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dcnireads's review against another edition
dark
hopeful
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror
Moderate: Gore, Mental illness, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Child abuse, Blood, Child death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Murder, Physical abuse, Grief, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, and Violence
Minor: Alcoholism, Stalking, and Alcohol
kagehime's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
<from traumatized boy to mothman to woodkid>
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Cursing, Gore, Violence, Religious bigotry, Mental illness, and Body horror
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Murder, Alcoholism, Death of parent, and Emotional abuse
darquedreamer's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I loved the premise, and the cover, of this one. Both felt unique, and gave all the right vibes. And, the writing was certainly atmospheric, but as a whole, the book fell a little flat for me.
The bits of horror that I got were outstanding. I really loved the ending, and still keep thinking about it, but there wasn't enough horror, and the romance just didn't have the chemistry I wanted. The characters also could have been a little more fleshed out.
It was an easy read. It was a worthwhile read. It just wasn't the great read I had expected. It just needed more. More horror. More feeling. More sparks. More character building.
I did enjoy that the main characters were not stereotypical to their genders, or societal roles. I enjoyed the Goosebumps feel that I got from the story, and I enjoyed the nostalgia found within the pages, and the references, along with the fact that the story didn't bring up all the modern bs with new technology and social media. It was a decent debut, and I would be willing to read more from this author.
The bits of horror that I got were outstanding. I really loved the ending, and still keep thinking about it, but there wasn't enough horror, and the romance just didn't have the chemistry I wanted. The characters also could have been a little more fleshed out.
It was an easy read. It was a worthwhile read. It just wasn't the great read I had expected. It just needed more. More horror. More feeling. More sparks. More character building.
I did enjoy that the main characters were not stereotypical to their genders, or societal roles. I enjoyed the Goosebumps feel that I got from the story, and I enjoyed the nostalgia found within the pages, and the references, along with the fact that the story didn't bring up all the modern bs with new technology and social media. It was a decent debut, and I would be willing to read more from this author.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Death of parent, Physical abuse, Body horror, Death, Murder, and Gore
kayceeisbookish's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Loved it! It is beautifully horrific, like twirling throny vines growing up a trellis. This book's vines had a CHOKEHOLD on me. I read it in one sitting. The mystery, grotesque body horror, the beauty in the main characters' development and growth, this book truly has it all.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Vomit, Alcoholism, Animal death, Gore, Animal cruelty, Abandonment, Addiction, Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Stalking, Gaslighting, Grief, Violence, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Blood, and Religious bigotry
hobbithopeful's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Thank you Penguin for this ARC
As breathtakingly beautiful as it is horrifyingly creepy, Together We Rotis now my favorite horror romance of all time.
Wil is fruitlessly searching for her missing Mother, much to the chagrin of the small town she lives in. She is convinced the local pastor is involved, but the local police would rather stuff their face with donuts then listen to her. Elwood is her ex-best friend and the pastor's son, forced to play a role he doesn't want. When Elwood realizes he isn't being groomed to take over for his Father, but instead is going to be sacrificed on his 18th birthday, he flees. Straight into Wil.
My favorite part of the story is the imagery, and just the way that Arndt writes. In just one sentence the mood shifts from light-hearted, to creepy. A few well placed words have you scratching at your skin, and making sure the light is on. Her ability to choose the most chilling words is just incredibly impressive. The tonal shifts she conveys within a page are some of the best I've ever seen in a book.
Horror romance as a genre is so difficult to nail down, books tend to favor one or other and it's rare that I see it done this well. The relationship between Wil and Elwood doesn't feel rushed, or fast-paced. It feels incredibly natural and in a way, aching. There are several characters in this but I never felt lost or confused. I know there are people who probably don't like the characters, but I think it's important to remember people don't act level headed when they are grieving. I personally love Wil's fiery personality, and her stubbornness.
If I truly had to nitpick and find something I didn't enjoy, I do wish it is a bit longer. I would have liked to have learned more about the town and the history. I will say I might have had a different opinion about the book had I not been warned by a mutual of mine about some of the content.
Be kind to yourself when you read this there are a lot of triggers. I read this as an arc so I hope the finished publication has content warnings because there are a lot of heavy topics. Some of them include: child abuse, body horror, INSECTS. (No really, all the insects!) I strongly encourage anyone who is wanting to read this to check out story graph for the full list. I didn't go into a book slump or found it on the level that books like Ever Since are trigger wise.
You know when you read a debut novel for the first time, and you're just like...woah. That is the feeling Together We Rot gives me. Skyla Arndt is a name to watch out for. I just know she is going to be big.
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this book, and I need Skyla Arndt to write another book IMMEDIATELY please! (Y'all she is one of my new favorite authors now!)
This is 100% my new favorite book cover for the year. I just where do I even start! The vines that are embedded under the skin like veins, the moths circling around, the SYMBOLISM! This is truly a work of art. Marcela Bolivar always kills it and I continue to be in awe of her talent. The cover not only captures the horror and creepiness of the book, but also the romance.
As breathtakingly beautiful as it is horrifyingly creepy, Together We Rotis now my favorite horror romance of all time.
Wil is fruitlessly searching for her missing Mother, much to the chagrin of the small town she lives in. She is convinced the local pastor is involved, but the local police would rather stuff their face with donuts then listen to her. Elwood is her ex-best friend and the pastor's son, forced to play a role he doesn't want. When Elwood realizes he isn't being groomed to take over for his Father, but instead is going to be sacrificed on his 18th birthday, he flees. Straight into Wil.
My favorite part of the story is the imagery, and just the way that Arndt writes. In just one sentence the mood shifts from light-hearted, to creepy. A few well placed words have you scratching at your skin, and making sure the light is on. Her ability to choose the most chilling words is just incredibly impressive. The tonal shifts she conveys within a page are some of the best I've ever seen in a book.
Horror romance as a genre is so difficult to nail down, books tend to favor one or other and it's rare that I see it done this well. The relationship between Wil and Elwood doesn't feel rushed, or fast-paced. It feels incredibly natural and in a way, aching. There are several characters in this but I never felt lost or confused. I know there are people who probably don't like the characters, but I think it's important to remember people don't act level headed when they are grieving. I personally love Wil's fiery personality, and her stubbornness.
If I truly had to nitpick and find something I didn't enjoy, I do wish it is a bit longer. I would have liked to have learned more about the town and the history. I will say I might have had a different opinion about the book had I not been warned by a mutual of mine about some of the content.
Be kind to yourself when you read this there are a lot of triggers. I read this as an arc so I hope the finished publication has content warnings because there are a lot of heavy topics. Some of them include: child abuse, body horror, INSECTS. (No really, all the insects!) I strongly encourage anyone who is wanting to read this to check out story graph for the full list. I didn't go into a book slump or found it on the level that books like Ever Since are trigger wise.
You know when you read a debut novel for the first time, and you're just like...woah. That is the feeling Together We Rot gives me. Skyla Arndt is a name to watch out for. I just know she is going to be big.
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this book, and I need Skyla Arndt to write another book IMMEDIATELY please! (Y'all she is one of my new favorite authors now!)
This is 100% my new favorite book cover for the year. I just where do I even start! The vines that are embedded under the skin like veins, the moths circling around, the SYMBOLISM! This is truly a work of art. Marcela Bolivar always kills it and I continue to be in awe of her talent. The cover not only captures the horror and creepiness of the book, but also the romance.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Kidnapping, Vomit, Gore, Emotional abuse, Body horror, and Blood
Moderate: Animal death and Animal cruelty
allapaz's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
I was immediately drawn to this book from the gorgeous cover art, the nature-horror-y vibes, and the first look boasting a headstrong, quick-witted main character. At a high level, the themes and concepts of this story are gorgeous. The story is told from a dual POV switching between Wil, the aforementioned headstrong MC who is determined to find the true reason behind her mother's disappearance, and Elwood, her ex-best friend who is the son of the local fanatical preacher, and is days away from a pivotal moment between him and his church. The Elwood chapters in particular were some of the most ethereal, gorgeous, descriptive prose I've ever read in YA, and it's those chapters in particular that make me wish I felt better about the rest of the story.
My main struggle here was that there was so much going on for such a short (sub 300 pgs) book. We have two very complex MCs who just can't be developed as much as you'd hope because the story has to move so fast to pack everything in. We cover a mysterious disappearance, small town social dynamics, familial grief, alcoholism, self-harm, some sort of nebulous mental health struggle, religious trauma, child abuse, neglect, a cult with a canonically Christian god, animal and human sacrifice, body-horror-y transformations, a sentient environment that smells like death and is also supernatural....and roughly 260 pages to story build and cover it all. This, along with some story/timeline inconsistencies, left me confused more than once because we go from one major drama to another.
The hardest part of reading this book for me was how much I wanted to like it, and how much I feel like I could have liked it if the author either spent more time developing our characters and world-building this strange town, or simplified the plot altogether. Arndt is clearly a beyond talented artist and author, and her style and prose are remarkably haunting and truly place you into the spooky environment she's crafting. I just wish all aspects of this novel measured up to that standard.
Thank you to PenguinTeen/BookishFirst for the ARC. Opinions are my own.
My main struggle here was that there was so much going on for such a short (sub 300 pgs) book. We have two very complex MCs who just can't be developed as much as you'd hope because the story has to move so fast to pack everything in. We cover a mysterious disappearance, small town social dynamics, familial grief, alcoholism, self-harm, some sort of nebulous mental health struggle, religious trauma, child abuse, neglect, a cult with a canonically Christian god, animal and human sacrifice, body-horror-y transformations, a sentient environment that smells like death and is also supernatural....and roughly 260 pages to story build and cover it all. This, along with some story/timeline inconsistencies, left me confused more than once because we go from one major drama to another.
The hardest part of reading this book for me was how much I wanted to like it, and how much I feel like I could have liked it if the author either spent more time developing our characters and world-building this strange town, or simplified the plot altogether. Arndt is clearly a beyond talented artist and author, and her style and prose are remarkably haunting and truly place you into the spooky environment she's crafting. I just wish all aspects of this novel measured up to that standard.
Thank you to PenguinTeen/BookishFirst for the ARC. Opinions are my own.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Gore, Murder, Child abuse, Religious bigotry, Blood, and Body horror
nrogers_1030's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
Together We Rot has a very interesting and unique storyline. I wish there was more to the story than there is... it's hard to put into words what I'm missing. This is a quick read and I enjoyed it. Also, gorgeous cover art. Thank you NetGalley for providing an advanced reader copy of the book for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Blood, Animal death, Death of parent, Violence, Bullying, Murder, Alcohol, Grief, and Death
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Vomit, and Gore
Minor: Abandonment, Pregnancy, and Stalking
gkaltam's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore and Death of parent
imbored_soillread's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Wil is a girl trying to solve her mother’s disappearance when it feels like the police aren’t doing anything. Elwood is a boy trying to escape from his secretive cult family. Together they have to repair their broken friendship and work together to solve the case and stop the crimes his family have been commuting for centuries.
SETTING/ENVIRONMENT- this book had some great world building, especially for being set in our world. I felt like I was there in the story the whole time. The cult in this story is a Christian based one, and as a Christian, and someone who has been in a Christian based cult, I thought it was done really well. It goes to show how people will bed the words of scripture to fit their own sick ends. For example, Elwood has been being abused for his whole life. His parents use the scriptures about the importance of discipline while completely ignoring the context and the scriptures about loving your children. They say that God has always required sacrifice for justification for killing animals and ignore the fact that Jesus became that sacrifice and fulfilled the law so that no more death would be necessary. One qualm I had with the setting was that it was set in winter, and my brain was picturing fall, so it threw me off, but that’s more my fault then the author’s.
PLOT- the plot was unique, interesting, and not grossly predictable as YA/NA books are these days. I found it easy to follow while still being deep and nuanced.
CHARACTERS- I have a love hate relationship with the characters in this book. They were well written and intentionally made this way, but personally, I wouldn’t have gotten along with them irl. Aside from Elwood perhaps. Wil was feisty, but I am very non confrontational and so our personalities don’t really fit. I thought it was interesting how the pastor aka Elwoods father called himself the “right hand of God.” Let me tell you, as soon as someone says they speak for God, run. It’s a cult. Only God speaks for God.
PROSE- immaculate and beautiful. Horrifyingly well done. 10/10. Enough said.
OVERALL ENJOYMENT- I liked it. I couldn’t put it down. It’s not my favorite ever, but it was good.
SETTING/ENVIRONMENT- this book had some great world building, especially for being set in our world. I felt like I was there in the story the whole time. The cult in this story is a Christian based one, and as a Christian, and someone who has been in a Christian based cult, I thought it was done really well. It goes to show how people will bed the words of scripture to fit their own sick ends. For example, Elwood has been being abused for his whole life. His parents use the scriptures about the importance of discipline while completely ignoring the context and the scriptures about loving your children. They say that God has always required sacrifice for justification for killing animals and ignore the fact that Jesus became that sacrifice and fulfilled the law so that no more death would be necessary. One qualm I had with the setting was that it was set in winter, and my brain was picturing fall, so it threw me off, but that’s more my fault then the author’s.
PLOT- the plot was unique, interesting, and not grossly predictable as YA/NA books are these days. I found it easy to follow while still being deep and nuanced.
CHARACTERS- I have a love hate relationship with the characters in this book. They were well written and intentionally made this way, but personally, I wouldn’t have gotten along with them irl. Aside from Elwood perhaps. Wil was feisty, but I am very non confrontational and so our personalities don’t really fit. I thought it was interesting how the pastor aka Elwoods father called himself the “right hand of God.” Let me tell you, as soon as someone says they speak for God, run. It’s a cult. Only God speaks for God.
PROSE- immaculate and beautiful. Horrifyingly well done. 10/10. Enough said.
OVERALL ENJOYMENT- I liked it. I couldn’t put it down. It’s not my favorite ever, but it was good.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Vomit, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Cursing, Gore, Grief, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Alcohol, Death of parent, and Gaslighting
Minor: Police brutality
I feel like it’s important to add occult themes, cult sacrifice, child and animal sacrifice, religious trauma, swearing, and a slight demonic tone. The regular content warnings can’t really warn you about these.
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