I’m stunned speechless, this book was so excellent. Truly an artwork and masterpiece. From the first page, I was transported into a cruel bitter cold town and I enjoyed every step of the journey that followed.
I adored all of the characters. They were so incredibly real, their struggles and their triumphs, they had whole personalities, and I loved their friendships and the relationships.
I loved the discussion of grief and loss and loneliness, and I absolutely adored the writing. Across the board the writing was phenomenal especially when it came to the prose, the author had a way of taking something simple and writing it in a beautifully twisted way; often incorporating plant life, roots, and decay into it, as if the woods had taken over everything in the book. It was a type of foreshadowing before you knew it was, and a subtle hint after, engrossing you further into this bitter world.
I absolutely adored this book in every way and am so incredibly happy I read it. A natural horror beautifully written.

Full Thoughts:
The characters were amazing. I loved Wil. A girl grappling with grief and pain, alone and struggling in all parts of her life. But determined. I loved her spunk and her spite, but the deep caring and grief under that. I really loved her journey through the book and her character, and I adored Elwood. I'm a sucker for a soft boy. He made my heart cry and deserves the world. His journey was so powerful throughout the book. Starting as a timid scared boy, his growth was also very drastic but not jarring. I loved both of them and their relationship, built off of friendship, broken by trust, and renewed again by desperation and love. And I had a soft spot for Lucas as well. He was really the only one who was realistic throughout the story and I loved his commentary. Every one of the side characters had a fully developed and crafted personality and life. I felt like they were real people with problems and issues. Each one grew throughout the book and so did their relationships—which I adored!
I love depictions of good friendships and I loved Elwood, Lucas, and Kevins’. I also really liked Veronica and Wil’s, and their sisterly bond. Primarily the story focuses on Wil and Elwood. They had such a beautiful complicated relationship. I adored reading all the different twists and turns. Also, the relationship between Wil and her dad was very well written and added another layer to her character, her loss, and grief.
There was a lot of growth in the characters and their relationships as well. It never felt rushed and always felt right and fitting.
The book's plot was great. In the first half, you're plunged into the frigid small town, with a dark secret. You don't know what's going on and it's this small-town horror story set in the middle of a blizzard. Then the second half brings an almost fantastical element while still continuing the horror element. The plot was wonderful.
A good mystery, where you know what’s happening but you still don’t know what's happening. It unfolds beautifully and everything was connected in the end.
Lastly, the writing is so utterly phenomenal. I cannot stress enough how beautiful the prose was in this book. Not overly flowery, but certainly not bland.
Across the board the writing was excellent, but the prose was like a shining star on top of a Christmas tree. It was so expertly written and crafted I honestly was so happy and overjoyed reading it. Especially in the way, almost everything is described in this twisted dark way involving plants, roots, moths, etc. It gave this book a whole other level of craftsmanship.
I'm so glad I read this. I loved the characters and the relationships. It had such a gripping plot, I couldn't put it down. The author did such a great job crafting every element of this book down to its aesthetic. I could not stop reading once I started and I didn't want to either.
One of the best books I've read this year. And will remember it for a long time.
Star Rating: 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thank you so much to NetGalley and the author for this ARC :)

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this e-arc. As soon as I saw the cover I knew I wanted to read this. The story was ok, I did enjoy the romance portion, but sometimes was a bit confused at times. I read it a little slower than I do other books, not sure if it was because I was a bit disinterested. Overall it was ok, I would give it a try. 3 stars!

Wils mother has been missing for over a year now, and the local police are ready to close the case, despite Wils insistence that she just knows that Elwoods family know something.... got to be hard when you think your ex best friends family is involved in your mothers disappearance

Elwood has been brought up in the Garden of Adam church and is counting down to his 18th birthday, but not for good reason as it means he'll have to step up and be more involved in the Church

Very soon, Elwood finds out this doesn't mean what it thinks it meant, and he is in a lot of danger.

Elwood runs to Wil, and they form a reluctant alliance to save Elwood and maybe even figure out what happened to Wils mother along the way. Little do they do what they are about to uncover!

This is creepy, culty and almost gave me silent hill kind of vibes book. Really enjoyed this story and definitely a great wee read for spooky season coming up... already mentioned to to a few that I know will love it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Books/Viking Books for the chance to read and review this book early.

This book simultaneously had me turning pages and kept me up at night.

Together We Rot follows two teens in their small town filled with mystery, surrounded by a forest that smells of decay.
Wil Greene's mom has disappeared and she is convinced that the town's preacher is involved. Her mom wouldn't just leave town. The police have decided to close the case, so Wil takes matters into her own hands - and ends up barreling into her ex-best friend and son of her #1 Suspect.
Elwood Clarke has been in the church his whole life, counting down the days to his 18th birthday with dread, knowing he'll have to leave everything behind. For what, he doesn't know. It's not until he gets caught sneaking back in after a farewell party that he overhears his father's plans - to sacrifice Elwood to the forest surrounding them.

I loved this book. It was the perfect amount of spooky to read at night, and I've found that I am very drawn to thriller books that focus on sentient nature, such as House of Hollow or Where Darkness Blooms. This book did not disappoint. I was hooked on this story from the beginning, loving every minute I spent creeped out and wanting more. The storytelling was very effective, and I loved traveling around this small cult-centered town. I love a good "everyone is in on it" story. Also, can we talk about that cover? beautiful. I'd read this book just for that.

I found myself falling in love with the characters as they were reconnecting with each other, and it felt so natural to root for them. Wil is strong-willed (hah) and determined to solve her mom's disappearance. Elwood is shy and resigned to accepting his fate as the future head of the church, until he finds out the truth. One fateful night throws our protagonists together - for better or for worse. Oh, and did I mention that they used to be best friends? Yeah, until a year ago when Wil made Elwood choose between her or his family, whom she is convinced was involved with her mother's disappearance. As they reconnected and resisted falling into old habits, they learned just how much the other person has changed in their year apart.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story of reconnection, mysterious disappearances, cult behaviors, and living forests. This book is the perfect way to kick off spooky season.

I received this ARC from NetGalley and Viking Books in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and publishers for the e-arc!

Let me just start of by saying that this book was the weirdest book I’ve ever read. Well, it was more like a stretched out short story that had the potential to be an amazing book if given the right opportunities, but where it stands right now, it’s just either too short or too long. That was definitely the downfall of this book, however I still thought it was fun. For me, the romance and pining between Elwood and Wil was the highlight of this book because the angst was just *chefs kiss*. "The ones that had me praying" is definitely my “lift your hips for me love”.

All in all, solid bone structure, it’s just not living up to its full potential.

If there’s one thing that makes me squirm, it’s bugs, and supernatural thriller Together We Rot is crawling with them. I just — I can’t do bugs. *shivers* I can’t, but good writing has a way of pulling me in and keeping me there. Skyla Arndt’s creepy and chilling debut novel follows ex best friends Wilhelmina and Elwood navigating the horrors of a small-town cult. Bugs aside, I am allured by all things dark, and exploring all the mystery and complexity of that, so I was excited to get to the bottom of this cult business.

Wil is sure that her mother was taken and possibly murdered by Elwood’s religious family, and she’s devastated when Elwood refuses to believe this and basically chooses his family over her. Elwood’s father is intense and straight-up abusive, but Elwood can’t fathom the idea of him being a killer. Of his church being a cult. Of anything Wil is accusing them for. But there’s so much he doesn’t know, and so much that’s going to rock his world.

We get to see both characters’ POVs, and I liked alternating between the angry, headstrong Wil and the soft, innocent Elwood. I was particularly drawn to Elwood’s chapters because he’s so deep in his religion, physically and mentally. He misses Wil, he wants more out of life, but he feels bound to his role in the church and doesn’t see any way out of it. His only bits of happiness come from his two buddies at school and his beloved butterfly collection — which, of course, his dad disapproves of. It only gets worse as Elwood discovers that the “role” his dad is preparing him for… is to be a sacrifice. Cue the record scratch, followed by horror music.

The book had a pretty slow start, setting us up with where Wil and Elwood are in their lives (separated, miserable, the whole thing), and it’s here, when Elwood realizes his fate, that it kicks into high gear. The two are reunited and reluctantly agree to team up — Wil hides Elwood from the church, and Elwood helps investigate Wil’s mother’s disappearance. Their relationship is deliciously tense, since Wil struggles with her own hurt and anger towards Elwood. That, mixed with plenty of unsaid romantic feelings. The more they learn about the cult, about the supposed evil stirring inside Elwood, the more they realize they need each other.

They need more than each other, though — their friends get involved and won’t leave them to handle the dangers alone. It’s a fun aspect, with many different personalities in the group. Their chemistry and banter is great; they’re like a proper Scooby Gang. I especially enjoyed the character Lucas, Elwood’s friend. He and Wil are both stubborn and naturally butt heads, but they care so much about Elwood and are determined to help him. Characters like that, that would do anything for their friends despite how scary the situation is, get to me.

The characters are one of the strongest parts of the book, along with the lovely writing that makes the dark and scary come across as ethereal and beautiful. There are a lot of good pieces working together, but it did feel like too much was jam-packed into the second half of the story. Things were happening and progressing very quickly, and it was hard to keep up. Still, I’m super impressed with Skyla Arndt’s debut and hope to read more from her. Even if there are more bugs involved…

The cover is definitely what drew me in when it came to this book. It’s so cool with all of the little intricate details! This was kind of a mixed bag for me though and ultimately I didn’t end up loving it.

The book is told from two point-of-views and they come from Wil Greene and Elwood Clarke. They both learn that they have grievances with the Clarke family, the one that Elwood comes from. I think this is one reason they grow a bond outside of him being her former best friend. I thought that their romance was decent but it wasn’t really a plotline that I focused much on.

A lot of the plot is filled with the mystery of the cult that was formed in this town. It was interesting to see it play out, but it felt a bit slow in the beginning. Even though the book is on the shorter side I didn’t find myself wanting to pick it up often.

Overall, this was okay but just didn’t keep my attention.

Together We Rot, Skyla Arndt's magnificent debut novel, blends paranormal horror with gothic romance. This unconventional story is laced with cultism and eldritch horrors, set against the unsettling backdrop of an eerie forest, which is softened by the thoughtful exploration of tense family dynamics and sacrifice. Despite the slow start in the first quarter of the book, the rest of it absolutely enthralled me. I could not get enough of the world, but I would have loved for the lore around the forest to be a bit more developed. Still, all in all, a strong debut.

A big thanks to NetGalley and Penguin for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

A new favorite spooky read!

Together We Rot by Skyla Arndt is YA gothic fantasy novel about a girl wanting to look for her missing brother, in exchange for helping her former best friend hide from his cult-leading family. Wil Greene’s mom has been missing for over a year, and the police are ready to call the case closed—they claim she skipped town and you can’t find a woman who wants to disappear. But she knows her mom wouldn’t just leave…and she knows the family of her former best friend, Elwood Clarke, has something to do with it. Elwood has been counting down the days until his 18th birthday—in dread. It marks leaving school and joining his pastor father in dedicating his life to their congregation, the Garden of Adam. But when he comes home after one night of after a final goodbye with his friends, already self-flagellating for the sins of drinking and disobeying his father, he discovers his path is not as virtuous as he thought. He’s not his father’s successor, but his sacrifice. For the woods he’s grown up with are thirsty, and must be paid in blood. Now on the run from a family that wants him dead, he turns to the only one who will believe him: Wil. Together, they form a reluctant partnership; she’ll help him hide if he helps her find evidence that his family killed her mother. But in the end they dig up more secrets than they bargained for, unraveling decades of dark cult dealings in their town, led by the Clarke family. And there’s a reason they need Elwood’s blood for their satanic rituals. Something inhuman is growing inside of him. Everywhere he goes, the plants come alive and the forest calls to him, and Wil isn’t sure if she can save the boy she can’t help but love.

The only complaint I have about this book, is that it's too short. At only 256 pages it doesn't have enough room to breathe and expand in it's world building. But it is still a solid spooky read.

okay, this was so good! the spooky vibes, the creepiness, the characters, everything. i was in awe at how much i enjoyed this book! i will be rereading this for a fall readathon because the vibes were so great! i've already told about 5 people that they need to read this when it comes out because it'll be right up their ally! the writing style was so nice, i loved how every character had a really thought out personality! that was amazing and needed in more books!

3.5 stars

Just vibes.

The things this book does well, are done very well. The setup had everything you could want in a gothic YA horror, making you ask all the right questions. There is a friends to enemies to lovers trope going on that actually makes sense, and you can feel the history between them. Add to the mix a small town with (cultish) secrets, bugs, and a cold woods. It lost me as it tried sprinting to the end. With such a short book everything had to be wrapped up way too easily, and problems solved with two minute conversations. If you like these sort of fast easy endings, it may not bother you but with such a good setup I was a bit let down.

Thank you to the author, NetGalley, and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book was written so beautifully. It was seriously like reading poetry sometimes. The imagery was both horrific and wonderful all at once.

I heard the MMC, Elwood, described in this book was a Disney Prince and I would agree with that. He's soft and kind and has a horrible family and, oh yeah, some strange connection to nature.

The mismatched group of friends was a lot of fun. I initially thought it was going to be only Elwood and Wil fighting off the cult, but adding in the three side character friends was a great choice by Arndt and made this feel more Stranger Things or something.

As well, I loved that every character was a little messy and volatile. Wil was brash, aggressive, and was not really a traditionally attractive character. And all of the friends had their quirks and personality traits that made them imperfect and messy. I really liked that.

This book was actually funnier than I thought. I figure it would be pretty serious the whole time, but there were moment of reprieve. Some light in the darkness.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read. I read it in about a day and a half and have no regrets. If you enjoy teenagers taking down adults, towns with dark pasts, and a soft boy caught in the middle of it all, you'll like this one!

Thank you @penguinteen for the eARC and @prhaudio for the complementary audiobook.

Book thoughts:
Honestly I still haven’t decided how I feel about this one. I won’t even lie I wanted this based solely on the cover. It’s absolutely stunning! I am obsessed.

While I did like this book I feel like I finished it with so many questions. I initially assumed this was about a cult. But then there was the supernatural aspect that I’m still so confused about. I feel like I must have missed a whole chapter because I don’t get what happened 😅
I would have loved this one if the characters were more likable too. I wasn’t a fan of anyone. I’d say overall I liked it I just didn’t fall in love like I hoped.

Audiobook thoughts:
While I wasn’t a huge fan of the book itself, the audiobook was great. We got a dual POV with Michael Crouch and Jesse Vilinksky, both whom I love. They did a fantastic job at keeping the creepy feel of the book. Highly recommend this format.

As soon as I saw the cover I knew it was a book I wanted to read.

Unfortunately, the amazingly beautiful cover was misleading. While I overall enjoyed the idea and premise of the story, the writing fell a little flat, and the formatting was kind of confusing at times. I was also disappointed by the “romance” aspect of the book as it was almost nonexistent and felt like it was thrown in so this could be categorized as a romance. The two main characters were best friends and the story would have been fine with keeping them that way. The book also led up to this big showdown with the cult leader and it was very anticlimactic and took up all of 2-3 pages of the book. I think if this book had been edited and flushed out better, some scenes removed for continuity and pacing it could have been fantastic, but unfortunately i just didn’t vibe with it.

Skyla Arndt's debut novel, "Together We Rot," delivers an electrifying and chilling blend of horror and romance that will keep readers glued to its pages. With a sharp wit and a keen eye for both the tender and grisly, Arndt crafts a story that is equal parts haunting and heart-wrenching. The story follows Wil Greene, a determined teen girl searching for the truth about her missing mother, and Elwood Clarke, her former best friend, who seeks to escape his cult-leading family's sinister plans. As they form an uneasy alliance, their journey takes them deep into a web of secrets, dark rituals, and unearthly horrors that have plagued their town for years. Arndt's writing is immersive and evocative, enveloping readers in a world where danger lurks in the shadows and where the line between love and fear becomes blurred. The chemistry between Wil and Elwood crackles with tension, and their emotional journey is as compelling as the mystery they're unraveling. "Together We Rot" is a pulse-pounding and atmospheric read that cements Arndt's place as a captivating new voice in the world of YA horrormance. This novel sinks its roots into your imagination and refuses to let go, leaving you eagerly anticipating what Arndt will conjure next.

This cover is stunning and this book was cooking! It grabbed me from page one and never let me go. Please read this book this year!! Great writing and kept me guessing until the end. This book also. had a lot of commentary and discussion points! What a ride!!!!

#TogetherWeRot by #SkylaArndt is a fantastical book that keeps the pages turning.
Deep in the woods in PinePoint Michigan lies a small town that is almost eclipsed by the wild woods that surround it. Woods that seem to continually creep ever closer to a town that almost seems to worship them.
Wil Greene and her father live in what is now a run down motel where her father who used to be vivasious and full of life as the chef now spends all of his time in a drunken state greiving the disappeance of his wife. Wil is angry and suspisious of the members of The Garden of Adam. She is sure that they had something to do with her mother vanishing. Elwood had been Wils best friend up until the moment she accused his family of hurting her mom and she forced him to choose.
Now somethingreally strange is happening and Elwood is beginning to feel the flutter of wings in his chest and visions of a giant moth in the mirror instead of his reflection. He has never got on with his parents but living in a highly abusive home run under the thumb of a man who considers himself the right hand of God leaves him terrified of defying his parents. That is until he over hears a conversation that leaves his pulse racing.
Elwood flees in fear of his life into the woods that have always felt like home. Little does he know that these woods aren't as safe for him as he believes that they are.

Thank you to netgalley for the chance to read the eArc of #TogetherWeRot in exchange for a fair and honest review.

While most kids look forward to their eighteenth birthday and all the wonderful things that come with it–graduating high school and heading to college, living independently, and heading towards the next stages in life. For Elwood that excitement is nonexistent. When Elwood graduates it is expected for him to join his father and dedicate his life to the Garden of Adam, a congregation. Little does he know the church, and the woods, demand a blood sacrifice, and Elwood is to be that sacrifice. Desperate to escape he turns to Wil, a classmate who’s mother has been missing for over a year, a classmate that believes Elwood’s father had something to do with her mother’s disappearance, but nothing can prepare them for the realities that they soon uncover.

Together We Rot is a rather twisted, gothic young adult novel with a little romance thrown in (I honestly skimmed that part; not my thing). It was a little slow at times for my tastes, as sections seemed to drag a little. I liked that there are multiple points of view, allowing the reader to experience the actions, emotions and motives of the characters better, although I struggled to connect with any of the characters. Normally I am a huge fan of novels involving cults, mystery, or the paranormal, but I struggled a little with it. I think that there is an amazing novel within the pages and ideas in Together We Rot, but that it was not executed as well as it could have been.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book.

When I first heard of Together We Rot, I KNEW I had to get my hands on it. Cults, mothman, eerie vibes? Sign me up!
It feels like a very niche book and it's not one that I would universally recommend, but if you enjoy dark books about cults with supernatural elements (and moths), then this is definitely worth picking up!
Despite it being YA, it got quite dark, make sure to look up trigger warnings before reading, the three biggest ones being animal cruelty (no pets are harmed) and child abuse (not sexually), and of course religion/cults.

The atmosphere was soo good, it felt eerie and spooky and I had a movie playing in my head.
The plot was super intriguing and the way the dark secrets of the town's local church were uncovered kept me on the edge of my seat, I couldn't wait to find out what was really going on.
The cult aspect was SO GOOD, I love books with cults and this one just really hit the spot for me.

I liked the characters for the most part, though the teenagers, in particular, had a bit of a... 2000s teenage movie feel to them, where I just wish they had more depth and some of the dialogue really sounded straight out of a dramatic horror movie. It wasn't bad, but I think there is some room there for improvement.

The resolution of it all was a bit wild, though I've noticed that the type of horror that was used here is one that I haven't enjoyed yet, it's just not my cup of tea, but I think it was executed well.

Personally, I'm certainly looking forward to the author's next book, and if the synopsis of this sounds like something you'd enjoy, definitely pick it up. If you're not into horror etc., then this is not the book for you.

SO GOOD. The ending kind of threw me off a little but the rest was really interesting. It wasn’t as creepy as I thought it would be since it was advertised as a horror, it wasn’t really creepy at all. And I feel like most of the plot occurs in the last 70 pages of the book and everything is just context and romance. But 5/5 ⭐️ definitely a must read! The writing was beautiful as well, I’m so excited to see any other works this author puts out in the future.