Riveting from the first page, Together We Rot is perfect for fans of YA books such as The Devouring Gray and The Poison Season. A cold and dreary atmosphere, a creepy forest, and a secretive religious cult? Sign me up!

The premise behind this book is captivating, and I think with a higher page count and a one more editing pass, it could take this “good” book into the “great” category. At 256 pages, I struggled to find all the details and answers in the world building category as I would have liked. A bit more story to transition from the 80% mark to the conclusion would have helped the wrap up feel a less rushed, but overall this was a compulsive read. Elwood is a doll, and the ending is so bittersweet you can’t help but feel a yearning in your heart to see more of these characters in the future.

If you enjoy YA horror with dark romance vibes, definitely give this fast read a try!

"Together We Rot" is a captivating blend of gothic horror and romance. The story follows Wil and Elwood as they search for Wil's missing mother, unraveling mysteries and confronting dark themes like religion, grief, and abuse. Skyla Arndt's writing is hauntingly beautiful, and the tough yet vulnerable relationship between Wil and Elwood adds depth. The book's mix of darkness and romance makes it perfect for a chilling Halloween read. While the ending might leave you wanting more, the overall experience is rewarding. I give "Together We Rot" 4 stars and look forward to more from this author. Thanks to NetGalley for the chance to read and review this E-ARC!

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT8LnEhsA/

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
4/5 STARS

Genre: YA horror

Synopsis:
Wil’s mother is missing and she doesn’t like the answers the police are giving her. She thinks the town’s religious family has something to do with it. As she befriends the priest’s son, they uncover cult like behavior and much more.

This is creepy, paranormal YA horror. There is a secret religious cult with a touch of paranormal activity. The cover is a really good depiction of the story without spoiling it. It is told from two different POVs and touches on abuse if that is a trigger for you. There is also a dash of romance. For me, it was the perfect gothic fall/ Halloween book!

Thank you to Penguin Teen for the ARC! 🖤

Content warning: child abuse, parental abandonment, body horror

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

I thought that TOGETHER WE ROT was a really interesting concept and take on the "girl in love with a monster" trope. And I'm almost ALWAYS down for a book that shows how truly messed up religious cults are. So I was really excited to read Arndt's novel (side note - how GORGEOUS is that cover?!).

While this novel focuses on Elwood and Wil, their group of friends are more than just side characters and are allowed their own character growth that plays into the larger plot. May everyone be so lucky as to have a Cherry in their lives. She is someone I would LOVE to sit down and have a drink with. The first half was very slow, but I'm glad I stuck with it because the second half of the book makes up for that and once the pace ramps up, it doesn't slow down until the big fight between the cult and Wil's friends.

Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by NetGalley, PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group, and Viking Books for Young Readers in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, I was not able to read the PDF on the reader or on the phone. Reading on the PC is unfortunately not an option. So my feedback is, that I was not able to read the book in this format. I am very sorry for that.

Together We Rot was a dark and cult-y fever pitch of a debut. I have always been drawn to dark and macabre atmospheres, from my childhood until now –well into my adulthood. This novel brought strange nostalgic comfort to me as I read it, which may seem odd considering its incredibly dark plot line. It is the kind of book I would have loved to read as a teenager, and finding myself in an over-religious, restrictive environment, it spoke to not only my liberation from that environment, but the pieces of myself that I had hidden away in favor of feigned piety. I think it healed a part of my inner child/teenager to read this book. I know that’s something deeply personal and unique to me – so let’s look at the mechanics of the novel.

I really liked the characters of Wil and Elwood. They grew and developed as the story went on. They had both been through some very traumatizing things at the hands of the local cult. What starts as a search for Wil’s mother who allegedly skipped town and disappeared, grows into something much more nefarious. The book deals with things like grief, alcoholism, abandonment, abuse, and trauma. Together We Rot itself is short, and I think it could have been expanded on a bit more. Overall, I thought this book was enjoyable. If you like stories that skirt the horror genre this is one for you. It has a lot of heavy and dark elements without being disturbing like a straightforward horror novel in my opinion. –if that makes sense.

I give this book 4 stars for satisfying my morbid fascination with corrupted and twisted organized religion. And a tremendous Thank You to Penguin Teen and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book!

A creepy horror book with a sweet romance side plot. I liked that in this book, the cult is Christian, and not some dead religion. Also, this book felt a bit like an indie horror video game.

This was okay! Some really beautiful language, a sweet love story, and at times a thoughtful examination of child abuse and religion. It did largely feel unfinished and unrealized- the themes and characters were underdeveloped and the unfolding of the plot felt juvenile and obvious. It seems like it could have done with a few more editorial passes.

“I feel like my heart is no longer within my ribs, but growing from the outside. It's Wil's for the taking. She could pluck it off me and sink her teeth into it if she wished. I have become so very vulnerable.”

‘Together We Rot’ is a YA goth/horror romance that will linger in my mind for a while. I was drawn to this one because of the amazing cover art, then immediately sucked in by the story and characters. It had me so intrigued, I couldn’t look away! This book is beautifully written. So hauntingly beautiful that I can’t even be mad about the ending, although I wish it had been different.

✨dark fantasy romance
✨hauntingly atmospheric
✨tough FMC/cinnamon roll MMC
✨dual POV format
✨forbidden love
✨friends to lovers
✨non~traditional HEA
✨perfect for a chilling Halloween read with romance, or for those who enjoy lighter gothic/horror reads

4.5 stars! I would absolutely read more work by this author.

Thank you to Netgalley, Penguin Teen, and Skyla Arndt for the opportunity to read and review an ebook copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

The "YA horrormance" description in the blurb is spot on. I thought the horror elements were the strongest part of the novel, and I wish they had been presented earlier in the story. In some ways it reminded me of Midnight Mass, so I hope Mike Flanagan might catch wind of Together We Rot 👀. I would have liked to see more introductions to the townspeople, because once the cult was revealed it would have felt like a stronger payoff.
Logically I know Anrdt probably didn't write this book for me specifically.......probably. But she did majorly utilize my worst fear (moths), AND provide a bittersweet ending (my favorite). While the romance was a main plot point, I think her talent was best expressed here when writing horror.

Thanks to Arndt, the publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC.

What an unexpected, eery delight! I really did not know what to expect when I started this book, but I was so happy to find a little bit of romance, some magic, some mystery, and lots of dark vibes! I appreciated the relationship that Wil and El had; their history and everything that created the relationship that they ended up with at the end. I really felt Wil's sorrow when trying to find her mom and running into seemingly impossible roadblocks. The parts of the story about religion gave me the creeps... in a way that felt real and intentional. That is some awesome writing Skyla Arndt! Thank you to NetGalley for letting me read and review this E-ARC!

Together We Rot follows a girl on the hunt to find her missing mother, and prove that members of the Clarke family are responsible. There is something rotten growing in this town and the Clarkes are at the center of it.
The story is spooky, the writing is beautiful and so vivid that I felt like I was in the story alongside Wil and El as they are trying to uncover the truth and hide from the parishioners of the Garden of Adam church. Will is beyond angry and beyond determined to uncover the truth, and El is an adorable cinnamon roll whose parents are horrible and religious to the extreme and they are perfect for each other, and each other's only hope of figuring out what's going on.

I loved the setting of a small town in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, the vibes were spooky and desolate. Filled with an overly religious community and a police department that is lazy at best and in on whatever is happening at worst. This is the kind of story that has twists and turns and doesn't end how you would expect.

I would definitely read more by this author in the future.

A short, sweet and spooky story about a girl on the hunt for her missing mother and a boy at the center of a cult. This book has beautiful descriptive writing, explorations of grief and difficult relationships, and the perfect gothic atmosphere. I enjoyed following the relationship between our MCs Wil and Elwood through the dual POV and how different they were as characters - Wil is fierce and stubborn, Elwood is religious and reserved, and they compliment each other perfectly. While this book is on the shorter side, I thought the story was well developed as were the characters. Overall a fun & quick read!

Thank you to Penguin Group for the ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Teen for an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

While I wished to like this book, I couldn't. The characters and plot felt underdeveloped for me, and I quickly got bored. The only interesting part was the actual cult and its history, of which we got just tidbits

- thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an arc to review!

- a stunning, visceral story that grabs you and won’t let go. arndt crafts a story filled with grief ridden protagonists, creepy cults, and the devastatingly painful love that humans can have for each other. the world was brimming with detail, all described perfectly by ardnt’s delectable and gritty writing style, painting images of moth like horror and aching love into my brain.

- for anyone who loves horror, gothic stories, spiteful protagonists, and bugs, this is for you. ardnt’s debut is a gorgeous, horrific story that deserves attention.

- trigger warnings: bugs, body horror, blood, physical abuse, human and animal sacrifice, death, murder

Wow, what a book. I think it became something special in the second half and I had to know how it finished. Arndt has an incredible debut novel here!

As a Michigan resident, I have vacationed in the Upper Peninsula, and therefore, I was excited to pick up a book with a small-town UP setting that, while fictional, could easily be real. The beginning of the book was extremely strong, with the descriptive nature of the writing palatably increased the tension. The forest was vivid, and I loved the insectile descriptions of both people and places. TOGETHER WE ROT contained strong religious undertones, and I loved the way that Arndt tied nature and faith together, particularly for Elwood.

"I would pray, but I think the cord between me and heaven is severed. My roots now dig to hell. And hell is a foot away from my father."

I feel that this book would have benefited from an additional 50-100 pages. While reading, I tried to keep the intended audience in mind, asking myself "would a young adult notice?" when something wasn't explained or fleshed out. The metaphors were plentiful, but the plot itself left many questions unanswered, and not in a way that seemed to be intentionally open to interpretation. I also struggled with the brash nature of Wil's character, which Elwood aptly describes at the beginning of the novel.

"There's nothing soft about this girl. Eyes blacker than dripping ink, her mouth twisted in a permanent sneer. She's the type of pretty that could get you killed; if you stare too long, you'll turn to stone. She has dark roots, hair swinging in jagged strands to her shoulders. All thorn, no flower."

All said, I did appreciate the bittersweet ending, and the book gave me A MILLION JUNES vibes. The absolutely stunning cover gets a 10/10. Overall, I believe that Arndt has a promising future as novelist, but I would have loved to see greater plot development and expansion from this one. Thank you to Penguin Teen/Viking for the early copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

4.5 stars. Thank you netgalley for providing this arc.

This was one of my most anticipated books this year, and I wasn’t let down. Am upset about the ending, though. Spoilers ahead:


That ending 😐 I’m hurt. I was expecting it to either be happy or sad not bittersweet 😭. Fr split up my babies for what. I am NOT happy. They were supposed to live happily ever after wtf😭. Not happily ever separate ☹️

I feel like a lot of ya horror follows the same plot setup, and because of that it feels like I’m just reading the same book over and over. However, this book was not like that. It had its originality, and I enjoyed that.

Elwood is my baby omg😭😭 I love his interest in bugs and how soft he is it hurts me🥲☹️🫶 I also love Wil she doesn’t take people’s shit and she does what she wants. The two mcs were great. I loved that they were both well written and likable and distinct within their personalities. Their ship was cute, but I am SO MAD I didn’t get to see more. + Cherry is an honorable mention for characters she was fun (didn’t love the friends but that’s whatever)

The two things that especially held up this story for me were the two main characters and the atmosphere. I’m a big atmosphere girlie when it comes to horror books. If the setting/vibe doesn’t feel right it ruins the entire experience. I loved the spooky small town vibes ✨ I knew from the first few chapters that the atmosphere was going to be great.

The plot was good as well. It isn’t my favorite ever or anything, but I liked it and the pacing was well done. I liked the creepy church cult/mysteries. It was fun to try to figure out what their intentions were + what was happening to/inside Elwood.

Together We Rot
by Skyla Arndt
YA Fantasy Horror
Ages: 14+
NetGalley ARC
Release Date: August 29, 2023
Penguin Group/Young Readers

Wil's (Wilhelmina (Willamena)) mom disappeared a year ago and the police, along with everyone else in town, believe she ran off because she did it once before, but, even though Elwood is her (ex)best friend, Wil thinks his father had something to do with her mom's disappearance.

As his eighteenth birthday approaches, Elwood is preparing to leave town, so to follow in his father's footsteps and one day take his father's place as pastor of the congregation. But after being caught sneaking back into the house, his father's wrath makes him pause, but upon overhearing a conversation between his father and the chief of police, Elwood starts to believe that his father isn't the man he pretends to be, and his plans for Elwood are not what he told Elwood.


This is one of those books that has a great idea for a plot, setting, and 'drama', but needs another hundred or more pages to make it come to life. There is not much about the town, let alone the other people in it.

Descriptions of the characters, settings, and even the backstory of the town and its residents are vague and very underdeveloped. A lot of details that could have been used to pull the reader deeper into the story were instead summarized. The relationship between Wil and Elwood could have added fifty pages for the reader to identify with them and feel more emotions about their separation.

The story was good, but I wish there was more to it. I wanted to learn more about this town and its people but not a lot of information was given. Yes, there was a page or two that involved the history, but it did nothing for me other than wonder if pages were left out of the advance copy.

This could have been a four-star book, but it was made into a too short of a story so it lacks personality and details.

2 Stars

Many thanks for the ARC, NetGalley and Penguin Group! This YA book had me captivated from the very beginning - the childhood crushes, the cult and the feeling of fall had me turning pages so quickly! I thought that this was an incredibly unique book, with a unique plot - I liked that there were horror elements tied with the tenderness of some of the scenes. I am so excited to recommend this to younger readers and my friends who enjoy YA.