This book wasn't horrible as I was able to finish it unlike a few other previous ARCS I was given. I think this is one of those books that had a lot of potential and it kind of fell through. The book is a little under three hundred pages and I thought it would've been a bit of a faster read then it was too.

I didn't think any of the characters were really likeable or had anything special about them that made me think wow I really hope nothing bad happens to you. Wil and Elwood were kind of flat. Wil is angry most of the book and Elwood is kind of just existing. They were both kind of just weak characters and I wish there was more cemented into them that made me care if something happened to them.

There's also the idea of them being in love which I found a bit hard to be plausible. She spends most of the book hating him, yet being fascinated. One kiss and it's like her whole world unraveled. Oh yes everything in the past between us just makes sense now and we're in love. There weren't a whole lot of lingering touches or looks that made it seem like they had a connection.

There's also the weird moth/bug thing that Elwood relates to throughout the whole book. It seemed a little repetitive and he seemed a little too focused on them for metaphors.

I loved the idea of there being a cult especially when it relates to religion and then a character breaking free. I just wish we got to see more of that. I wish we got to see a change in Elwood. I wish he became a little more reckless or as a character we got to watch him grow. I just didn't see anything. He kind of gave up and gave in. Yes, I understand he broke the cycle that'd been going on for such a long time but he didn't get to really change as a person which I think is really important in books.

Then there's the ending. To me it wasn't a satisfying ending. It was one of those endings I read it and I couldn't help but think seriously... this is it? That's all that happens. For something that should've been a short read it felt like it took a while to get through. The book read for me at a slow pacing. Usually I would expect something a little faster for a YA books.

There's also the aspect of is supposedly being a horror book but there weren't really any aspects that made it scary. I know that can be many things in a horror book but there's nothing to me that stood out. Even if I were younger as this seems to be for a Young YA I still don't think any young teen would read this and feel those small goosebumps or scares.

I wanted to like this book but I just didn't. It doesn't make it a bad book as I did get all the way through it. It's just one I could've skipped and been content with. I probably won't read it again. Don't forget just because the book wasn't for me doesn't mean it won't be for you.

thanks to NetGalley for the eARC

⭐️=4.25 | 😘=3 | 🤬=4.5 | ⚔️=5 | 🍺/🚬=2 | 15/16+

summary: so the boy and the girl stopped being friends after her mom disappeared; she thinks her mom is missing because of his dad who runs a weird cult thing, but he didn’t believe her. anyway a year later he finds out his dad is trying to sacrifice him to the forest and now he’s on the run and she's trying to help him escape and it's very spooky but also romantic, so, like, horrormance, I guess??

thoughts: such a weird blend of genres that actually managed to work!! very much an edge-of-one's-seat read with complicated characters and creepy cults and gross bugs but also simultaneously a really engaging romance?? like how is this possible

the very last chapter was a little iffy for me—it felt almost lazy? (SPOILER) like I almost wanted the author to have a sad ending where he's like absorbed into the forest and his actual body is never seen again because it would make more sense but idk?? undecided (END SPOILER)—but besides that I liked this a lot. also, the cover is ridiculously gorgeous

content note(s): domestic abuse and violence, some gore, creepy bugs, also there’s a freaking cult

Thank you netgalley for the arc. I loved Elwood and Wil. I'm not sure where I thought this story was going but this wasn't it.

What I loved:

The cover. Equal parts creepy and whimsical, this cover is a MUST have for any horror lover’s shelf. The skeletal boy, the wispy plant tendrils, the bright moths, and butterflies give cottagecore meets the coroner vibe. And yet, there’s a soft and romantic mood in the way the characters hold each other. I’m obsessed and will openly admit that I requested this book based on the cover alone.

The premise. A fanatical cult mixed with their own brand of lore that’s tied to the forest. How could you not want to read this?

The dual POVs. Wil and Elwood are such a contrast. Wil is full of fiery anger and determination to take down the church that she know’s has something to do with her mother’s disappearance. She’s jaded and hurt. She lashes out at almost everyone and incinerates people’s feelings with her sharp comebacks. The evolution of her character as the story progresses is bittersweet, because it takes so much to embrace her softness and let down her defenses. I adored her headstrong perseverance and loved more when she realized that sometimes there’s strength in letting people you care about see your vulnerability.

Elwood is so scared of his parents. He radiates a quiet, almost doomed energy, like he’s accepted his fate that he’s destined to live for everyone BUT himself. It’s heartbreaking. The yearning he has to be accepted and loved by his family and the horrific abuse he gets in return. The way he sees Wil is honestly, poetic. Your heart will definitely flutter.

The secondary characters were memorable and just fleshed out enough to be interesting but not overshadow the main characters.

The setting is perfect for this kind of story. Small town with secrets.

The paranormal twist. No spoilers but this is the kind of ending I live for. This is one of the best YA books I’ve read in a long time.

If you’re a fan of Dawn Kurtagich (And the Trees Crept In, The Dead House), April Genevieve Tucholke (Wink Poppy Midnight), and Kim Liggett (Blood and Salt) this is right up your alley.

What could have been better:

The pacing. Everything happened all at once. So much of the story is based on the past-past events, past relationships, the history of the cult. The now is so rushed it somehow doesn’t meld well.

There wasn’t enough of the sinister, goosebumps inducing feeling that makes you wonder what’s lurking in the shadows. Morguewood is a terrifying place. And it becomes more so as the story progresses. However, there’s no real build up. Had there been little incidents that were unsettling sprinkled throughout, it would have upped the horror vibe. For a lot of the story, yes, the woods smell terrible, yes, they’re kinda creepy like any woods are at night and/or covered in snow, but beyond that, it felt like normal woods.

The cult. Everything about Garden of Adam is revealed in a very short span of time. Had there been more moments of discovery and reveals in small chunks, it would have built up and really hit hard when the truth was out.

the story was really cool but i feel like romance and young adult fantasy is just not for me...

thank you, again, netgalley for allowing me to read this beautiful book!

I loved Wil and Elwood. This was such a spooky and engaging read! Kept me on the edge of my seat and up late a few nights. I loved the dark atmosphere and the creepy vibes. I wanted to know more about the characters but the author did a great job. The ending was a stunner. Didn't see that coming at all!!

I did enjoy this book. It was very fast-paced, which made it a quick and easy read. However, it was lacking in character development. The characters were very one-dimensional. When there were changes in the characters it was instant, you didn't see the development. The story has a lot of potential if it could have been fleshed out some more. I still have a lot of questions and don't understand the cult aspect of it. There was lack of detail.

4.25⭐️

WOW this book was really it for me. This was one of most anticipated releases this year and it did not disappoint. The authors writing is so atmospheric, it has the perfect amount of creepiness, there was an unhinged cult (which we all love) and it was so fast paced the entire pages basically turned themselves.

If you are looking for an atmospheric YA horror, I recommend this. Also, if you were a fan of House of Hollows I think this is for you.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an arc in exchange for my review. This comes out August 29th!

*I received a free copy of this ebook from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*

I had hoped to like this book more, and I really did get sucked into it for the majority of the wild ride that it was. However, the ending was pretty disappointing. I've debated between giving the book 2 or 3 stars, but I'm granting it 3 because I didn't hate it or love it, and the ending wasn't awful--it just wasn't great. The story as a whole was interesting and unique, and quite honestly rather disturbing in a way. But not so much that I didn't want to read it. And the real bonus for me here were all the insects (I love them)--I think the insects saved this book from a 2-star rating.

Wil and Elwood (both turning 18) are pretty much opposites, especially since her mother died. She's all jagged edges and angry spines, while he's like the butterflies he pins for his collection. Except Elwood is also untamed and wild. Somehow, they make sense together, though. I liked the way their friendships with each other and their other friends (Ronnie, Lucas, and Kevin) changed shape throughout the book, along with their perceptions of each other.

Even if I wasn't satisfied by one major aspect of the ending, I did appreciate other parts of it; there was more hope, at least. Sort of. I feel like there could possibly be a little sliver left open for more story, but I'm not sure where it could go that would provide more resolution and a happier ending.

Note: Swearing, including some f words. Violence. Human cult sacrifice.

What a good book to start into spooky season with. The vibes and atmosphere were so perfect. I really enjoyed Wil and her take no nonsense attitude.

Honestly was expecting a bit of a different ending but think Skyla did a good job overall. It was a nice quick read.

I tried really hard to enjoy this book and I struggled immensely. The writing felt juvenile and I found myself dreading to read it. The idea was there, the plot was doable, but it just wasn’t executed the way I would have hoped. Thank you for the opportunity to read it and I hope for the best for the author, nonetheless. I will avoid rating on GoodReads at this time.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Im really a sucker for these creepy covers with plants/flowers on them. They are my favorite. I also really loved these gothic/supernatural/horror-ish stories. Spooky summer is starting!

3.5 rating

“Are you prepared to love a monster?”

Wil is determined to find out what happened to her mother. After a year, her mother’s disappearance case has been closed. Nobody cares about finding her anymore. She believes it has something to do with the Clarke’s, a religious family that own and operate the town church. Elwood Clarke, her best friend, doesn’t even believe that his father had something to do with the disappearance. Now a year later, Wil has changed. She wants nothing to do with Elwood and is stalking his family to try to get answers. Unfortunately she finds the answers she’s looking for, and they are far from what she could have ever imagined.

This was an enjoyable supernatural/biblical monster book. I really liked Wil and Elwood, but I felt like some of the other side characters weren’t really necessary. Cherry was fun and I enjoyed her. I feel like she can be a mother for Wil now. This was a super predictable book. The synopsis gets it pretty much right with what you’ll expect. I guess with a monster fic I wanted more? Either way, I enjoyed this journey. It gets crazy quickly and if you want something fast paced, I recommend it.

2.5★

Thank you Netgalley for this e-ARC.

First of all, I want to say that I feel bad for rating it this low, but I was quite disappointed with this book. The cover is absolutely gorgeous, and it started strong, but then it just fell flat for me.


Thoughts:

- It started strong, and I was intrigued. I liked the depiction of the woods and moths. It felt very surrealistic, and I enjoyed that. I thought it would be like that the whole time (and I'd prefer it).

- The characters were flat. I didn't get to create any kind of connection to them. In the end, when I was supposed to feel sad for them or believe what they felt for each other, I felt nothing. I wish the characters' backgrounds would go deeper. I honestly couldn't even believe the romance because it came out of nowhere. Yes, it's nice that they are childhood friends, but we are only told that. Never shown.

- The plot started promising, but I was missing some kind of mystery in it. I was hoping that the author had some twists and turns there, but from the beginning, it was obvious who the big bad was and how it would go and eventually end.

- The subplot with Wil's mother could have been more interesting. It just fell flat.

- I very much enjoyed Cherry's character and her cat.

- I also liked the tarot reading scene. I don't think I see that often in books.

- Another thing I liked was the dual POV. I'm always here for dual POVs. However, it could have been used better. We could have seen more of the characters' backstories. I would have loved that.

- One minor thing I was very confused about was the setting of the story. Was it in modern-day? Because at first, I felt like it wasn't, but then out of nowhere, Wil pulled out her phone to start recording. So... modern-day? But then she mentioned it had a tiny screen... So... not modern? But modern enough to record proper videos? Or maybe it was there, and my brain missed it, who knows.

- Lastly, I want to mention that I very much didn't like the ending. We went from surrealistic depictions of the wood and moths to full-on monsters and the power of love.


This story had so much potential, and I wish I could have loved it, but I didn't.

Together We Rot, I feel was a very to the point type of story. If anyone wanted a short read about romance with a hint of cult stuff this is it, but I personally wished there was a little more to it. I felt like it was not developed enough and I did not have much of a chance to get to know any of the characters including the main two. I am very big on a group of friends, which wasn't that apparent until towards the end, even then I barely knew anything about anyone besides their name and maybe one or two facts. I felt like this book should have been a little longer, so that it could be fleshed out more, otherwise it was okay.

I would have been thrilled to find this book as a teenager!

The story is well crafted. The characters, world and over all atmosphere are well fleshed out. There is a creeping discomfort woven into the pages. An eerie, and grungy appeal that the author built into the world around you.

For a YA book, I think this is super successful. I really enjoyed the endearing romance mixed with the horror elements.

I saw this come up on social media, and I needed it in my hands immediately because of the cover art. It's so good. This is a very quick read just over 250 pages in the copy I was reading from.

Personally, as an adult reader I would loved to have seen this story be longer, and really seen the world building come to life, with more strange forest tendrils and bugs. Really let that lurking, eldrich horror seep in with the time it deserves. I love the dark cryptid vibes mixed with the strange cult themes, especially mixed with the depths of the trauma and greif each chatacter is carrying. It's good and I want more of it.

If a sequel is remotely in the works, I would gladly pick it up and go back into that world, and would be hoping for more creepy and lovely bug boy magic. (That may just be my bias as someone who mostly reads fantasy.)

Thank you to Skyla, Penguin Group, NetGalley, and everyone involved in allowing me to read and review this advanced reader copy of the book!

Wil and Elwood are old best friends who can help each other, but Wil's hatred of Elwood may stop her. I really liked the MC's in this story, the cultish vibes were creepy and it kept my attention. It was a fast read! I would reccomend to anyone who loves YA novels with creepy thriller vibes.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this eARC.

Together We Rot follows teens Elwood and Wil as they reluctantly team up to hide Elwood from his overbearing family and search for evidence that that family had something to do with Wil's mother's death.

This was such a spooky and interesting read! I was on the edge of my seat pretty much the entire time. I loved the dark atmosphere, the absolutely crazy goings-on in the town that Wil and Elwood slowly uncovered, and I adored getting to know our two main characters. I definitely wish we'd had even more time with them! I also thoroughly enjoyed the emotional core of the story, which had me feeling all kinds of feelings by the end of the book.

Overall, this was a really solid debut, perfect for anyone looking for a little bit of twisted, gothic horror, and I cannot wait to see what Skyla Arndt has in store moving forward.

‘Together We Rot’ is the perfect read to either transition from summer into spooky season with its cottagegore/folk horror elements if you choose to read it on or around its August 29th release date, OR the perfect spooky Christmas read, as its snow-covered setting provides the perfect winter mood for those of us who like to read horror and gothics all year long.

Arndt’s YA Horror Romance debut is particularly impressive in its mature prose and balance of target-audience-appropriate body horror and gore. Wil’s and Elwood’s respective points of view are clearly defined and easy to differentiate, something that often slips through the cracks in debuts and YA. She maintains enough horror to capture the right vibes without going overboard and verging into truly disturbing adult territory. Superbly executed horror aside, the characters and romance have so much heart (and heartache) it’s impossible not to root for these traumatised kids.

Set in modern day Michigan and blending religious trauma and conspiracy with a Mothman flavoured mystery, and deftly weaving in a sharp romantic arc, Arndt has crafted a novel perfect for fans of cryptids, gothic suspense, winter horror, and monster boyfriends alike.

A HUGE thank you to Skyla Arndt, Penguin Teen, and Viking Books for allowing me to read an advanced e-galley of ‘Together We Rot’ via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review, and for the opportunity to help support and promote Skyla’s debut as a member of the street team for this book.

3.5 stars

Definitely check trigger/content warnings if you have religious trauma or a fear of bugs.

Did I know what was going on most of the time while reading this? No, not really. Did I still have a good time? Yeah, for the most part.

The adults in this sucked. Most of them were just awful people and Wil’s dad, while not evil, was an absent parent for most of the book. The teenagers were just being teenagers though.

I think this would make a good fall/Halloween read. I really enjoyed the vibe of the story.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an arc of this book.

I'm going to be completely honest with you in saying that I absolutely did judge this book by its cover. It's absolutely beautiful and perfectly portrays the essence of the story.


With that said, Together We Rot is a mesmerizing gothic romance that takes place in a sleepy little town where everyone knows everyone and yet nothing is quite as it seems. For fans of light horror, spooky forests, contemporary paranormal vibes and friends to enemies to lovers. It's a quick read with solid characters and character development.

I do wish that the story could have been a little longer to give the characters and storyline more of a background. I feel like there could have been way more in terms of the history of the town, its people, and the forest. It was just that good!