Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my free digital ARC in exchange for a review 

I was excited for this one but unfortunately it ended up being a bit of a miss for me. It centres on a messy love triangle which perhaps should have tipped me off, as that’s not my favourite thing to read about… But I was drawn in by the promise of queer relationships and also different types of relationships and loving one another.

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My main issue with Mudflowers is that it felt too self-conscious. I could see the painstaking care the author took over each word, every placement, and that unfortunately conveyed a stilted and overwrought tone to the prose. Some things were over-explained and it felt like it was trying too hard to be introspective. I also don’t like it when authors go ‘Then he did something that really upset me… He did X’. It’s like my petty little readers’ ick, just really irks me 😂

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However, I did like the exploration of shifting dynamics in friendships, relationships and situationships. Where there was once banter and emotionally & intellectually stimulating conversation, the next moment no one wants to challenge anyone for fear of upsetting a precarious truce. Some of Sophie’s (the narrator) reactions felt a bit childish, and I’ve already forgotten how old she was supposed to be.

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Also, I’m not sure what the deal is with North America, but for a UK reader, reading the ableist ‘sp’ slur to describe movement (multiple times!!) is extremely uncomfortable. Please retire this word from your vocab 🙄