This review is going to be one of the more difficult ones I write. You see, the thing is, I love this book. I loved it from the moment I opened it. The dark and imposing atmosphere of the Morguewood, Wil's Snark, Elwood's sweetness. It all built into this tale that I didn't want to finish, but also couldn't put down, and it would have been a hands-down-no-question-full-5-stars (and personal favorite) if it just would've kept up with itself.



Somewhere in the middle, the flow gets a little weird. Some characters leave/disappear and it isn't acknowledged. I could have handled that, whatever it happens. But then the whole middle is just a bit unfinished. It reads like a stretch of film that keeps going in and out of focus, some scenes are crystal clear while others feel like they're missing something important. At first, I thought it was me, that I wasn't paying enough attention, so I went back and reread from a point prior to that. It wasn't me. Then, I thought it was a stylistic choice, but that doesn't seem to fit with where all it happens. While that is still a possibility, it doesn't really work to do anything except frustrate and annoy. It just feels so unfinished. This is under 300 pages, but the story reads like it should be closer to 400, or even more. This is not to say that there is not an ending. The book absolutely has an ending.



Now, the honest and heartbreaking truth is that, even with all of these issues, I still can't rate it any lower than 4 out of 5. The story itself is perfect, and the parts that read as finished are amazing, the characters are very well fleshed out (unless they fall into that middle part), the underlying rules of the myth are complex while also making complete sense. The middle just feels completely unfinished, and I am honestly mourning the finished version of this that never got to be.

Despite everything, I still very much recommend this. It really is a delightfully twisted tale. The exception, of course, being anyone who would be overly bothered by the things I've mentioned above.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and Penguin Young Readers Group for the early copy.

This has been my honest review.

Wow, what a strange little book! It was a fun, quick read. I will definitely be reading more by this author in the future.

This was absolutely fantastic. I saw this cover on tiktok months before ARCs dropped and have been pining for it ever since.

The cover is absolutely gorgeous, one of the best I've ever seen. The title is intriguing and very indicative of what the story holds as well.

Wil and Elwood's darkly romantic story had me hooked from the first chapter. The writing is beautiful and bingable, and I am 100% sure this book will be a HIT. SO well done.

Thank you so much for letting me be an ARC reader before the masses get this. I imagine this must be what it felt like to be an ARC reader for a massive hit like Twilight. AMAZING.

This was a very dark read. I love that it had paranormal elements. But be warned it deals with some pretty heavy topics like abuse, grief, and cults / rituals. This was a very complex story. We had a friendship go threw the ringer, Wils mothers disappearance, and Elwoods fathers crazy cult…. Down to the very end I was on the edge of my seat waiting to see how it all tied together. Wil and Elwood’s journey was so well written, I enjoyed each step hey met in their relationship. I felt like the ending didn’t need to be so rushed but I love how it concluded. This book gave me serious Riverdale vibes. But I still really liked this one!

Thank you Netgalley and Viking Books/Penguin Teen for allowing me to read and review this book! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

"Father always said the cold makes you feel alive in all the worst possible ways. It sparks an energy in you, a desperation that you didn't even know you had. The cold shows you who you truly are. I'm afraid of what it says about me."

The cover is absolutely gorgeous and it's one of my favorites of 2023. I am crossing my fingers that there will be an exclusive edition planned out for its release.

Skyla Arndt's writing is beautifully atmospheric and cinematically dark with tones of grief, abuse, and cult depictions. I am in love with Arndt's tender and passionate Elwood and, filled with rage and determination, Wil. Her tragic characters are well-developed, complex, and leave you wanting to read more about them after their story is finished.

"All that's left is a sticky, consuming grief, and I worry I'll drown beneath its waves. I'll sink so deep that I'll never come back."

I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of Together We Rot. Skyla Arndt did a fabulous job writing out Wil and Elwood's friends to enemies to lovers relationship. Their broken friendship felt realistic and relatable as it began to re-grow and piece together into something new. The mystery of Wil's mother's disappearance and the continuous build-up as to what was going on with Elwood's family and the townspeople was intriguing and kept me on the edge of my seat.

"Best friends until suddenly we weren't. Before everything in my life went to hell in his family's handbasket. Now when I think of him, it's like swallowing a lit match. The longer I dwell on what we were, the bigger the hole burns inside me."

I highly recommend Together We Rot if you enjoyed books from these authors: Erin A Craig, Shea Ernshaw, Andrea Hannah, Holly Jackson, and Kate McLaughlin.

5 stars

Thank you NetGalley, Penguin Group, and Viking Books for this ARC!

Firstly I want to say that that cover is absolutely ethereal. I'm just in awe like, that's so metal. I love it so much

The story starts pretty slow, giving background information on Wil, her missing mom, Elwood, and his father's cult. I loved the prose and descriptions, especially about the weird hallucinations Elwood had and,,, yeah it's just so good! There are some really funny moments with the ragtag bunch (wil, ronnie, lucas and kevin) and of course, a lot of epic hard diabolical paragraphs that feel so out of this world like the forest cryptid at the end. Here are some lines I really loved (in no particular order):

"He's Waldo hidden in the middle of a battlefield, giving a little smile while surrounded by fallen soldiers."
"Ezekiel has the right idea to demolish us. As it stands, we're not a graveyard but a neglected shrine for a single, forgotten woman.//But I remember."
"Other people know to draw back when they touch a flame. I only know how to walk through the coals."
"Mercy isn't the idle moments between rage. It isn't just the absence of pain."
"I'm splintered pieces held together by fragile hope. One more death and I will blow away with the wind."

However, everything was squeezed into that last third of the book to the point that it was dizzying and hard to process. But I think that ending makes up for everything (no lie, that's the sweetest ending ever.) The whole forest creature man-eating rampage was written so interestingly from his point of view, but I felt that it resolved too quickly and it was quite underwhelming. I still enjoyed this atmospheric mystery book, and I think it's a very strong effort for a debut author :)

An amazing read full of:
- cults
- rituals
- mild? gore
- forest horror
- cryptids and moth imagery
- a boy who cries
- a stubborn but fiercely loving girl
- sort-of Christmas tragedy
- a ragtag bunch of kids + a crossbow
- family issues (yes, a lot of those)
- a small strange town with a dark secret beneath its roots
- childhood friends to enemies to lovers
- dual POVs

Together We Rot by Skyla Arndt

Thank you @netgalley and @penguinteen for giving me an eARC of this book.

I think I first heard about this book from author Lyndall Clipstone. And as soon as I saw the cover art I was ready to give it a try. Then I read the synopsis and it sounded really good, so I added it to my TBR.

And I was lucky enough to receive an early copy of it. And it did not disappoint. The story follows Wil and Elwood friendship. But everything falls away when it turns out that Elwood’s family might have something to do with the disappearance of Wil’s mom .

The atmosphere was done really well, the perfect read for autumn or even winter. Gloomy weather, snowstorms, haunting woods. I really like it when a book can really put you in the middle of the action. I especially liked Elwood, he gives soft boy vibes and I am here for it.

I totally recommend checking this book out when it is published.

Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book blends together paranormal horror, cult plots, cryptid boyfriends, body horror, and most of all, scary woods. I feel like forests, cults, and body horror are huge in YA right now, so I've been on a string of good reads with those themes. If you're someone else who enjoys those themes as well, I would definitely add Together We Rot to your TBR.

I do feel this book could've taken more time with some of its scenes. We don't get any room to breathe in this novel, which can make it hard for some of the twists to land fully since it just feels like we're being tugged through each beat at a breakneck pace. The characters suffer for this too, as the majority of our secondary characters (except, perhaps, Wil's dad) feel fairly 2D and heavy-handed in their story roles. It's a quick read, but I wish it was more fleshed out - at the end of the day though, wanting MORE of a given novel isn't the worst problem to have.

I'd rank this one 4/5 stars. I think it would be a great choice to get yourself out of a reading slump. It's not a perfect novel, but it's atmospheric, thrilling, and there's a lot to love within the pages of this short novel. Together We Rot is a strong debut, and I look forward to seeing what Arndt publishes next.

"Together We Rot" by Skyla Arndt is a thrilling young adult thriller. Wil, a dedicated adolescent seeking for her missing mother, and Elwood, her former best friend trapped in his frightening cult-leading family, are the main characters. Arndt brilliantly combines mystery, suspense, and the supernatural into a disturbing narrative about devotion, sacrifice, and the evil underneath an apparently typical village. The story is complicated by Wil and Elwood's uneasy collaboration. As they unearth shocking truths and explore the Clarke family's twisted world, the stakes mount, culminating in a dramatic and heart-pounding finale. Arndt's vivid descriptions transport the reader to the haunted woods with the protagonists. "Together We Rot" is a page-turner that will make readers hungry for Skyla Arndt's next book.

"Together We Rot" by Skyla Arndt is a thrilling young adult novel with mystery, suspense, and the supernatural. This story is captivating due to its well-developed characters, dramatic location, and thrilling narrative. Arndt's narrative skills shine as she explores devotion, sacrifice, and a town's terrible secrets. Wil and Elwood's warped world as they rush to discover the truth will captivate fans of gripping and dark young adult literature. "Together We Rot" highlights Skyla Arndt's writing skill and will have readers anxiously anticipating her next novel.

3/5 Stars from me.

***A big thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.***

This intensely haunting, skin-crawling creepy, nail-biting tense, page-turner of a debut novel by Skyla Arndt is unparalleled. After learning his father is planning to sacrifice him for the greater good Elwood turns to the only person who's ever truly known him, Wil. A friend turned enemy when he didn't believe his parents were involved in her mother's disappearance. The pair begrudgingly set out to save Elwood's life and uncover the truth about Wil's mother's disappearance. Where Wil is fueled with rage and grief, Elwood is trapped in confusion and his sense of duty to his family. Complicated by the fact he keeps having intense visions of the forest and the insects that inhabit it. Tension mounts deliciously between Wil and Elwood as they uncover more hidden truths.

Chosen one, found family, friends-(one-sided) enemies-to lovers, second chance romance, creepy-crawly whodunit.

I loved every part of Together We Rot. The characters, the action, the horror aspect, all of it. Wil and Elwood's relationship felt real and well-developed, and, of course, absolutely adorable. I'm a sucker for the ex-best friends-to-lovers trope, and TWR did not disappoint. The plot was gripping all the way through, and I couldn't put it down at any point. Elwood's story was heartbreaking, but I loved watching his development throughout the book. Wil was hands-down my favorite. She's not afraid to use her fists to get what she wants, and I love her for it. Overall, no complaints!

5/5 stars, a must read

This book is the best I’ve read in a long time. I loved the prose, the heart wrenching grief paired with the spooky mystery kept me up into the night turning the pages. The characters were so real, I cried when they cried and I felt my heart pounding along with theirs. I could not put this book down!

** spoiler alert ** ⊰ 3,75 stars

First of all, I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Together We Rot tells the story of Wil and Elwood. Wil Greene and Elwood Clarke have been friends for as long as they can remember, but that all changed when Wil’s mom goes missing and she suspect Elwood’s family has something to do with it. Elwood’s father is the pastor of the Garden of Adam and Elwood will be next in line to dedicate his life to their congregation once he turns eighteen. After going to a party to say a final goodbye to his friends, Elwood overhears a conversation that makes him realize that he is not his father’s successor, but his sacrifice to the Morguewood. Wil and Elwood form a partnership; Wil helps Elwood hide, if Elwood helps her prove that his family killed her mother. Can Wil and Elwood stop the Garden of Adam?

I had already added this book to my TBR before receiving the e-arc, so I was very excited to get to read it! The synopsis gives small town with dark secrets and a touch of sinister fantasy, which made me so excited.
The plot of the story is quite obvious from the beginning, because Wil is obsessed with stalking the Clarke family from page one and is quite relentless in her search for her mother. However, the dark turns that are about to come really left me in shock. I really loved the whole “chosen one” vibe the book gave.
The writing style is really good, especially for a debut novel. We read in the POV of both Wil and Elwood, and that really adds to the story because a lot of different things are happening. Usually with more POV’s in one storyline I find myself rushing through some of the chapters because I want to go to a specific POV, but that wasn’t the case in this book. Every chapter adds something to the story and the plot that’s about to unfold.
The intro of the book was really good, you jump right into the action and take of running. Around chapter 10 is where I kind of got lost for a bit though, there’s a lot of speculation between the characters and they seem to jump to all sorts of conclusions without there being actual proof. There’s a lot of content in this book for the pages it has. Personally, I would’ve loved to get a few more pages in the book and get some more pauses between the action and information.

Wil is a very headstrong character and her search for her mother is heartbreaking, especially after we find out what actually happened to her mom. Wil doesn’t want to depend on others, but she grows throughout the book and learns that she can’t find every battle on her own.
Elwood has some major character growth and was my favorite character in this book. He went from following everything his father says to an actual adult, thinking for himself and making his own decisions. His family backstory is a very sad one and his father saying he never loved him, that he is a means to an end, really broke my heart because no one should ever feel that way.
The other characters in this book get a nice backstory as well, which I liked. The book gave of Scooby Doo gang vibes ( think it is even mentioned in the book itself), if she Scooby Doo gang hated each other and forgave each other for years of tormenting within a week. This kind of have me a bit of whiplash, as some of the characters in the gang lowkey bullied each other. If it were me and my bully had to be in my gang to save my town, my town would be very much screwed.

I really enjoyed this book and given the fact that this book is Skyla Arndt’s debut makes it all the better! I’m very excited to see what else she will be writing, because her writing style is very nice to read.
If you like sinister small town with dark secrets mixed with a bit of fantasy, this is the book for you! Mark August 29th in your calendar, because you will need it to get this book.

I would comp title this something like Midsommar meets Annihilation meets a John Green romance, and that's a big ol' compliment from me. It was entertaining and dramatic in all the best ways! Highly recommend this title for lovers of dark romances. If you enjoyed Adalyn Grace's Belladonna, you'll likely enjoy this.

I loved the story, the world building and meeting the different characters. I felt completely immersed in the story and couldn't stop reading it.

Let's be honest, once I saw that cover I was sold. I don't think I even read what this book was about before requesting it. So I really went in blind and had zero clue what I was getting myself into, but wow was I impressed.

This is a very dark, paranormal, mysterious, and moody book. That was the perfect amount of horror from humanity and fantasy, creating this twisted and creepy story.

I'm a big fan of creepy cults and paranormal plotlines, and this book combined these two things in a satisfying way. It really had me intrigued all through the whole book, and the ending really caught me off guard since most books like this tend to only have a particular way of ending. Not a think book though, and I loved how it switched things up.

The only thing I was left wanting more was a more detailed explanation of how the paranormal cult worked, but that was just because it was such an interesting and unique concept. I was really left wanting as much information on it as possible.

Overall perfectly moody, mysterious, and dark paranormal mystery with one of my favorite covers ever. I can't wait to see what else Skyla Arndt may write because after reading this book I was highly impressed by this debut.

This book has a good premise and plot but I found the world building to be a little lacking and the two different POV had me confused for a second as it was introduced quickly in my opinion. Definitely a unique story and I loved the cult vibes I got from this.

Very atmospheric YA fantasy about forests, cults, and transformation. Those topics have been very prominent in teen fiction lately, or at least I feel like I've read a number of those in the last 2 years and this is yet another pleasant addition to those who enjoy such things.
A solid first novel from an author with a lot of promise. The forest and nature don't have as hunting a presence as in "A Dark and Starless Forest" or "The Nature of Witches" and I do think it could have gone deeper into the characters, giving them something more than quirky hobbies and angst, but I'm sure the 16-18 years old audience won't mind. In any case, if you liked the books cited above do have a look at this novel!

This was such an amazing debut novel. The cover art is what initially attracted me to the story (it’s unbelievably gorgeous and haunting and just perfect) and the art went with the theme of the book so well. This is a YA book but it’s definitely dark and twisted. I struggle with YA romances like most of us do, but this never once made me roll my eyes. The characters are so unique, and I loved that the “bad boy” trope was flipped on its head. The girl is the tough character and the boy is soft and sweet, and together they are perfect. I’ve never read a story quite like this before, and I will definitely keep Skyla Arndt on my list for the future!

This was a great creepy upper YA story. Finding yourself growing from kid to adult is already difficult, so let’s throw in a creepy religious cult, a towns dark history, some unaliving, and a quirky group of friends-what could go wrong. The family bonds, finding yourself and accepting others were wonderful themes in this book. It was a quick read I’d highly recommend if you’re looking for a bit of a mystery with some dark elements and a HEA.