I'm starting to think that I'm just a sucker for anything set on trains. (This book was no exception). I really enjoyed this book---the writing, the characters, the plot, were all so good. I'm normally not a huge fan of flashbacks, but in this instance I actually thought it served the plot pretty well and added to the intrigue and compelling nature of the story. The world is vividly described alongside characters that feel real. Overall, I really enjoyed this story. This was my second read from this author and I will absolutely be picking up more as they become available!

Whilst waiting to resit her exams, student Lara takes a Summer job aboard a luxury train (The Banebury) travelling through Europe, only to find that the train’s unusual clientele & their strange cargo are more than she bargained for. I read most of this in a day, finding that I was instantly hooked by the easy-flowing writing style & the incredibly relatable narrator (“A bold move, but as hot fox Robin Hood once said, faint heart never won fair lady”). I loved the use of flashbacks inserted throughout the narrative, meaning that alongside Lara discovering more about both the central mystery of the train’s passengers, we were teased with details of what had transpired between Lara & her former friend Rhys (also working onboard the train), & Lara’s ex-boyfriend Bennett. The descriptions of the train’s interior & the landscapes The Banebury passes through are vividly detailed, but the later descriptions of the mysterious extra carriages take this to another level & are intoxicatingly, almost overwhelming, brought to life by Goldsmith’s lush prose. The insidious infiltration of the train by the cargo onboard is mirrored perfectly in the revelations about Lara’s ex, & infuses the narrative with a growing sense of dread. The added layers of Welsh mythology & botanical/body horror make for a decidedly creepy, yet still fun & refreshing, read that I would definitely recommend.

Big thank you NetGalley and to the publisher for the chance to review this book pre-release. Ms. Goldsmith can do no wrong, I loved this one just as much as Those We Drown, and Our Wicked Histories. The characters and environment were well-described, and I genuinely was engaged the whole time I read through! A more formal review will be available on my IG/TikTok and Goodreads for release.

“I was slow to learn that beautiful things keep their dangers well hidden.”

✨Talk about atmospheric✨
I was throughly engrossed by the creepy, gothic-like setting of this book. This book gives you everything from botanical horror to Welsh mythology. I have been dipping my toes into the horror genre this year and this was a perfect read for someone who is new to the genre but doesn’t want to go in full force. The story and atmosphere are unsettling and creepy but not so much that it will keep you up at

The time jumps were not my favorite but they were ok and I can see where they helped paint a picture of Lara. Overall though, the plants were the star of the show and what kept me engaged.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Children’s | Delacorte Press for the digital copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own!

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Children's | Delacorte Press for this ARC Copy!

The cover sucked me in and I was completely obsessed from the moment we stepped foot on the train. What a unique and interesting plot. I love how the past and present were woven together, I wanted to know what happened in the past so bad, it kept me reading so obsessively, until I realized that suddenly I had stayed up way too late multiple nights in a row. I absolutely love plant horror books, but sometimes they can rely too heavy on the creepy plants and not enough story, but this one kept you a little creeped out for a good portion of the book, while also keeping you on the edge of your seat because there are two different stories that are just captivating and beautify written.

I’m a sucker for books about killer plants, and this is a really fun and creative spin built around some very sinister flora.

I’m also big on train books, and that aspect of this story was also well rendered and l loved the way the author blended the two.

The mystery itself is just ok and there really isn’t a lot to figure out that is of consequence that doesn’t make itself obvious pretty quickly, but that didn’t really take away from the reader experience given that the setting was so well drawn and the action also very well done.

But it’s the creepiness of the plants that really makes this one a winner. I didn’t actually care that much about the folktale backstory that supports how the plants operate, and I didn’t like the protagonist’s supernatural link to it. That said, these things felt minor when weighed against the delightful eeriness of a bunch of menacing plants slowly taking over a moving train with nefarious intent.

In all, an original story and a fun one. Highly recommend reading if you’re big on atmosphere and how sinister nature can be.

3 stars

An atmospheric and gripping story.

It wasn’t 100% for me because I found the FMC a bit annoying or maybe I just couldn’t fully see her POV the way we are expected to. But I do think it is a book many will enjoy. The author’s writing tho… love it, that’s what mainly sold me.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the opportunity to read this ahead of time.

This is the 2nd book that I’ve read by this author. While
I liked her other book more (Our Wicked Histories), I still thought this was an entertaining read.

The setting is mostly on a train. The confined setting definitely created a suspenseful and tense atmosphere. There were a few creepy moments that I enjoyed.

The story is told in the past and present timelines. I thought the present timeline was more interesting than the past. I think I would’ve liked the story more if it was all told in the present time. The story did start off a little slow and it did take some time for things to get interesting.

The teen main characters got on my nerves a little. There was some drama that became annoying. I wanted more of the horror elements and less of the teen drama.

I loved how the author included Welsh folklore in the story. It made me want to look up more about the creatures in Welsh mythology.

Overall, this was a pretty good read that I think fans of YA supernatural horror and eco horror will enjoy. I look forward to this author’s next book.

3.5⭐️

Predatory Natures by Amy Goldsmith is a chilling and atmospheric literary horror that pulls readers in.
I’m a big fan of Amy Goldsmith’s previous titles.
And her newest title was no different.
Wickedly suspenseful and atmospheric, this is a story for the lover of gothic settings and dark twisty plots.
Goldsmith’s vivid storytelling and detailed research make the events both gripping and intriguing.

You may need to let yourself be hit by this book if you like YA Horror, Luxury train setting, forced proximity, eerie plants, botanical horror, welsh mythology.

I saw the details of this book and I knew. I knew I would need it. I had it preordered before I could even second guess myself, and when I had the opportunity to read it, there was no stopping me. Forced proximity with eerie plants and botanical horror? SAY LESS. And let me tell you, Predatory Natures did not disappoint. I was fully caught within the pages of this one the moment I cracked open the cover.

Predatory Natures lured me in with elegant writing, characters that were as alluring as they were mysterious and a setting that was unique and beautifully crafted. I was aching to find out more every time I had to step away from the book, and while I’ve now finished and stepped away from the story, I can already hear it whispering to me, begging me to return and start the journey in the pages once more.

Loved this book, was able to go between physical copy and ebook which meant I never had to stop reading besides when sleeping and running errands. This book was so unique and not one I personally have read before. The cover just screams summer to me and if you are looking for the pretty eerie summer read than grab a copy of and carve out some time to read!

Here is my review of predatory Natures thank you for allowing me to read this book early in advance in exchange for an honest review

Lara is running from an awful relationship with a man named Beckett someone she thought saw something in her she didn't see. After all he's handsome. has already graduated and lets not forget that he is wealthy. Sometimes though things just aren't as good as they seem and she starts withdrawing from all of her friends including Rhys the guy that she has had feeling for for a long time.

Fast Forward several months and she finds herself running from her past and from the memory of Beckett. She sees the chance to try and reinvent herself by taking a job on The Banebury a fancy train taking a off season trip with only a few passengers. Of course though Rhys is there as well unraveling all of her plans.

Then the twins show up, Gwen and Gwydion who are supposedly transporting plant matter for research purposes. They are very secretive about it and something doesn't seem right. It isn't the right season for these plants to be growing and why are they so determined to keep everyone out. What is it that they are hiding and why does it seem like whatever it is happens to be very dangerous especially when people start dying.

I Loved #PredatoryNatures by #AmyGoldsmith it is a great book!

Thank you to #Netgalley for the chance to read this in return for a fair and honest review

THOUGHTS

Who needs snakes on a plane when you can have plants on a train? I'm always in the mood for some botanical horror. And this book... has a moment or two. But a lot of the potential here gets lost in the execution.


PROS
Botanical Body Horror: Though this book falls short in a lot of ways, it does have some nice bits of body horror. I don't want to spoil too much, for anyone interested in reading the book itself. But seeds and spores sure can plant themselves in... unfortunate places. Some of these botanical abstractions are gross, in just the right way.

Train Travel: Look, I like the train. I love the train. I love being on the train. I love watching the world go by while seated on the train. I love not having to drive myself, because the train can take me where I need to go. I love not having to waste hours in the liminal space of an airport because the train's already waiting at the station. Boo to you if you don't like trains. And this book, well, this book is very much about trains. There's just something so enchanting, even in horror like this, about barreling through the Bavarian wilderness as creeping plants weave their way through the historic panels of a luxury train.

Locked Room Mystery: This is an off-peak luxury train taking disused routes across the continent. There's no help to be found, not even when the train crew decides to stop the train. Even stopped, there's no way out but onward... There's no way off. There's no way out. There's nobody to call for help, because there's no signal. And in the wilderness, plants reign supreme. When train-mates start dropping, when they disappear, well, there's just the sense that absolutely nothing good is coming out of any of this. And I loved that.


CONS
Plotting Problems: The biggest problem is the way this book prioritizes backstory. I like a good backstory as much as the next reader (though whether this backstory counts as "good" is quite debatable), but this book jumps back into time so frequently to a backstory that is, quite frankly, less-than-interesting that the tension of the current-day botanical horror slowly withers away. It's unfortunate. Maybe if I had liked the backstory more it would have worked, but even then, I think that there's just too much time spent looking backward that any tension just goes to the wayside.

One Dimension: Content Warning with this one, I suppose, but this book does touch on the subject of partner abuse. And the way it does so... is very on-dimensional. I don't know. I just never believed she liked the guy in question enough to get tangled up in him at all, let alone to an emotionally vulnerable state. Everything about him, about their relationship, is so black-and-white that it's not a useful depiction at all because it isn't, well, a real one.

Lackluster: As much as I liked the atmosphere of the train (and the general idea behind the plot here), there really isn't a lot of tension happening on the train. Part of that is the timeline jumps that I mentioned above. Another part is that everything just sort of drags. Which is incredible, given how condensed the actual timeline is here. Everything just keeps chugging along, and that... doesn't make for a great plot.


Rating
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
5/10

Fans of Rin Chupeco's The Sacrifice will like the creeping vines of this new botanical horror. Those who loved Wake the Bones by Elizabeth Kilcoyne will like the eldritch entities being summoned forth from this wilderness.

This eerie YA read had me hooked from the moment strange plant-filled train cars were added in the dead of night. Predatory Natures follows Lara, a teen trying to outrun her past (and her ex-best friend Rhys) by working on a luxury train. But secrets bloom, literally, when a pair of mysterious twins and their creepy botanical experiments come aboard.

The train setting is claustrophobic in the best way, and the horror is more unsettling than scary. Perfect for students new to the genre. I loved the atmosphere and the mystery, but the flashbacks slowed the pacing a bit for me.

A great pick for grades 9+ who like dark vibes, secret science, and a sprinkle of second-chance romance.

The plot, setting, and characters are intriguing, but please note that this is an extremely slow burn. The constant flipping back and forth between timelines drove me a little crazy…I felt like the author held back TOO much of the backstory, and I was constantly jarred out of the much more interesting present.

The plot revolves around Welsh folklore, which is always my favorite, and throughout the book, we’re trying to figure out what a pair of Welsh twins have brought with them (in three added, locked train carriages).

Lara is fleeing from something that happened back home in Wales that made her persona non grata to her friends, so she takes a new job aboard a luxury train in the off-season. To her surprise and dismay, her friend (and unrequited crush) Rhys has also been hired, and things are really awkward at first.

Add some filthy-rich passengers, other staff members, and a LOT of mysterious organic material that keeps escaping from its designated area, and 💩 starts to get real for everyone aboard.

For me, the big reveal didn’t work or make sense. I would love other thoughts on what transpired at the end, because I’m honestly confused. I’m ultimately rating this a 3.5, rounded up, because it maintained my interest, but my progress was rather plodding. I’m currently reading another book that is fascinating and reads fast, and this one wasn’t like that for me. There’s a good story here, but I think it needs some trimming to be more cohesive. Still, the author is very talented, and I look forward to whatever she comes up with next!

Trigger warnings: extreme botanical horror, abusive relationships, gore, medical horror, violence, claustrophobic situations.

Thank you to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for an early copy! All opinions are mine alone.

The atmosphere in this one was insanely good!
Wow, wow, wow. I went in with zero expectations, intrigued by the idea of a plant-horror themed YA book set on a train and I wasn’t disappointed at all.
I was served creepiness, a heroine with a good head on her shoulder and a thick and cloying sense of foreboding, which was felt as the tension of story picked up.



Thank you to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

For Lara’s gap year, she decides to get a job aboard a luxury train, attending on the wealthy elite. The trip across Europe is supposed to give her a clean slate after a series of complications in her life. Instead, there’s a confrontation with an old friend and train cars full of mysterious plants that appear to be more than they seem.

I gotta love some plant horror! The creepy factor was really well done, the insidious creeping nature of the plants slowly growing through the train. And the characters were all interesting. Lara and Rhys’s relationship was especially fascinating as we learn what they once meant to each other. And the ending actually made me gasp out loud.

But the flashbacks really killed the momentum for me. Every time one popped up, I ended up putting the book down and not picking it up for a while. And the eventual romance felt unnecessary.

I’d highly recommend this for people who enjoyed Overgrowth by Mira Grant or the Sworn Soldier series by T Kingfisher.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Children’s for the opportunity to review this arc.

Predatory Natures blooms with originality, using its lush floral imagery to mask the creeping dread at the heart of its mystery. The idea of a luxurious train carrying a deadly greenhouse is rich with metaphor, plants that beguile and consume, much like the emotional baggage Lara carries from her past. The novel excels at creating an atmospheric setting where beauty and danger are entwined like vines, and the inclusion of rare, possibly sentient plants is a refreshingly unique twist. However, while the premise is compelling and the thematic use of flora evocative, the pacing wilts in places, and some character dynamics, particularly Lara's past with Rhys, feel underdeveloped compared to the potent worldbuilding. Still, for readers drawn to eerie elegance and botanical horror, this story offers a garden worth exploring, even if some of its petals don't fully open.

Creeping horror in a locked room (train) setting. Mix of Welsh mythology and hints of Bluebeard. Love women who realize they aren't weak and are more than what others try to make them.