Honeysuckle by Bar Fridman-Tell

Honeysuckle is loosely based on the character Blodeuwedd from Welsh mythology, and is fantastical and dark in the way that so many fairy tales are. Told from both of their perspectives, we see Rory (a boy growing up in a small, remote town without his parents) and Daye (the flower girl Rory’s sister created to be his playmate) as they develop from Rory’s childhood into his university days.

Their stories are, inherently, centered on Rory’s life — his longing for companionship, his fear of abandonment, and his connection with Daye — and we see how his desperation (along with his selfishness and environment) creates the very problems he wants to avoid, while Daye is forced to confront both Rory’s behavior and her place in the world. The descriptions are full of the natural world and the passing of seasons, and we see the wonder, the tedium, and even the horror they can bring, as well as the contrast with other people and places. It’s a beautiful albeit heartbreaking debut showing how love can turn controlling and abusive, and how one can build the awareness, self-worth, skills, and bravery to escape.