I was sad that Luke died in the story. The suspense scenes were good, the writing was excellent (in my opinion). Engaging and dramatic, but lacking a bit of that special something that makes it actually scary. Creepy sure, but not scary. Would recommend and would definitely watch if it is ever made into a movie.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
May 13, 2021Ya know those stories where you think, "Is the antagonist really that bad?" Yeah, this is that. Sort of.
Told from an unreliable narrator's deteriorating point of view, this book details the strength and courage of conviction that one woman must display to overcome an abusive marriage and seriously injured child...haha, just kidding. Yes, the protagonist DOES have to face these issues, but at the end of the day, her growth is meaningless. Maybe that's the point, however. We can grow to become the best version of ourselves, but sometimes we face a situation that isn't possible to overcome, and maybe that isn't a bad thing.
Oh, also, I totally sided with the plants at the end and I AM NOT SORRY
Told from an unreliable narrator's deteriorating point of view, this book details the strength and courage of conviction that one woman must display to overcome an abusive marriage and seriously injured child...haha, just kidding. Yes, the protagonist DOES have to face these issues, but at the end of the day, her growth is meaningless. Maybe that's the point, however. We can grow to become the best version of ourselves, but sometimes we face a situation that isn't possible to overcome, and maybe that isn't a bad thing.
Oh, also, I totally sided with the plants at the end and I AM NOT SORRY
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 25, 2024
I'll start with positives. I was pretty entertained throughout the book and I was very motivated to finish it. The concept of super intelligent fungus manipulating human minds and causing them to go crazy was pretty interesting. The storyline reminded me of The Last of Us and cordyceps was even mentioned.
Throughout the book, however, I struggled to get through the dialogue. The dialogue of the teenagers seemed very stereotypical and almost forced. There were also scenes where an older woman made strange, inappropriate comments to a teenage boy. This behavior was never really acknowledged or called out by any of the other adults and I found it quite unnecessary and icky. I could go on about things I didn't like but the review would end up being too long.
Throughout the book, however, I struggled to get through the dialogue. The dialogue of the teenagers seemed very stereotypical and almost forced. There were also scenes where an older woman made strange, inappropriate comments to a teenage boy. This behavior was never really acknowledged or called out by any of the other adults and I found it quite unnecessary and icky. I could go on about things I didn't like but the review would end up being too long.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 19, 2019
I'll give this one 3 stars only because I wanted to find out what happened in the end. I completely agree with everyone who related it to a B-horror movie since that's exactly what it was. It felt *very* familiar in so many ways. A gathering of various people on a creepy island for the reading of a will. Multiple creative deaths ensue and the future of humankind is at stake. eh.
October 7, 2022
Truly a unique read! It’s not too often you come across a story that has NOT been told. Great creativity, research, and story telling. Makes the study of fungi acutely interesting. Not only was I able to learn from this story but was also entertained.
4 stars and not 5 bc I wouldn’t read it again. But highly recommend. Bravo
4 stars and not 5 bc I wouldn’t read it again. But highly recommend. Bravo
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 17, 2024
This book was an interesting read. The first 3\4 of the book was an okay story, written well. But the ending!! The ending goes off the rails with a conclusion I did not see coming! I love when a book can surprise you, just when you think you know how its going to end and then Blam, your thrown a curveball!
August 18, 2017
I am at odds on this one. It kept me interested enough to finish it, but the "message" seemed kind of corny: plants treating us as we have treated them to teach us we all need to live in peace. I just don't know...
June 22, 2020
Spoilers ahead. I enjoyed it up until the author killed just about all the main characters or had them go insane. I tried to weather the disappointments but ended up closing the book in frustration. I am disappointed in this book.
November 26, 2017
I thought it was pretty good, but the ending was an epic fail. I absolutely HATE unhappy endings! Also Isabelle had to be one of the most naive and stupid characters ever.
February 2, 2018
Truly dreadful book.
February 20, 2019
A good enough story. I found it entertaining enough and most of the characters were interesting enough to read about.
April 29, 2019
Sentient, telepathic plants - fun read for sure!
March 20, 2020
Well that was terrifying!
September 18, 2020
Nothing particularly heinous I just thought the plot was weak and mostly meaningless and fell flat at the end.
February 28, 2024
An interesting concept with a fairly predictable storyline, except that I am glad I kept reading. I did not see that end coming. It does read like its supposed to be a screenplay, rather than a book.
August 13, 2014
Isabelle has returned to her childhood home on an isolated island off the Canadian border to deal with the estate of her father. Her father, George Brookes, had been a famous botanist who committed suicide. As we are introduced to Isabelle we discover that she has an abusive, controlling husband as well as two sons and is caring for a troubled teen girl her husband chose to foster. One of her sons apparently has brain damage from a fall from a tree sustained several years earlier. In addition to Isabelle and her family (sans husband) Isabelles’ father had also invited two other individuals to the island for the reading of the will, Ginny Shufflebottom, his on again/off again lover and his former protégé, Jules Beecher. Jules had suffered humiliation at the hands of a journalist so he hopes to continue George’s work and redeem himself. It turns out that George has discovered a way to communicate with plants.
I’m not sure how I feel about this book but I can say that the horror is decidedly lacking. There is no slow dawning of awareness that there is something creepy and wrong about the plants on the island. The pace is far too brisk – Jules begins to show disturbing symptoms almost immediately for example. The author tries to build tension by having various individuals hear voices in the woods only to have no one nearby but she doesn't linger on these scenes and let them build slowly. She opens the book with a story about a man who used to hang dolls heads in the woods but she then only uses that visual once and to flat effect. Why not have various characters glimpse these heads out of the corner of their eye as they wander the woods? That’s not to say that there aren't a few nice visuals – I particularly liked the image of Monica the foster kid being chased uphill by a corpse while sliding repeatedly downhill in the mud, as well as the visual of Sean sitting in stasis with black fungus coming out his ear and being feed by intravenous means.
The author also tries to use the scenario of “here is this reasonable explanation as to why things are happening but in reality you are all doomed because the monster walks among you” to increase the tension . George was a druggie so the biscuits he left in the freezer might be laced with something. Both Isabelle and Jules are children with unstable parents so perhaps, due to some hereditary quirk, they are becoming unstable due to genetic reasons and not because black fungus is taking over their brains.. Unfortunately I don’t think she used them to good effect – once again not enough tension building went on. Somebody had to buy wholeheartedly into one of these reasons in order to make them work so that when the big “it’s not the biscuits””I’m not schizophrenic like my mom” scene comes we should have been more scared.
I also didn’t understand why the character of Ginny was needed at all. She never added anything to the story, she never seemed to hallucinate anything nor add anything to the story’s tension. She was the driving factor behind attempting to find a precious gem left to her in George’s will thus giving a reason for various group members to wander around the island but her role could have easily been taken over by Isabelle. It would have been just as feasible for Isabelle to want to find the diamond so she could use it to escape from her horrible marriage.
Some of the behavior exhibited by the key players also didn't seem to make sense. The radio ceases to work very early on in the story yet, for the most part, it is forgotten. No one attempts to fix it or determine why it ceased functioning. If I were stuck on an island with a man showing increasing signs of instability I’d certainly be working at the radio quite a bit. Eventually the radio is smashed but this detail occurs near the end of the story, it should have been inserted earlier in the narrative. Isabelle is supposed to be a good mother yet she allows her older son and Monica to hang out alone a lot even after it is clear that the kids are getting drunk on a nightly basis. The final huge problem I had though was that the scheme to send this fungus worldwide wouldn't work. If the fungus cannot tolerate sun then it cannot take over the world as there are far too many sunny areas across the globe. Also surely even the island got sun as some point so how did the fungus successfully grow?
There were details of the story I did like such as the questions raised about what does it means to be sentient, what does intelligence really entail, and if plants truly are intelligent how does mankind’s relationship change in regards to them? Do we continue to exploit and destroy them (the answer is quite probably, sadly yes) or do we come to a beneficial custodial agreement with them?
So the book didn't work for me but it may very well work for other readers.
I’m not sure how I feel about this book but I can say that the horror is decidedly lacking. There is no slow dawning of awareness that there is something creepy and wrong about the plants on the island. The pace is far too brisk – Jules begins to show disturbing symptoms almost immediately for example. The author tries to build tension by having various individuals hear voices in the woods only to have no one nearby but she doesn't linger on these scenes and let them build slowly. She opens the book with a story about a man who used to hang dolls heads in the woods but she then only uses that visual once and to flat effect. Why not have various characters glimpse these heads out of the corner of their eye as they wander the woods? That’s not to say that there aren't a few nice visuals – I particularly liked the image of Monica the foster kid being chased uphill by a corpse while sliding repeatedly downhill in the mud, as well as the visual of Sean sitting in stasis with black fungus coming out his ear and being feed by intravenous means.
The author also tries to use the scenario of “here is this reasonable explanation as to why things are happening but in reality you are all doomed because the monster walks among you” to increase the tension . George was a druggie so the biscuits he left in the freezer might be laced with something. Both Isabelle and Jules are children with unstable parents so perhaps, due to some hereditary quirk, they are becoming unstable due to genetic reasons and not because black fungus is taking over their brains.. Unfortunately I don’t think she used them to good effect – once again not enough tension building went on. Somebody had to buy wholeheartedly into one of these reasons in order to make them work so that when the big “it’s not the biscuits””I’m not schizophrenic like my mom” scene comes we should have been more scared.
I also didn’t understand why the character of Ginny was needed at all. She never added anything to the story, she never seemed to hallucinate anything nor add anything to the story’s tension. She was the driving factor behind attempting to find a precious gem left to her in George’s will thus giving a reason for various group members to wander around the island but her role could have easily been taken over by Isabelle. It would have been just as feasible for Isabelle to want to find the diamond so she could use it to escape from her horrible marriage.
Some of the behavior exhibited by the key players also didn't seem to make sense. The radio ceases to work very early on in the story yet, for the most part, it is forgotten. No one attempts to fix it or determine why it ceased functioning. If I were stuck on an island with a man showing increasing signs of instability I’d certainly be working at the radio quite a bit. Eventually the radio is smashed but this detail occurs near the end of the story, it should have been inserted earlier in the narrative. Isabelle is supposed to be a good mother yet she allows her older son and Monica to hang out alone a lot even after it is clear that the kids are getting drunk on a nightly basis. The final huge problem I had though was that the scheme to send this fungus worldwide wouldn't work. If the fungus cannot tolerate sun then it cannot take over the world as there are far too many sunny areas across the globe. Also surely even the island got sun as some point so how did the fungus successfully grow?
There were details of the story I did like such as the questions raised about what does it means to be sentient, what does intelligence really entail, and if plants truly are intelligent how does mankind’s relationship change in regards to them? Do we continue to exploit and destroy them (the answer is quite probably, sadly yes) or do we come to a beneficial custodial agreement with them?
So the book didn't work for me but it may very well work for other readers.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews