Wil (short for Wilhelmina) and Elwood have been best friends since they were young but when Wil's mother disappears, she suspects Elwood's family has something to do with her disappearance and their friendship is over. As Elwood nears his 18th birthday, he knows he will drop out of school and prepare to take over his father's church but his family has something more sinister planned. As Elwood escapes into the forest, he runs into Wil. Still upset with him, she reluctantly hides him from the church. She and their friends work together to discover their town's history and why Elwood is having strange visions. The visons that Elwood has are creepy.

3.5 stars - This was a really engaging and interesting debut novel. The setting was the main appeal for me when picking up this ARC and the gothic/creepiness did not disappoint. There is just something about religious cults resorting to satanic rituals that just really pull a girl in. I also really enjoyed our two main characters - both of them had interesting backgrounds and motivations that affected the direction of the plot. Additionally, there weren't any characters in this book that felt surface level (to me) and I felt as though I understood the motivations of the differing side characters as well. My main gripe with the novel is primarily its length, as I feel like the the story deserved more pages to really flesh out needed elements. The most fascinating element of the plot by far was the cultish aspects and Elwood's relationship with his parents as they are crucial to the overall narrative. I would have loved to have seen that developed more within the book working in parallel with the town's mythos and why the cult needed to/has to exist for the community to function. I think it would have added so much depth to the book and make it a far more powerful read.

This book was absolutely fantastic. I've already added it to our list for order next year and will recommend it to students once we have it.

I have a single problem with this book, otherwise I believe it is 5 stars. The description of the book gives too much away. It practically confirms the death of Wil's mother, which I believe should be more of a mystery until it's discovered while reading; I'm also not entirely sure that it should outright say that Elwood's family is part of a cult. It feels like I had the whole book spoiled for me without even opening it, which is unfortunate because if the plot twists were more mysterious, I would've loved it even more! It's so atmospheric, gothic, and lowkey creepy. The Morguewood is fantastically described, and I loved the bits of romance that were sprinkled in. There were some lines that should not have hit as hard as they did, but it's like everything was designed to pull me in and keep me reading through the fantastical and completely wild plot.
Wil and Elwood are both extremely complex and complicated characters with such great personal growth throughout the book as they're pulled back together after a year of not talking (and I might be in the minority that agrees with Wil's anger for a good portion of the book). This was just an insanely beautiful book that I fully recommend.

I wanted to love this book.

Gothic horror usually isn't my thing, but i was intrigued by the description.

I loved the atmospheric feel of the book and the relationship between Elwood and Wil. I also feel like the pacing was steady up until like 50% but then it flew. And I still feel like we were missing a part of the story because it went from zero to 100 in like a page.

That being said, I was intrigued and wanted to know what would happen so i stuck with it.

But the ending...irked me. I know it's a gothic horror but...my realistic heart just couldn't lol.

Thank you to net galley for the Arc. All opinions are my own.

The title captured me. I enjoyed this so much. The author captures the inner thoughts of a teenager well. This is like if a horror film and studio Ghibli film had a baby.

4/5 ⭐️
Wow. This gothic horror story with dark woods and cults and secrets and deep friendships was engrossing. I couldn’t put it down. It made me feel things. Like I reacted strongly to the scenes when it came to Elwood’s parents. That being said, definitely trigger warning to parental abuse and manipulation. But those moments are out numbered by the heartwarming scenes between the friends. And most importantly, the scenes between Elwood and Wil. I love their relationship. You can sense they used to be close but now there’s this awkward rift, but the way they talk now shows the depth of their relationship. And it’s awkward and funny and feels genuinely like teenagers.
My only critique is that around the 60% mark, it felt like stuff happened fast, like we were missing a scene or two. Also I didn’t love the ending. It was good. But I think I would’ve maybe gone a different route.
But all that being said, I absolutely enjoyed this story and will be telling everyone I know to read it as we enter the spooky season.
Thank you to NetGalley & Penguin Group for providing an advance reader copy of this book for my honest review.

I was ecstatic to receive an e-ARC from NetGalley/Viking Books after having seen the cover reveal on Instagram. Thank you!

This book is special. Somehow, all the words, imagery, and characters worm their way into that intentionally unlit corner of my mind and rattle me. Ah, all the angst and repressed emotions—bubbling underneath the surface just like Elwood’s monster. There’s some strange magic in this little book for sure. I kept getting these shivering sensations reading through some of those moments.

I love the entire cast of characters, not one person was unnecessary. Their roles in the plot and their relationship to Wil are clear and grounded. The banters are witty and sarcastic, but not immature or vulgar. I like that a lot.

I have spent some time in the UP so I have a decent visual of what the world looks like, especially the winter. But I think it could have been explored a bit more. It seems that the spotlight shines so bright on the characters. There should be moments for floodlighting their environment and their history as well. For example, the school they go to, the library, Wil and Elwood’s relationship from second grade, Wil’s mom—what makes her so great and the curiosity that led to her discoveries etc. I want to know so much more. The main storyline is wonderful and can definitely be enriched by weaving in these details.

This is such a strong debut and I look forward to reading more from Skyla Arndt.

I loved the feeling I got from the first page of this book and the way it wrapped up a dark and twisted story. The characters were intriguing and both had storylines that worked well together.

I loved this deep, sumptuous read about small town secrets and broken friendships.

This book definitely has some content warnings: abuse, alcoholism, murder being a few.

Wil is a strong and sometimes frustrating fmc. Her mother disappeared a year ago, and when she approached her best friend about his father's possible role in this, he took his families side, and their friendship has since been broken.

When they begin to work together again with some mutual friends, much comes to the surface about the secrets being hidden in this little town.

I really enjoyed this. I thought the author's writing style was very beautiful and that the many difficult topics were handled well.

Out August 29, 2023!

Thank you, Netgalley and Publisher, for this Arc!

I think the book blends horror and romance really well, it is eerie and romantic. The characters are well thought out and developed. A great eerie romance with a great mystery element.

Super invested throughout! I love the story flow and how unpredictable it was. Wil & Elwood are stinking cute 🥹

3.5/5
I enjoyed the vibes and the characters! The romance did not blow my mind but it was a fun journey.

This was an interesting concept for a book and really fast paced - I read it in two sittings. I didn't get the chemistry between the two main characters and some of the plot holes were a bit too large but I enjoyed the gothic vibes and creepy mystery.

What a spooky, atmospheric, creepy-crawly takedown of unquestioned religious tradition, developed through a chilling and page-turning plot and a perfect friends to enemies to lovers arc!

I don't know why but I was not expecting the thriller aspect. While I did enjoy it, it did get a bit predictable but it was still a good read. There was so much going on. I did love how some of the more sensitive topics were treated and how they intertwined with the paranormal aspect of the story.

**Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. This review is my opinion**

This was definitely different than what I'm used to! The horror-esque mixed with the romance had me at the edge of my seat. The author did a great job painting the world in this book. The characters, especially Wil, felt very realistic and came off the page. I've been really getting into dark romances, and this did a good job for a YA book. I do feel like this needed a bit more worldbuilding. I'll keep watch out for this author and all future books!

The book had a lot of potential.. I enjoyed the attempt to mix mystery, romance, and gothic horror, but the execution of them all fell a bit flat. The big "wow" moment was lackluster. The writing and imagery, overall, was well done. I couldn't get into the romance angle. Though not a particularly long book, it took me longer than anticipated to finish. Some plot points felt underdeveloped, almost making it feel that the book should've been longer. the pacing was also off, with a slow start and rushed second half.

I’ve been excited for this book since it was announced, and I’m so happy it’s finally here! TOGETHER WE ROT is an amazing horror debut that had me screaming at the softness of the romance. I loved the themes too, but my favorite thing was definitely the feisty female protagonist.

Also, that ending… I sobbed!

Overall I really enjoyed this one and can’t wait to see more from this promising author!

Thank you netgalley and Penguin Group publishing for the eARC of this novel. All opinions are my own.

Wil's mother mysteriously went missing one year ago, and she's convinced her ex best friend's family is to blame. Elwood's family runs the towns religious cult and Wil has seen them sacrificing animals before. But it doesn't stop at animals, because Elwood himself was raised like a lamb for slaughter and his only help is the girl who lost her mother to his own father. Meanwhile, he must deal with the seed that grows inside of him and threatens the safety of those who would help him.

The plot was very unique and creative, one I enjoyed. However, the characters themselves just weren't loveable to me. I didn't care much for Wil, and the loss of her mother wasn't as impactful as it could be. I also struggled to feel for Elwood for the first half of the book. I did enjoy the book, though, because of it's uniqueness and I loved the character of Cherry, wish she was expanded on. The ending of the book was engaging and kept me own my toes. Just lacking in the character development.

I would give this 3.5 stars but rounding to 4.