This Vicious Hunger

May (Wild and Wicked Things) mixes romance, body horror, and dark academia in this disappointing queer retelling of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “Rappaccini’s Daughter.” Thora Grieve has been trapped all her life, first by her undertaker father’s expectations and rituals and then by her socialite husband’s “short temper and shorter leash.” Now an orphaned widow, she leaps at the chance for a freer life of study at the university of St. Elianto with botanist Petaccia. Upon reaching the university, Thora becomes obsessed with the high-walled, overgrown garden outside her room—and with Olea, the mysterious and captivating woman who tends to its dangerous, poisonous plants. May conjures a fascinating gothic atmosphere, but doesn’t bring many new ideas to Hawthorne’s original apart from a basic gender swap. Meanwhile, the relentless repetition, especially the frequent descriptions of Thora sweating, distracts. Thorny Thora proves a difficult narrator to root for as she bites the head off anyone she talks to and alternately argues with and bullies Olea. For dark romance fans looking for a queer gothic, the literally toxic relationship will be a feature not a bug, but others may be frustrated, especially as the narrative offers no real resolution to their love story. This is all vibes, no follow-through. Agent: Diana Beaumont, DHH Literary. (Aug.)