This was a different take on any alien invasion I've watched or read before. Mira Grant can't do anything wrong writing science fiction in my eyes, even if this wasn't my favorite of hers.

If you need a little escapism to fantasize about an alien race coming to take over and "save" the planet, this one is for you! This story takes the reader on a deep dive into overarching themes of family, the human condition, grief, sexuality, and social constructs that make our planet what it is. The narrator clearly delineates each character with a unique voice and perspective that gives the story a fantastic depth.
Give it a listen if you need a good sci-fi/horror book!

I found a lot of this book to be boring and it also felt like it wasn't sure what kind of book it wanted to be.
Sometimes it seemed like it was going to be more creepy/horror, other times it almost felt whimsical adjacent?
Of course the ending had more going on and was more exciting but the overall tone was still boring.
I think I was supposed to be rooting for the aliens by the end but unfortunately I was not and that may be a big part of my problem.
The audiobook was fine, the structure of the book was harder to follow via audio but that's no fault of the narrators.

This has become the go-to horror book for us on staff. Two of us love Mira Grant, and so she's become a very easy sale to make. I can't recommend we stock the audio book specifically, because those are hard sells for us, and we don't do Libro FM.

Narration/ Audiobook: 4/5
EGalley/ Overall Story: 2.75/5

A lot to say about this one, but I’m going to keep it short.

The downfall of this book is the execution.

Alongside many other readers, I was hooked by the blurb and book description. I mean we start the book off with alien child devouring plant that takes the place of a three year old! Needless to say, I was eager to dive into the body and eco horror while learning all about this body snatching alien species. Sadly for me, the tone was disjointed, the story dragged on longer than it needed to, and the parallels and metaphors in the story were contradictory and repetitive.

I found myself wondering: What exactly is the conversation the author is attempting to have? What is the message the reader should leave with? On one hand the author is opening up a clear dialog through trans representation. It feels as though we are supposed to recognize the othering experienced by our alien main character, Stasia, in comparison to that of her trans boyfriend, Graham. We see this in large part due to the way Stacia has never minimized her alien identity, but has instead existed around those who brush her off and deny her truth. This is repeatedly expressed in alignment to the experiences of Graham. Although, for the reader to align the alienating experiences of trans folk with that of the aliens in this story, the reader must also accept that these are predatory aliens that target children…. You see what I mean? What is the message you’re really trying to send?

I can appreciate the discussion and representation that Grant is attempting to present, but I cannot ignore the poorly developed execution of it. That’s not even getting into the fact that I was anxiously waiting for an alien invasion story that doesn’t start until around 70% of the book! Or that the character dialogue and development reads like a young adult novel.

That being said, the audiobook delivery of the story was very good! I was relieved to experience this book as an immersive read as the audio added layers to the characters that I wouldn’t have felt just reading the book solely. The book comes across as more found family than any other concept or trope, and the narration really captured the emotional range of the characters and their motivations.

Overall, Overgrowth was underwhelming. This may be a standout for others, but it was a let down for me.

Thanks to Tor Nightfire & Macmillan Audio for gifted access to the Digital and Audio copies.

Overgrowth was slow yet interesting and unique. I enjoyed it but had to force myself through due to pacing. I really liked their perception of an alien species. I just wish there was more that happened and at a faster pace. Thank you Netgalley for the arc!

This book probably suffers from inappropriate expectations. If you see the word “horror,” but don’t pay attention to the modifier, “like Little Shop of,” you probably aren’t going to appreciate the tone. I do like LSOH, so this is meant for someone like me. That doesn’t make it perfect, but it does mean I get what Grant is trying to accomplish here.

Anastasia had … an incident at 3 years old, and since then has said loudly and often that she’s a plant alien waiting for her people to invade Earth. This does not endear her to most people, but she does have a small group of people who either choose to believe her or decide that her delusion isn’t hurting anyone. Except it’s kind of not a delusion, and her human friends have to decide if they support her no matter what, or if they need to fight against the coming plant armada.

The great thing about this book is how Stasia’s real identity is used as a stand in for any “otherness” we identify in society. It’s not a complete analog, but having therapy forced on you for who you are, being targeted by law enforcement for the crime of existing, and having your personhood and citizenship questioned repeatedly, all seem pretty relevant right now. And it makes the argument against destroying the Earth complicated enough that I don’t always know who I am rooting for.

The issue is that the book needed to be shorter. It drags in the middle. And Grant doesn’t always nail the tone. But I found it entertaining.

I was excited to try out this book because it just gave off Invasion of the Body Snatcher vibes and I loved EVERY. SINGLE. MOMENT!

If you like the book or movie 'The Host' but want it a little more horror tinged, this book is for you. I really enjoyed the first half of this book. The setup really made you care for the characters. There were a few choices in the 2nd half that fell flat for me.
The narrator really made this book come alive.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

First off, let's address the audiobook portion -- I think this was great - that narrator did a great job.
Now, the book itself:
I think the overall story was interesting and really built the background on the alien species, their purpose, their takeover, etc. I appreciate that every character had enough information that you cared about each of them and still could tell apart who was who despite it being a decent sized cast. My biggest hang-up, though, is the length of the book/the pacing. I felt it could've gotten the point across, and held my attention more, if it was a bit faster paced. I still liked the end and didn't feel let down that I took all that time to get there. I still would recommend (and have).

🌱OVERGROWTH🌱 by Mira Grant aka @seananmcguire was surprisingly unique while holding onto some very traditional science fiction tropes. Thank you to the author, @netgalley and the publishers, @tornightfire and @macmillanaudio for the e and audio-ARCs.

🌍🌎🌏

This is an invasion story, but with a delicious twist. At the young age of 3.5 years, Anastasia is playing in the woods behind her house in Washington State when she comes upon a strange flower. The flower pricks her finger, drains her of blood and stops her heart. Then the incubation cycle begins. Frantically searching for her baby daughter, when Caroline finally finds Anastasia 3 days after she has disappeared, the mother is bewildered when her daughter tells her that her real daughter is dead and Anastasia is an alien. No one believes her...

My favorite part about this story is that the author basically lays the entire plot out for you in the first few chapters and you spend the rest of the book wanting to shake all the characters as they ignore the signs and the words of Anastasia and the other children like them. This story felt akin to Octavia Butler's XENOGENISIS books or Ursula K. LeGuin's HAINISH CYCLE books - weird and wonderful!

I am a huge fan of this author and particularly the works of this pen name which are mostly science fiction. This story was so good I now consider it one of my top alien invasion books of all time. If you like sci-fi and aren't afraid of some weird-ass aliens with unique characteristics, give this one a shot!

Book carries you along letting you know the tragedy it's going to make you face head on and makes you feel the building dread as it gets there. As the title says "We were warned."

Accurate description, fantastic performance. Grant delivers on a vibe that draws you in.

I really enjoyed this one, it was wonderful to see the parallels being made between other groups and the plant alien people and I really loved seeing graham and Anastasia’s relationship throughout the story. The narrator does a wonderful job making Anastasia sound naive and innocent and changing that yon to something more monstrous as required in the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review "Overgrowth" by Mira Grant. I have read a number of Ms. Grant's previous books, and enjoyed them all. This one is a tour de force of sci-fi/fantasy.
Since she was three years old, Anastasia Miller has been telling anyone who would listen that she's an alien disguised as a human being, and that the armada that left her on Earth is coming for her. Since she was three years old, no one has believed her (well, they said they believed her, but not realllly).
Now, her 'family' is coming from beyond the stars, and nothing will ever be the same - starting with 'Stasia herself - because her family is like nothing this world has ever experienced, and they're coming to take over.
Highly recommended.

Thank you to Mira Grant and Netgalley for the audiobook. In terms of narration, I enjoyed this audiobook; the narrator did an amazing job.

As far as the book goes, my main gripe is that this was marketed as horror when it's too lighthearted to be seen as such. Yes, there were some gruesome scenes, but I found the character's internal monologue in juxtaposition to it to be horror. In general, I enjoyed the book; it was an easy read, and being set in the United States makes world-building easy on the author's part. I also enjoyed the main characters in the book, especially Mandy, and also thought that there was great representation in the book.

An issue I had was that the build-up to the actual invasion took up 60% of the book, then the rest of the story had a choppy pacing, probably from fitting one day into the last 40%. I wish there were more information regarding the alien race and what happened after they invaded Earth, but that would be beyond the scope of the book.

Ultimately, I thought the book was a good read, but I think one reviewer said this best: "It’s also not “full-on body-horror”, and a far cry from her previous books published under the Mira Grant label. It’s more so a mix of light horror, YA-feeling-action-adventure, and a hint of cozy sci-fi"

Three year Anastasia Miller wandered into the woods... something else, wearing Anastasia's body came out.
Just over 30 years later, we catch back up with Statsia, living her life as a self proclaimed alien, a little bit ostracized but her own insistence that she is indeed an alien, but she's managed to make a life for herself. She has a job, roommates she likes and a loving boyfriend. Life could be better, sure, especially if she didn't feel compelled to TELL everyone about her origins, but it could be worse.
Until it gets worse. And messy. When a transmission from space is broadcast across to the world, and Stasia knows- her people are coming.
Though not quite the horror novel it purports tome, it was nonetheless an amazing, engaging story. Stasia is caught between the world that raised her- and sometimes rejected her, and the family that is now coming for her, but did leave her on her own for so long. Aided by her boyfriend and her friends she's struggling to find the truth of what she wants.
And then everything just happens all at once- and while still not graphically as horrifying as maybe it was supposed to be, it was still pretty mentally horrifying- and an all around great read.

Thank you to net galley for an e-ARC in return for my honest review.

3.5 rounded up. This book felt very horror-light. Almost a YA level horror. It was charming and sweet. My heart strings were pulled for our MC’s relationships. I would recommend this to anyone who likes a very light horror/sci fi themed storyline. Personally I like a more gruesome horror. The narrator did an excellent job.

This one starts out like the sci-fi story of my dreams: mysterious, urgent, and full of big “what if” questions. We meet Anastasia, a girl who’s always said she’s an alien—and now, the world might finally believe her. An alien signal has been received. The invasion is coming. And the tension builds fast.

For the first half, I was hooked. The pacing felt tight, the stakes were high, and I couldn’t wait to see how it all played out. But then… the story changed. Instead of pushing forward toward the upward incline of the coming invasion, the plot flattens. The focus shifts away from what’s coming, and we dive back into long conversations and character work that, honestly, felt like we’d already covered. The sense of urgency faded, and I started to lose interest.

Still, there’s a lot to appreciate. The book wrestles with deep questions—what makes us human, how we judge people by how they look, and what it means to belong. There’s strong social commentary on immigration, queerness, and the way fear can shape society. Those themes hit hard, and they’re handled with care.

I also loved the alien concept: they’re born from seeds across different planets, shaped by each world but still connected by a shared language. That was beautiful and symbolic—an awesome metaphor for diversity, family, and identity.

But I won’t lie—the ending didn’t land for me. I understand that real life doesn't always follow the point A to point B linear trajectory of a plot triangle—but when reading books the only thing I really use to judge whether I liked it or not was if I was entertained. And this was a toss up. The “big idea” that was supposed to have allowed humanity to prevent the invasion felt weak, even childish. And the repetition toward the end made it feel like I was slogging instead of reading.

If you love character-driven sci-fi with political layers and don’t mind a slow-burn finale, you might enjoy this. For me, it was a mixed bag—but one I’m still glad I opened.

This audiobook got its thorns in me from the very beginning. The sharp, violent start made me really eager for a kind of yucky story — which we eventually do get, but not for literal hours if you're listening to the audiobook like I was. Now, I didn't dislike the slow burn exactly, but I do think the novel overall would benefit from juuust a little pruning to tighten up the plot and dialogue, especially the main character's repetitive inner monologue. Ultimately, I wish this novel spent less time repeatedly ruminating on what it means to be human so we could get to the sick plant aliens faster.

Unfortunately this didn't work for me and I think that's more of a me problem so I'm going to give it a 3 star. I think this mostly didn't work for me because of the writing style and the strange humor peppered throughout the book. I had a big problem with figuring out the tone of the book. I absolutely love the Wayward Children's series, but the tone of those books, put into this style of book, didn't work. I was constantly trying to figure out how to feel about what was going on and it left me a little confused throughout the reading experience. I think plenty of people will really enjoy this though if they specifically really love the writing style.