If the classic film and musical Little Shop of Horrors was turned into a literary horror novel, you would have just a fraction of what has sprung from the brilliantly fertile mind of Sarah Maria Griffin in EAT THE ONES YOU LOVE.

Shell Pine is at a crossroads both personally and professionally. She has just experienced a couple of significant losses in her career and love life with the closing of her office and break-up with her boyfriend. She is now living with her mother in a small Irish community housing project that borders the dilapidated Woodbine Crown Mall. While stopping there to do some shopping, she spots a sign in the florist shop: HELP NEEDED.

"What Sarah Maria Griffin has done with EAT THE ONES YOU LOVE is nothing short of amazing. The title is indeed bizarre, and there are plenty of horrific moments. But she is able to tell the story without falling prey to the campiness that might have come from a novel that is straight B-movie-style horror."

Shell introduces herself to the shop's manager, Neve, who ends up bringing her on part-time to see if she takes to the floral business. The job was vacant due to Neve’s last coworker, an American botanist named Jen, taking a job hours away that would allow her to become a true doctor of botany. Jen was also Neve’s lover, so she is still hurting from the separation. However, Shell will soon find out that moving to better herself was not the only reason Jen left. There is something going on with Neve and the Woodbine Crown Mall that scared her, and she knew it was time to get away or risk her sanity. Or worse.

EAT THE ONES YOU LOVE is told in a rather interesting narrative style as the voices of characters sometimes appear to overlap --- even within the same sentence or paragraph. It quickly will become obvious that there is another presence involved in the novel, a malevolent one that has possessed Neve and is hungry for so much more. The odd-looking plant with multiple and varying bulbs that appear to give it a face was named Baby by Neve, and she spoke to it. The problem is that Baby answered back in ways that would not seem the least bit normal to any outsider. Jen knew that something was going on that was becoming dangerous and took herself out of the same situation into which Shell is now falling deeper and deeper.

Much of the story is written in Baby’s voice, or more likely through Neve, who is being used almost like a puppet at this point. Baby has roots that have deeply planted themselves within Neve’s entire body and consciousness. And now it has started to take root within Shell, in addition to growing rampantly throughout the mall. This unknown growth has damaged the entire structure of the mall and begun to poison the minds of many of the long-term tenants. Consequently, the city condemns the mall and selects a time in the very near future to close it permanently. This does not sit well with Neve/Baby, and they will make sure that they do whatever they can to continue existing in some way beyond the mall.

What Sarah Maria Griffin has done with EAT THE ONES YOU LOVE is nothing short of amazing. The title is indeed bizarre, and there are plenty of horrific moments. But she is able to tell the story without falling prey to the campiness that might have come from a novel that is straight B-movie-style horror. It makes a statement on grief, broken relationships, and even the plight of retail. Griffin does it in such a subtle and powerful way that the book will build roots in your mind as you get sucked into the intoxicating tale and leave you with images and experiences you will not forget any time soon.