i loved this book. i loved the characters and the deep backstories and all of the tragedy/trauma they went through and got out from the other side. a beautiful gothic romance and adventure that had me so so hooked. thank you net galley for the ARC. one of my favorite reads of 2023.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was one of my most anticipated 2023 reads - and I'll be honest, it did not disappoint. Together We Rot was full of poignant, beautiful lines that kept me captivated. In terms of being a horror, I would not say this was particularly terrifying (the author does have TWs listed on their website, though! I recommend checking those out). There was really only one moment (the church scene, you'll probably know what I mean) that had me on the edge of my seat, but the real horror of this book is the people. Evil lives in all of us, and it was horrifying to see how far people would go to protect what was theirs.

If I were to offer any explanation for the 4 stars versus 5, I would say that I wish some of the Bad Guys were a bit more fleshed out. I understand evil, and I understood its purpose in the story, but there were some questions I felt were unanswered regarding some of the Bad Guys, and I would've loved to see a bit more nuance.

All in all, Together We Rot was a beautiful story that was just as beautiful as its cover (seriously, give that cover designer a raise). I loved every second of it, and devoured it in a single afternoon.

Big thank you NetGalley and to the publisher for the chance to review this book pre-release. I absolutely LOVED this book. LOVED. I can not wait till I can add it permanently to my bookshelves. It was so well written, and I loved the MC's. A more formal review will be available on my IG/TikTok and Goodreads.

Thoughts

This book had just the right amount of creepy elements, and yet I didn't love it. It was good. Don't get me wrong. But it didn't quite strike me as memorable. I won't be lingering on this story.

Pros
Creepy Forest: Anyone who's read my reviews before will know that I'm a sucker for a creepy forest, and this book did not disappoint. There's a perpetual stench of rot hanging over this small town. The forest is particularly ravenous for wildlife, it seems. This sets everything off-kilter from the start. Creepy crawlies writhe at every corner -- in other worlds, the atmosphere here is skin-crawlingly great.

Concrete Cult: So many of the YA "cults" I have read left the actual atrocity of the cult up to the imagination. Sure, you can fill in the blanks, but sometimes the leaps have to be pretty far since there's no evidence other than bad vibes. Here, that is certainly not the case. This cultish behavior isn't vague speculation or rumors, what-ifs. Right off the bat, we've got actual animal sacrifice happening in the woods, and I appreciate that. There's no beating around the bush, no slow reveal of the true nature of the cult. I appreciate that, especially because it makes the fact that no one believes Wil all the more sinister in nature. No one is willing to help, even when the evidence is overwhelmingly clear.

Witchy: There's something I like so much about a perfectly mundane character turning out to be a witch. Whether it's a gas station attendant or, in this case, the front desk worker at a run-down motel, I just love the idea of mingling a crappy customer service job with a more spiritual, ethereal existence. Sure, she works a terrible 9-to-5, but that doesn't mean her home isn't full of votive candles, just waiting to read the cards of those who need her.


Cons
Investment: I had a really hard time getting invested in this book. The atmosphere is great, but the plot, the characters... It takes a really long time to get into the good stuff. I hit the halfway point before anything really started to move, to develop, and a lot of readers won't stick it out that long. This book isn't bad in the long run, but it doesn't have much of a hook, much of a reason to stay on the line, to get invested.

All Aboard: It takes so long for things to develop because, despite an animal sacrifice happening right off the bat, nobody in town really believes there is, you know, a cult in town. But somehow, when Wil and Elwood uncover some more "proof," their friends immediately jump on the bandwagon. I don't know. I guess I just didn't buy that the new proof was stronger than the old proof. I mean, if animal sacrifice doesn't do it... wouldn't it be hard to swallow the fact that a sacrificial cult lives in your town? Elwood would have his reasons, and of course, Wil has hers. But all of their friends, convinced by old records and documents all at once? C'mon. I don't believe it.

Not a Revelation: Building on that, the "revelation" that happens with this new uncovering of evidence... isn't actually a revelation? It felt like readers were meant to be shocked at the true nature of this town's "church." But we started out swinging, and there's no reason to doubt Wil's evidence from page one. So the revelation isn't really a revelation. All that build-up for nothing.


Rating
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
6/10

Fans of Andrew Joseph White's Hell Followed With Us will enjoy this... transformative new cult. Those who enjoyed Elizabeth Kilcoyne's Wake the Bones will like the creeping, crawling rot in these pages.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers Group for providing me with an eARC of Together We Rot in exchange for my honest review!

First off, I've got lots of love for the gorgeous cover, which is what drew me to this book in the first place. It does a great job at conveying the Gothic atmosphere that this is going for. As for the book itself, I got wrapped up in it, particularly due to its dark mood, the nature-based horror imagery, and the sensitive ways in which it handles heavy material like abusive parents, cults, and alcoholism. The push-and-pull dynamic between Wil and Elwood is compelling, too. That being said, I'm not wild about how this is paced so that it kicks off slowly, then speeds up everything and leaves me feeling like the story and the characters need much more time to flesh out their layers. I also think some of the side characters were flatly written, and maybe the book would have benefitted from cutting them out in favor of focusing more deeply on Wil and Elwood.

Overall, I'm officially rating Together We Rot 3.5 stars, which I'm rounding down to 3 stars. It's not perfect, but I'm glad I checked it out, and I'll be keeping an eye out for more of Skyla Arndt's work.

If You grew up as a church kid and adult you spread your wings and dusted your hands of the church this might be for you.

The two main characters are childhood friends who have grown distant over a very serious matter, Wil's moms disappearance. Will doesn't think her mom simply disappeared she thinks her ex-childhood friend elwood's cult family murdered her. The two, as unlikely as it is, end up working together to investigate Elwoods family and end up uncovering more than they bargained for.

I wanted to see Elwoods family burn and this book did not disappoint.

I had some mixed feelings about this book. It started off really, really slow, but it has a great, slightly creepy and very unique plot, I personally don't think I've seen something similar in any other book I have read so far. The second half of this book is where everything actually happens, and it's very interesting!

trigger warnings: death of parent (before story), cult, child abuse, murder

wil and elwood used to be best friends, up until wil accused elwood’s family of murdering her mother. now, the police are closing wil’s mother’s case, and she decides the best person to help with the investigation is elwood. after realizing he’s not meant to follow in his father’s footsteps as pastor of their cult, but as a sacrifice, elwood realizes that maybe wil’s accusations weren’t as far-fetched as he originally thought.

it’s been days since finishing this book and i’m still thinking of it. while there were some things i predicted, there were other, bigger things i did not, and they still have me shocked.

one thing i wish had been different is the page length. i could’ve read a hundred more pages following these characters and this story. however, this was still great as-is, so this isn’t too big of a deal.

overall,. i really enjoyed this book. i would recommend to anyone wanting a short YA horror book and i will definitely read more of the author’s books in the future.

"Are you prepared to love a monster?"

Dear Skyla: First of all, how dare you?
You made me pine for the bug boy and sharp girl and took my heart out and planted it in the ground and now there's a book shaped hole in my chest and it needs to be fed next book immediately. I might rot while I wait, and I'll be revived as soon as there's news about a possible sequel.
This bug book, this cottagegore of gorgeous and hideous beings, flawed and broken people, some evil and some kind and all of them trying to survive and save their loved ones. I was angry and sad and understood their motives and also hated them for their choices.
The religious cult is a terrifying thing, they truly believe they are doing good and then go and kill and sacrifice innocent people and justify their bloodthirsty nature with god's name. The villains are mostly the simple people you wouldn't think capable of horrible things.
Wil and Elwood are everything! I'm a moth lured to a flame when I look at this cover! You can judge this book by the cover, it's perfect inside and out.
I expected to love the book just from the synopsis and the cover art and I didn't know I would love it even more when I was done reading.
My weakness, green eyes and dark curls, and when said green eyes are described like this:
"He looks at me and I see the whole forest."
I died and you can just write that on my gravestone, it's perfect!
I was blessed to be a chosen one to read an E-ARC and I can't thank publisher and author enough for this.
I will (im)patiently wait until I can get my hands on the physical copy of this beautiful bug book.

It’s very rare that I wish a book was longer, but I found myself being concerned with how rapidly the end was approaching in this one. The lyrical and flowery way the author writes is so engaging and I wanted to savor all of her words. I love how wonderfully weird this story is and how fiercely protective the protagonist is of the people she loves.

I do wish there had been more character development for some of the side characters and without spoilers, more description of a comeuppance for those who deserved it.

A haunting, beautiful, and delightfully weird story. Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for giving me an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

First, let’s talk about the cover! It’s gorgeous and fits the story perfectly. I received this as a NetGalley ARC in exchange for my honest review. And honestly, I loved this. It was creepy and sad and shocking. This is a ya horror that couldn’t have been done any better. The characters, atmosphere, and plot were impeccable. Coming of age meets gore and mystery. The ending was everything I wanted it to be and more gave me the feel good butterflies. Nice to know some people who have been through the worst at the hands of those who are supposed to love and care for them are still able to find their “happy endings”, even if it is a fictional story. This was great! Bravo!

Thank you so much @netgalley & @vikingbooks for the eArc!

This is a story about dying for love (potentially literally!)

Together We Rot is such an interesting novel. The premise is solid, but the execution left me a bit disappointed… it’s hard to rate because the scary was so intermingled with the not. For example, the cult’s sinister rituals and the supernatural forces connected to Elwood’s transformation are intriguing, but I was wanting visceral experience. Expanding upon the horror elements with greater intensity and could have elevated the overall experience & I’ll definitely check out others by the author!

3.5 ⭐️ rounded to 4!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an eARC.

With an atmospheric small town setting and lyrical prose, TOGETHER WE ROT by Skyla Arndt is an excellent YA debut with just the right amount of heartache and horror. Told in dual 1st Person POV, both Wil and Elwood prove to be unique narrators with their own motivations and distinct voices. Structurally, plot twists keep the reader guessing all the way to an explosive finale.

Together We Rot was my most anticipated horrormance of the year, and after reading it I've moved it to "most talked about". Whilst a little light on horror, the gothic atmosphere and descriptions of bugs certainly makes for a good ride, and as YA goes this one goes hard. This book has it all. Cults, creeps, a scooby doo gang, cryptids and a girl with a chip on her shoulder for just about everyone but her favourite person and I don't know how to sell it any harder than that. If there's any books on your preorder list, make it this one, you'll have a hell of a good time.

I was absolutely intrigued by the premise of this book and the gorgeous cover! Very much was drawn in by the promise of horror/fantasy but in a YA with some cult-ish elements. Unfortunately, I think the book lost its way a bit midway. I think this would have been a great short story OR ALTERNATIVELY an adult horror/thriller. I wish the cult element had been fleshed out a bit and then the fantasy portions explained a bit better. It felt like the plot line jumped kind of all over the place without any real satisfying resolving for me. The prose and writing style is poetic and gorgeous but almost felt out of place at times, giving me a bit of literary whiplash. By the latter quarter of it, I was finishing to finish. Really wish this could have been developed a bit more, maybe in a second book or novella type book!

soo so good? flew through this, and even though the cover is exquisite i had not expected this to be so wonderfully eerie and fun!

Thank you to Netgalley for the advance review copy 🤎 ⁣
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If you’re a fan of Stranger Things (especially season 1), The X Files, paranormal stories and creepy vibes, this book is for you 👍⁣
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A beautifully crafted debut novel, “Together We Rot” is an atmospheric and eerie tale of struggle and survival. We follow two POVs : Wil and Elwood. They grew up in this small isolated town in the middle of nowhere and they used to be best friends, until Wil’s mom disappeared without a trace. That disappearance will unlock secrets within the town and within themselves that they couldn’t imagine. ⁣
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I loved the writing style, especially Elwood’s POV because you could really sense the urgency in his tone, and I also liked Wil’s fierceness and headstrong attitude. What drew me in the story was the eerie and creepy atmosphere that reminded me of Stranger Things, which is one of my favorite series, and in the end it was the characters that sealed the deal for me. You will laugh, you will cry and most of all you will be spooked but it’ll be worth it. ⁣
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My rating : ★ ★ ★ ★⁣
Release date : 29/08/2023

**3.5 STARS** Review will be posted on blog closer to publication date.

Content Warning: violence, horror, parental abuse, grief, alcoholism, parent neglect

I love this book cover and I was intrigue by the title, Together We Rot. Right away you can tell there will be horror elements to it but I still wasn’t sure what to expect.

You are immediately thrown into this story where Wil, a teenage girl is angry because her mom has been missing but the town is about to close the case. She has a feeling her ex-best friend’s religious/cultish family is the reason for her going missing but she has no proof. Elwood, her ex-best friend is a boy who’s dad is the leader of the Garden of Adam, a religious cult, and he’s being abused by both his father and mother. Elwood is a timid and frightful boy but inside him is something dark.

In one night of desperation Elwood takes one night before he’s about to “leave” and parties with his friends like he never has. But things go haywire and he realizes something is wrong with him and maybe Wil’s suspicions about his family is correct. What happens next is quick and soon Elwood and Wil is on the run and hiding from his family and the sheriff and things take a turn for the worse.

The horror is when things about the church is revealed and mostly in the end when there is body horror when it comes to Elwood. I thought the ending was bittersweet though. Elwood had to accept some things about himself in order to make peace with what was happening.

It’s a quick read and I wasn’t sure how it would end but I did find it fairly entertaining! I also found the second-chance romance between Wil and Elwood kind of sweet. And I did enjoy the secondary characters, Wil and Elwood’s friends.

Tropes: best friends to enemies to lovers

Why you should read it:
*it’s a quick read
*fascinating story with two main characters with a history, a missing person mystery, a religious cult and something dark inside Elwood

Why you might not want to read it:
*there are a few heavy topics with parental abuse and neglect
*some pacing issues – slow start and then quickly picks up and rushes to the end

My Thoughts:

This one is a dark and unexpected story but with a sweet kind of second chance romance in the midst of it all. I love Wil and Elwood’s history and how they struggle through some truths to fall in love again. It’s their love that in a way saves Elwood. The horror mostly circles around the parental abuse and religious cult, and definitely around whatever darkness that lives in Elwood. So I found this book to be more of a mystery and suspense/thriller than horror (except the ending). I think if some things weren’t so rushed in the book my rating would be way higher. I look forward to reading more from this author!

This book stands out in my mind as strongly as a Luna moth against a black backdrop. I love a good friends to enemies to lovers story, but this delightful YA held so many more dark twists then that. The pain Elwood is feeling is written so richly the reader can feel it in their chest with him. I want to leap through the pages and protect this soft soul from following down the dark path his parents laid out for him. Thankfully Wil's there and the story between them is nothing short of a fiery passion. A truly amazing read!

Wilhelmina’s mother has been missing for a year, and while everyone in town believes she took off for various reasons, Wil is convinced a strange local church may be to blame.

Wil’s childhood friend Elwood is the son of the pastor of said church, and these two teenagers soon put aside their differences and become closer than they ever would’ve imagined as they unite to take on a weird small town evil.

This debut YA horror novel gives a fresh spin on body horror and possession tales, features what could be called an eco-cult, and while familiar at times, it develops into something some may not see coming. The author also manages to make this an unusual romance in the face of some creepy goings-on.

A solid first effort from Arndt.

3 and a 1/2 stars