Baby, an orchid-like plant, has been cared for by Neve in the mall centre where her flower shop is since he was a seedling. He’s so hungry, though. He wants to consume everything and everyone he can to become as strong as possible, but there’s nothing he wants more than Neve. Enter Shell. Lost her job, left her fiancé, and stuck at home with her whole family, she needs something. Anything. She ducks into Neve’s shop, and Baby decides that she’ll do, the perfect tool to help get Neve.

This is a brilliant story about obsession, creepy and unsettling through the eyes of Baby, and drifting and lonely through the story of Shell. I devoured it like Baby probably would have. It was great.

Actual rating 4.5 stars

A darkly imaginative tale that will leave you both enchanted and unsettled.

Shell is seeking a fresh start, as she becomes entangled with Neve, a captivating florist, and Baby, a carnivorous orchid with an insatiable hunger for Neve (yeah, really). Griffin art fully explores themes of obsession, desire, and the twisted nature of love. I'm here for it. It reminded me a lot of Little Shop of Horrors!

I found myself captivated by the quirky characters and the eerie setting of a dying mall. The LGBTQ+ representation and Irish backdrop were an added bonus. While the horror elements were more suspenseful than outright terrifying, the book’s blend of humor and macabre made for a great read. Overall, it’s a must-read for fans of dark fantasy and horror, though some might find it a bit light on intense moments.

If anyone else worked in a mall during their younger years, this book captures the combination of eerie foreboding and camaraderie to be found there.

Shell has lost her job, her fiancé, and moved back in with her parents during a painfully short time frame. When she sees a 'help needed' sign in a mall florist window, combined with the compellingly attractive shop owner, Neve, Shell thinks she has found a place to rest and recharge her weary heart. What she doesn't know yet is that Neve has some dark and dangerous secrets, including a sentient orchid she calls 'Baby' who has some secrets and hunger of his own.

This was such an enjoyable read: the sexual tension between Shell and Neve, the dark and hungry voice of Baby, the concerned and mildly unhinged correspondence of Neve's ex Jen with another mall employee. I found myself liking the side character Jen so much, wishing she had her own story! The ending was a bit explosive and shocking, but I very much liked how things wrapped up after that.

Thank you so much to Tor Publishing and Netgalley for this ARC!

3.25 Stars

This was a fun, weird, nostalgic little adventure around a crumbling mall in Ireland. I instantly related to Shell and her conflicting feelings of feeling a bit lost and adrift in your 30s. I loved the writing, vibes, atmosphere, and found family vibes of the mall crew. Botanical horror is one of my absolute favorites, and I really loved the characterization of Baby and enjoyed his POVs the most.

I did get a bit confused with the alternating POVs, where one second we are following Shell and then the next sentence we are seeing Shell through Baby’s eyes. I also felt a bit bored a few times while reading, wishing for a little bit more horror or dread. This definitely leans more toward cozy horror/fantasy than what I was expecting, which I was pleasantly surprised to really enjoy, I just wanted a bit more and found myself wanting to skim through some parts. I think this would have worked really really well as a novella.

Overall this was a fun and engaging read, and lovers of botanical/plant horror and fantasy should definitely check it out. I will definitely keep an eye out for other books by this author.

Infinite thanks to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for an early copy!

I just could not get into this book. Overall, the writing was just not for me. The premise was enticing, but could not hold my attention.

In Eat the Ones You Love, Sarah Maria Griffin creates a captivating fusion of existential dread, romance, and gothic horror. The book centers on Shell Pine, a lady at a crossroads who accepts a job in a floral business and becomes attracted to Neve, the mysterious manager. Beneath the shop's fragile flowers, however, is a sentient orchid with its own agenda and a dark appetite.

Griffin creates a story that examines the attraction of desire, the price of belonging, and the uncanny force of nature through luscious, poetic prose and a setting brimming with both beauty and ruin. Eat the Ones You Love is a darkly poetic masterwork that you will continue thinking about long after you put it down.

This book wasn't for me. I wholeheartedly believe I will be in the minority though because I think a lot of people are going to love the 'weird' factor. I also already see a lot of 5 stars for people so that's a good sign!

Cons: I was a bit bored because I found the pacing to be a bit slow. I also had a hard time distinguishing the narration. It was narrated by the plant itself but a lot of the time it didn't feel that way. To me the plant being the narrator was always sort of an after thought. It read like a normal well written book and all of a sudden this creepy plant reminds us that he is the narrator and to me, it didn't click. Perhaps that was the point and I was just not smart enough to appreciate that?

Pros: Loved the atmosphere of the mall and appreciated the depiction of what it is like to work in retail. I am also a sucker for found family and the characters in the book had that sort of feel. Also this cover is magnificent.

Eat the Ones You Love is a beautifully written and compelling horror novel that combines obsessive, unhealthy relationships, human eating plants, and urban decay as epitomized in the mall. Yet, it also has engaging cast of characters who exhibit bravery, growth, and the power of community support and positive relationships.

The primary characters, Neve and Shell, are a joy to follow as their lives entangle, and the ever-present, charismatic Baby whose obsession and hunger are, in some ways, all-too-human, makes a powerful and enticing antagonist.

I highly recommend this work to anyone who enjoys horror, dark fantasy, and obsessive relationships.

Eat the Ones You Love is a wildly inventive horror novel that redefines the idea of carnivorous plants and doomed shopkeepers. Forget Little Shop of Horrors—from now on, this is the definitive plant-based terror story.

Sloane Leong’s novel delivers on multiple fronts: a clueless but endearing new employee, a dangerously charismatic boss, and a decaying shopping mall that serves as the perfect backdrop for a slow-burning horror story. Then there’s Baby, the plant narrator—evil, insatiable, and deeply infatuated with said boss. The result is an irresistibly strange, darkly funny, and unsettlingly tender narrative.

Leong balances creeping dread with biting social commentary, capturing the collapse of both consumer culture and personal boundaries in a world teetering on the edge. The Irish slang adds to the novel’s distinct voice, and the unexpected twists—including a romantic subplot that refuses to conform to expectations—keep readers on edge. If the human relationships feel frustratingly ambiguous at times, it may be because Baby, for all its sinister intelligence, is not the most reliable interpreter of human emotion.

The ending is both shocking and inevitable, and while it refuses easy resolution, it’s a fitting conclusion to a novel that constantly subverts expectations. Eat the Ones You Love is a deliciously bizarre, genre-bending horror novel that lingers long after the final page.

Many thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy.

oh! this was excellently weird!! the writing (or plot??) was unlike anything i have read before- in the best way possible! sapphics, cannibals, and rage were serving allll the vibes and if that sounds up your alley, or you’re looking for your next “weird book” to get into, this was EXCELLENT

Entertaining and engaging. A recommended purchase for collections where horror is popular. Different premise, but readers of Delilah Dawson's Bloom will probably dig this.

This was insane in the best way possible?

I went into this book simply looking for a queer little shop of horrors - I was no expecting to walk away in awe in the macbre, obsession that bleeds from the pages.

Shell, looking for a new calling after calling of an engagement and being let go from her job, stumbles across an unsuspecting flower shop in the middle of depilating mall. Founding herself drawn despite knowing nothing about floral arrangements, Shell meets Neve, the owner of the flower shop. Attraction is instant and she finds herself with a new job and open doors. Little does she know there is more than just Neve haunting the walls of the flower shop.

I almost have no words on how to review this book, it is almost best to go in blind? The set up of this book is so well done, mostly following Shell in a third person POV, and then there are excerpts, little insights from another POV that are just unsettling. There's an eeriness in the book that you can't escape - it draws you i wondering just how this story is going to wrap up. I almost wanted more of the eerie bits.

Overall this book was stunning, once I really got into it, I couldn't put it down.

Thank you Netgalley, Tor Books and Sarah Maria Griffin for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I had such a good time with this one. This gave exactly what I thought it would and surprised me in a good way! Can’t wait to talk about this more

There are many different building blocks that go towards creating a healthy relationship. Eat the Ones You Love makes a compelling case for ensuring that there is not a murderous, obsessive, and controlling plant monster-thing anywhere near you or your significant others.

While the book is definitely working in the same space as Little Shop of Horrors, this story more than sets itself apart as its own unique spin on the 'evil plant' tale and will easily win readers over with its great characters, strange and scary antagonist, and surprisingly touching depiction of a decaying mall and the people who have formed a community within it.

Eat the Ones You Love surprised me with its clever blend of humor, heart, and darkly captivating moments. The story balances its absurd premise with meaningful explorations of loyalty, survival, and self-discovery. I found the characters dynamic and compelling, with relationships that grew in unexpected ways. The plot twists kept me engaged, and the world-building felt surprisingly believable despite its wild concept. If you’re looking for something imaginative and thought-provoking with an edge, this book is a fantastic pick.

Little Shop of Horrors but make it sapphic!

We alternate POVs between Shell, a new employee at a floral shop, and Baby, a carnivorous plant. Through both perspectives, we see the shop owner Neve as she tries to keep her business afloat in a dying mall.

This was a fun and creepy tale. It's a bit light on the on-page horror and definitely not as gruesome or bloody as I hoped. It's still a fun time, just a bit cozier than I was expecting.

Personally, I think this would've worked better as a novella, as it did feel a bit dragged out until the finale. Still, I appreciated the overall story and characters and would recommend to the larger horror audience or those looking to dip their toes into the horror genre.

3.5, rounded up

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy.

Eat the Ones You Love by Sarah Maria Griffin is so important to me, mostly because it has taken heavy inspiration from my favorite musical and movie of all time– Little Shop of Horrors. This book is creepy and fun, playing with narration, description, and point of view to really create a horrifying experience. The suspense created by the narration alone is insane, and you’re constantly scared for the two main characters and nervous about what will become of them as things get worse. Eat the Ones You Love is a fantastic queer horror that deals with the horrors of every day life and the capitalist impulse to let work consume you whole. I love, love, LOVE this book. I would recommend this book for fans of queer literary horror, and television shows like Severance.

As funny and terrifying as Little Shop of Horrors, Sarah Maria Griffin brings suspense and terror to a dilapidated mall being invaded by plantlife. You’ll be on the edge of your seat for the whole read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!!

I went back and forth on my rating but I guess technically it’s 4.5. There’s a lot more to this book than meets the eye. You come for the man eating talking plant, you stay for the great story and metaphors about letting go and growing in a world that’s constantly changing. Our antagonist Baby is something out of Little Shop of Horrors. Living in a crumbling mall and surviving by chewing on unsuspecting patrons with the help of Neve, who he is in love with and who he uses for his clean up. Neve has just recently left her fiancé and has gotten close to the new woman she’s hired as her assistant. Shell has also recently left her fiancé and has moved back to her old life and she’s desperate for something new.

The mall where they work is ancient. Neve and her friends have grown up there and try to hold on to it as long as they can. In the opposite Shell has deleted everyone in her life from when she was with her ex. She has ignored every email and text from friends in her past. She only wants Neve and Neve’s friends.

Baby’s design was so interesting. With the ability to grow inside of people and read their thoughts/know their feelings, Baby is a force to be reckoned with. He knows all and sees all.

I really liked Neve’s friends and my anxiety was so high for them as Shell got closer to them. The horror level on this is very low. We don’t really see Baby chomp away as much as I would have liked. It got really crazy at the end and I did appreciate that. Little Shop of Horrors is one of my fave movies and I really enjoy these types of books. Baby is obsessed with Neve and controlling her life and I love a toxic man who can bury himself in your insides. I just wish he could have gone as apeshit as I know he wanted to.

This definitely gives off 'Little shop of horrors' with Grade B horror movie vibes.

I mostly certainly requested this book because
A) I love books set in Ireland (I'm from Belfast),
B) I love sapphic tales
& C) This 100% gave little shop of horror vives and as a musical girlie, it is a must!

While I could relate to the struggle of dying mall culture and the economy trouble that affects many and (when I last lived in Ireland) really affected the mentality of people & society. I found the flow & pacing of this horror to be uneven. I can understand the desire for the build up, and really making 'baby' a frightening and obsessive threat but things crescendoed much too fast.
Also, the voice got lost as we switched pov with Shell & Baby, there needed to be more of a clear separation so things didn't become confusing.

In the end, this was a fun dark read and I know a few people that will enjoy this release!

I devoured this book! The concept immediately drew me in from the first page with its originality and depth, setting the stage for a truly captivating read. The writing was masterful, flowing effortlessly and brimming with vivid imagery that brought the world and its characters to life. The characters' development was exceptionally well thought out—layered, nuanced, and deeply human. Each one felt authentic, with motivations and growth arcs that kept me emotionally invested. This wasn’t just a story; it was an immersive experience that lingered with me long after I turned the final page.