*Note: I’m going to be trying out some new formatting in my reviews. Please drop a line and let me know what you think of the updates!
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. They give me no money, not do they in any way influence my thoughts – those are 100% my own for better or worse.
Edition: Kindle ARC (Advance Reader Copy)
Synopsis (From Net Galley):
Nell Barber, an expelled PhD candidate in biological science, is exploring the fine line between poison and antidote, working alone to set a speed record for the detoxification of poisonous plants. Her mentor, Dr. Joan Kallas, is the hero of Nell’s heart. Nell frequently finds herself standing in the doorway to Joan’s office despite herself, mesmerized by Joan’s elegance, success, and spiritual force.
Surrounded by Nell’s ex, her best friend, her best friend’s boyfriend, and Joan’s buffoonish husband, the two scientists are tangled together at the center of a web of illicit relationships, grudges, and obsessions. All six are burdened by desire and ambition, and as they collide on the university campus, their attractions set in motion a domino effect of affairs and heartbreak.
Meanwhile, Nell slowly fills her empty apartment with poisonous plants to study, and she begins to keep a series of notebooks, all dedicated to Joan. She logs her research and how she spends her days, but the notebooks ultimately become a painstaking map of love. In a dazzling and unforgettable voice, Rebecca Dinerstein Knight has written a spellbinding novel of emotional and intellectual intensity.
My Synopsis:
I thought this book was going to be about Nell Barber’s work with poisons. It’s not. It’s about Nell’s relationships, her obsession with Joan, and the inter-relationships of everyone in Nell’s immediate circle. The poison research was a backdrop to all of that.
My Thoughts:
So, working from the outside in, I love the cover. I think it’s absolutely gorgeous. I like that it does sort of tie into the story that I originally thought I was going to be reading – the one about the study of botanical poisons and antidotes and detoxification of poisonous plants. The skull of flowers is really kind of lovely. And I suppose in its own way it also sort of fits the story I got. Regardless – gorgeous cover.
This is Rebecca Dinerstein Knight’s second book (her first being The Sunlit Night in 2015 as Rebecca Dinerstein), but it is the first I have read by her. I think that the quality of her writing supports that this isn’t her first time out of the gate. Although this novel is written in the form of journal entries by Nell, it does come off as believable and well-written once that has been established (I learned this about halfway through the book, which made me like it significantly better since I finally understood the logic behind what had previously seemed like a really bizarre narrative choice). She has dedicated them to Joan, her obsession/advisor. As Nell’s ability to cope with her reality (loss of her program of study, expulsion from university, Joan’s complete lack of romantic interest in her) is diminished, her journal entries become increasingly fractured. It is fascinating to watch her emotional decline.
I found that I didn’t like any of the characters in the story- but I think that was intentional. They are all unlikable people. And everybody loves someone who doesn’t love them back. Or enough. Or only might love them, but they’ll probably never find out one way or another.
Rating:
I honestly feel like I would have enjoyed this story more if it had started prior to Rachel’s death and the beginnings of Nell’s true decline, but ultimately, I’m not unhappy. Once I figure out why the style of writing was the way it was (journal entries for an academic study program) I found myself much more engrossed in the story where beforehand, I just kept getting caught up in the seemingly odd format.
I think if human dramas and stories about the intricacies of human relationships and obsession are your thing, this is going to be a great read for you.
Hex Rebecca Dinerstein Knight Viking General Fiction ISBN13: 9781984877376 Expected Publication: March 31, 2020
