Original Publication Date: 14 th December, 2020 It’s a well-deserved ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫 /⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ from this reviewer, and a humongous thank you to Jeremy Ray for providing the ARC and giving me the chance to read and review it early. Though I really would have loved to have spent even longer with the sassy fern George and his doting owner Brenda, this is a terrific story – and one I’d wholeheartedly recommend checking out. Despite being written from the perspective of a plant, this story is, at its centre, very human and stirring. I was blown away by how affecting this little story was by turns amusing, emotional, highly entertaining, and ultimately bittersweet and uplifting. VERDICT: Overall this is a fantastic short and is very well-told: Ray’s language is beautiful and The Houseplant has a really emotive core. The way he slowly warms and learns to appreciate her is so endearing. The characters are nicely written, with the snarky attitude of George the fern contrasting with the affections of his human, Brenda. I can’t say too much plot-wise, as this is a short story and I wouldn’t want to spoil it for anyone – but suffice it to say that it does take some unexpected turns, which really add to its emotional resonance and overall punch. Man, did I ever feel that line, particularly with my first few plant babies! It’s clear in the writing, and from Ray’s sweet introduction and dedication, that he too understands the joys of raising your own little plant life. “She hadn’t been killing it on purpose this didn’t change the fact that she was incompetent and should never have any plants, ever.” I think this story resonated even more with me personally, as I am a plant-parent myself – and I think any reader that has owned and cared for a plant of some kind will find a lot to relate to, and love, in this narrative – that feeling of accomplishment, upon seeing something you’ve grown and nurtured thrive, is truly a rewarding experience. Ray expertly laces the narrative with a good helping of humour, too, and provides some very funny lines such as the one quoted above.
Following the entertaining thoughts and feelings of a sentient houseplant named George, this is a thoroughly charming and wonderfully written little tale. The Houseplant is a short and relatively simple story, but it is filled to the absolute brim with heart and character. Given how much I’d loved his author’s voice and writing style in The Gatherings, I practically jumped at the opportunity. What I hadn’t been expecting was for Jeremy to reach out himself and inquire as to whether I’d be interested in reading and reviewing this story ahead of its release. In spite of being slightly different to my usual readings, it was on my radar, and was something I’d been planning to check out on its release day.
It prompted me to sign up for the author’s newsletter – which provides an ever-entertaining slice of micro-fiction every week – all of which have been excellent, though if I had to pick a favourite it’d probably be loveofmyLIFE. I’d read his similarly flora-themed apocalyptic horror story, The Gatherings (2020), earlier this year, and absolutely adored it. I’d heard about Jeremy Ray’s latest story, The Houseplant, quite a while ago now. That’s not to say it’s all I read, by any means. So, as anyone who knows me will be aware of, the majority of my reading is comprised of horror or horror-adjacent books. The Houseplant (2020) will publicly release on the 14 th December!🌱 🌱I received an e-ARC of this story in exchange for a fair review. Th e Houseplant (2020), published by Infinity Ray Publishing, written by Jeremy Ray. “ So, the plant deduced, this is the torture chamber where Brenda brings plants to murder.” ― Jeremy Ray, The Houseplant
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