Although horror is not a genre I tend to read, I was blown away by how eerie and creepy this book was. There were few moments where I felt at peace while reading this (in the best way), from the horrifying imagery of the mushrooms to Grandpa's Lake House, to the events of the summer that those kids would never be able to forget. A splendid read!

3.5 stars

Root Rot is an eerie eco-horror novella following a group of children on a family vacation at their late grandfather's property when their perceptions start to warp inexplicably. The children start to lose time, hallucinate and experience unnatural phenomena on the property. I went into this book mostly blind (because look at the cover!!) and I won't say too much about the plot because I think it's a good one to take it as it comes.

This book does two things to disorientate the reader, not naming characters and not following a clear passage of time so it's hard to tell how much time has passed at a few points. This definitely adds to the unsettling effect this book has and I thought it was executed well. The setting plays a huge role in this story and I thought it was atmospheric but not incredibly original, obviously acknowledging that there's only so much you can change up about an old estate but I would've liked something a bit fresher. The descriptions in this book are vivid and sometimes visceral. The way plants and nature are depicted is stunning and I could visualise most of the scenes quite easily.

As mentioned, the pacing is a bit cryptic which isn't a bad thing on its own, however I felt this book either needed to be a bit shorter or a bit longer which is kind of hard to elaborate on. It just felt a tad awkward overall because at times you're given so much depth and description, while other important parts feel glossed over, and I was left feeling like 'if you're going to divulge that much it should be even across the board'.

I think this is beautifully written even not being my preferred genre, and I definitely recommend it to those who read this kind of thing often. I think it just needed a little more editing.

The narrative in Root Rot is at times hard to follow with all of the nicknames and unsurety about what has and hasn't happened as the characters several times snap back to "reality"; whichever version of events that turns out to be.

I enjoyed the murky atmosphere created by Nislow but felt the reveal towards the end of the novella didn't fit and left me disappointed. Perhaps cutting that out and leaving this as a short story rather than a novella would have made this a 4 or 5 star for me.

I really wanted to get into this one, but I struggled with its structuring. I am still very thankful to the author -- Saskia Nislow, the publisher, and Netgalley for granting me advanced access to this one before March 25, 2025.

3.5 rounded up. Thank you to Creature Publishing and NetGalley for this book for me to review! Root Rot follows nine children visiting their grandfather's lake house as strange things begin to happy. This short novel packs a eerie and disturbing punch as readers try to understand what is real and what is not.

There were a few things that I really enjoyed about this. Firstly, the writing was incredibly atmospheric. Nislow does a great job at moving this story along while also maintaining the feelings of dread and unease that the characters are succumbing to. I also really enjoyed the personified setting. Truly the descriptions of the land and all the things that happen were the best characterized thing in this book. These aspects really saved the story for me.

I did not totally jive with the way Nislow has the characters unnamed outside of these descriptors like "The Crybaby" or "The Girl Twin." Because the story is so short I just felt so disconnected from them and the names played a huge part in that. I am sure that that was the point, but I just found it frustrating and difficult to connect to the themes of "predatory family dynamics" because I was so focused on that.

Overall, I think that this is a spooky and interesting read, but nothing to write home about. I really enjoyed the writing style and would love to read more by this author if I had some more time to connect with the story.

Thank you Netgalley and Creature Publishing for an ARC of Root Rot by Saskia Nislow in exchange for an honest review!

I am not normally into horror but was very intrigued by the synopsis of this novella. When 9 children travel to their grandfathers home things are definitely not what they seem. As each child succumbs to their fate, the liar must decide if she too will join them or set her own path.

This novella has stuck with me and I still think about the interesting anomalies throughout the book. A quick and interesting read. I did have some trouble with character names but also enjoyed that they didn't necessarily have 'names'.

This book felt like a fever dream in all the best ways. I ate it up!! I loved the mysterious, vague writing style. I read it in one day and I have no regrets.

**Thank you to Creature Publishing and NetGalley for the eARC of this sporific title!**

I LOVE mushrooms and foraging so this was such a fun one for me. I loved the fever dream quality of the writing and the nameless children puttering about.

Root Rot is definitely a weird one and I was appreciative of the length as the story seemed to wrap itself up nicely. While parts of the story were confusing I think reading this one with an open mind definitely helps make it more enjoyable!!

I will for sure be checking out more from this author in the future.

i admittedly gave up on this due to too many characters with too-complex pseudonyms. the books itself felt like a fever dream (which i love) but the character building made the plot and story harder to understand and enjoy, which took the fun out of it for me. loved the gothic, rotting vibes though.

What an exquisite book!

We get the perspective of the children in a large family, all come together for a vacation at the family estate. And I mean that-the beautiful prose is from the perspective of any and all of the children at once.

It’s a short read with impeccable vibes, exploring family dynamics in a unique way.

I received an arc copy of this book for review.

Root Rot caught me by surprise. It is a twisty book that is meant to be a bit confusing with no clear narrator and multiple perspectives which blend into one, and I did really enjoy it but it was a bit hard to follow at times.

Characters are named by characteristics as opposed to names which is actually something I really enjoy. I didn't always see how the names made sense to their characterisation but it does work really well in such a short text to define the characters without wasting words.

I love the ickiness and the earthiness of it all. Honestly a fantastic if not yucky short story.

If you like the idea of a weird fever dream surrounding nature and reclamation of literally everything then this book is for you.

I spent quite some time confused and lost. There are no chapters. Speech is not in speech commas, adding to my confused state. I found I spent a lot of time re reading segments to try and understand it.

This novella follows a group of children—cousins—as they gather for a family vacation at their grandfather's lake house. It's blurry, almost like a fever dream, with uncertain relations, nameless characters, and a constantly changing storyline. It's closely related to Lydia Millet's A Children's Bible in terms of form and content.

To enjoy this story, you must remain open to the metamorphosing nature of this book. It's not so clear cut, and even has some psychedelic elements (bleeding mushrooms, haunted figures in the forest). I would not call this meandering; rather, it's shifting focus mirrors (in my opinion + experience) the inner dialogue a child observing the world around them.

Thank you, NetGalley and Creature Publishing for the e-arc!

Let me start by saying that I don’t typically pick up on hidden meanings or metaphors in books, so there’s a good chance that this story carries deeper symbolism—perhaps about family—that I might have missed.

That said, I still thoroughly enjoyed the book. It’s well-written, strange, eerie, and deeply unsettling. If you prefer stories with clear resolutions, this might not be the book for you, as the ending leaves more questions than answers.
However, I believe the confusion is intentional—this is a fever dream of a story, designed to disorient and linger in your mind.

The narrative follows nine children whose names and ages remain unknown. Instead, they are referred to by nicknames like The Liar, The Crybaby, and so on. The point of view shifts between third-person and an unusual first-person plural, using “us” instead of “I,” which at times made me feel confused but in a good way.

There are elements of body horror, particularly involving (view spoiler), adding to the book’s unsettling atmosphere. While the plot is entirely different, I got similar vibes to The Haunting of Hill House (TV show)—not in story, but in tone and the sense of creeping unease.

This feels like a book that would offer a different experience on a second read, revealing new layers and details. Either way, I’m eager to read more from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Let me begin by saying this book is a work of art, both the cover and the writing. As with any art piece, this book will not be for everyone. But for those weird/fever dream/surreal horror loving folks, I would recommend! Don't expect to understand everything, just go along for the ride!

I finished reading this a few hours ago and am still not sure what actually happened. For such a short novella, this one took a bit to get through. There were many times flipping back through pages saying, wait.... was that.... who? Not to say I had a bad time, but I was confused 100% of the way through. Does that matter? Nope! My weirdo heart enjoyed every strange second of it. It was creepy, odd, confusing, and most of all, beautiful.

If you're looking for a cerebral and interesting read about horror mushrooms, this is one of the best ones i've seen if not the only one. A great read!

Root Rot by Saskia Nislow is a gripping and eerie exploration of nature’s darker side. Nislow’s atmospheric writing builds a sense of creeping dread, drawing you into a world where the boundaries between the natural and the supernatural blur. With a chilling plot and richly developed characters, Root Rot is an unsettling and captivating read that lingers long after the last page.

I really wanted to love this book. The front cover and description intrigued me but I just couldn’t enjoy the book. It definitely is for a certain audience and they might enjoy it far more than I did.


Thank you for letting me read though!

The book’s cover caught my attention. Although it’s a relatively short book, it took me three days to finish. This is largely because this book can be defined as a weird fiction—a genre that I usually enjoy to read—but there are moments in books like Root Rot that challenge my ability to follow the plot easily.

The novel has a story around a group of children who, along with their parents, staying at a house inherited from their deceased ancestors, located on far away from the city.

The children's names are interesting: Crybaby, The Secret Keeper, The Liar... These unusual details set the tone for the unsettling and mysterious world they inhabit around them

The story is a mix of intersection of nature and magical realism, a supernatural where events often blur the line between reality and hallucination. like.. there’s a strange fusion of plant life and the human form, plants or mushrooms with soul, trees that look. like one of them... all those "forms" usually has kind a gloom and pain, only human beings can have...

and surreal happenings that intertwine the human beings with the natural world surrounding them.

The presence of family members—such as an elder who has passed away but is perceptibly still "present" at the dinner table—is one of the eeriest aspects. Similarly, there are moments when the children can sense their parents' faces but never actually see them—faces without features, familiar voices emerging from unfamiliar bodies. These elements contribute to the book’s eerie atmosphere, steeped in isolation and ambiguity.

While the plot can be a bit difficult to follow, Root Rot is undeniably a unique and compelling novel with a distinctive style. If you’re a fan of weird fiction, this book worth a read.

Thanks #Netgalley and publisher for the #ARC.

my instagram: karelervesayfalar

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC to review!
Rating (on a scale of 1 to 5, 5 being excellent)
Quality of writing: 4
Pace: 4
Plot development: 3
Characters: 3
Enjoyability: 3
Ease of Reading: 3

Overall rating: 3 out of 5