Sonora Taylor's "Errant Roots" is a very well-written folk horror story, employing all the familiar patterns of the genre to produce a carefully paced, suspenseful novella. It's a very easy read, though the several harrowing themes (from child death to murder in cold blood) hit very hard since they seldom come planned or even hinted at in advance. This is, in essence, the strength of the novella: the combination of a family mystery with the dread of knowing things are going to get very bad, very ugly, any moment now. The second half of the book works somewhat like a theatrical play, dialogue and revelation driving the plot forward to its bloody conclusion. I especially liked the very last sentence, whose ambiguity, intentional or not, seems to promise a totally unexpected understanding of the ending's significance. My single complaint is the use of flashbacks interrupting the story; I found them superfluous.

I would like to thank Net Galley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I finished this in one sitting and all I can say is what the fuck?

To borrow from the synopsis:

"Deirdre’s family tree was never something she thought much about. For 24 years it’s just been her and her mother. But when she accidentally gets pregnant her mother insists they go back to their family roots. Now Deirdre is about to discover just what kind of sinister soil her family has sprouted from."

The opening chapters may feel rushed or vague, but that's the point; setting up future events through a slower reveal. The turning point is when Deirdre meets the family. What was immediately noticeable is how - off - everything was, then things hit the fan. I appreciated how the author dropped breadcrumbs of detail throughout to fill-in the blank spaces present. It's just as much folktale as it is horror, and learning about the history of this particular lineage from its origination, along with its customs and traditions, was fascinating to say the least.

Many thanks to NetGalley, RDS Publishing, and especially the author - Sonora Taylor, for the opportunity to read and review this free ARC.

I got this as an arc on Netgalley and it will come out in October. Holy shit this novella was so creepy, I loved it! It quickly became intens and it didn't let up. I've been left with a big overarching question though. WHYYY?

I finished this in one sitting, it pulls you in from the very first chapter. This was a fun short eerie read perfect for anyone who loves a good scary story.