3.25

Together We Rot was a fairly compelling read. The book is true to the synopsis and does a great job of creating an eerie and mysterious atmosphere. I particularly enjoyed how the author incorporated nature visuals in this one! However, where the book lost me at times was with the characters. I didn’t find them particularly memorable or fleshed out. Despite this, I did appreciate how the novel came together and wrapped up. The ending was satisfying!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers Group/Viking Books for Young Readers for this advanced review copy. All opinions are my own.

i really wantet to like this.. but i was not a book for me. but it still gave me goosebombs at the end

Right from the start I was hooked on the way Skyla Arndt writes and it wasn't long before I was absolutely mesmerized by this incredibly blend of environmental body horror and religious trauma and grief.

Wil's rage was chilling in a very familiar way to anyone who has faced trauma only to have others tell them to "just let it go". Elwood feeling as though he needs to give up based on his trauma because "it's never going to get better than this" dug into my heart in the same way. Even the side characters who were each messy in their own ways were ALLOWED to be messy just as the main characters were. I enjoyed seeing characters have flaws and depth that mattered. I enjoyed how real these kids felt.

This book gutted me by the time I finished it and I'm so glad that it did. The ending Arndt gave this story was exactly the ending it needed.

I thank her for putting this story into the world. I really needed it.

3.25 stars. ARC from Netgalley. This book wasn’t what I expected it to be! I thoroughly enjoyed the end, it was a very creative plot that I haven’t seen before, but I did have trouble connecting with the characters throughout the majority of the book.

This has more world building than I care to read. I don’t typically dabble in this genre but the cover and title were very interesting to me so I wanted to give it a try. If someone likes the gothic fantasy type of book I would suggest this one.

I didn't even start "Together We Rot" because it takes place over Christmas because I still had no idea about that at the time. It was simply one of the many ARCs I'm terribly late with, it's short, and it's a pretty different genre from the other two books I was already reading by the time I wanted to start it, so it seemed like the perfect choice. In the end, it came out as a very good themed YA fantasy, which I came across, although for a long time I wondered how much exactly I liked it.

I'll start by saying that the writing style is light but detailed, which I immediately liked. Also, the author doesn't just tell her readers some things to introduce them to the story – she shows them through her characters and their experience what’s going on, which I strongly approve of as a technique. The story is interesting and up to a point the more I read, the more my curiosity intensified, but then my reading time decreased, I managed to catch up with the book at a very slow speed and accordingly at one point I had the feeling that the plot had stalled somewhere in the middle and there was no escape. Of course, when I got back to reading, things got better.

The characters are built very well. Really deep and with characteristics that do not change constantly according to the plot, which for me is always a positive feature. Both of their stories are hard, which further contributes to their complex construction.

Elwood is very far from the main male characters I usually read about and which I generally like, and maybe that's why I couldn't sympathize with him until the middle of the book, but that doesn't mean he's not a great character. He is scared to death, wanting to save his life and having no idea what to do about it. Shortly after the middle, however, he manages to pull himself together and his character has a wonderful upgrade, turning him from a generally invertebrate into a strong person.

Will, on the other hand, is strong and feisty and ready to protect him all the time, even while she deludes herself that she doesn't love him. She gets what she wants because she's not afraid to do what she needs to do, and her instinct for self-preservation is strong enough to keep both of them safe when Elwood’s totally shut down.

I liked them as a couple, because their personalities balance perfectly, and this makes them not only just good for each other, but also soooo very sweet.

In the story it does not seem as if just some things are happening to lead the plot, because all the time it has a clear goal that it follows, and every action is logical to achieve it. Although I can not deny that it was strange to me how until the middle of the book the characters were still finding out what was happening. This led to a delay in the action, but at least the revelations of the mystery were constantly continuing, which helped me not be bored.

The climax is good - there is not much tension through it, but it has an action and is emotional. It is certainly more focused on the emotions it brings out in the characters because of what is happening to them.

The ending is nice and I liked it precisely because it is not candied. It may not be exactly happy, but it's logical and was a bit unpredictable, which brings bonus points to the book.
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Rating: 4/5

Really enjoyed this title. Loved the creepy cult backstory and the Upper Peninsula setting. My only negative feedback would be that it was slow in the beginning and middle and then a lot happened all at once at the end.

This was a very creepy love story. Which I did liked. The cover fits prefect for the book. It was such an very interesting storyline and something different. Thanks so much for sending me a copy.

Skyla Arndt creates a magical, creepy world in We Rot Together.
Wil Greene's mom has been missing for over a year, and the police claim she skipped town. Wil doesn’t believe that; she is sure her ex-BFF’s family had something to do with it. Elwood Clark sided with his family saying they would never kidnap or kill anyone. Besides Elwood has other things on his mind: when he turns 18, he has to dedicate himself to the family church, The Garden of Adam. But Elwood quickly learns that his dedication to the church is actually literal, and he won’t be alive much longer. Only he and Wil can take on the cult. But to what end?
This YA story doesn’t shy away from the dark nor is it a slow burn. Arndt introduces you to the characters and then jumps into the story. There aren’t long pauses, just time to catch your breath. Well-edited and tightly written, there is nothing extra in the text. These factors keep the story moving and the reader entranced.
This book is perfect for fans of Andrea Hannah’s Where Darkness Blooms. It’s also a great read for people who adore the vibe of the Silent Hill franchise. Darker than Where Darkness Bloom and with a cult right out of Silent Hill, the book looks at nature, religion, and human’s ability to follow blindly, trust, and heal. These deep themes are buried within the action and horror. It’s not until the book is done that you get to really digest what you read. This emotional hangover seals the deal that this is a fabulous horror novel.
Insanely creepy with deep themes, We Rot Together is a true tale of horror and friendship.

Fascinating concept. Wil’s mom is missing and she knows she wouldn’t just leave. She feels like Elwood, her former best friend’s family, has something to do with the disappearance. He soon goes on the run from his family who wants him dead. Together Wil and Elwood run from their pasts while trying to figure out their future. Secrets, cult, blood and rituals are the backbone of this book.
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Huge thank you to #viking and @netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

You will not see any of this coming! The mystery just keeps building throughout the novel with a mind blowing ending. Can they survive? And will they have a shot at love?

A very dark but wonderfully written YA novel about the price that must be paid for being raised in a cult, even when one wants nothing more than to escape it. A lot of dysfunction amongst families and unrest and unresolved conflicts but all of it comes together as the friendship between Wil and Elwood is repaired in a way.

Disclaimer: I was gifted an advanced reader's copy of this book via netgalley and in exchange I'm leaving an honest review. As always, opinions are my own.
Never thought I'd see the day when I would devour a book with a love interest that is at least somewhat part bug but here we are. Also the love interest shares a name with my dad's dog lol. Thought that was cool.
I believe I requested this because of the cover, without reading the description, and honestly, I might start doing that more often because descriptions can be misleading. I had a lot of fun reading this book and I went into it completely openminded. My only complaint I guess is that I felt like I didn't get enough background information. Like I know what happened to make them not be friends a year prior, but I would have liked to know more about their past, and to read more about their friendship before the split. This doesn't change my rating because I definitely still enjoyed this regardless.
Cults intrigue me, religious ones even more so. Even fictional, they're interesting to me as a psychology major because I'm always thinking about the mind and how it works. I like a book that makes me think.
The ending is tied together nicely. Wil rekindles her relationship with her dad, and she's sort of given new perspective about her relationship with him, and there's actual communication about the loss of her mother. She comes off crass and unempathetic at times, but she seems to recognize that the death of her mom didn't just hurt her, it obviously hurt her dad too.
I for real thought I was going to cry at the end, though, in the woods with Elwood. I like that the book could be a standalone or a series, it's always cool to see that. Will definitely be following Skyla as a writer, because I would like to see more of her work.

YA horror about a creepy forest cult? Sign. Me. Up.

This story had just the right features to suck me right in. Cults, moths, frenemies, missing person mystery. I really enjoyed the authors choices that made this a mysterious and creepy folk horror. It was just the right amount of dark and chilling for this kind of read.

While I typically love a faster paced read when it comes to a mystery in the plot, I do wish this specific book took it a little slower and added a bit more fluff. Despite the speed of the plot, I did still get to know and care for the characters quite well. However, I think more character building (especially of the side characters), an elongated plot that reveals the mysteries a bit slower, and more of the authors prose would have made this book pop a bit more for me.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group for the ARC of this book.

Together We Rot by Skyla Arndt is a YA fantasy with mystery, romance, and paranormal aspects. This book gives great fall spooky vibes so definitely give it a try this spooky season! I loved the creepy forest atmosphere and secret cults. I do love that this one was on the shorter side because it makes for a fun fast-paced reading experience. While I love that is shorter, I don't feel like I connected with the characters as much as I wanted to. I also feel like it was wrapped up too quickly for my liking. Overall, it was a fun read and I would recommend it if you're looking for a YA book with spooky vibes!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for a review!

2.5

Not for me! I really liked the premise of this, but I never ended up connecting with the writing style or either of the main characters. The creepy vibes were kind of fun though.

Skylar Arndt’s ‘Together We Rot’ is a captivating journey with its unique narrative and well-crafted characters. The story’s depth and emotional resonance are commendable, although there were occasional pacing considerations. Overall, a solid 4-star read that leaves a lasting impression.

A well-developed story and well-thought-out characters. I feel like there were moments where the author could have gotten more out of the world she created, plus the horror elements changed from light to heavy in a drastic way for me, but it's a book that serves to keep your head in the clouds, get through a good time, and with classic ideas but with a sinister twist.

Full: November, 13: https://tintanocturna.blogspot.com/2023/11/resena-review-together-we-rot.html

I absolutely love the concept and setup for this novel, as well as the dark, frigid setting. I'm also a fan of sweet boy / grumpy girl dynamics, but I felt that the two main characters in this book pushed those traits a bit too far, almost to the point where they had few other memorable traits. The prose also wasn't my favorite; it was simplistic and a bit abrupt, particularly in the beginning, although it did do a great job of conveying atmosphere.

The mix of horror and romance and fantasy was perfect and I loved every second of it and was a fun fast read for me