Crushed Plums

 Disclaimer: I received an e-ARC from the author. Adeline has been living in the same small town all her life. Taking care of the plum orchards, dealing with annoying tourists and being in love with her best friend Theo are all deeply familiar to her by now. But when the town’s rhythm is thrown off as the orchards bloom too early, the flowers glowing in a strange red instead of the calming pink and people turn into rotting corpses, she finds herself forced to break out of her daily trot, trying to figure out how to save herself and 

I really enjoyed Adeline as a character and I liked how her gender and disability were portrayed in the story, both as just a regular part of her character, but obviously also something that influences her day-to-day life. Theo was also an interesting character and while I would have loved to know more about him in the present, I did enjoy the moments were Adeline reminisced about their friendship and how they found connection with each other as queer disabled kids. I am also always a big fan of he/him lesbians, my beloved. 

The body horror and especially the descriptions of rot and decay was really gross and fun to read but absolutely need a strong stomach. As a horror fan, I loved it. I also enjoyed the horror of ecological havoc that greedy corporations can wreak and the punishment they were dealt. Plus, two lesbians kissing after eating their way through a guy’s face is something I knew I needed and this story delivered. 

All in all, this was a very fun novella. While I think some parts could have been longer and explored in more detail, especially regarding the relationships between Adeline and the other people in town that aren’t Theo, if you’re looking for a short and dark horror story and a small town overrun by zombies and some really, really fun lesbianism, you should check this out and enjoy a quick read.