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muckl3t83's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Stalking, Confinement, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Violence, Murder, Addiction, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Death of parent, and Death
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
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
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
oracle_of_madness's review against another edition
4.5
I loved this deep, sumptuous read about small town secrets and broken friendships.
This book definitely has some content warnings: abuse, alcoholism, murder being a few.
Wil is a strong and sometimes frustrating fmc. Her mother disappeared a year ago, and when she approached her best friend about his father's possible role in this, he took his families side, and their friendship has since been broken.
When they begin to work together again with some mutual friends, much comes to the surface about the secrets being hidden in this little town.
I really enjoyed this. I thought the author's writing style was very beautiful and that the many difficult topics were handled well.
Out August 29, 2023!
Thank you, Netgalley and Publisher, for this Arc!
This book definitely has some content warnings: abuse, alcoholism, murder being a few.
Wil is a strong and sometimes frustrating fmc. Her mother disappeared a year ago, and when she approached her best friend about his father's possible role in this, he took his families side, and their friendship has since been broken.
When they begin to work together again with some mutual friends, much comes to the surface about the secrets being hidden in this little town.
I really enjoyed this. I thought the author's writing style was very beautiful and that the many difficult topics were handled well.
Out August 29, 2023!
Thank you, Netgalley and Publisher, for this Arc!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Violence, and Physical abuse
natlren's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an arc. All opinions are my own.
This book was a lovely little gem that I positively devoured. I’ve been teetering in and out of a reading slump for the past couple of weeks and I can confidently say that Together We Rot cured me.
I think the star of this book was my beloved Elwood. He’s gentle and delicate and so undoubtedly himself despite his traumatic upbringing. I loved him and his growth dearly. In simpler terms: I’m an Elwood stan first and a person second.
I think this book always tackles themes of religious guilt and trauma really well. So much of Elwood’s life has been dictated to him as an extension of what the Lord would order of his followers, and watching Elwood step away from the suffocating beliefs of his family and the cult that they’re apart of was just so incredible to me.
The one thing that didn’t quite work for me with this book was the pacing, mostly because I wanted to spend much more time with these characters and would love to see more facets of their personality explored and elaborated on (specifically Kevin? Idk I really enjoyed his character).
That said, Skyla Arndt is a master of writing an atmospheric tale, and I’m SO excited to read more of her work going forward! I’m officially a lifelong fan!
Side note: it’s a travesty that there’s no moth emoji </3
This book was a lovely little gem that I positively devoured. I’ve been teetering in and out of a reading slump for the past couple of weeks and I can confidently say that Together We Rot cured me.
I think the star of this book was my beloved Elwood. He’s gentle and delicate and so undoubtedly himself despite his traumatic upbringing. I loved him and his growth dearly. In simpler terms: I’m an Elwood stan first and a person second.
I think this book always tackles themes of religious guilt and trauma really well. So much of Elwood’s life has been dictated to him as an extension of what the Lord would order of his followers, and watching Elwood step away from the suffocating beliefs of his family and the cult that they’re apart of was just so incredible to me.
The one thing that didn’t quite work for me with this book was the pacing, mostly because I wanted to spend much more time with these characters and would love to see more facets of their personality explored and elaborated on (specifically Kevin? Idk I really enjoyed his character).
That said, Skyla Arndt is a master of writing an atmospheric tale, and I’m SO excited to read more of her work going forward! I’m officially a lifelong fan!
Side note: it’s a travesty that there’s no moth emoji </3
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse and Emotional abuse
trippyotter's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Wow, this story!
I wasn't sure what I was expecting when I started, but I was shocked and blown away by the plot twist! I shouldn't have been. It's clearly in the summary, but it's different when you're wrapped up in the story and experiencing it.
When Wil's mother goes missing, she confronts her childhood friend, Elwood, who sides with his family. Grieving the loss of her mother and best friend, Wil sets out to discover the truth, and nothing could have prepared her for the truth.
Elwood has suffered at the hand of his father for years, and his future has been chosen for him. But when he learns the truth of his father's deceit, he will do anything to separate himself from his family and town.
I give the author mad props for the non-traditional ending! I don't think any other ending would have worked with the story, but I would love to read a novella/short when everyone comes back together in the future.
I wasn't sure what I was expecting when I started, but I was shocked and blown away by the plot twist! I shouldn't have been. It's clearly in the summary, but it's different when you're wrapped up in the story and experiencing it.
When Wil's mother goes missing, she confronts her childhood friend, Elwood, who sides with his family. Grieving the loss of her mother and best friend, Wil sets out to discover the truth, and nothing could have prepared her for the truth.
Elwood has suffered at the hand of his father for years, and his future has been chosen for him. But when he learns the truth of his father's deceit, he will do anything to separate himself from his family and town.
I give the author mad props for the non-traditional ending! I don't think any other ending would have worked with the story, but I would love to read a novella/short when everyone comes back together in the future.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Vomit, Alcohol, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Child abuse and Physical abuse
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