Root Rot is a strange little novella. Told from a collective "we" POV, the we being a group of children on a family vacation, this story takes you on a disorienting drug-induced fever dream of an adventure. Although I wasn't entirely sure what was happening, I enjoyed this one. Certain scenes (such as the part with the Baby in the woods) I don't think I'll ever forget.

Root Rot is a weird tale that relies heavily on atmosphere and disjointed perspectives. Reading it feels like an experience that will slowly consume you.

I'm looking forward to see what Nislow comes out with next.

Root Rot is a dark, immersive fantasy with a strong ecological undertone. The world building is atmospheric and detailed, creating a haunting backdrop for the story’s themes of decay and renewal. The characters are complex, though some might find the pacing a bit slow in parts. Overall, I’d give it 4 stars. Its an engaging read for fans of morally grey stories and vivid, eerie settings.

On this occasion, I judged a book by its cover, and ended up disappointed. There is so much potential for perfectly creepy fungal horror, mushrooms are a wonderful embodiment of nature's reliance, and love for, death. The concept seemed perfect for me, but I feel that Root Rot fell a little flat. I did not care for any of the characters, and the choral narrator just felt rather confused. The creepiness did not really work, as there was no baseline of mundaneity to hold it against. Was this book about fungus, the earth, or an evil lake house. Root Rot ought to have been a much briefer short story, the novella just felt half-formed.

Root Rot

warped. eerie. unsettling. beguiling. disorenting. wynorrific.

For fans of Jeff Vandermeer and chilling botanicals.

This book scratches and itch in your brain while simultaneously leaving you feeling itchy all over. incredibly mysterious but written in a way that you feel like you should be relating to the moments and visuals that Nislow weaves and slithers together..

I loved that characters names as character traits, however I do wish visually there were less names starting with the letter O. This is a more of a personal preference as a visual person. I do believe you're meant to be confused and slightly scrambled with the names but I got caught up more times than id like to admit.

The writing keeps you wanting to read faster but the enjoyment came from slowing down to absorb as much imagery as possible.

Strap in, because things get weird.

Root Rot is a creeping, surreal descent into dread that wraps its roots around you and doesn’t let go. Saskia Nislow conjures a world both dreamlike and grotesque—where childhood fears are not only real, but hungry. Told in a collective "we" that feels like a ghost chorus of lost innocence, the story follows nine children as they unravel, disappear, and become something... else. It's coming-of-age meets cosmic horror, with an unforgettable cast of characters like The Liar, The Secret Keeper, and The Crybaby—archetypes that slowly reveal the sinister truths lurking beneath familial roles and expectations.

With imagery that reads like Coraline for adults and emotional depth that will gut you, this book explores body horror, manipulative family legacies, and the thin line between survival and surrender. The Grandfather’s Lake House is more than a setting—it’s a character, a trap, a mirror. If you love your horror with heart, your metaphors messy and sharp, and your stories to haunt you long after the final page, Root Rot is a must-read. Let it take root—you won’t regret it (but you might not sleep right away).

DNF around 15%. I quite liked the writing style, and the premise was intriguing, but ultimately I couldn’t connect with any of the kids, as they felt interchangeable and not really related to their nicknames.

DNF @ 15%.

I just can't deal with the 9 unnamed children that only go by nicknames. Having to read The Liar, Twin boy, Twin Girl, The Oldest, The One That Runs Away, The Baby, The Crybaby, The Secret Keeper, The Beautiful Voice over and over is so annoying. I just can't be bothered with the rest of the book.

I was expecting something completely different going into this book.

Many thanks to Netgalley and creature publishing, as always, opinions are my own.

4’5/5⭐️ First of all, thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for an arc of “Root rot”. This book felt like a fever dream. I really really enjoyed the horror elements related to nature, and the atmosphere was very compelling (also really enjoyed the names related to each of the children; the liar, the one who runs away, the crybaby…). Highly recommend if you want a book that leaves you wondering what the hell are you reading (but in a good way xd) 🥀🍄🪾

Root Rot is a slow-burning, deeply unsettling exploration of decay—both environmental and emotional. Saskia Nislow crafts a story that seeps into your bones, full of quiet dread, tangled roots, and the kind of horror that grows in the silence between people.

What struck me most was how grounded the terror is. There’s something rotting beneath the surface—literally and figuratively—and the novel doesn't shy away from examining how grief, guilt, and the natural world can all become entangled in ways we don't fully understand until it's too late. The atmosphere is thick with tension, like the air before a storm, and the writing is both earthy and elegant, with moments that made me pause just to absorb the weight of a single line.

This isn’t horror that jumps out at you. It creeps, it coils, and then it crushes. The characters feel real in their brokenness, and the sense of isolation that runs through the story is powerful—making even the most mundane interactions feel loaded and dangerous.

Root Rot isn’t just about what's dying; it’s about what refuses to die, what festers, and what takes root in our absence. It’s beautifully written, hauntingly resonant, and left me with that rare feeling of having read something truly alive in its darkness.

I am equal parts confused and entertained. This book is just about the perfect length. Books like this are best done in short form. I'm still not quite entirely sure what happened but i know it was a weird fever dream of a story. This book is rotten to the core literally.😂 It's really a perfect read for these rainy spring days that we've been having. I don't really want to expand on that, because I don't want to ruin anything.

🌀The book has a definite fever-dream quality to it, with reality shifting before your very eyes. Heavy elements of nature vs. nurture but the nature's gone rogue and the nurture is tepid at best.

😱LOTS of parts gave me the heebie jeebies and I was filled with dread the entire time. I love that. I just hated not being able to tell who was talking or if I knew who was talking, all I knew about them was their name. I didn't know what they looked like, how old they were, their motivations or any defining features about who they actually were. Part of me knows deep down, that this was intentional, that it was meant to put you in the same headspace as the kids; ultimately confused, scared, unsure of your reality, second guessing yourself; it just irritated me.


🛑If I had one thing to say about this book, it would be to not name your characters (all nine of them) with such ambiguous titles. I spent so much time trying to keep straight who was who and who was doing what and with who. It really pulled me out of the story, which was actually beautifully written, exceptionally creepy and unsettling AF.


♦️I'd recommend this book to anyone who likes feeling confused, mold-infested lake houses, awkward family get togethers, mushroom babies, bleeding plants, sinking houses, and toddlers who eat drywall.

ARC received through Netgalley

3.5

I really enjoyed the spooky parts of this book, I thought it had some really creepy uncanny vibes and I could sort of catch on to some very interesting themes like the Liar’s characterization with regards to gender, the dynamics of abuse in families etc. However, it was just missing some clarity, some explanation. It may just be because it’s a novella and not a full novel, and it may just be my preference. I really really loved the narrator, switching from I and we and making more and more sense as the novella progressed (I won’t spoil it but I thought it was brilliant).

Overall I would definitely recommend reading it for a quick, creepy read, especially if you’re a fan of more metaphorical narration.

From the moment the story starts and I realized all the characters had titles instead of names, I knew I was going to like this. I ended up loving this weird, foreboding, creepy novella!

The writing is so good and such a fever dream. I adored the mix of body horror, fungal horror, and everyone being disoriented. It was such an interesting and unique read!

This is a very strange book that had me questioning whether I was actually understanding what I was reading. Despite that, I couldn't put it down. The graphic exposition and questionable narrator gave this novella a unique look at horror. It could've worked really well with more exposition; I would've enjoyed a deeper dive into the supernatural elements.

this unsettling, fungi fever-dream was short & spooky and i loved it!

the writing style and pov was pretty confusing at first but i was hooked once i hit that 10% mark. the odd parts of the writing do end up making a lot of sense and i thought it added another level of creepiness to the atmosphere. i love a bizarre, eerie story! i think the ending could’ve been tied up a *little* better (it kinda caught me off guard) but i really enjoyed this one.

i highly recommend if you enjoy horror and need a quick, compelling read!

thank you to netgalley & creature publishing for access to the e-book in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you to Netgalley for the eARC of this novella.


This was hands down one of the strangest novellas I've ever read--from the collective nine person POV of 'we', to how not a single character has an actual name and is "named" by a trait they have, to the creepy fungal horror <spoiler>that slowly takes takes out the cousins one by one until no one is left</spoiler>. Again, this novella was incredibly weird but also very intriguing. The story almost had a fever dream quality to it in the way things/people/settings continued to melt and shift in the moment. Overall it reminds me a lot of an r/NoSleep kind of story in the way it's supposed to make you feel incredibly unsettled and unsure of how you felt about it...

This book was a trip. I loved how the characters didn’t have names, but instead had descriptions. It was a very good take and I think there should be more books like this. The horror elements were so good. Half of the time you didn’t even know when it was happening. It was a nice little day playing with the cousins, then the cousins aren’t your cousins anymore? Man it was a trip. I still don’t really understand the ending, but I think it’s better that way. Leaves room for mystery and suspense.

Confusing as hell but in a good way? If I tried to over-think about it I’d get frustrated but once I just let the ambiguity wash over me I was swept away.
There’s like the teensiest bit of body horror depending on how squeamish you are, but it’s mostly just atmospheric creep!

Deliciously atmospheric and eerie, an uncanny eco-horror unlike anything i've read before. Beautiful, disorienting prose and the ever-building tension make this a really addictive read. Loved the use of collective first person! Eager to see what Saskia Nislow does next.

As someone who grew up Native American, near Appalachia, this is a story I will hold close to me forever.

It’s a folk horror, written in a way I previously haven’t seen, but will forever seek out.

Root Rot is a story of a family, on a family trip, everything goes perfectly for all of them and yet none of them at the same time.

It’s multiple perspectives, switching at random, between cousins and siblings and aunts. Yet never from an adults perspective.

If you grew up near Appalachia, or have visited, or even simply know about it, this story will feel familiar, maybe in an unsettling way, maybe in a way that makes you feel at home.

I recommend it fully.