3.5 stars

CW: Racism, xenophobia, sexual assault, declining mental health

Evening Primrose is an interesting short novel set in South Africa, and follows a young medical student as she trains to be a doctor but is finding it hard to live with the amount of xenophobic behaviour she witnesses everyday.

This book had some of the best period/menstruation rep I’ve ever read, and Masechaba’s relationships with her own female genitalia/organs, and how she felt towards her body was a strong message throughout this book. I actually at one point there was almost too much period talk (to the point where it stopped serving purpose and may have just been for shock factor, I don’t know).

There were parts of this book that ere hard to read, and i really felt for Masechaba as she tried to overcome some of her peers’ behaviour and feelings, especially her best friend. Masechaba’s mental health also takes a rapid decline halfway through this novel and it’s hard to read as she’s really struggling, and not really getting the help she needs.

I liked that the book ended on a somewhat happy/hopeful note in comparison to the feelings of the rest of the book which felt a little bit unhopeful.