This is a very strange book that had me questioning whether I was actually understanding what I was reading. Despite that, I couldn't put it down. The graphic exposition and questionable narrator gave this novella a unique look at horror. It could've worked really well with more exposition; I would've enjoyed a deeper dive into the supernatural elements.

this unsettling, fungi fever-dream was short & spooky and i loved it!

the writing style and pov was pretty confusing at first but i was hooked once i hit that 10% mark. the odd parts of the writing do end up making a lot of sense and i thought it added another level of creepiness to the atmosphere. i love a bizarre, eerie story! i think the ending could’ve been tied up a *little* better (it kinda caught me off guard) but i really enjoyed this one.

i highly recommend if you enjoy horror and need a quick, compelling read!

thank you to netgalley & creature publishing for access to the e-book in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you to Netgalley for the eARC of this novella.


This was hands down one of the strangest novellas I've ever read--from the collective nine person POV of 'we', to how not a single character has an actual name and is "named" by a trait they have, to the creepy fungal horror <spoiler>that slowly takes takes out the cousins one by one until no one is left</spoiler>. Again, this novella was incredibly weird but also very intriguing. The story almost had a fever dream quality to it in the way things/people/settings continued to melt and shift in the moment. Overall it reminds me a lot of an r/NoSleep kind of story in the way it's supposed to make you feel incredibly unsettled and unsure of how you felt about it...

This book was a trip. I loved how the characters didn’t have names, but instead had descriptions. It was a very good take and I think there should be more books like this. The horror elements were so good. Half of the time you didn’t even know when it was happening. It was a nice little day playing with the cousins, then the cousins aren’t your cousins anymore? Man it was a trip. I still don’t really understand the ending, but I think it’s better that way. Leaves room for mystery and suspense.

Confusing as hell but in a good way? If I tried to over-think about it I’d get frustrated but once I just let the ambiguity wash over me I was swept away.
There’s like the teensiest bit of body horror depending on how squeamish you are, but it’s mostly just atmospheric creep!

Deliciously atmospheric and eerie, an uncanny eco-horror unlike anything i've read before. Beautiful, disorienting prose and the ever-building tension make this a really addictive read. Loved the use of collective first person! Eager to see what Saskia Nislow does next.

As someone who grew up Native American, near Appalachia, this is a story I will hold close to me forever.

It’s a folk horror, written in a way I previously haven’t seen, but will forever seek out.

Root Rot is a story of a family, on a family trip, everything goes perfectly for all of them and yet none of them at the same time.

It’s multiple perspectives, switching at random, between cousins and siblings and aunts. Yet never from an adults perspective.

If you grew up near Appalachia, or have visited, or even simply know about it, this story will feel familiar, maybe in an unsettling way, maybe in a way that makes you feel at home.

I recommend it fully.

Unsettling. Disorientating. Macabre. And absolutely bloody brilliant.

'Root Rot' is a psychological horror novella that follows 9 unnamed children and the weekend they spend on their grandfather's property as increasingly strange and disturbing things happen to them. Stripped of their identities, we only know the children by the single characterisitic the family attributes to them- The Oldest, The Liar, The One with the Beautiful Voice, etc., which puts the characters slightly out of reach for the reader. It can make the story harder to follow but this plays into the narrative- we aren't entirely sure what's going on all of the time but neither are the children. The entire thing feels like a fever dream that you just can't quite figure out, but with the wonderful way it's written you're happy to accept your fate and come along for the ride.

The story blends elements of folklore and fantasy with fungal based horror and is a must read for anyone who loves weird little experimental horror stories. This is definitely one that's going to stick with me and that I already want to reread!

Thank you to Creature Publishing/Amanda Manns and NetGalley for the chance to read this DRC. This review can be viewed on my Goodreads page at the following link: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/177713825-megan-carr

What in the fever dream did I just read? This weird little horror book was so good. The descriptions and scenes actually spooked me.

The children not having names. The use of we/us but who is the narrator?? The story didn't make sense but it did somehow? I need to reread it already. I loved this so much!

As Hozier said, I have never known peace like the damp grass that yields to me. But in a somber, foreboding, slightly melancholic tone.
Absolutely bizarre and disorientating (affectionate), this novella gave me chills I haven’t felt since standing in the basement of my childhood home, that slow itch on the back of your neck, feeling like something is watching you, too scared to look behind you and confirm it.
Incredibly well written, evocative as fuck, I would not recommend reading this on your plant-filled porch alone in the dark. Or, maybe, yeah, that’s exactly what you should do. Surround yourself with as many plants as possible. Take this to the middle of a forest, let the earth swallow you up.
Not sure what to make of the ending. Well, not sure about many things. Or maybe I am. I don’t remember. Every time I think about it, it becomes something else.
Thank you to Amanda Manns/Creature Publishing for this ARC, and to Saskia Nislow for making me stay awake way past my bedtime. I’m in awe and thoroughly disturbed and I gotta go watch High School Musical to avoid any nightmares.

What a trip. This book really put me into a dreamlike sequence and never let me go. I loved the narrator; the way it was all of them at once was a clever way to convey the fungal collective mindset to the reader. Loved the descriptions being beautiful and grotesque all at once, especially children experiencing things. It was a little difficult to differentiate every child from each other, so I had to keep re-reading entire pages to understand which one lost their sister, etc. Maybe it was on purpose, but it lost me a little bit. Also, I would've liked more explanations, but that's just a preference.

Overall really liked it and enjoyed it. I would recommend it, but I don't see myself rereading it.

I emphatically recommend this folklore fever dream of a novella to anyone for whom the phrase “folklore fever dream” elicits intrigue. If that’s you, stop reading this review right now, don’t read any other reviews, and pick up this book. You can come back and learn what the rest of us thought after you’ve experienced it yourself.

Have you ever had a dream where the plot turned sideways, and you knew it, watched it happening, tried to make sense of it, but fell deeper into the absurdity the harder you looked? Nislow’s story lets you simmer in that space alongside her collection of characters, staring at a grainy photograph that promises to contain a face but dissolves into pixels when you squint and strain.

I finished this book over my cup of tea this morning, just 34 hours after I started it, and I’ve spent all day at work today mentally trying to put the pieces in order. Not that the book’s conclusion is unsatisfying; there is semi-logical closure, but I wonder if my typical desire to theorize and tie up all the loose ends is entirely wrong for this book. I suspect that if I were to put the puzzle too close to right, the pieces might turn into dirt in my hands. Five stars, excellent.

Thank you to Creature Publishing and netgalley for free access to this book.

“Root Rot” is an eerie eco-horror novella that dives into the predatory dynamics of family, boundaries of homes and bodies, and the inevitable participation or pushback in harmful structures.

The family gathers at their grandfathers lake house, where unexplainable things are happening. With the adults basically absent, the nine children-who are named by their traits-explore the property where things start to get real weird.

A very unsettling and creepy novella. It’s very atmospheric in its diction. The choice to call the children by their traits got a little confusing at times, but it did add to the eerie atmosphere. It’s a descent into an abyss of confusion, fungi, and a creeping, gentle horror.

This book was weird in the best way! Every character is essentially just a trope of themselves, but in a way that resonates. I've not read a book like this and I was truly entranced from beginning to end!

Saskia Nislow's Root Rot is a haunting and surreal eco-horror novella that delves into the unsettling dynamics of a family gathering at a secluded lake house. Told from a collective "we" perspective, the story follows nine cousins—referred to by titles such as "The Oldest," "The Liar," and "The Secret Keeper"—as they experience a series of bizarre and disturbing events.

The narrative blurs the line between reality and nightmare, creating an atmosphere of creeping dread. As the cousins explore the forest and the lake house, they encounter strange phenomena, including mushrooms that bleed, eyes that blink unnaturally, and a pervasive sense of something lurking just beyond perception.

Nislow's writing is atmospheric and evocative, drawing readers into a world where the boundaries between body and environment, self and other, are constantly shifting. The novella's brevity enhances its dreamlike quality, leaving readers with lingering questions and a sense of unease.

While the unconventional narrative style and lack of character names may challenge some readers, those who appreciate experimental horror and psychological depth will find Root Rot a compelling and thought-provoking read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Creature Publishing for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review

2.5 stars rounded to 3

I usually love this sub-genre of horror so when I saw this little novella I was so excited to read it! Throughout, I got vibes of The Haunting of Hill House and Coraline, which is the biggest compliment as I love both.

Unfortunately though, the vibes were the strongest part for me. The plot and characters are what lets this down. I was confused about 90% of the time, and the character names were all too confusing to me (perhaps this is just my brains fault, and no flaw of the author).

I would still definitely be intrigued to read more from Saskia Nislow as I loved the vibes and am always intrigued by this genre, but for me this was a little bit too odd.

I really enjoyed this read that breaks reality and has a real nostalgic flair. Would definitely recommend for someone looking for the same camaraderie vibes as IT but with more body horror and mushrooms!

4.

i dropped everything to read this horror novella and i devoured it. i was very interested in anything Creature Publishing was putting out and once i saw the beautiful cover and the tiniest sliver of the concept—forest horror—i was there. Root Rot surprised me but did not disappoint at all! :)

we arrive at The Lake House, a gothic manor surrounded by deep water which immediately sets the eerie tone, and start telling the story from a collective perspective: using no names throughout the entire book.

we follow nine relatively young children, who call themselves The Cousins eventhough they aren't all cousins. namingly, The Boy Twin, The Girl Twin, The Oldest, The Secret Keeper, The Baby, The Crybaby, The Liar, The One Who Runs Away, and lastly, The One with the Beautiful Voice, and we get tiny glimpses into some of their lives outside of the weekend this story takes place over, but other than that, their so-called names are all you know about them. their personalities and traits are distinct enough that it doesn't get confusing, don't worry.

as the children explore the property and the woods surrounding it, strange and creepy things start to happen almost instantaneously and it gets gross and bloody and gory and i loved it. there's not any real pain, though. it's a more gentle horror..? falling asleep in the moss and decomposing peacefully, it's not brutal.

i don't want to spoil anything as it's such a short story but i liked the little flashbacks a lot, they had some very nice quotes and i do have a solid number of highlights of the writing overall. :)

i feel satisfied by the ending. if there was more backstory on the other children and maybe longer individual scenes so that i could have gotten attached to them a lot more, i'd've loved that too, but this was great and i will be looking forward to other works by saskia!

thank you creature publishing and netgalley for approving me! all opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Root Rot starts with an intriguing premise: nine children with mysterious titles like "The Liar" and "The Secret Keeper" gather at their grandfather's lake house, where strange and unsettling events unfold. The atmosphere is eerie, and the horror elements are well-crafted, drawing on European mythology and folk horror.

However, the story can be confusing. The lack of character names and backstory makes it hard to connect with the characters. The narrative style, which keeps readers at a distance, adds to the disorientation. The ending, while aiming for a twist, may not feel satisfying or coherent compared to the buildup.

The horror elements were very descriptive, but just not enough plant horror for my taste.

Overall, Root Rot has a unique style and strong atmosphere but may leave some new readers feeling lost and unsatisfied. If you enjoy bizarre and uncanny horror, it might still be worth a read.

Bizarre but fun to try and keep track and work out what was happening. Excited for more stuff from this writer!