Great book! It had all the fears of growing up. Make a choice. Turn the page or close the book. Enter the darkness if you wish!

I honestly thought I had purchased this instead of gotten it as an arc, but herr is my very late review:

This really was an odd little book, that I am going to recommend to everyone. This book creeped me out while also making me cry and feel bad for the wife...and husband

crazy read!! i loved it. full on and right to it. nothing better then a crazy book!!!!! you would like this book if u like crazy reads

Fantastic horror short story! The premise is unique, and the story dives into grief in an unusual manner. I would recommend this to any horror lovers!

A quick entertaining read! I would love to see this short story developed into something like a novella! such an interesting concept and I really enjoyed it. Very tense and suspenseful. The way the author describes things in this book is done beautifully and creates vivid pictures!

After reading and loving A Fig For All the Devils, when I saw this short story on Netgalley, I had to request it. Keeping in mind how short the story is, it felt unfinished, with too much thought on the poetry between pages rather than the actual story. Maybe another 50 pages would have pulled it all together more. I didn't believe Rosemary - nice nod, would have changed that much even in those circumstances. I would recommend this for fans of short stories and mild horror. The story certainly delivered there. 2 1/2 stars.

This was an incredibly well-written horror/fantasy short story. The author masterfully conveys the complexities of grief in a deeply emotional and impactful way, especially given the brevity of the story. The chapter illustrations brought the garden miracles to life, making them feel vivid and realistic.

Fritz’s writing style is simply beautiful, with well-developed characters that drew me in completely. I found myself turning the pages faster and faster, eager to see how the story would unfold. The accompanying playlist was a fantastic touch, setting the mood perfectly and enhancing the overall atmosphere.

The story is an amazing exploration of the power of a mother’s grief and the struggle of facing a loved one’s impending death. While my expectations were high because of Fritz’s reputation, they were more than met. The ending was pure perfection. I can't wait to read more of this author’s work. Highly recommended!

This was a very strange creepy book and not really my thing. I think if you are a person that likes to read book with strange creepy things going on this might be for you. This is a story with about a wife that is terminally ill and the husband has been taking care of her at home because they can't really afford her health care. One day he spills her blood in the special garden he made for her and strange things started happening. One negative thing I will say and this might be something I missed on my own but they reference a daughter that they lost and don't get too much into that. I would have like to haven know a little more about that. I rate this low only because it just wasn't for me, but necessarily a bad book.

Interesting concept but suffers from clunky writing, particularly an overly heavy hand with similes and dialogue tags, and wholy unnecessary epigraphs that make a short book drag. There are also spelling and grammar errors that should have been caught. It feels like a first draft that would have benefited from revisions and a heavier copyedit.

On a more personal preference note, I struggle with horror where the action/decisions make no sense. How did you manage to empty your wife's blood bag all over the cabbage? Strange things growing from the plants and you feed it to your terminally ill wife? After you contaminated it with her own blood? There's an element of horror in that second choice that I thought was deliberate but it wasn't, which is honestly frustrating. It's borderline farcical horror at times with how easily the characters accept things, but it's played straight and comes off weaker for it.

There are concepts and ideas here that are very interesting but they need room to grow. Either prune it back to fit the length or cultivate it so that the elements have the proper room to grow. Ok I'll stop now.

*Thank you to the publisher and to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.*

When Nature Turns Nightmarish

C.S. Fritz, the mastermind behind "A Fig For All The Devils," once again invites us into a world where the ordinary becomes extraordinary, and the mundane transforms into the macabre. "CABBAGE" is a chilling short story that burrows deep into the human psyche, exploring themes of grief, guilt, and the unsettling power of the natural world.

Thomas, driven by love and loss, embarks on a mission to fulfill his wife's dying wish: a dream garden. But in a moment of distraction, he unwittingly sows the seeds of his own undoing. What sprouts from the earth is not just a garden, but a monstrous manifestation of unresolved emotions and festering secrets.

Fritz's prose is both poetic and visceral, weaving a tale that is as beautiful as it is unsettling. The story unfolds with a creeping sense of dread, each page drawing the reader deeper into Thomas's unraveling reality. The cabbage patch becomes a symbol of his despair, a physical manifestation of his inability to control the forces he has unleashed.

"CABBAGE" is a testament to Fritz's ability to craft stories that linger long after the final page is turned. It's a haunting exploration of the fragility of the human spirit and the terrifying consequences of tampering with the delicate balance of nature. If you're a fan of dark fiction that leaves you pondering the mysteries of life and death, this short story is a must-read.

This was sooooo weird lol. Well obviously I expected that when I requested this book so it was a welcome weirdness. It was a very thought out and prepared concept - that a husband creates the garden of his wifes dreams. Yes, little shop of horror vibes incoming. It was really enjoyable!

Aw, this was such a weird and wonderful short horror story! I loved the writing (not always a given for an indie author!), it was surprisingly well-fitting for the story, as it follows grief and tragedy. I didn't see the ending coming, so that was a terrifying surprise! I'd recommend this short book to everyone who loves horror.

This was so refreshingly strange and unique. It's not a premise I had ever seen before, and probably won't again. I highly recommend this unique read.

A creepy quick read that had some great illustrations included.

The imagery was something else, nightmarish really, I don't think I'll be able to get that horse out of my head. It's not only a horror but also quite a sad tale about grief too. The ending was terrifying too, though I did wonder what happened afterwards...

I felt it abruptly changed pace, even as a novella, it could have been slightly longer to set the scene first. I also don't know if something happened with the husband or it's just the wife's grief talking.

Overall, a good short story mixing realistic grief with a world of horror - plus I love that cover.

Super weird in some of the best ways. This is ecological horror meets grief in a way I didn't expect to be so beautifully done. This is a quick read but absolutely worth the time of a horror lover looking for something a bit different.

This was an interesting wtf did I just read book. It’s a short quick read. The storyline was curiously strange and well written. This was a page turner and held my interest. Overall, liked this read.

Great for a quick read. Lots of enjoyable stuff for the right reader.
Was quite easy and quick to get through, but I found it rather enjoyable and somewhat different.

Whilst short, ‘Cabbage’ was a really enjoyable little read. The atmospheric build up to the ending was perfectly executed.

Absolutely loved this. It will be one I think for a long time. I’ve already told our book club about it and am looking forward to them reading it as well. I can’t wait to discuss it with them. Thank you for letting me read it!
Fantastic!

This is the weirdest book I have ever read in my life. I love horror and I love all things paranormal but this fell short in many areas - the writing, the characters, and the plot. I was so disappointed by this book.