An atmospheric novel set in 1980's Appalachia, centered on two sisters who are very different from each other but find themselves tangled up in a dangerous situation. Overall, part coming of age, part mystery, part supernatural as they discover whether the darkness of the mountain is more mystical or physical.

So many things happening in this book! Firstly I loved the magical realism set in Appalachia. There aren’t enough books set here, and it’s one of my favorite things. This book is perfect for it, with the dark nature of the setting and the relationships between the characters. I feel like the plot and pacing could have been fine tuned some, with the main mystery being a little more thought out, but the overall setting and aesthetic of the book rounds it out.

🍃SMOTHERMOSS🍃 by @alisa.alering

Thank you to the author, @netgalley and the publisher @recordedbooks and @tin_house for both the audio and e-ARCs. Out on shelves now!

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When murders start to occur around a small Appalachian town, two sisters become obsessed with finding out what is happening. Sheila, the older sister and consummate rule follower who works at the local asylum tries to figure out who is killing these women by tracing through town history while her younger, practically feral sister Angie believes she will be the town hero when she traps the murderer and brings him to justice.

Angie has always created what she calls, Monster Cards full of scary creatures and when the things that Angie says the cards tell her start coming true, Sheila is sure that she and her sister are caught up in something much stranger than run of the mill murder.

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Full of impending dread and the terrifying specter of not knowing, this story was more of a creepy thriller than horror to me although there are a few parts that had me holding my breath. The mystery and fantastical things that occur in the book are intriguing, but the relationship between the two sisters, their cavern of differences yet fierce loyalty to each other was what kept me reading to the end.

This had a similar mysterious magical realism vibe while set in a small backwater town as INSATIABLE VOLT SISTERS which I also read and loved this year. Full of atmosphere, suspicion and survival, this book is a perspective on small town American living, the trials and tribulations of sibling rivalry and spooky middle of nowhere happenings.

Do you live in a city? A suburb? A rural area?

I live in the city limits of Seattle!😎

💚SMASHBOT💚

#smothermoss #reader #alisaalering #tinhousebooks #netgalley #netgalleyreviewer #monsterbooks #magicalrealism #booknerd #bibliophile #bookish #booksta #recordedbooks

This novel is chalked full of magic that will leaving you wanting more this fall reading season. Beautifully crafted and well written, it is easy to get sucked into this lively creation. It keeps you on edge as you try to figure out what is going on but also intrigued by all the mystery.

What a surprising, dark little gothic novel! I loved the author's atmospheric writing and look forward to seeing what she does next.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an ARC of this book for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I was very excited about this novel. After all, what's not to love about Appalachia, sister bonds, magical realism, baby lesbians, and dash of mystery? Unfortunately, most of this book did not hook me. The interesting subject matter and beautiful prose was held back by some hella slow pacing. Although I love some slow literary novels, the book's description, subject matter, and length all led me to believe this one would be faster paced, so I finished this book feeling a bit misled.

I will say, if you're struggling with finishing this one, the last 30% was my favorite portion of the novel. The pace sped up and things were happening. I think if more of the book was written with that pacing, it would have kept my interest more than it did.

I have no doubts this book will find an audience that loves its slow, eerie atmosphere. It just wasn't quite for me.

Publication Date: 16 July 2024

I wish this worked for me more than it did. I thought the writing itself was really strong but, unfortunately, that was one of the only things that kept me engaged.

This felt like a classic situation where a book is trying to do so many things that it ends up both doing all those things kind of poorly, and also makes it impossible to tell what the author was actually trying to do. Was this a coming of age story? Was it about accepting your sexuality? Was it feminist? Was it a supernatural story? Was it about nature? Was it about body positivity? Was it a horror story? Literally could not tell you.

For a relatively short read, I found the story itself very, very difficult to follow. I know that there are parts of this that are intentionally meant to be ambiguous, but it was so challenging to find the through lines. By about 70%, I stopped stressing about not understanding what was happening in a certain passage or chapter because I figured it likely wouldn't ultimately matter - and I feel like I was mostly right.

I do love intentional ambiguity in some books, but it felt like just the amount of things going on in here made it impossible for that to be done well.

Propulsive writing, subtly creepy and dark, superb atmosphere, Really enjoyed both characters, and the writing was really imaginative. Loved the mountain’s perspective. The ending felt a tad rushed/neatly tied up, but other than that, loved!!

This was a but confusing and I wanted to enjoy it much more than I actually did but I might try it out again!

This book blew me away. It's a bit spooky, with elements of magical realism. Two young sisters live together in a rural, isolated town in Appalachia, with their aging aunt and their mother, and it's a struggle for them to make ends meet as they live off the land. The older sister, Sheila, is 17, and has the burden of running the house while her mother is away working at an asylum (of course--did I mention this is a spooky novel?). Sheila also struggles at school, constantly bullied and trying to hide her attraction to a girl at school. Angie, her twelve-year-old sister, is much wilder and less inhibited; she's training herself for the army in anticipation of a Russian invasion, and she creates and reads tarot-like illustrated cards that seemingly come to life. When two women are murdered in a nearby mountain ridge, Angie is intent on solving the mystery. But I wouldn't call this a mystery. I'd say this novel is less about the mystery solving and more about the relationship between these two sisters and their coming-of-age. And, of course, the book is about the mountain. Smothermoss is atmospheric, imaginative, goosebump-inducing, and unlike any book I've ever read.

A magical realism novel set in 1980’s Appalachia.

We have two sisters; Sheila and Angie.

Sheila: 17 years old. Coming to terms with her sexuality. Has an invisible rope around her neck weighing her down.

Angie: 12 years old. Obsessed with war and hunting Russians. Colors strange creatures on index cards that help or harm.

Both of the sisters are living in the Appalachian mountains. Secluded and in nature, which I absolutely enjoyed. However, because of this, they are bullied in school for being different.
The meat of our story happens when a vicious murder within the mountains takes place. Two campers are slain at their campsite and the murderer is still on the loose. He is evading the police, but can he escape the mountains and the powers of the two sisters?
Strange rabbits, Angie’s monsters that show up everywhere, a boy with a red dot in his eye, the rope attached to Sheila’s neck that drags behind her and snags branches… there is a lot happening. It’s weird, it’s different, it’s magical and unlike anything I have ever read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher who provided me with an ebook copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All of these thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book reads like boring YA. Incredibly difficult to follow, not in a challenging way but rather in a no-payoff way. It sounded interesting... it's not. Bummer!!!!

If you're interested in a gothic Appalachian fairytale about two sisters growing up in a rural mountain community, this is the book for you. There is a dreamlike feel to this tale. It is the 1980s, and Sheila and Angie are teenage sisters living with their mom and great-aunt. Sheila has a rope around her neck; it's been there as long as she can remember and seems to get heavier with each passing year, and nobody else can see it. Angie is obsessed with Rambo and the Cold War, and imagines herself taking down Russian spies who might be lurking in the mountain forest behind her home. She is compelled to draw mysterious cards with strange creatures, and the cards seem to send her messages about the future. When two hikers are slain on the mountain, the sisters are drawn inexorably into a hunt for the killer.

This is a creepy and compelling tale. There is a dark fairytale feel to it at times; other parts are more realistic as we see the daily drudgery of the sisters' lives. I love reading stories set in Appalachia; the sense of place in this story is so strong. The personification of the mountains, Angie's creepy homemade Tarot cards, and the rope around Sheila's neck all gave the story an otherworldly strangeness. The plot dragged a bit at times and the third act got very weird, but overall, I enjoyed the reading experience. I will read more by this author in the future.

I am grateful to Tin House and NetGalley for providing me with an early copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

3.75

Set deep in the woods in the shadow of the ancient Appalachian mountains, this tale is haunting, spell-binding and heartfelt. A tale of murder, sisterhood and a little magic.

Seventeen year-old Sheila has a lot on her plate, being caretaker to her aging great-aunt, Rambo-obsessed little sister, and the food and animals which they raise on their rural property. Further weighing her down is a secret love she fears sharing and an invisible rope, wrapped around her neck, that only she can see.

Twelve year-old Angie is, however, unstoppable. She spends her days roaming the woods, searching for evidence of Russian spies and drawing graphic monster cards which, terrifyingly, speak to her, telling her their desires.

This tale of sisterhood is shaken up when two young women are viciously murdered on a local hiking trail, sending the town into a tizzy over the murder at large. Angie is ready to take it upon herself to find the murderer, but she will need Sheila’s help, if, and only if, Sheila can learn first to help herself.

The story is full of magical elements that fit the haunting backdrop of overgrown ferns and hidden copperheads. I read once in the forward to Joan Didion’s South and West that the American South has a long tradition of regarding nature as a place of malevolent magic, a tradition which comes alive in this tale. The mountain herself becomes a character, enacting her will on her inhabitants, and invisible forces often appear to be pulling the strings.

I devoured this one in three mediums: physical book, ebook and audiobook, all of which were enjoyable. The audio recording brings the characters to life, and the physical book, with its chapter illustrations of Angie’s monsters, added a fantastical touch. Following the current trend of short chapters, you can fly through this one, or take your time and savor the symbolism (how many rabbit references can you find?)

Thank you so much to Netgalley for providing the ebook and audiobook versions. I am so looking forward to what Alisa Alering does next. I can hardly believe this a debut novel.

5★

This is a wonderfully odd and unsettling read. The lush descriptions of the mountains, the outdoors, & the dark nature surrounding us give it such atmosphere.
It was a little confusing at first, keeping track of what was real and what maybe was not. But in the end you'll be all caught up in this story of Appalachian sisters.

I love Appalachian based stories and I love magical realism. So this book pissed me off by being absolutely horrible.


Booksource: Netgalley in exchange for review.

Smothermoss is a weird and wonderful coming of age and coming out story set in 1980s Appalachia.

Sheila and her younger sister Angie live in a cabin in the mountains of Pennsylvania with their mother and great aunt. Angie spends her days running through the woods, deep in her fantasies of hunting and killing Russian soldiers. When she's at home, she draws horror creations on index cards and carries this nightmare Pokemon deck with her everywhere.

Sheila is the much more grounded sister, embarrassed by Angie's filth and fantasies. She has learned to keep her head down at school, a task aided by an invisible rope around her neck.

After two hikers are murdered on the nearby Appalachian trail, the sisters have very different reactions: Angie is determined that her cards will help her find the murderer; Sheila grapples with her sexuality in light of the female hikers' own relationship.

Written in compelling prose and accompanied by gorgeously horrific illustrations, Smothermoss is a unique horror story that will appeal to readers who appreciate weird literature with layers of symbolism and plenty of unexplained magical realism. I loved this story and look forward to reading more by Alering in the future.

This review week be shared to Goodreads, Instagram, and retail sites on July 21, 2024.

Author Alisa Alering brings readers a true 5/5 book. "Smothermoss" has it all. I was obsessed with the story within the first page and I couldn't put it down until I finished it!

It's a coming of age story mixed nestled in the Appalachian mountains. Sisters, Angie and Shelia live with their mother alone on a mountain, all three caring for an old women before her inevitable death. Sheila has a rope around her neck that no one else can see besides her. Angie compulsively creates obscure, and heinous cards that act like a tarot deck that guide her through her days.

Thank you author Alisa Alering, NetGalley and Tin House Books for bringing this title to us readers!

I requested this book because a) the cover was stunning (I'm admittedly a sucker for a good cover) and b) the synopsis immediately drew me in.

I also love books set in the 1980s with an Appalachia setting, however I felt like this was a little too all over the place. I love books with magical realism elements, it's one of my favourite subgenres, but at times it was hard to distinguish between that and reality.

This is the kind of book that requires your full attention, and at under 250 pages it's hard to lose track if you're not giving it your all. I think it's a book I might come back to at some point, but I found I was having to remind myself to focus too much and that took my enjoyment out of it.

Thank you to the publisher and net galley for the e-ARC! I would definitely give this author another chance.

Smothermoss is a lush and atmospheric novel about queer longing and terror and the terror of being known and terror of the unknown. It was truly frightening at points, and filled with fairytale elements. I highly recommend this book to fans of horror, magic, and coming-of-age.