Mira Grant manages to deliver a story that left my skin crawling long after I finished this one. The narrator did such an excellent job delivering this story too.

Fans of Mira Grant will love this one, and if you haven't read books by this author then do yourself a favor and pick this one as soon as it is published. You won't be disappointed.

Plot: I would call this light horror, with some difficult scenes (including one involving child death and many, many other references to such) and some body horror, but more action/adventure type scenes than anything else. I found the pacing to be inconsistent, with the first bit fairly interesting, the middle quite a bit shorter than I would have liked, and the last quarter moving at a breakneck pace.

I think this book has a lot to say about various political issues, and while I generally agreed with what it was saying, I did find a number of the ways in which it was said to be heavy-handed and lacking in subtly. Some of the legal stuff truly made very little sense, which I tried my best to shrug off. For example, the amount of times that the villains at NASA (what?) told the main character that she didn't have the rights of a citizen (while torturing her? NASA?) was probably 5x as many as was needed.

Characters: I found Stasia to be an eminently likable character, despite our introduction to her origins and her role as an alien invader. I also couldn't help but want this to shift to be a romance between her and Graham, as I found that relationship to be really charming. The discussions of what makes a family, the various friendships and interpersonal conflicts, and discussion of humanity was, to me, the best part of the book. I did feel like some of the characters read quite a bit younger than the 30s age range that they were supposed to be, with some aspects feeling more like YA characters.

Narrator: I really enjoyed the narration by Caitlin Kelly. She did a great job of differentiated between various voices, alien elements, and emotional states.

I'm always excited for new books from Mira Grant (Into the Drowning Deep has long been a favorite of mine), so as soon as I saw Overgrowth announced I knew I was going to have to check it out. This premise sounded pretty wild, and if anyone can tackle weird, it's Mira Grant.

Anastasia is an alien. She has known this since she was a kid, and she has made sure to tell anyone and everyone this fact, along with the additional information that one day her fellow aliens were going to invade Earth. Naturally, no one believed her. But one day, an alien signal is picked up by humans on Earth and suddenly it seems possible that maybe, just maybe, Anastasia has not been lying and/or delusional her entire life...

What a premise, right? I was certainly intrigued to see what Grant would do with it, and while I appreciated the story she created, I'll be honest that I was left feeling this story was a bit hit or miss for me.

I really liked getting to know Anastasia, or Stasia, and I enjoyed learning about how she has lived her entire life in this world as someone who believes/knows that she is actually an alien and isn't actually the same human as everyone else. It's also a fascinating dynamic to have her aware that there is an impending invasion set for Earth, but also to not know when or how or exactly what. She's clever and very perceptive, but also intensely introverted and prefers not to be overly social, and I appreciated hearing her thoughts and takes on the world and people around her. Stasia is also currently in a relationship with Graham when the story begins, and this was a couple I found quite lovely to follow. Their dynamic felt real and full of empathy, respect, and understanding. I particularly appreciated some of the background we got about some of their past relationship struggles and how they worked through them to be the strong couple they are today. I know this book isn't about their relationship and it's not a romance, but it is about the human race and I thought they provided a really good example of what human connection is and how empathy and passion can build even when it's not expected.

What I found didn't work for me with the characters was the fact that they felt much younger than they were. If I recall correctly, I think they are generally supposed to be in their thirties (?), and throughout this book I would've easily believed they were early twenties at most. And this also leads me to the fact that this book really felt like it could've been a YA story. I never say that as an insult or to disparage YA, but there is definitely a vibe these days in YA and a lot of tropes/types of characters that show up, and I kept having to remind myself that this was not, in fact, a YA story. It felt like a lot of the adult books that YA authors have now been writing, or a lot of the adult stories that show up in popular book box subscriptions, etc., where they are basically YA but just... older. The main positive I will say is that Grant is generally very good at writing characters, and that does appear to hold true here. No matter what age or perceived age people are in this story, they are typically fairly well-developed and have some interesting insights to bring to the story based on their own perspectives and experiences, which I always appreciate. Grant just knows how to build an atmosphere and develop some really compelling, complex characters.

I also think Grant generally handled this entire premise well, but the execution didn't always work for me. The pacing felt quite glacial at times, and it just didn't feel like there was always that many worthwhile things happening, but rather some filler here and there. This book's page count is in the high 400s, and I really don't think it needed to be. I would think, "surely this must be close to the end," and then realize I still had 20-30% of the story left. If I think back on the book right now, I couldn't even tell you what fills all of those pages. There is a lot of introspection by our characters to be sure, which isn't a bad thing, but also a lot of minor plot points or just very slow movement that didn't feel like it needed to be there.

What I did love about Grant's writing in this book was her tackling of some many themes and moral questions that popped up. For instance, what's the morality around aliens vs. humans? Is one inherently more full of worth than the other? Is that worth affected by whether one is able to feel more emotions than the other? What about invasions--especially if the ones being invaded aren't taking care of their planet? And what exactly is humanity--what makes up being a human? And how does that differ from other living beings? All of these and more are explored, and it's topics like these that are really why I read and love speculative fiction so much. We don't get to experience things like what happened in this book in our everyday lives (which is probably a good thing, don't get me wrong), so I always relish the chance to explore new ideas and questions whenever I can through creative stories.

I listened to the audiobook version of thought the narrator did a truly excellent job! Her voice fit the narrative and story wonderfully, and is part of what kept me so hooked throughout.

Overall, I truly enjoy exploring the ideas in Mira Grant's brain and am so grateful she writes these stories to share them all with us. Overgrowth is a solid alien invasion sci-fi that I think will be a big hit for many readers.

Overgrowth by Mira Grant

I have loved Mira Grant before I ever heard of Seanan McGuire. I was first introduced to her work when her book Parasite, written as Mira Grant, was nominated for a Hugo Award - that year, the person in charge of ebook buying for my local library got copies of all of the Hugo nominated works and that one was by far my favorite. I loved it and quickly devoured the Newsflesh series before I realized that Mira Grant and Seanan McGuire were the same person.

I started reading her works under her own name, starting with Sparrow Hill Road, which is amazing, but I picked it because I was intimidated by her long running October Daye series. I eventually fell in love with October and the Incryptid series, and her Velveteen Vs. series holds a very special place in my heart.

But science fiction has always been my first love with fantasy coming in second place, so I have always gravitated towards the Mira Grant books. After Tor got the rights to publish more October Daye and Incryptid books from Astra (formerly known as DAW) I was wondering if they would also be putting out more Mira Grant titles. I’m so glad to be right!

I remembered reading the initial description of this book in 2023 on Ms. McGuire’s social media and thinking to myself “ oh, hey, she wrote an autobiography”. You see, I remembered reading an interview years ago where Ms. McGuire said that she firmly believed that she was the vanguard of an invasion of alien plant people - she came out of the woods as a child and told that to her family. She has mentioned this on her old live journal and elsewhere over the years. (I always personally wondered if this was a response to a childhood trauma but it is folly to try to armchair psychoanalyze someone you don’t know based on what they say online). But I was quite intrigued when Tor and NetGalley gave me an eARC of Overgrowth in exchange for an honest review.

This book is excellent. The sense of creeping dread is palpable. I was enjoying this book but I kept having to put it down at different points to savor the impending doom - it is not a book to rush through.

The characters feel very real in what slowly becomes a very unreal scenario. I had a few quibbles with the government reactions at different points in the novel but all of it was very minor. The author described it as a “cozy apocalypse” novel, not meaning that the end of the world is relaxing , but that it has a very tight focus on the characters. That is a really good description.

I really enjoyed this book and I cannot wait for the next Mira Grant novel.

Okay, first of all, huge shout out to NetGalley for letting me listen to the audiobook so early! It’s amazing and I love you.
Second of all, I would and might actually die for Mira Grant/Seanan McGuire. Anything they write, I immediately consume.
Third of all, I am a giant wuss. I scare so easily but I powered through this book. It was addictive!
So we start off with our main character, Stasia Miller, who is convinced that she is an alien whose space-invading family is on the way to take over Earth. But of course, no one believes her. They write her off as a kook, a jokester or just plain crazy. She has a few wonderful friends that honestly stick by her through everything in this book, including an actual space invasion and transformation into an actual plant.
The pacing in this book is slow and steady. At the halfway point, I was wondering what else could possibly happen. The ending took me completely be surprise and I find myself thinking about it a lot. I do highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good space invasion plus body horror. I am deeply afraid of all plants now, thanks!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4 out of 5 stars)

Narrated by Caitlin Kelly

Young Anastasia Miller was only three years old when her body was taken over by an alien being. But she isn’t the only one—others like her walk among us, hiding in plain sight. As Anastasia grows up with this dual identity, those closest to her begin to learn the truth, launching them into an interstellar fight for survival. What follows is a high-stakes journey that pushes family and friends to the edge of space in an effort to protect their loved ones—and their planet—from full-scale invasion.

This book was unique and different in the best ways. Mira Grant does an incredible job with the world-building, especially in creating the alien species and weaving in complex sci-fi elements. The relationships between characters felt real and earned, with flashbacks to Stasia’s childhood and her mother offering emotional insight and grounding the stakes of the story.

I also appreciated the diversity in the side characters and the thoughtful inclusion of LGBTQ+ representation—it added depth and richness to the narrative. Plus, the references to classic horror, sci-fi, and thriller films and books were a fun touch for genre fans.

The only reason this wasn’t a full five-star read for me is that it veered into some really weird territory near the end. While that kind of surreal twist can be expected in horror thrillers, a few elements didn’t quite mesh with the overall storyline and pulled me out of the experience just a bit.

Still, this was a strong, inventive read with a compelling concept and great narration.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance listening copy (ALC) in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️2.5⭐️

This story follows Anastasia ‘Stasia’ Miller, who, since childhood, has claimed to be an alien disguised as a human, and warns every person she meets of an impending invasion. As the invasion looms, Stasia and her group of human friends attempt to make sense of their situation, prepare for the arrival of the alien plant species, and come to terms with what it will mean for Earth.

I was so excited to dive into this story, as this was my first Mira Grant book and I have heard so much praise for her writing. I easily fell in love with her writing style and was instantly sucked into this story. This book highlights a lot of heavy themes and isn’t afraid to point a glaring finger at humanity’s ugliness. This is evident in Grant’s environmental themes, and how people handle the complexities of identity of those who don’t fit into social structures. And while this book has some positive themes of found family, hope, and loyalty, I couldn’t shake the anger toward humanity that clung to the pages.

I was lucky enough to get approval for the advanced listener copy of this audiobook, and Caitlin Kelly’s narration of this book was flawless.

What didn’t work for me was the pacing toward the end of the book. I felt the concept of this book was stronger than the execution. I was left wanting more and feeling frustrated with the reason behind the invasion. It was explained constantly, and yet, I still struggle to understand the ‘why’ behind it. And while the deterrence was meant to be a twist, I found it to be a bit ridiculous. I also found the motives of the characters to be unbelievable. Multiple characters, who openly despised the main character, constantly helped her throughout the entire story, but annoyingly complained about it the whole time. I believe this was meant to be comedic banter, but it just got tedious and added nothing to the story.

Overall, this book was a miss for me. The writing was strong in the start, but I was hoping for more of a War of the Worlds vibe. This book felt too juvenile for my liking. I am still looking forward to reading Grant’s Into the Drowning Deep and hope it holds up to the praise!

A special thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced listener copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

First I would like to thank Macmillian Audio for the advance copy! I am very grateful for the opportunity to listen to Overgrowth early.

I really enjoyed this story! I haven't read a book by Mira Grant since the Newflesh trilogy came out, but I was obsessed with those. So when I saw this I was intrigued to see if I would like this as well! It is not my typical story but I really enjoyed it. I love how grant turns things on their head and the story unfolds in very unexpected ways. I think she does a great job building up this world and alien race without a whole lot of intricate and time-consuming world building.

A compelling story that combines science fiction, suspense, and a bit of horror. With a strong female main character, I found myself feeling for Stasia, and her journey towards realising that what makes one human is less found in one's DNA, and more in our actions, the choices we make, and our love for each other.

A rather long book, it is filled with detailed world building, and is stunningly visual. From LGBTQ+ representation, to the greater messages regarding oppressors vs the oppressed, colonisation, this novel feels very timely. In the end, we are left with much to think about, and it will stay with you long after the final page.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for access to this outstanding audiobook.

I really enjoyed the concept and the first 30% of Overgrowth by Mira Grant. However, I found the story to be extremely repetitive and I got bored early on — reading about the same themes, messaging, and conversations over and over again for 480 pages was a struggle. I also never connected with the main characters, which I think is another reason I did not personally enjoy this book.

However, Grant is clearly a very talented writer. This story is incredibly creative and the worlds (both human and alien) are vibrant and so descriptive. The messages and themes of this novel are also incredibly important; Grant touches on immigration, trans rights, colonization, and so much more.

There are plenty of readers out there who are going to really enjoy this novel, but unfortunately I am not one of those readers.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for providing me with an Advanced Listeners Copy in exchange for an honest review.

Review posted to Goodreads 5/10/25.

Review posted to Instagram stories on 5/10/25.

**3.5-stars**

When she was just 3-years old, Anastasia Miller, wandered into the woods to locate a beautifully-smelling flowering plant. It was then that she disappeared. A massive missing person search ensued, only to have Anastasia come back home, visibly unharmed days later. It was at that point that her story truly began.

She'd been abducted by aliens. Her purpose now was to prepare, or warn, the humans about the coming invasion. She told everybody she could, her whole life, even into adulthood. People came to assume it was a quirky character trait stemming from the trauma she must have suffered during the period of time she went missing, but no one seems to really believe she's an alien.

When an alien signal broadcast around the world starts to get picked up, it's validity undeniable, it seems maybe people should have taken Anastasia's warnings seriously. The invasion is coming. Stasia's bio-family is finally on their way and their intent could put all of humanity at risk. They were warned. It's too bad they didn't listen.

This novel had such a great start. The first 25%, I was so intrigued. The audiobook narration was fabulous, and perfect for Anastasia's perspective.
The pace was very solid in the first half. I enjoyed the side characters a lot. Stasia's boyfriend, Graham, and her roommates, they all played huge roles in this story, and I liked the found family feel of their group.

The tone reminded me quite a bit of the Alchemical Journeys series by Seanan McGuire. In fact, I had to remind myself a couple of times that this wasn't just another installment to that series; even the cuckoos were mentioned.

Unfortunately, this started to lose me in the second-half. The intrigue completely flew out of the stratosphere for me when the aliens flew in. There was just something about the way that was done and presented, the direction it ultimately went, that didn't work for me. I was hoping for a vastly different outcome regarding the conclusion, however, there's no denying the quality of Grant's writing and character development.

She's a master of intentional writing. There are no wasted words and everything has meaning and depth. It's not just entertainment. There's a lot more going on within her stories, which I do appreciate so much. So, while this one was a bit of a mixed bag for me, I'm still a huge fan of Mira Grant and will continue to pick up anything she writes in the future.

Thank you to the publisher, Tor Nightfire and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with a copy to read and a review. If you're looking for a Alien Invasion story, this is def worth checking out. I know many Readers are going to love this!

This book has such an interesting premise. Im not usually one who enjoys science fiction but anything even in the realm of Little Shop of Horrors always interests me.

Anastasia was such a relatable character. The friends she surrounds herself with as an adult accept her, even when her story of being an alien seem far fetched. This book has eerie elements and moments that make you feel uneasy. Overall though the story is engaging.

Mira Grant returns with another original scifi horror that both entertains and intrigues. <i>Overgrowth</i> tells the story of Anastasia, a girl who disappeared at age three only to return days later, adamant that she is in fact part of an alien species that will eventually come to overthrow Earth. Her family and friends, for the most part, humor her, even as she continues to hold on to this assertion through her childhood and into her 20s. Now, it seems scientists are receiving a mysterious broadcast from outer space, and everyone's beginning to wonder if maybe she was not wrong.

Mira is skilled at crafting her books with high-energy that's balanced with the kind of slow reflection that can only come with deeply flawed characters. While on the surface, this is just another scifi alien tale, there is a lot to unpack under the surface: trust in yourself, identity and acceptance, humanity, loyalty, and unconditional love. While the book is low on the creepy factor for one sold in the horror genre, and a little slower paced in places than I would prefer, I still had a lot of fun with this one overall.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio, NetGalley, and Mira Grant for an advance copy for honest review. 3.75 stars rounded up.

Overgrowth

I’m always amazed when a narrator does different voices so well. This audiobook was well done, especially loved her voice for Mother (so soothing).

This story unpacked a lot of emotions in me. For myself I believe if another “alien” race or people came to earth it will not be with open arms and welcome hugs. This story shows how violent humans can be when warned (even slightly) and faced with an alien race coming to earth.

Stasia has known she is an alien since 3 years old. She also has freely admitted to anyone who will listen that she is an alien awaiting her people who will be coming to earth. There are many just like her all over the world.
And when meeting her human/alien hybrid brothers and sisters it causes a lot of confusing emotions, such as fear mixed with acceptance.
All while trying to keep her boyfriend and friends safe, when other humans and aliens react badly to those around her. The only things important is her loved ones and keeping them all together. Also dealing with the difficulties of being who you are, no matter the consequences.

Imagine our world having to come to terms with aliens and finding out that we’ve had aliens on our earth for years before the invasion even begins. And how far would You go to keep ur loved ones safe and with you during the invasion?

It’s an exciting story where most of the time I was clutching my couch pillow. I was actually exhausted when it ended! It is a tough listen, so hang on and get thru it. Because you will definitely want to talk about this story.

I already expected to enjoy this because “Mira Grant” is a favorite author from way back to Kindle Unlimited books days. As usual she delivered in spades, even in “hearts and minds”.

Every time I look up into the sky or see a dense forest I will think back to this story.

Big thank you to MacMillan Audio, #NetGalley and
#Overgrowth for this free audiobook. All comments are my own.

On its own, this is not the easiest text, charming as Grant's writing is--as always. Still, this is a urgent and heartfelt romp. Is it horror? Not exactly. For listeners of the audiobook, it will lean more toward a very character-based sci-fi; you can't help but feel for the narrator--she does an excellent job.

While the alien plotline is fun and suspenseful, Grant also seamlessly integrates exploration and expression of gender, as we know it and perhaps as an entire other world would. I think this will be a meaningful and emotional read for many folks. It isn't perfect, but it is timely and so delightful.

For readers who enjoyed Eat the Ones you Love, Beauty Land, and War of the Worlds - Overgrowth will not disappoint!

Grant opens with the super creepy statement that "this is just a story and it can't hurt you anymore". I'm not exaggerating when I say I felt a bit of a chill down my spine! The Narrator did a fantastic job of letting the story speak for itself- no creepy extra voice attempts, just created an immersive experience that brought the entire novel to life in my head!

Imagine you disappeared as a child, only to return claiming you were now an alien. Obviously, the folks around find this a bit hard to digest and as you appear outwardly human, everyone assumes that you're just a bit quirky. Our MC- Anastasia notes that this is exactly what happened ot her, and she does remind people that eventually- her people will return. That piece, seems far fetched, until the alien "bat signal" comes calling and things get a bit messy for aliens and humans alike.
This is a first contact narrative with teeth! There is a touch of body horror, Sci Fi, humor, suspense and a dash of romance in this rapid moving story which had me on tenterhooks wondering what was going to happen next! While the first contact idea, and the nature of the alien were not wholly new - the way that Grant's world is constructed is broadly and wildly imaginative and distinctly unique from other Sci-Fi I've read. I found the building of the alien experience to be entirely creative, engaging and fairly easy to follow despite it going from plants to quasi-Vampires, to dinosaurs at 100 MPH.
I was particularly enamored with the main character's earthly relationships and the way the FMC explored her evolving emotions and feelings regarding her human people. I especially liked Grant's portrayal of Graham, a trans man, in this book. While not the main character, and not the main story line, I nonetheless enjoyed this being a natural part of the story. I have to admit also, the deep love that all the main characters had for each other, was also masterfully illustrated through the writing. The world building- made it feel as if I was on a film set with lots of special effects and makeup! Amazing!
And the writing- well, of course... impeccable. As always with Mira Grant, I'm down for a book two. We aren't left with a drastic cliffhanger, but there's still more I'd like to know!

This book is in so many ways beyond words. I am still digesting and I think I will be for some time. I honestly had no idea what I was signing up for, this author (under any name) is an instant read for me so I signed up for this audiobook knowing nothing but being ever so sure. I definitely do not regret that so perhaps turn away from reviews and just blinding give this one a try if you like crazy horror/sci-fi mixed with fascinating new species and found family. Anastasia was three when she wandered into the woods. What wondered out looked like her, sounded like her but calmly explained she was an advance of an alien invasion. As she grew that compulsion to let people know she was an alien didn’t go away. This book is complex and so full of morally grey questions I wasn’t sure which way was right or wrong most of the time. I liked the characters and the story, but I did think that it dragged just a little in the middle and could have been pruned just a little. I listened to the audiobook and I thought the narrator did a great job bringing the story, especially Stacia, to life.

5 stars, is anyone surprised? truthfully, this is more like a 4.5 but i am definitely rounding up because everyone knows i am a seanan / mira stan and this book is no exception.

Overgrowth is told from the point of view of Anastasia, who is an alien that has been raised as a human since age three. She has been telling everyone that she is an alien and the invasion is coming, and people react as you would expect - by ignoring her, at best. Turns out, she was right, oopsies, and now the armada is here, and everyone is fucked.

At it's core, this is a Body Snatchers type story that draws a lot of inspiration from War of the Worlds. It's also a cautionary tale about climate change, and like a lot of scifi it contains a certain amount of proselytizing and commentary on the subject. Neither is undeserved nor innacurate, and I appreciate the clear amount of research that Grant put into her scifi novels. i always feel like learn something whilst in the grips of ajbect horror; it's nice.

Without spoiling anything, this was such a ride, and one of the least predictable books i have had the pleasure of reading. I wasn't sure if I was rooting for humanity or the aliens until very close to the end. We also have some really excellent diversity in the supporting characters which is a breath of fresh air in a publishing landscape where generic LGBT / POC archetypes are shoehorned into every novel ever.

Warning: This book has some intense and graphic body horror. There's also a pretty rough scene, right in the beginning, involving the death of a child that was really hard to read, and i'm typically a person who pointedly ignores trigger warnings.

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Audio notes:

I was recently given access to the audio version of this, and while I will say I didn't listen to the entire book, I did listen to the first 10 minutes, and then jumped around for another 20 minutes for a total of 30 minutes listening time. I think the narrator is fine. She does not, in my opinion, add or subtract anything from this story. If your preferred method of reading is audio, this is a good one, but I woudln't go out of my way to recommend this on audio over the print version.

What if you walked into the woods one day and came out as something else? Anastasia disappeared in the woods for several days. When she came back out, she was no longer human, but part of a plant species. She never wavered in the belief. Now, about 30 years later, the aliens make contact and are about to invade. What follows is nature vs. nurture, found family adventure. For even if Anastasia isn't human, she feels a need to protect her friends. 4.5 stars.

Think Little Shop of Horrors meets The Host.
The story jumps between past and future, following a girl who mysteriously vanished for three days—only to return, seemingly unharmed. But the truth is far stranger: she wasn’t the same girl. She was a replacement. An alien copy.

Now, 32 years later, the woman she’s become remembers everything. She knows she was implanted by an alien species to live undetected among humans. No one believes her, and time is running out.

As she waits for the invasion she was designed to herald, she begins encountering others—humans who’ve survived alien contact, and aliens who know exactly what she is.

The lines blur between ally and enemy. Will Earth fall to the invasion, or will humanity fight back?

The truth is coming. Read to find out who survives.