Predatory Natures came into my life at a time where I really needed an escape from reality. And it was a perfect distraction!

I enjoyed Amy Goldsmith's story and characters. There was enough mystery that kept me guessing. All in all a good read!

I would recommend Predatory Natures to all readers.

3/5.

Though I loved what this book put down (horror? weird plants? murder, mysterious trains, and Welsh mythology? yes please), I think that it fell into the pitfall that a lot of YA titles do—where it ultimately does not put enough trust in its audience to understand what is being put down in the story and, as a result, tries so hard to hammer home the innate lesson of the text (which I do believe is a very necessary thing for young readers to hear) that the actual plot of the novel takes a backseat. I absolutely understand and applaud how the author wove together Lara's past and present and the meaning she was trying to convey, but the apparent need to hand-hold her audience through the intended purpose of the book makes me feel as if Goldsmith is not as in-touch with the genre she writes for as some other YA authors I've read. I love her horror and her environments are wonderful, and I think her work would either shine either towards the younger side of YA or new adult—as the lush, vibrant feminist Welsh-myth horror I ADORED (and that felt very mature and unsparing for a YA title, which I deeply appreciated as someone who hated books geared for younger readers when I was a child because I thought they felt too hand-holdy!) felt dimmed by the desire to over-explain a moral already obvious enough to the reader via the parallels between the myth and Lara's own story. Also, the title being a double entendre of sorts did tickle my fancy.

Overall worth reading, but I think the lack of cohesion between the maturity of the horror aspect and the obvious way the lesson of the book was imparted onto the reader may make it difficult for it to find an appropriate audience.

Thank you to Random House Children's and NetGalley for the ARC!

The setting of this book is so well done, I loved the train and once the creepy garden cars started being explored it really kicked everything up a notch. The mystery was interesting and I enjoyed the magic system and how learning more about the mystery tied into her flashbacks of her past. I did find some elements of the mystery to be predictable but that was also influenced by how her flashbacks tied into things, it was clearer where things were headed in her past than in the current events but as you saw the connections it basically solves the mystery. I also did find some of the characters actions a little unrealistic, the manager of the train seemed to be operating in whatever served the plot best rather than what was most likely. Similarly Lara and Rhys two steps forward one step back in rekindling their friendship got in the way of figuring out what was going on on the train in a way that was at times frustrating. That said, that kind of miscommunication is common in this genre and did add to the tension of their personal relationship which was much more satisfying. I really enjoyed watching them grow closer again and really start to work together. This made the ending so satisfying and seeing Lara's personal journey from the beginning of the book to the end was well done. She had great character development and like the awesome setting was one of the best done elements of the book.

"A teen girl's dream job aboard a luxury train derails when she discovers the strange cargo being transported - a mysterious and beautiful greenhouse - but its flowering façade may hide deadly thorns beneath, in this atmospheric and lush novel from the author of Those We Drown.

When Lara Williams gets a summer job aboard the luxury train the Banebury, she thinks she's landed a five-star escape from her past. Even after she learns that her ex-friend Rhys, who she definitely did not have feelings for before their relationship imploded, is one of her coworkers, she's determined to make things work.

But on the first day of their journey, the trip takes a strange turn. Two mysterious carriages filled with an array of beautiful and rare plants are attached to the Banebury in the middle of the night.

And with them comes a pair of siblings. Wealthy, mysterious, and charismatic, Gwen and Gwydion claim the plants they're transporting are for research, but Lara can't shake the feeling that there's something...otherworldly about the strange blooms. Something that will stop at nothing to ensure the Banebury never reaches its destination.

Soon Lara will learn: You can't outrun your troubles. You have to grab them by their roots. And if she can't unearth the secrets of the Banebury, they might drag her down for good..."

I would never want to work on a train, just three days on a train once and I couldn't even walk on solid ground without feeling it was trying to rise up and attack me.

A train mystery never disappoints! I really enjoy this authors books because they are horror that isn’t gruesome or gory but more eerie and mysterious. I really enjoy them since horror isn’t my typical read but I do love a good mystery. I loved the train aspect and the mysterious plants were really interesting.

This is a younger genre of YA than is generally right for me as a reader, feeling almost middle grade in its characters, dialogue, and writing style. Despite the interesting premise, the plot and prose are fairly simplistic. Lara is one of the first truly Gen Z protagonist's I've read, and Goldsmith's writing of her internal monologue is rife with random terms that affirm this (starting rolling my eyes after the 3rd Taylor Swift reference). I really wish Goldsmith had gone without the flashback sequences. It is possible to establish a character's history without completing removing the reader from the story. The romance was okay, but typical for the genre in that I don't think I'll remember it.

I am three for three with this author!! The formula that Amy Goldsmith has just works so perfectly for me.

Lara thinks she has the chance to start something new when she gets a job working on the luxury train the Banebury. She wants a bit of a fresh start, but she definitely won’t get that easily with he ex-friend Rhys working alongside her.

Then, there is the strange case of the extra carriages added to the train overnight, along with mysterious twins, Gwen and Gwydion, transporting some strange plants housed in these new carriages. Things get even weirder when vines and other plants are seen in other parts of the train. Worse is yet to come for staff and passengers, and Lara finds herself in the center of all of it.

I love nature horror, and this was a really compelling display. There were moments I was gasping out loud, parts where it gets so intense I was flipping through this like a madwoman. You get to see this really horrific, isolating events play out, while seeing Lara grapple with her recent past. She does a great job of pulling from her past to find ways to protect herself now.

I loved this book. I loved the characters and the intensely creepy setting. Anything really isolated works for me, but the idea of a moving train you may not have the ability to get off of? Terrifying in the best way. There is a lot of mystery, decent character growth, and a past timeline that I found so interesting. I highly recommend this book!

Most beautiful cover. Ever. Such a good book. A nice, slow, creeping (pun intended), suspenseful build to a crazy killer and folklore. The creepy plant stuff is fascinating and the train setting really feeds (pun intended) into the whole isolated paranoia. Lara, La (so stupid shortening already short names), isn't the most likable character. She's dumb and hasn't seemed to learn her lesson from her ill-fated relationship with Beckett. Rhys is okay but they're both crippled by uncertainty and fear of rejection. Shoshanna is the worst! What the actual fuck is her deal? The ending was good but a bit confusing. Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC

4.5 stars

Predatory Natures is the third novel I have read by Amy Goldsmith, and now my favorite of hers, to date. Lara Williams takes a job aboard the luxurious train, "The Banebury", during her time off before exam re-takes. After a disastrous incident separates her from her former friends, she just wants a chance to reinvent herself and get away from everything. However, her ex-friend Rhys ends up working the same job, making that impossible.

The novel starts out strong, with a mysterious stop in the middle of the night when additional cargo is attached, owned by two alluring--but strange--siblings. They claim the new cargo to be botanical research, and nobody is supposed to go into those cars. It doesn't take long for the atmosphere to take a chilling turn, and of course, for Lara to find out exactly what the strange cargo is.

The train setting was absolutely perfect for this botanical horror--claustrophobic or not, if you're stuck on a moving train with no stops for days, and strange, sentient plants start to grow out from everywhere, you soon will be.

There are really two storylines at play here. The current issue with "Little Shop of Horrors" vibes, and Lara's past relationship/falling out with friends. Honestly, this is my only complaint. Lara's past is injected into the story at random points, most especially when the terror was going so well. These flashbacks really didn't interest me after I figured out what was going on there (very quickly), and took me away from the atmosphere that I had been immersed in. I felt that her backstory could have been summed up much more quickly between herself and Rhys, or even a short mental reasoning in her mind as to what brought her to this place. The way it dragged out throughout the entire novel was just repetitive after a while, and while I get that it shaped her current attitude, felt that it was more of an intrusion to the real story after a point.

Overall, aside from the flashbacks being too numerous in the novel, this story really captured my attention. I absolutely loved the creepy atmosphere, the issue of who could be trusted, and the connection Lara felt to the new cargo. By the halfway point, I didn't want to put the book down for anything.

Recommended.

*I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed are uniquely my own.*

For the entire premise of the story taking place on a train, I thought I would be irritated by the lack of scenery change. But I did actually really enjoy the way the plot played out.

This is my first read from this author and I don’t think it will be my last. While I felt there was some slow bits, they did a do a good job of tying in the details of the story. And it was intriguing and mysterious, and just honesty genuinely interesting. It was a nice break from the fantasies I’ve been reading lately.

Our story follows Lara, who has taken a summer job aboard a train, so she can save some money and then do some traveling once the train arrives. But there’s just one snag, her not friend has also taken the same job. And now the two of them are stuck working together, and having to figure if they can be friends again.

Add the passengers of the train, the other staff, and the two mysterious carriages that are filled with plants and secrets, and did I mention they arrive in the middle of the night?! Not to mention two wealthy mysterious freaky twins whom are doing research with these plants…

Will Lara be able to complete her summer job safely? And yet her passengers to their destinations? And figure out her broken her friendship?

𝘼 𝙗𝙞𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙩𝙤 𝙋𝙚𝙣𝙜𝙪𝙞𝙣 𝙍𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙤𝙢 𝙃𝙤𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝘾𝙖𝙣𝙖𝙙𝙖 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙉𝙚𝙩𝙂𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙮 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙙𝙞𝙜𝙞𝙩𝙖𝙡 𝘼𝙍𝘾

**3.5 STARS**

Content Warning: plant horror, death, possessive relationship

+ I really like the setting of this luxury train on it’s way through Europe and Lara is working on the train meeting knew people and one person from her past, Rhys, is on the train also. They used to be close friends in high school until some things changed.

+ The setting of the train already lends a mystery to the story but then as more people leave and join the journey and Lara finds something in one of the cars – plants, she’s wondering what is going on. I liked the sense of suspicion around the people on the train and the different personalities Lara encounters. I found the plants fascinating and the Welsh mythology tied to it very interesting. As people start getting hurt and dying on the train, Lara and Rhys try to figure out what’s going on before it’s too late.

+ Lara has a history and there are flashbacks to it throughout the story because she’s on the train with Rhys who is a link to her past. Her story was a parallel to the mythology about the plants so I did like that. In those flashbacks, she’s dating a boy who changes her, molds her into what he wants her to be, is very possessive of her and we see how far Lara has come in her self journey.

~ The beginning was a bit slow because it’s setting the scene and we’re meeting all the workers and passengers on the train, but also because of the flashbacks. I didn’t mind it too much, but it did feel like the story moved slowly because of it. The flashback events do ramp up though and it coincides with what is happening on the train so I did like that.

Final Thoughts:

I enjoyed the luxury train setting and the mysterious siblings and the plants! I also did like how Lara’s personal situation and growth was a parallel with the Welsh mythology about the goddess of flowers. I think for a young adult thriller, this was enjoyable and if you like trains and some Little Shop of Horrors vibe, you’ll enjoy this one.

What a wild (train) ride! I loved every page of this book! The author manages to combine botanical horror, Welsh folklore and a genuinely touching friends to lovers romance on a luxury train setting. I flew through this! The flashbacks to Lara’s part were dark so trigger warnings for emotional abuse but it made me care for her so much more as a MC. I was rooting for her to have a happy future! All in all a great read!!! I need more scary plants!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Predatory Natures follows Lara Williams on her summer job aboard a luxury train in an attempt to escape her past for a while. But when she boards, her old friend Rhys is working on the train as well. As Lara struggles with being back around Rhys—someone she used to have a crush on before her life imploded—things take a strange turn when two carriages full of plants are attached to their train in the middle of the night. When the odd occurrences start piling up, and someone gets hurt, Lara must figure out what’s going on before it’s too late.

This was a lot of fun! The author created such an eerie, haunting, and spooky environment. From the second the carriages were attached, I knew I’d be in for a wild, terrifying ride and I was right. I loved how isolated the setting was and the smaller cast of characters. It made for a very twisty, gripping read. The twist was so good! And the mysterious plants were so creepy!!

I really enjoyed Lara as a main character. She was very determined and headstrong. I enjoyed the slow reveal of her past and what made her and Rhys stop being friends. There was great tension between the two. I also loved Lara’s arc of growth and finding herself again. And the relationship between Rhys and Lara was rekindled was really well done and believable. Rhys is such a sweetheart and I was rooting so hard for both of them. I loved where their story ended.

Overall, if you love creepy, atmospheric stories with isolated settings and mysterious plants, I’d highly recommend checking this one out!

Thank you to PenguinTeenCA and Netgalley for the arc!

"Predatory Natures" by Amy Goldsmith
4.5/5 stars
This absolutely gorgeous cover drew me in, and then once I read the premise, I knew I needed this arc. It absolutely did not disappoint! I tore through this in a day.

This YA horror (nothing gruesome or terrifying, more dark mystery/creepy) takes place on a luxury train, where our FMC has just landed a short job to earn some extra money during her gap year. At first all is well as she is learning the ropes alongside a surprise co-worker, her recently estranged friend, Rhys. However after a middle of the night pick-up of two additional passengers and carriages, things quickly turn dark and eerie.

This book was so well written. I loved the insight into the FMC's personality through her inner thoughts. The writing is incredibly descriptive, I could create a clear picture in my head of everything that was happening.

I think this book would be a great introduction into the horror genre! It felt like a great way to feel it out and see how comfortable I was with that type of setting in a story. Also, anything with a good Taylor Swift reference in the writing is golden in my book!

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Children's Books for the advanced ebook copy in exchange for an honest review! I will be posting a review to Goodreads immediately, Instagram within the week, and on retailer websites once published. :)

3.5/5
Predatory natures is an intriguing YA horror set on a train that is transporting some mysterious plants guarded by a pair of siblings the are just as weird. Main character Lara is taking some time off before going to collage and decides to work on said train where a friend is also going to be working. They have a trouble relationship and they are forced to confront their feelings and past events. The story is told in present time and also some flashbacks that will tie the story as to why the two friends were a bit estranged. I would say I don't read a lot of horror but this premise intrigued me a lot. And it was not the kind of horror that was horrid or gruesome, more like suspenseful and eerie. Although I liked it the story moved a bit too slow for me and I felt like the main character was a bit unlikable. If you like a bit of dark mysterious train setting surrounding plant and welsh mythology do pick this up.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's for this ARC, all opinions are my own.

Luxury train and botanical horror, yes please. I do enjoy a good plant horror tale and this was a amazingly done one. Well written and well executed. And who doesn’t love a set of creepy twins. Of course there are the attempts as a slow burn like in most books these days but luckily it is more of an afterthought with a few flashbacks that I could take or leave. I prefer the focus remain on the dangers and the mystery behind the twins and the plants.

Book Review
• Spoiler-free •

I really enjoyed Predatory Natures! It was one of those novels that, especially towards the end, I kept gravitating to pick back up. I appreciate the layers and topics this book explores in one unique setting. The loaded background of the main character, Lara, added to the botanical horror elements happening on the page. The romance between Lara and Rhys was easy to root for, and the friends-to-lovers trope was done so well!

Overall, I gave this a 4.75! Perfect for those who like YA botanical horror like Don’t Let The Forest In. I’m absolutely going to check out her other works.

Thank you to @netgalley and @delacortepress for the ARC!

Qotd: are you a fan of botanical horror?

the premise sounded really cool, so I decided to request it.
let's just say it did not disappoint
the setting, plot, and characters were all very engaging.
i think it was just a little out of my comfort zone

Though I don’t read a ton of horror, sometimes I feel the urge to pick one up - especially if the premise sounds interesting as this one did.

The train setting was perfect for a horror story. It let a claustrophobic feel to the plot and made the horror elements inescapable.

Some reviewers have said that they enjoyed the horror story in the present but not the flashbacks, but I would disagree. I loved them both. Lara was very much shaped by her experiences in the past and the past events definitely affected how she interpreted events in the present.

This book was definitely creepy and unsettling, but I wouldn’t call it scary, and between the subject matter and setting it definitely felt unique.

This would be a good read for someone who doesn’t read a lot of horror but wants to explore the genre more. I really enjoyed it!

Predatory Natures had me hooked from the beginning! I stayed up way too late a couple nights just to read this book and finish it. I'm honestly sad that it's over.
Amy Goldsmith does a fantastic job at setting up the characters and keeps most of their motives up in the air. Throughout reading, it is hard to tell who is in on the activities on the train and who is genuinely evil. There is a sweet romance between two of the characters that I enjoyed watching unfold. The overall theme about trauma and how it affects us long after its over paired with a horror element allows the message to be driven home that much harder. Lara's memories in addition to the current events makes the book compelling and draws you into the story that much further, just so you can see what happened before and how it led up to the current happenings along with what drives the characters' relationships with each other. The mystery of the train and Lara's life will pull you into the story. You will not want to put this book down!!