Review of Honeysuckle by Bar Fridman-Tell

Honesysuckle is a beautifully written, unsettling re-imagining of a Welsh myth known as Blodewydd. An immediately captivating feminist twist on a story of transformation, betrayal and identity.

We meet Rory at the beginning of the tale, whose sister is too busy and impatient to entertain his childhood playfulness, so in desperation to be left alone, she creates Daye, a seasonal creature, to whom with ‘die’ with that season. What begins as an innocent friendship, slowly and darkly begins to unravel as obsession, as Rory refuses to let Daye die every season, he becomes fixated with making her into his very own creation where she will be by his side always, even going to some twisted lengths to perfect her whole being. For me, the main themes of Honeysuckle really made this extraordinary debut moreish and shocking all at once. From questions about individual identity, to control and consent, each powerful thread shone through the storyline perfectly, along with an essence of coming-of-age

Honeysuckle will be sure to stay with me for quite a while. I loved every single page, and of course I was in the #TeamDaye camp all the way!

Published on 24.04.2026 by Tor Nightfire

Reviewed by Danielle

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