Just your usual post-apocalyptic, mushroom-infused, body horror dystopian tale that gets at abuses of power, gender, and community.

The book is a slow reveal from the perspective of Nicole who doesn't know all that much about the world, and has been sequestered for her whole life. It lets the reader assume things about the world, only to pull out the rug later. The pacing is dreamy and internal; I was pulled along by the writing and the small worldbuilding reveals, but I could see this not working for others.

I'm silent as all of this comes off me, as I am cut down to the size and shape of a wife. I watch my clippings roll into the drain in slippery trails, gathering streaks of ash.

The first two pages start off incredibly strong, with Nicole's mother cutting off all of her fungal growths and literally cutting her into the shape of a wife before her marriage. The language of the whole book is quite visceral, especially when talking about fungi of any variety. The cover art is incredible, and honestly feels quite representative of the writing itself.

Thematically, there are certainly some well-trodden dystopian paths here around the control of women, but the way mushrooms are literally and metaphorically incorporated makes this book feel quite fresh in its own way.

(I added the content warnings from the author's web page to the bookwyrm description, and they're worth looking at.)