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.

Yes Please to all Mira Grant books!

This one is about an alien invasion that begins like none I have read about before less green humanoid men or scary killer beasts and more botanical in nature.

The story begins with a little girl going into the woods and is lost for three days. When she comes out everyone is so happy to see her however she will tell everyone. She isn’t the little girl. She is an alien and the invasion is coming.

I really enjoyed it. I love the writing. It just dragged a little at times. But absolutely recommend. Audio was great.

Thanks to netgalley and Macmillan audio for an alc

Thank you to Mira Grant, Netgalley and MacMillan Audio for the ALC of this book in exchange for my honest review and opinions.

This was actually so fun to read/listen to! I dabble in sci-fi from time to time, but I am sometimes turned off by very dry, tedious world-building in sci-fi books. This was so easy to get into. Since age 3, the main character, Stacia, has told everyone she can get to listen that she is an alien and that an invasion is coming. Naturally, no one really believed her and thought she was just a weird girl obsessed with aliens, or maybe a little crazy. Even her friends and roommates only humored her to be nice. One day, a signal from space is picked up and broadcast around the world – of course, indicating that an invasion is coming.

The majority of this story takes place on earth, so the world-building is really easy and straightforward. The FMC is a bit of an emotionally stunted character, but is well-meaning and cares about her friends and family. The alien elements of this story were really interesting and captivating. I found myself rooting for the aliens, because honestly, humans kind of suck sometimes. I really appreciated how the author highlighted the imperfections of humanity and the complexities of human bonds and friendships. While this is labeled as adult, it often felt like a young adult book. I am uncertain if this was due to the innocent and naive nature of the main character or if it was the writing style. That did not feel like a detractor from the story for me personally. All in all, this was very entertaining and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to get into more sci-fi.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5 stars for Overgrowth by Mira Grant!

Overgrowth was unlike any apocalypse story I’ve ever read (or listened to)! The first half is very character-driven, pulling you into Stasia’s life and emotions, and then the action ramps up steadily until I was completely on the edge of my seat. I couldn’t stop listening!

I have to give huge props to the audiobook narrator, Caitlin Kelly—she absolutely nailed the creepy, unsettling vibe of the story while still capturing its emotional core. Her performance really elevated the experience for me.

One thing I loved was how visual this book felt. I kept thinking... this would make an incredible movie adaptation. Mira Grant’s world-building is so vivid and descriptive, it plays like a film in your mind.

While the story started a little slow for me, it quickly picked up speed- and once it did and jumped forward to her as an adult, I was hooked. I also really appreciated how emotionally rich the story was. Apocalyptic alien invasion stories aren’t usually this heartfelt, but Grant made me deeply care about Stasia and the other characters. I even teared up at a few points, which I wasn’t expecting going in!

It also contained some really modern LGBTQ+ representation that made some scenes very authentic. It underscored the book's themes of identity and belonging, which was super refreshing to see. And in an alien book no less!

I went in bracing myself for lots of gore and jump scares, but the horror here leans more psychological and thriller-like, which is great for any horror weenies like me! It’s eerie, unsettling, and atmospheric without being over-the-top gory.

I was left with a few lingering questions by the end, but honestly, it felt intentional. I trust Mira Grant’s vision, and I think part of the magic is just letting yourself sit with that ambiguity.

This was my first book by Mira Grant, and it definitely won’t be my last and I’m already excited to check out more of her work!

Thank you to Netgalley and Mira Grant for the advanced copy of this audiobook!

Overgrowth

I had a great time with this, I want to shove it down people's throats. Mira Grant is a hell of a writer, I am never disappointed with her works, a little disturbed but never disappointed.

Annastasia / Stasia is our main character and narrator, who to no fault on her own is here on Earth to kickstart an alien invasion, she is quite honest about it though. To the rest of the human race it’s an odd compulsion, until it’s not.

I loved the science and the different fields of scientists that are in this. I loved the descriptions of the alien beings very very different from what has been pushed in today’s media.

Most of all the story does not over complicate itself. In almost every type of alien-esque medium that is targeted to a mature audience, the story, or the creature, even characters get over complicated and hard to follow.

If you really love sci-fi or horror with a sprinkle of comedy, this is a fantastic combination.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced audio (really good) in exchange for an honest review

Alluring, fascinating, brutal, thought-provoking.

Ana went missing at 3 for a few days. When she was found, she told everyone she was an alien, that she was there first but that the armada, one day, was coming back for her. Ana never understood her compulsion to say this, only that she knew it was true. Therapists, counselors, doctors had all said it was her trauma response (until she became an adult and then they said she needed to stop).

But what if Ana isn't wrong.

When a chance recording grabs some sounds that Ana recognizes, she tells her friends that it looks like its time - her alien armada has almost arrived.

This one was so good. The audio was absolutely stunning - it sucked me in and it was honestly hard to stop listening. What would you do if you met someone that told you they were an alien? I loved the characters. I loved the grapple with humanity - the struggle to figure out who was right and wrong and to weigh every action and reaction. I loved Graham and his amazing heart and bravery and I loved Tony and all her snark. The nicknames had me cracking up the ending made me tear up. So. Freaking. Good.

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

When I started this book, I never expected to cheer on the aliens. At face value this is a wonderfully addictive science fiction novel. On a deeper level, this is a stunning look at the callousness of mankind. I can safely say this is my favorite science fiction novel. 10/10

Overgrowth is my favorite kind of sci fi horror. Mira Grant has drawn interesting and sometimes challenging characters, complex conflict, and the highest stakes. I initially strongly identified with Stasia, but found myself resonating with each central character as they all wrestled with virtually undefeatable colonizers.

In a book rife with death, dismay, and resignation, there are still whimsical moments and references, contrasts mirrored in the anger and love that tightly bind the central players together. I predict that I will recommend this book warmly and frequently.

A strange fungus, a creeping sense of dread, and a world slowly unraveling - this sci-fi horror totally rattled me in the best (and grossest) way. I haven’t read a ton of sci-fi, but this one got under my skin with how unsettling and thought-provoking it was. The first and second halves felt totally different in tone, but it weirdly worked considering how the threat evolved. I think this is one of those books that’s going to stick with me for a long time… even if I’m not sure I’m ready for more sci-fi this wild anytime soon.

This is such an unique take on an alien invasion. I love the story, the visuals, the characters, and the uniqueness of the aliens. I really loved how the story points out how certain things are ignored in society and how humans seem to greet every situation with violence first. This book said a lot about humanity and the choices we make.

I would like to thank the publisher for sending me an audio-arc in exchange for an honest review through NetGalley.

When she was three years old, Anastasia went into the woods... and never came home. In her place was an alien... who ate her and took her shape, becoming her. She has never once lied about the fact that she was an alien and that her people were coming. Now, a signal has been detected coming from space, one that she can understand. Along with her boyfriend, the two of them will soon discover what exactly that signal means, and in the end she'll have to make a choice between the alien that she is and the planet that she has lived on her entire life.

This book was absolutely WILD. If I can describe it in any way that made some sort of sense, it would be if the Reapers from Mass Effect got to tell their side of the story. And were also carnivorous plants versus hybrid machines. It's like Invasion of the Body Snatchers meets the Host meets Little Shop of Horrors. AND IT WAS SO DAMN GOOD.

I absolutely fell in love with everything about this book, from the gorgeous writing which I've come to expect from Mira Grant to the descriptions of the aliens. Character-wise, there's quite a few people to keep track of after a while, but I never once felt lost as to who was who. The character development of Anastasia as she goes from human to alien is fantastic, especially since as we know she does retain bits of her humanity because she is technically a a hybridization of human and plant and therefore a lot of the tethers that keep her from going full invader are the connections that she has with people in her life. Which of course brings us to the question -- what happens when those people are gone? One of the things that I really loved about this was the moment that we learn the whole invasion could have been avoided, and knowing that people kind of suck I'm not surprised that humanity didn't get that free pass from being invaded. It's because of moments like that where the reality of what it would be like if this was real really kind of hits home. It was a little horrifying to see the treatment Anastasia goes through throughout the book, horrifying and extremely heartbreaking, and so like I said the descent from human to invader is just excellently done.

The plot was pretty consistently fast paced, but instead of feeling like it was constantly rushing it felt more like a sped up blooming of a flower with the way things unfurled. I loved the spaceship, I loved the explanations as to everything that's going on, and I loved seeing into the mind of the alien versus another book where we just get to see into the mind of a human during yet another alien invasion. Overall, this is probably my new favorite Mira Grant book and I will 100% be listening to this again and again. Highly recommend the audio as she does a fantastic job with bringing this book to life. 10 out of 10 I would recommend this book to everybody and anybody because there is a lesson in there about kindness that really hit home.

This is an incredible book. There isn’t a single emotion that isn’t elicited from this book. Starting with a nightmarish prologue, this book is remarkable. Anastasia who can’t help but tell anyone and everyone she meets that she’s a member of an alien race that will be invading soon, she’s also one of the best characters I’ve come across in a long time. This book takes its time with events and relationships and that makes the second half of the book, where it gets really wild, pay off so well. This is one to be savored and enjoyed.

🌿Overgrowth by Mira Grant🌳

I just finished listening to this book today! I was excited about this one because I really enjoyed Into the Drowning Deep.

This had a really strong start to it and a pretty strong finish. The middle felt pretty long to me and some portions of Anastasia’s (aka Stasia) narration felt a bit repetitive. Other than that, this book was definitely a ride. The characters were very much a varied group and each one had their own very different reactions and ways of working through each situation. I really do love Mira Grant’s characters. I don’t want to say too much because I love going into books without too much being given away.

This ending was a banger. I recommend if you’re interested to definitely give it a try. Pacing and repetition aside, I did enjoy it. The narrator, Caitlin Kelly, did a good job!

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 - 3.5/5 stars (rounding up to 4 for GR)

Thank you to Netgalley, Tor Nightfire, and Macmillan audio for providing a copy of this to me in exchange for an honest review.

🌏

I highly recommend the audiobook version of Overgrowth. The narrator does an excellent job of bringing Mira Grant’s unsettling world to life.

The story itself was, unfortunately, far less impressive. The opening chapter of Overgrowth is eerie and tense, but then the story shifts gears hard. What starts as dark, atmospheric sci-fi horror quickly turns into a much cozier, YA-feeling, fantasy-esque narrative focused on Anastasia and her ensemble of friends. The tonal whiplash is real, and the rest of the book never quite recovers from it.

There were some really thoughtful, introspective conversation throughout about inclusion and belonging, but there’s so much of it that it starts to drag. The same themes and ideas are rehashed again and again, and by the time the actual invasion begins, well over halfway through the novel, it was too little, too late, with most of the real action is packed into the last 50 pages.

There was some body horror, but it’s very light and tamed. This read is a good entry point for readers who are new to horror, but if you’re looking for something intense and terrifying (and in the same vein of Into the Drowning Deep) this one probably won’t hit the mark.

Being that I love Mira Grant, I love gardening, and I love horror... this book was a must-read as soon as I possibly could. Even better, I was able to listen to the audio version.

The first half of the story is devoted to character development, with a little bit of world-building. The second half of the story, is more driven by events that unfold on Earth. This is truly a story that takes time to read or listen to. For some, it could take a bit to get really pulled in and keep your attention. If you can make it to about 40%, you'll be glad you did.

Thank you #NetGalley and #MacmillanAudio for this lovely ARC of #Overgrowth

Alien carnivorous plants with a touch of Invasion of the Body Snatchers, this horror sci-fi follows Anastasia, an alien plant/pod person raised on earth. While she has always known about her alien status, she has grown emotionally attached to her loyal human friends. An armada carrying her alien relatives arrives, and Stasia must choose between her true origins and the home she has always known.

Even though she is an alien plant, and all the readers of this book will presumably be human earthlings, you will find Anastasia easy to sympathize with. She is kind, honest, and forthright — perhaps to her own detriment. She is truthful about her alien status from the moment she is "born," but nobody takes her seriously. The cast of characters are similarly likable: humans who are unwavering in their support of Stasia, a couple who take some convincing, and a mishmash of monstrous alien plant relatives that are creatively drawn.

I am predominantly a horror and sci-fi reader, so I especially enjoyed the interaction between the armada aliens and the humans, as well as the physical and emotional metamorphosis of our alien protagonist. There was not an easy answer for her dilemma: would she save her friends? Would she succumb to her alien desires? Would there be a terrifying plant/human war?

As is often the case, a story of an alien invasion becomes more a story about humans than the invaders, about existing as a stranger in society and the "othering" of various groups of people. This introduces some powerful and salient points, but the social commentary is quite thick in this book, and the approach very direct. While I agree with the author's point of view, I think a more subtle presentation of the concepts would have gotten the point across sufficiently, perhaps even more effectively.

Overall, the story is artfully told, with the fanciful flourish of a fantasy writer. This also means that there is a long lead up to action with character development and world-building. I think fantasy and "journey" sci-fi readers will love this detailed world-building component, but it may be a mixed bag for horror readers. The horror itself is fairly light, and despite all expectations I don’t know that body horror is the right category — this feels more like a dark fantasy or dark speculative fiction in nature. That said, it is well done and thought provoking; fans of Brom and dark fantasy will especially appreciate the style.

I was sent the audiobook version of this book, so I would also like to say that the narrator did a laudable job representing the various roles of the book and keeping the content engaging.

Thank you to NetGalley, Mira Grant, and Macmillan Audio for sending me this audiobook. All opinions are my own.

I absolutely loved Mira Grant’s newest book, Overgrowth. Billed as Annihilation meets Day of the Triffids, and yet it was more than that. It all started when the earth was first ‘seeded’. Years later three year old Anastasia Miller goes wandering away from home one day and disappears. A frantic search turns up nothing…but days later she returns on her own…or at least something that looks like her. You see, the Anastasia that returns is an alien copy of that lost little girl. She even tells her mom that’s she an alien. It’s a creepy start. Then we jump forward in time. Anastasia is no 35, the world is quite different, global warming having a massive effect on the world. Anastasia still tells any and everyone she’s an alien, though of course almost no one believes her, they just view her as odd or quirky. This early section felt more than a little lighthearted and somewhat humorous as Anastasia is an easy character like. But the tone changes when an alien signal announcing the impending arrival of Anastasia’s true family changes everything. I’ve been reading Mira’s work for more than a decade and a half, ever since Feed, the first Newsflesh novel, and she never fails to entertain. She just has a way of crafting engaging characters and stories and that is definitely the case with Overgrowth. Complex and surprisingly touching, this is not a story I’ll soon forget. I listened to the audio version of Overgrowth and have to say that Caitlin Kelly does a fantastic job with narration, completely bring the story to life. She was an absolute delight listen to. I’d like to thank Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to and review an advanced copy of the audio version of Mira Grant’s Overgrowth.

https://www.amazon.com/review/R2BVBFHZ5U1FQM/ref=pe_123899240_1043597390_SRTC0204BT_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

Format: Digital and Audio arcs
The audio was single narrator but she was really good. I actually ended up preferring the audio.

Overall:
Loved this! Just when I thought the book was going on a certain path, it went off in a different direction and I highly enjoyed it. It's reminiscent of your classic invasion stories, but make it more personal and thought provoking, oh, and add a dash of Little Shop of Horrors.

Anastasia is a vanguard of an alien species set on invading earth. She's been telling everyone this since she was a toddler. The question is, if she told you this, would you believe her? Thought of as a weirdo and bullied by co-workers, even her friends don't believe her. It made me question whether I would be a believer. Chances are, probably not. There's the central question of whether humanity is worth saving. Think about past and current events and how humans have treated fellow humans. Are we worth saving?

The mark of a good science fiction novel is if it makes you question your humanity, your values, and your principles. This book had deep questions imbedded in it even if on the surface, it's about an alien invasion and technology that far surpasses what we, humans, currently have.

If you liked The Three-Body Problem but want something lighter, less "hard" science and more action, then this could scratch the itch. If you also liked The Aurora Cycle Series and it's premise of an alien sentient plant-like beings, then definitely reach for this one. I love alien invasion movies, so if that's your jam, then here you go, add this to your TBR.

What began as a confusing and twisting introduction, lead to a beautiful yet horrifying story about an alien invasion taking place on Earth.

What would the human race do if warned about alien invasion? In “Overgrowth” the answer seems to be nothing. Although warned, the human race has made a joke about the forewarned invasion, laughing at those claiming to be aliens. Once they realize the truth to their oversight, it may be too late.

“Overgrowth” follows Anastasia (Ana or Stasia depending on who you ask) an “alien” residing on Earth. She has no choice but to tell everyone she meets about herself and what she is doing there, even though that seems far from the truth. We see her try and fit in with humans, and the struggles that may arise. She, alongside the few friends she has made along the way, do their best to survive in the upcoming invasion on aliens, and uncovering what their, and Stasia’s goals are for the future.

Would you choose species over family?

Highly recommend this thrilling and easy level science fiction story!

As a huge fan of Mira Grant, I was a little disappointed in this book. It was very similar to her other book Parasite just plants instead of worms.