But she didn’t realize it was the last normal day on Earth as she’d known it… the last normal day anyone had known.

PLOT SUMMARY:

The meanest teen queen in high school might be the world’s only chance against killer plants run amok!

Camellia Dume is the meanest teen queen in her Malibu high school, a rich daddy’s girl thanks to her father’s elaborate scams. But she might be the only hero for humanity as an extraterrestrial mutation sends plants tearing across the country and through people in bloody fashion. As if that weren’t enough drama, Camellia just might meet her own personal match or worst enemy, in the new student Wray, as sparks fly and opposites attract. Only by working together can they uproot a deadly conspiracy that may have torn Camellia’s family apart.

GRADE: A

REVIEW:

Mean Girls meets Day of the Triffids in this fast paced horror. Move over Regina George, there’s a new bad bitch in town – Camellia Dume. She’s disgustingly rich and very influential both at her school and online realm, where she’s both loved and feared. Upon her first encounter with Wray, things don’t go down very well, but soon the two are going to be faced with killer plants and life as Camellia knows it will no longer exist. These two unlikely heroes will capture your heart and have you rooting for them in this campy, yet very fun scary book!

Doomflower by Jendia Gammon is a relentless, fast-paced horror thriller that grips the reader from the very first page and littered with hilarious moments that will have you laughing! The narrative is a whirlwind of tension, with each chapter escalating the horror as the protagonist is drawn deeper into a nightmarish world. Gammon masterfully builds a sense of dread, using sharp, vivid imagery that keeps the reader on edge. The pacing is swift, ensuring that the suspense never lets up, while the horror elements hit hard with shocking twists and grotesque killer plants. Doomflower is a wild, adrenaline-fueled ride for fans of chilling, fast-paced terror.

*Thank you so much to Encyclopocalypse Publications for the digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

SHORT Q & A WITH AUTHOR:

What inspired you to write Doomflower?

Doomflower was one of those secret-sauce ideas that bubbled up about 6 years ago, when I was getting to know Los Angeles better, and fell hard for Point Dume. I had been a fan of dark humor most of my life, so that’s reflected in the book; notably Heathers, as well as various high school dramedies over the decades, as well as pulpy slasher films of the 80s and 90s. I also love a mixture of sci-fi and horror, like The Thing, Day of the Triffids, etc.

And as I was a fan of antihero dramas like Mad Men and Better Call Saul, as well as growing up with How the Grinch Stole Christmas, I thought, “What if the absolute worst person in high school had to save the world? Who would want to follow her, and why?” And that’s Camellia Dume. She the richest and meanest teen queen in Killian High School, and her father is very much a shyster conman like Saul Goodman. They’re ghastly…but there’s a reason.

As I transferred schools in the middle of high school, from a county/semi-rural area to city school, I was suddenly faced with very wealthy cliques, and I was…not wealthy. So I identified a bit with Wray Blythe in that regard. I love fish-out-of-water stories.

I also love the enemies-to-lovers trope, especially when it leads to character growth.

And, frankly, I love L.A. Much of this story takes place in Malibu, and I lean into some Los Angeles tropes with love for the city I love and live in now.

Camellia is the ultimate mean girl when we meet her, but becomes the unlikely hero. Who could you see portraying her in a film adaptation or mini series?

It’s likely that at this point, she’d have to be a younger GenZ or a Gen Alpha actress, and I think in many ways this would be a breakout role for someone. I don’t have anyone particular in mind. I’d know her if I saw her audition. And I hope Doomflower IS made into a film or show, because I think a lot of people would enjoy it. It’s very cinematic, raw, funny, and filled with one-liners.

Several writers have explored deadly plants in the past few years such as Wilder Girls and Annihilation. What is it about plants that you find personally terrifying?

As I have a degree in ecology (which plays a role in the book), I’m not so terrified of plants as I am of genetic manipulation and the thwarting of nature to greed or malice. Given an extraordinary situation here–trying to avoid spoiling for readers–I’m reminded of Ripley’s quote in ALIENS that starts with, “You know, Burke, I don’t know which species is worse…” But in terms of monster appeal, I actually love pulpy horror, and nothing screams pulp like plant horror!

Can we ever expect a sequel to Doomflower?

If Doomflower does well, I do have framework for a sequel. So let’s hope it does. There’s definitely more to unravel! Meanwhile, I hope I get a movie or show option. Then you can be sure I’ll wrote a sequel!

Are you working on anything new?

Hot on the heels of Doomflower is my thriller/horror/sci-fi novel Atacama, out May 13, 2025. That has a more unsettling vibe, delving into mystery and grief (which both do play a role in Doomflower as well; I lost both parents in the past 5 years, and that definitely left huge effects on my writing). Atacama is a bit like The X-Files plus Annihilation plus Black Mirror and The Thing. Following that, I have a SFF short story collection out in July called To Wonder and Starshine, a dragon fantasy out next spring, The Vale of Seven Dragons, and a Choose Your Own Adventure middle grade horror out next spring as well, called Dungeon Crawl at the Haunted Mall. I’m also a publisher of speculative fiction at Stars and Sabers Publishing, and we have all sorts of books coming out from various authors there.

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