Haunted Inheritance

Seventeen-year-old Daisy and her mother, Grace, inherit a remote, imposing mansion in northern Ontario after years of scraping by in Toronto. The house, a symbol of long-promised freedom and stability, is also a site of family secrets and trauma. Grace, desperate for a new start, pins her hopes on turning the mansion into a successful Airbnb, while Daisy, haunted by her ability to see the dead, senses something deeply wrong with the house. The move is both an escape and a confrontation with the past, as the mansion's history and the family's wounds begin to surface.

Ghosts and Girls

Daisy's life is shaped by her ability to see ghosts, a secret that isolates her from her peers and even her mother. She struggles with the burden of her gift, the trauma of past abuse, and the pressure to be the stable daughter her mother needs. The ghosts she sees are not just supernatural but also metaphors for the unresolved pain and secrets that haunt her family. Daisy's only friend, Megan, offers a glimpse of normalcy, but Daisy's sense of otherness persists, especially as she navigates a painful breakup and the uncertainty of her future.

Forgotten Black Daughters

Ten years later, Brittney, a Black college student and documentary filmmaker, returns to the mansion to investigate its dark history for her show, Haunted. Brittney's own life is marked by a fraught relationship with her mother, a bestselling self-help author who built her brand on overcoming trauma. As Brittney and her cohost Jayden dig into the mansion's past, they uncover stories of forgotten Black girls, cycles of abuse, and the ways in which Black women's pain is both exploited and erased. The investigation becomes personal, forcing Brittney to confront her own family's secrets.

The House's Hunger

The mansion is more than a setting; it is a living entity that feeds on the suffering of its inhabitants. Daisy discovers that the house draws in the dead and the living alike, amplifying their pain and using it to sustain itself. The house's hunger is not just supernatural but also symbolic of generational trauma, abuse, and the ways in which pain is perpetuated and consumed. As Daisy and her mother try to make a new life, the house's influence grows, manifesting in increasingly disturbing ways—dead animals, ghostly apparitions, and inexplicable violence.

Mother's Secrets

Grace's relationship with the house is complex and fraught with secrets. As Daisy uncovers more about her mother's past, she learns that Grace was abused by her brother-in-law, Peter, in the very mansion they now inhabit. Grace's desire for revenge and her complicated love for Daisy drive her to make dangerous bargains with the house. She believes the house saved her once and is convinced it can be controlled, but her actions—sacrificing others to the house, manipulating Daisy—reveal the depth of her desperation and the cost of survival.

Ivy in the Shadows

Ivy, a strange and compelling girl, enters Daisy's life, first as a potential friend and then as something far more sinister. Ivy is revealed to be a ghost—Daisy's cousin, the daughter of Grace's estranged sister Dione and the abusive Peter. Ivy's death in the mansion's freezer, a result of neglect and family secrets, makes her both victim and monster. She possesses Daisy, manipulates the house, and becomes a symbol of the forgotten Black girls whose stories are buried by those in power. Ivy's presence forces Daisy to confront the true nature of the house and her own role in its cycle of pain.

Possession and Protection

Ivy's possession of Daisy is both literal and metaphorical, representing the ways in which trauma and family history inhabit the next generation. Grace, aware of the dangers, uses maggots from a goat's stomach as a folk remedy to protect Daisy from possession—a practice rooted in her own experiences and the house's demands. The struggle for control between Daisy and Ivy mirrors the larger battle between the living and the dead, the past and the present, and the need for protection versus the desire for agency.

The Price of Survival

Both Grace and Daisy are forced to make impossible choices to survive. Grace sacrifices others to the house to protect herself and Daisy, rationalizing her actions as necessary for their survival. Daisy, in turn, must decide whether to save her mother, herself, or Ivy. The house thrives on these sacrifices, growing stronger as the family's pain deepens. The price of survival is high—innocence, trust, and even the possibility of a future free from the house's influence.

Monsters in the Family

The true monsters in the story are not just supernatural but human. Peter's abuse of Grace and Ivy, Dione's failure to protect her daughter, and Grace's willingness to sacrifice others all contribute to the cycle of pain that haunts the family. The house becomes a repository for these secrets, amplifying their effects and making escape seem impossible. The story interrogates the ways in which families can be both sources of love and sites of profound harm, and how complicity and silence allow monsters to thrive.

Sacrifice and Salvation

In the climax, Daisy is forced to choose between saving her mother or herself, between perpetuating the cycle of sacrifice or breaking it. She chooses to save Ivy, offering her friendship and a promise to remember her, rather than allowing the house to consume another forgotten Black girl. This act of compassion and solidarity disrupts the house's power, allowing Daisy to escape the cycle of pain and begin to heal. The house, deprived of its usual sustenance, is forced to change, and Ivy is finally given the recognition and peace she was denied in life.

Truths Unearthed

Brittney's investigation uncovers the full truth about the mansion, Ivy's identity, and the family's history. The documentary exposes the ways in which Black girls' stories are erased, the complicity of those who benefit from their pain, and the need for accountability and remembrance. The truth is painful but necessary, offering a path toward healing for Daisy, Grace, and the community. The act of naming and remembering Ivy becomes an act of resistance against the forces that would keep her forgotten.

The Living and the Dead

The story blurs the lines between the living and the dead, the past and the present. Daisy learns to live with her ability to see ghosts, finding a way to coexist with the dead rather than being consumed by them. The house, once a site of horror, becomes a place of remembrance and healing. The living are haunted by the dead, but they are also capable of honoring them, breaking the cycle of pain, and forging new futures.

Breaking the Cycle

In the aftermath, Daisy and Grace begin the slow process of healing. Grace confronts her past, apologizes for her failures, and tries to be a better mother. Daisy, for the first time, chooses herself, seeking therapy, building friendships, and pursuing her passion for plants. The cycle of trauma is not easily broken, but the act of choosing to heal, to remember, and to love is a radical one. The story ends with the possibility of a new beginning, not just for Daisy and Grace, but for all the forgotten girls whose stories deserve to be told.

A Name Remembered

Ivy, once a nameless, forgotten victim, is given a place of honor—a glass house in the woods, surrounded by flowers and birds, with her name inscribed for all to see. Daisy and King, now adults, tend to the garden together, honoring Ivy's memory and the memories of all those lost to the house's hunger. The act of remembrance is both personal and political, a refusal to let the stories of Black girls be erased. Ivy's legacy is one of survival, resistance, and hope.

Healing and Hope

The story closes with Daisy, now a successful garden designer, returning to the mansion each summer to tend Ivy's memorial and reconnect with her past. The house, once a site of horror, is now a place of healing and remembrance. Daisy's relationship with her mother is still complicated, but there is hope for reconciliation and growth. The cycle of trauma is not fully broken, but the act of choosing to heal, to remember, and to love is a radical one. The story ends with the promise that the forgotten will never be forgotten again.

Characters

Daisy Odlin

Daisy is a seventeen-year-old Black girl with the ability to see ghosts, a gift that isolates her and marks her as different. She is the daughter of Grace, and her life is shaped by her mother's trauma, expectations, and secrets. Daisy is both caretaker and victim, struggling to find her own identity amid the demands of her family and the supernatural forces at play. Her journey is one of survival, self-discovery, and ultimately, healing. Daisy's relationship with Ivy, her cousin and the ghost who possesses her, forces her to confront the cycles of pain and sacrifice that define her family. By choosing compassion and remembrance over revenge, Daisy breaks the cycle and claims her own future.

Grace Odlin

Grace is Daisy's mother, a woman marked by years of abuse at the hands of her brother-in-law, Peter. Her relationship with the mansion is complex—she sees it as both a site of trauma and a source of salvation. Grace's desire for revenge and her need to protect Daisy drive her to make dangerous bargains with the house, sacrificing others to ensure their survival. She is both victim and perpetrator, complicit in the house's hunger and the erasure of forgotten girls like Ivy. Grace's journey is one of reckoning, as she confronts the consequences of her actions and seeks forgiveness from her daughter and herself.

Ivy Odlin

Ivy is the ghost of Daisy's cousin, the daughter of Dione and Peter, who died in the mansion's freezer as a child. Ivy is both victim and monster, possessing Daisy and manipulating the house in a desperate bid for recognition and love. Her story is one of erasure—she is the forgotten Black girl whose pain is buried by those in power. Ivy's relationship with Daisy is fraught, shifting from friendship to possession to solidarity. In the end, Ivy is remembered and honored, her story reclaimed from the forces that would keep her forgotten.

Brittney

Brittney is a college student and documentary filmmaker whose own life is marked by trauma and a complicated relationship with her mother. Her investigation into the mansion's history becomes a journey of self-discovery, as she confronts the ways in which Black girls' pain is exploited and erased. Brittney's partnership with Jayden and her determination to tell the truth about Ivy and the mansion make her a catalyst for change. Her story is one of resistance, remembrance, and the power of naming the forgotten.

King Okeke

King is Daisy's neighbor and eventual friend, a member of a family of psychics tasked with maintaining the supernatural balance of the mansion. His ability to "know" things about people is both a gift and a curse, isolating him even as it makes him invaluable in the fight against the house. King's relationship with Daisy is one of mutual support and understanding, as they navigate the complexities of their abilities and the demands of their families. King's journey is one of learning to let go, to trust, and to choose his own path.

Grace's Sister, Dione

Dione is Grace's older sister and Ivy's mother. Her failure to believe Grace's accusations against Peter and her abandonment of Ivy are sources of deep shame and regret. Dione's complicity in the family's cycle of pain is both a result of her own trauma and a reflection of the ways in which silence and denial perpetuate harm. Her eventual confession and participation in the documentary are acts of accountability and a step toward healing.

Peter Belanger

Peter is the brother-in-law who abused Grace and fathered Ivy. His actions set in motion the cycles of pain, sacrifice, and erasure that define the family's history. Even in death, Peter's presence haunts the mansion, a reminder of the ways in which monsters are made and sustained by silence and complicity.

Megan

Megan is Daisy's best friend from Toronto, a source of stability and acceptance in Daisy's otherwise tumultuous life. Her presence highlights what Daisy is missing—a sense of belonging, normalcy, and unconditional support. Megan's role is to remind Daisy of the possibility of happiness and connection outside the cycles of trauma.

Jayden

Jayden is Brittney's cohost and best friend, a documentary filmmaker committed to uncovering the truth. His objectivity and skepticism balance Brittney's emotional investment, and his support is crucial in navigating the complexities of the mansion's history. Jayden's journey is one of learning to trust, to care, and to recognize the importance of remembrance.

The House (The Mansion)

The mansion is both setting and character, a living entity that feeds on pain, secrets, and sacrifice. It is a repository for the family's trauma, a site of horror and healing, and a metaphor for the ways in which pain is perpetuated and consumed. The house's hunger drives the plot, forcing the characters to confront their pasts and make impossible choices.

Plot Devices

Dual Timelines and Interwoven Narratives

The novel alternates between Daisy's present-day experience and Brittney's investigation a decade later, using dual timelines to reveal the cyclical nature of trauma, abuse, and erasure. This structure allows the reader to see the consequences of past actions and the ways in which secrets are buried and unearthed. The interwoven narratives create suspense, deepen character development, and highlight the connections between the living and the dead.

Supernatural as Metaphor

The supernatural elements—ghosts, possession, the house's hunger—are metaphors for the psychological and generational trauma that haunts the characters. Daisy's ability to see the dead represents the burden of inherited pain, while Ivy's possession of Daisy and manipulation of the house symbolize the ways in which trauma inhabits and controls the next generation. The house itself is a metaphor for the ways in which pain is perpetuated, consumed, and sometimes transformed.

Unreliable Narration and Memory

Daisy's missing memories, Ivy's possession, and the house's manipulation of reality create an atmosphere of uncertainty and unreliability. The characters' inability to trust their own perceptions mirrors the confusion and self-doubt that accompany trauma. This device heightens suspense and forces the reader to question what is real, what is remembered, and what is forgotten.

The Power of Naming and Remembrance

The act of naming Ivy, remembering her story, and honoring her memory is a central plot device. It is through remembrance and the refusal to let Ivy be forgotten that Daisy and Brittney break the cycle of pain and erasure. The power of naming is both personal and political, a form of resistance against the forces that would keep Black girls' stories buried.

Sacrifice and Agency

The plot is driven by impossible choices—who to save, who to sacrifice, and how to survive. The house demands sacrifices, but the characters' agency in choosing compassion, solidarity, and remembrance disrupts its power. The tension between survival and complicity, protection and agency, is at the heart of the story.

Analysis

Delicious Monsters is a powerful, multi-layered exploration of generational trauma, abuse, and the erasure of Black girls' stories, wrapped in a supernatural thriller. Liselle Sambury uses the haunted house as both a literal and metaphorical space, where the pain of the past is not only remembered but actively consumed and perpetuated. The novel interrogates the ways in which families can be both sources of love and sites of profound harm, and how silence, complicity, and the hunger for survival can turn victims into monsters. Through Daisy, Grace, Ivy, and Brittney, the story examines the cost of survival, the power of remembrance, and the radical act of naming and honoring the forgotten. The supernatural elements serve as metaphors for the psychological scars of abuse, while the dual timelines and interwoven narratives reveal the cyclical nature of trauma and the possibility of breaking free. Ultimately, Delicious Monsters is a story about the courage to confront the past, the necessity of telling the truth, and the hope that comes from choosing compassion, healing, and remembrance over revenge and erasure.

Last updated: July 27, 2025