I absolutely loved this. I'm hard wired to love a character like Elwood. I want to see abused children like him get away from their abusers and succeed and boy is Elwood abused. His father is a head of a Christian cult definitely into not sparing the rod. He also goes in big for animal sacrifice (that's your content warning, child abuse and a few on page rabbit deaths). Elwood's mother is even more vicious than his fire and brimstone father. All Elwood is, is a soft boy who likes to collect butterflies and moth and he likes his best friend, Wil.

That is until Wil's mother disappears and she blames Elwood's family for it. Wil's life is falling completely apart. Since her former investigative reporter mother had walked off once when she was very small, the local cops are sure that's what happened again, especially since her father's motel is moldering around them. Wil's father has been drinking his wife's disappearance away and Elwood's father is close to buying the hotel and razing it, leaving Wil homeless.

Wil has one friend left and that's not Elwood. Ronnie (whose mom is in Elwood's father's church) is her friend in spite of her bad taste (according to Wil) in boys. She doesn't like Lucas or his friend Kevin much though some of that could be they're friends with Elwood.

Much of the action is in just a couple of days. Wil is determined to prove Elwood's father has kidnapped her mother with a background of the last semester of high school and all of them on the cusp of adulthood. For Elwood, that means...well he doesn't know. All he knows is he won't be going to college like his friends. All too soon it means something dire and he fears rabbits aren't the only thing his father's willing to sacrifice.

Soon Wil's investigation into what happened to her mother is conflated with what is about to happen to Elwood and what dark secrets the forest in frigid upstate Michigan is holding. It is dark and creepy. You have the pathos of being a teen faced with those big life decisions post high school, the pain and fear of losing a mother, basically a father and your home coupled with Elwood's deep fear that he won't live to see spring.

Wil and Elwood are beautifully written characters. I also enjoyed Cherry, one of Wil's mom's friends. The villains of the piece have nicely done motivations and feel as awful as they should in this. Horror, unlike other genres, has no promises of a happy ending (though you usually have at least one person who makes it to the end) so that does keep you guessing. Will Wil and Elwood and their friends survive? That you'll need to read for yourself. It's well worth the read. Thanks to Netgalley for the arc.

The cover caught my attention, and the title was intriguing. The story was phenomenal! It takes a coming-0f-age transition and elevates it to a metamorphosis. Teens struggling with trust and identity issues is nothing new, but family secrets, a religious cult and a magical forest weave this story into an epic fairytale. There is no damsel in distress and no knight in shining armor in the traditional sense, yet those elements are present with a more sinister edge. I was hooked from the start! This little town felt so real that I traveled the tunnels and ran the forest with Wil and Elwood. This adventure was a spoonful of scary in a cup of mysticism and magic. Loved it!!

Thank you netgalley and the publisher for the arc!

I requested this book because im always interested in stories about cults. I also love and missed reading about a protagonist motivated by revenge and/or hate so i loved Wil at the very beginning and El is the kind of male character that i usually enjoy and feel like i dont see much of them often either. I didnt get attached to any of the side characters, tho, i think we could have seen more of them. So, at the beginning, i was enjoying the story a lot.
But after halfway trhough the book i wasnt that invested anymore and im not sure why? I think the problem is that the book was missing something. Plus i thought Elwood's dad started to feel a bit like a caricature villain towards the end.
Something else i didnt like it is that even tho i liked the characters together, some of the romantic moments (most of them just inside their heads, but still) felt a bit out of place. But that is an issue i have with most horror/thriller stories with romance so this could just be a me thing.

Overall it was mostly an anjoyable read and i would definitely look foward other books by the author!

Together We Rot is an eerie and disturbing story following two kids in a small town who used to be friends, but are not anymore after Wil's mother disappeared, and Wil's blaming Elwood's family.

This is a lyrical book that I was supposed to love based on my tastes, but sadly something didn't quite sit right with me. The writing was beautiful, and the idea behind the story was really well crafted. I couldn't wait to know more about the main characters, but sadly something didn't work for me personally.

The story is very fast paced, and things happen quite quickly, but I have to say I would have liked some more background as to why certain things happened or were the way they were. Something happened towards the end that was really fascinating, but that I would have appreciated way more with more explanations as to why it was happening, other than giving a surface explanation.

I really enjoyed the relationship between Wil and Elwood, and how it was developed throughout the novel. I like a tale about friends not speaking to each other anymore, and having to guess what happened (in this case it's revealed pretty quickly). I also like if this friendship could be something more and that was the case.

Also, I noted that this book is sold as YA, and while I can see why, since the main characters are basically 18, I also think it could be quite disturbing for a younger audience, so just keep that in mind.

In the end, if you like eerie books with a magic dash and a small town full of secrets, this could still be something I would recommend.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ 3.5/5 stars

read if you like:
♡ dual pov
♡ friends-to-enemies-to-lovers
♡ cinnamon-roll boyfriend & attack dog girlfriend
♡ perfect for house of hollow lovers
♡ folk horror

➸ 18-year-old spitfire wilhelmina greene’s mom has been missing for a year and everyone in pine point think she’s just skipped town. but wil knows with every fibre of her being that her former best friend elwood clarke’s fervently religious family is behind her mother’s disappearance. even if she can’t prove it yet and the police refuse to take her seriously. while wil is trying to dredge up evidence for her case, the dutiful and shy elwood comes home one night after breaking his parents' rules for the first time in his life to party and later overhears his father’s sinister plans for him - elwood is to be sacrificed for their church, the garden of adam. as he flees he comes upon wil and the two of them decide to unite once more to unearth what’s really happening in pine point.

➸ a spellbinding debut from skyla arndt, together we rot is a meld of paranormal horror and gothic ya romance, bewitching you into the depths of an eerie forest as you turn each page compulsively as if in a fever dream. through her cut-throat prose, arndt transports the reader to a world possessed by a cult and eldritch horrors, its grittiness soothed by sensitive explorations of abuse, sacrifice and family bonds. this story bristled down my spine, drawing goosebumps before driving a knife in with arndt's artfully-rendered characters and their more than unconventional love-story.

➸ that said, i do have some quibbles with this novel, namely with its brevity which meant that the pacing was propulsive and too hurried to allow for the kind of careful attention which was called for here. for this reason, the more interesting elements such as the mythos surrounding the town and the forest were not given the space that was due them to really bloom. it’s this unrealised potential which niggled at me the most when reading - a weakness which is in many senses conceivable and perhaps defensible for a debut work.

➸ conclusion :
a haunting and vulnerable love-story barbed with cultism and body horror together we rot is what happens when you encircle romance with a forest straight out of folk horror imaginings. i'll be keeping an eye trained on arndt from here on out with such an auspicious start!

thank you netgalley for the arc !

As a sucker for magical realism, I immediately dug in as we see how Wil's body is changing in strange and mysterious ways. Couple with the cult plot line, & I couldn't stop reading.
Wil's family is the leading family in their small town's cult, running strange rituals in the woods after dark. His ex-best friend, Elwood, is convinced that his family & their group is responsible for the disappearance of her mother. As Elwood digs deeper for answers, Wil starts experiencing strange phenomena as the forest seems to rise up within him.
Teens I work with will be drawn in by the cults & supernatural phenomena. The magical realism elements were the most compelling, as you watch his body become one with the forest. The romance storyline, on the other hand, feels thin & somewhat forced.
While the pacing lags in certain moments, it was still a fun read & I can see many young adults being interested in this book.

This book has an equal combination of mystery, thriller, horror, and romance. It's atmospheric, eerie, and weird. I also like the cult storyline, since cults are much more interesting than any paranormal activities.

The storyline is engaging. It is fast-paced, which means the story picked up pretty fast and how quickly it became action-packed. Wil's usually the fire-packed character, while Elwood's the gentle one. They have the black-cat and golden retriever dynamic. The perfectly balanced the whole vibes of the story, where the other emanates night and the other the sun. I also liked the found family trope, especially the development between Lucas and Wil, who bickers like siblings.

What I liked the story the most is that it is unusual, because (PS. A LITTLE SPOILER AHEAD!!!!!) it's not everyday people get to read about cults and human-to-moth transformation. Additionally, Arndt's description about the woods and everything is so lifelike. It feels like a movie is directly playing before you.

Overall, the story's not all bad. It took me some time to be hooked, but it really has an intriguing plot.

Thank you thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Young Reader Group for approving me of this request!!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me a ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

Let me start by saying that this book was very unique in many ways. It was a suspenseful thriller, murder mystery, and scifi with a touch of romance all wrapped into one special story.

I will admit that while the story was great, it was written in a way that was almost too poetic. It seemed like majority of the sentences were similes and metaphors and it almost made me want to stop reading it. Sometimes less is more.

Another critique I wanted to add was that I wish Wil and Elwood had more time together in the middle of the story. I felt like the middle was VERY rushed, to the point where I almost didn't believe their romantic connection.

The ending definitely made up for the middle part though. I could feel my heartstrings tugging during the emotional parts and I didn't know what to expect at all. I loved Elwood the most towards the end of the book and felt like it was finally getting to a point where I didn't want to novel to end.

All that being said, I really enjoyed it and I hope that the author will decide to write a sequel someday.

I will never stop screaming about this book from the ROOFTOPS! Thank you to the author Skyla for the NetGalley widget! “Together We Rot” is a stunning YA gothic horror debut featuring all things creepy crawly and cults. Wil is seeking for answers after the disappearance of her mother. Elwood, a childhood friend and pastor’s son, realizes that his plans to join him are not as he seemed… AH. So good. So creepy, it had me on the edge of my seat. I am lucky enough to be on the street team to promote this book. Go preorder it and be on the lookout for it on August 29th!

“Nature is violent.”

Together We Rot is a stunningly dark horrormance debut following Wilhelmina Greene and Elwood Clarke (and a fanatical cult out for blood).

Wil and Elwood used to be inseparable, until she accused his family of being responsible for her mother’s disappearance. Now Wil is a social outcast, searching for her missing mother, and the town’s charismatic pillar of a pastor is her top suspect.

Elwood has never gotten over losing Wil. Ever obedient, he has been told he will be leaving school and dedicating the rest of his life to his father’s congregation, the Garden of Adam. A reluctant Elwood thinks he will be taking over as pastor, but the truth it much darker. He's not his father's successor, but his sacrifice. On the run from a family and town that wants him dead, he turns to the only one who will believe him: Wil.

With such rich and dark writing, engaging multiple POVs, and the high fearful stakes, Together We Rot is a deliciously spooky read. My only critique is the rapid fire pacing of the last 20% of the book.

I think the story could have been slowed and made just a bit longer, to fit all the ambitious pieces in more smoothly. Once the story bolted into a run, it was hard to emotionally stay with the characters I had grown to love. It was a bit too much, too quickly. That said, the bones are darkly gorgeous and it was a great read. I am looking forward to more from this author.

Thank you Skyla Arndt, Penguin Books Canada, Viking Books, and NetGalley for an advanced electronic copy in exchange for an honest review. Together We Rot comes out on August 29th - just in time for spooky season!

The prose was beautiful! Her writing captured my imagination from the very start. I loved the FMC character and witty comments. The mystery was compelling enough to keep me reading. The relationship between the two characters was so great to read. I loved their interactions. The author did a great job of creating a creepy town. Reminded me a bit of Nancy drew CW in the best way. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys mysteries in creepy towns.

This book was totally not what I had expected. It was an interesting read and the twists were nice however it did not deliver the story well, as in there was no connection or spark.

We've heard of romcom and romantasy but I think it's high time to give the spotlight to horrormance?!

Together we Rot is an astonishing debut that connects horror and romance in a small town setting where a mysterious forest and a wicked cult veil a decades-old tradition.

TWR follows Wil Greene as she continue her quest of finding what happened with her mother who suddenly went missing after crossing paths with the Clarkes.

Elwood Clarke, who used to be Wil's bestfriend, is now caught in between following the orders of his strictly religious leader of the church Dad and helping his former ride-or-die.

What I liked
First is the writing style, Skyla Arndt's writing is easy to follow which leads to a smooth reading experience. This is done without sacrificing how atmospheric the author told the story. The world of Morguewood is depicted as this mysterious clandestine society where only the powerful few rule.

Another thing is how distinct the main characters of this book, both Wil and Elwood stood out in their way and I like how Skyla was able to let these former bestfriends have their time to feel the feels after disconnecting and being united again.

There is also a small spotlight that gives us a found family development and I just love how Wil and Elwood's friends come together to unravel the mystery of Morguewood.

What didn't work for me
It's a matter of personal preference but I felt like how the things with Elwood was wrapped was a bit quick so I found myself riveted while reading the first 60% and the last 40% there's so many things happening. It was still a decent ending but personally, I wanted it have a lobger conclusion to give Wil and Elwood and the rest of Morguewood to breathe and realize what just happened.

Lastly, the cover is out of this world!! I saw this from Penguin Teen's tiktok page and I'm so happy when I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

RATING: 4.5stars

This book has hereditary vibes. I love folk horror and stories involving secret or demoniac cults,so it was what make this read work for me. I didn't like at all the write,it felt childish and edgy sometimes. Anyways,I was shocked with the plot and this book is the kind of book than will stick with you without you noticing. Thank you net galley for having my opinion on this one.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy.
This book was atmospheric and filled with tense moments that really put a focus on the trauma surrounding religion and cults in general. I thought the story was well-paced and the friendship relatable. It was a overall good young adult coming of age novel that was suspenseful and enjoyable to read.

Wil is determined to find clues about the disappearance of her mother but it throws her relationship with her best friend into turmoil since his family may be at the center of everything.

This book almost felt like a love letter to anyone who has experienced religious trauma and has broken the cycle.

The main character was a spit fire you can't help love and the plot in itself had me drawn in from the beginning. My only complaint is things felt a bit rushed and I just wanted more from everyone. But regardless of that I thoroughly enjoyed this book. 3/5

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for a honest review.

I was really excited to check this one out upon seeing the cover; it's so pretty! I thought that with a cover like that, it would have a lot of potential, and it did. But unfortunately, it didn't really live up to everything I was hoping it would be. And it's a shame, because when this book gets good, it's good. But it is quite honestly few and far between.

I think the main issue with this book can be summarized by one thing: it is incredibly rushed. Things like WIl and Elwood's relationship, the Scooby Gang they form, and Wil's backstory are all glossed over rather quickly, and it results in me not really growing attached to any of these characters. And the thing is, if the book were longer and actually focused more on the backstory and lore, it could have really worked, and I think I would have left this book a lot happier. But as it is, nothing feels substantial. And for the majority of plot points in this book, I don't think it handled anything substantial either. So many plot points that are build up throughout the book aren't even resolved really. They come to a conclusion, sure, but it is rather abrupt and characters, as a result, don't really react too much to it.

It is a shame, because there were some parts of this book were I started seeing the story really shine. Towards the end, especially, I found myself really wanting to get invested in what was happening because it seemed really interesting. But because the buildup was so poor, that ended up not happening.

I wish this book could have had more time to simmer, more time to build up to everything, and I feel like I would have enjoyed it a lot more.

This is a creepy, young adult horror romance that is so atmospheric it is easy to get lost in the pages. It is easy to read, and I loved the connection between our two main characters even if they're a bit angsty. It is so full of suspense that it keeps you turning the pages. It is a very unique YA story that doesn't shy away from some things that aren't necessarily usually contained in YA stories. It is more of a bittersweet ending, but I'll definitely be looking for more stories by this author.

I have read a few books in horromance type genre and this one is definitely a great one for young adult readers. It has the creepy storyline and setting along with elements of paranormal and mystery. Wil Greene’s life changed one year ago when her mother went missing and she lost her best friend because of it. Wil has been searching for the truth and knows deep down her former best friend’s family is responsible. When Elwood’s life takes a sudden turn it seems that Wil is the only one her can turn to, but will she help him? Elwood and Wil have a great chemistry together despite the love/hate relationship they have going on. I love that no matter how bad the situation, Elwood’s cleanliness/OCD still made its way into his thoughts and made for some comedy. The ending was surprising but I’m not that mad because it seemed realistic and fair. It was definitely bittersweet. I would love to see a little novella or epilogue of the future of Wil and the Forrest. Overall a creepy but good storyline with memorable characters that I would recommend. I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving a free copy.

Creepy, atmospheric, and dark in all the best ways - I read this in about as close to one sitting as I could get. Skyla Arndt’s prose grabbed me from the very first chapter and Wil and Elwood’s undeniable connection and spectacularly rendered voices kept me turning the pages. I love prickly girls and soft boys (especially the ones who are a little bit monstrous), but I especially love when they come together in a well-crafted love story in the middle of a horror about bugs.