Overgrown is at its heart a science fiction novel about identity. Who we claim as “ours” and who we shun as different.

The book opens with the brutal body-snatching murder of a small child. The child is replaced by an alien. We follow this replacement into their 30’s, and the eventually alien invasion that their “birth” caused.

I had mixed feelings, but by the end of this I just wasn’t sold.

That being said: if you read this you will get to experience a polyamorous plant dragon. So there’s that.

GOOD:
On the one hand, this book had some of the most lush and beautiful descriptions I’ve read in a novel in a while. The imagery was at times spectacular and ethereal and genuinely magical. It also is a fascinating concept that has so much going for it. This authors overall plot itself is engaging. Plants coming to eat the human race? Sign me up bro. The main characters voice is (mostly) incredibly engaging (until the end) and many of the side characters fill perfect roles within this type of literary fiction. (Love you Tony). It is, at times, disgusting to read, causing visceral reactions, which drew me into the otherworldly tone. The overall vibe is immaculate. All of this worked to propel me really well through most the book.

Also, give the audiobook narrator a raise. She KILLED that shit. Like truly, that helped with a lot of the issues I’m about to address so much. (I worry a little about how all this will come off in print).

Also some of the human character villains were such wonderful archetypes. The one NASA lady…lovely. Hated her.

STRUGGLED WITH SPECIFICS:
Now on the other, the pacing is really off (which many reviewers have noted). It drags at times particularly in the middle and you have to stick it out to the ending for the big pay off. This stems from two things.

1) this author clearly doesn’t trust their audience to “get” the message. It is repeatedly bashed over our heads. Like girl, I am all for exploring living as a trans person through science fiction but please don’t bring it up every other paragraph (subtly and not subtly) and go into it over and over in depth. I get it. I’m on your side already. Please just get to the alien invasion. Better yet, let the themes of the story become clear through the actual alien invasion rather than just repeatedly telling us.

And 2) the continued and repetitive interiority of the MC. So much interiority. So much of it repetitive. How many times do I have to read “I knew by some deep instinct…”

Actually maybe that’s just the same point. The author needed to make their “point” and didn’t trust us to get it. And it bogged the book down.

(Minor thing: the characters were supposed to be in their thirties…but felt much younger).

(Also I saw other review that said something along the lines of “it doesn’t feel productive make the trans alien character a child murderer…” which like…actually good point…)

That being said, the examination of transness/otherness through science fiction is crucial work and I think this book adds to a long line of sci-fi pushing the boundaries of gender. The Left Hand of Darkness comes to mind for me.

QUESTIONS:
I am genuinely confused on how I am supposed to read Anastasia. Are we supposed to read her as a problematic MC who slowly becomes a colonizer? (Because coming to a planet and killing all the native people because they aren’t “good enough” is giving heavy colonizer energy…) OR Are we supposed to read her as positive, making the end message that in order for the world to be better we have to literally kill everyone except for those who are politically left? (Which feels almost like a Babel argument, but way less well executed?)

If we are meant to read her as problematic, an untrustworthy narrator, then her siding with trans people and the left makes this book feel VERY icky to me.

If she’s positive, I guess I can see how the argument is that the world needs to be remade into a more accepting place and that sometimes that takes violence, but she literally forces her boyfriend to change for her entirely. The aliens literally murder billions of people? How am I supposed to truly get behind that? Am I being plantist right now?

FINAL:
As I wrote this review, I realize I didn’t really like this book at all. It was so heavy handed. And the final message doesn’t sit right with me.

Anastasia Miller is an alien, and she knows she's an alien, and she's told everyone she knows since she's a child that she's an alien. She went into the woods as a normal healthy child, lost consciousness, and when she woke up - she suddenly knew the truth. But she's lived a human life with human friends and a human boyfriend - and a cat.

Until she hears a signal that she knows is from her home planet, which means they are finally coming. And they're probably not coming in peace. Anastasia finds herself caught between her human and alien selves.

I have mixed thoughts about this book. There were parts of this book, especially in the middle, that I really liked. There were also some parts that seemed juvenile and silly. So overall I'll put it about 3.5.

thank you netgalley for giving me an advanced review copy of this audiobook

Overgrowth starts off with a bang—creepy, unsettling, and undeniably intriguing. We meet Anastasia “Stasia” Miller, who wanders into the woods at age three, touches a strange alien plant… and doesn’t come back the same. Ever since, she’s insisted she’s an alien—no one believes her, of course. Until Earth starts receiving messages from deep space, and suddenly, everything Stasia’s said doesn’t sound so crazy anymore.

Told from Stasia’s POV, this is a strange and thought-provoking story of identity, alien invasion, found family, and what it means to truly belong. It blends cozy sci-fi with horror elements, social commentary, and some emotional character moments—especially early on. I loved the first half of the book, especially the exploration of Stasia's alien perspective while trying to live among humans, her quirky circle of friends, and the slow-building tension of an invasion hiding in plain sight.

But then… it lost me. Somewhere past the halfway mark, the tone shifted dramatically. What started as eerie and emotionally rich morphed into something chaotic, preachy, and hard to follow. The pacing dragged early on, only to suddenly rush through major events and throw in info-dumps and over-explained metaphors. What could’ve been powerful themes around identity, queerness, and otherness felt clunky and forced, instead of naturally integrated into the story. At times, it felt like the message overwhelmed the narrative itself.

By the end, I wasn’t even sure what kind of story it was trying to be. The plot twisted itself into something so far removed from the engaging setup that I struggled to stay connected. The alien mythology, the stakes of the invasion, and even the characters I once liked started to feel like afterthoughts.

That said—the audiobook is fantastic. Caitlin Kelly’s narration is phenomenal and honestly kept me going when I was tempted to stop. Her performance alone is a 5-star experience.

Final thoughts: Overgrowth has some truly fascinating ideas and moments that shine, especially early on. But inconsistent tone, uneven pacing, and heavy-handed messaging ultimately pulled me out of the story. I’m glad I gave it a shot, and I’ll continue reading Mira Grant—but this one left me feeling more wilted than wowed.

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for this ALC in exchange for an honest review!

2.5 stars. Mira Grant/Seanan McGuire is always a hit or miss author for me and unfortunately, this one was a miss. It just was very repetitive and it didn't hold my attention very well.

read this alongside the ebook and it was so much more immersive for me. narrator did a phenomenal job, really brought it home. and the book itself?? absolutely adored, i wrote a separate review for that one. ugh, amazing

4 stars...first off thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this audioARC of the book. I enjoyed the narrator a lot and I love Mira Grants writing. She sure knows how to tell a story. I read her zombie series a while ago and really enjoyed it and this one didn't disappoint. The characters were all well developed and likeable(even if they are maneating plant-based aliens). I couldn't help but think of Audrey ll from little shop of horrors when reading this haha this was a great sci-fi/thriller/horror story and yes I would recommend this and her other stories as well. She's a great storyteller.

Thank you,@macmillan.audio for my free audiobook. #MacAudio2025 #macmillanaudio

📚 #BOOKREVIEW 📚
Overgrowth by Mira Grant
⭐️⭐️⭐️ / Pages: 465 / Genre: Sci-Fi
Audiobook Narrator: Caitlin Kelly
Duration: 17 hours 27 minutes
Release Date: May 6, 2025

Anastasia Miller was kidnapped and murdered by aliens when she was three years old. Her likeness was then cloned and inhabited by an alien child who grew up on Earth telling anyone who would listen that she was in fact an alien and an invasion was coming. No one believed her … until the invasion began.

I liked the concept of this book but the delivery and the characters fell flat for me. It seemed more like some kind of political statement on gender and immigration. And I like politics as much as I like surprise pregnancy tropes. Bleh.

But at least Caitlin Kelly did a great job voicing all the characters on the audiobook.

This was a decent read, but I don't think the concept or the direction of the story held enough interest to support a full novel. Had this been a short story or novella I probably would have loved it, but as a nearly 500 page tome it just dragged on and on and on.

I also never would have guessed thsi was written by Seanana McGuire since the writing didn't have her usual polish. Rather, So. Much. of the book was delivered through expository dialogue that really started to grate on me.

The narrator, however, did a great job with the text.

Overall I think this is a hard book to recommend because it doesn't really feel like a Horror for most of the time, or like a book about murderous plants. Rather, it largely feels like an examination of what it is to be believed, the ties that bond us to one another, what it takes to sever those bonds, the experience of being the outsider who doesn't belong, and how the opinions of family can mold our sense of self and deeply held beliefs. It's quite contemplative to the point of being somewhat naval gazey.

Also -weirdly- it's the second book I read within 24hrs of each other to be heavily influenced by Little Shop of Horrors.

Great choice of voice actor to capture the tension and humanity of this story. This is why you don’t use AI! Love all of Mira Grant’s work. Will happily recommend.

I am a huge fan of Seanan McGuire's creepy atmospheres but have avoided reading any Mira Grant books because I am not a horror reader. I gathered my courage, took a chance and had such a great time with Overgrowth. It was the perfect longish, meandering story to get lost in. There is one truly horrifying twist in the middle of the book which made the entire experience for me. I can't tell you what it is because it is the sort of gut punch you don't want to see coming. I continue to think about it days later. If you like your horror more like a beautiful painting and less of an adrenaline rush, then this is the book for you. Thank you to the author, narrator, publisher, and NetGalley for the audioARC.

The premise was very intriguing but the execution fell flat. I felt like I was being taught a lesson on acceptance and while I agree, it was very repetitive and juvenile. I was being spoken to, not experiencing the story, if that makes sense. I think this should have been a YA book. I also think the marketing could have been off. This wasn't scary. Also, it was hard to have a species that was a predator and killed people be the one telling me to accept people and be kinder.

Wow I really enjoyed this one! It was so interesting and a concept I’ve never read before. I almost felt like I couldn’t read it fast enough or get enough out of it.

3.5 /5

Alien invasions and eco horror collide in Mira Grant's 'Over Growth'.

Do many elements feel like things I've read before? Yes.
Is the book too damn long? Yes.
Did I enjoy it? Also, yes.

It took me awhile to get through this one, but after connecting to a couple of the humans, and one of the alien plant people, I did ultimately enjoy tagging along on their little journey through the invasion.

And yes, you read that right. Plant people. And I found that part really cool, especially as Mira fleshes things out. I was constantly intrigued enough to keep going, and happy enough with the ending to recommend it ... I'm trying to approach this review without comparing it to things it reminded me of ... But it's a bit tricky. (Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Little Shop of Horrors, plus several others I can't mention cuz it'll spoil certain elements. )

3.5 / 5

This was a decent story but overall not a super scary or expansive sci-fi novel. I can't say that I didn't like it, but it really did not hold my attention. Totally only my opinion, this book might be a 5 star for someone else :)

Mixed feelings on this one. I loved the premise, loved the ideas being proposed, but felt the execution was somewhat lacking. I felt the pacing was off for a horror, and other than the odd kinda icky moment it had very little tension or scare factors to it, which surprised me given how good Into the Drowning Deep is. Tonally, the protagonist’s millennial twee POV felt a little jarring, and by the halfway mark I felt like her vacillating loyalties were just an attempt to dodge any sort of responsibility or choice that would make her a ‘bad guy.’ I think it would have been way more compelling to see a choice made, one way or the other. Also felt a little weird about the discussion about transness and being an alien ending…with the trans dude robbed of any sort of choice in his own future or fate. Usually a fan, but this one just didn’t work for me

You always know it's going to be a fun hellish time when Seanan uses her science horror penname (Mira Grant) to write about an alien invasion. We get an invasion novel, Seanan getting to think real hard about how plant and human biology could overlap, and the humans making the worst possible choices. Seanan has talked a lot recently about how the Feed series would've turned out differently if she were to write it today, and that absolutely shows in the ending here, which is dark as hell, but absolutely amazing. I listened to the audiobook after finishing the book, and the narrator's voice absolutely aligns with how I pictured the main character. Pick this up this summer.

I don’t read a ton of sci-fi (maybe 2-3 books a year?) but I loved Grant’s FEED zombie series so I had to check this one out. It was so great and half the time I couldn’t even picture what was going on in my head. There was some excellent commentary on humanity and what it means to be human. I loved not knowing if I was rooting for the humans or aliens and my allegiance changed throughout the novel. The characters were what made this great - they were complex, well rounded and flawed.

Overgrowth is the story of an alien invasion, told from the point of view of one of the aliens. And I don’t know an author better equipped to take on such a wild plot than Mira Grant.

When she was three years old, Anastasia Miller was absorbed by a giant extraterrestrial flower in the woods bordering her house. When she comes out of the woods, she begins telling everyone she’s an alien, and that an invasion is imminent. Of course, no one believes her – not for 33 years. But then an alien signal is broadcast around the world, and it turns out Stasia (and others like her) were telling the truth all along.

I really enjoyed the first half of this book, as we get to know Stasia and her friends (even though they all act younger than people in their mid-30s, but hey, age is just a number), and as the tension builds to the arrival of the aliens. Grant’s pacing in the first half of the book is perfect as she plants the seeds (pun intended!) for the invasion. The alien race at the center of the book is so original; Grant paints a vivid, well-realized portrait of the “plant people,” their society, and their belief system. The social commentary is well-integrated, the found family element adds so much heart and humanity, and conceptually, Overgrowth is incredibly well-done. It raises interesting questions about colonization and what it truly means to be human. I listened to the audiobook read by Caitlin Kelly, who embodied Stasia’s voice so perfectly.

But I started losing interest after the aliens actually arrived. I know that sounds odd, because that’s exactly when I should have been most invested – but I think I was hoping that things would play out differently, or at least on a grander scale. This is a very “micro” take on an alien invasion, tightly focused on the core group of characters, when I think I wanted to see things from a more macro viewpoint. In the end, I wasn’t really sure whose side I was on, and it didn’t feel like Stasia was either – her character became inconsistent and contradictory.

That said, though, I would love to see what Hollywood could do with this book and a big budget, and I’d also be open to reading a sequel. There are no limits to Mira Grant’s imagination, and I would definitely let her take me to whatever worlds she wanted to. Thanks to Macmillan Audio for the early listening opportunity.

Anastasia Miller, or Stasia to her friends, has spent her entire life claiming to be the vanguard of an alien species, predicting an impending alien invasion. Unsurprisingly, these claims were largely dismissed. However, the world is forced to reconsider when an alien signal is detected, prompting a realization that Stasia may have been telling the truth all along.

I'm giving this a 3.5-star rating. I went into this expecting a science fiction horror story, something gruesome and intense like Into the Drowning Deep. It definitely felt more like a YA book than I anticipated.

That being said, I still enjoyed the book, probably because Caitlin Kelly did such a good job narrating the audiobook!

Thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the ARC!

First off I would like to say thank you to NetGally and Macmillan Audio for early access to this audiobook. After reading the synopsis and seeing the cover I was really excited for this but unfortunately the writing style just isn’t for me so I did DNF at 35%. I kept finding myself getting into it and then the millennial cringe would knock me back out. Now with all that being said I can see where this could be a very special book for a lot of readers and I think if you enjoy millennial humor (MC gives mustache finger tattoo vibes) this will definitely be for you!