Week 41 Review: Together We Rot

From Goodreads:

A teen girl looking for the truth about her missing mother forms a reluctant alliance with her former best friend...in exchange for hiding him from his cult-leading family.

Wil Greene's mom has been missing for over a year, and the police are ready to call the case closed—they claim she skipped town and you can't find a woman who wants to disappear. But she knows her mom wouldn't just leave…and she knows the family of her former best friend, Elwood Clarke, has something to do with it.

Elwood has been counting down the days until his 18th birthday—in dread. It marks leaving school and joining his pastor father in dedicating his life to their congregation, the Garden of Adam. But when he comes home after one night of after a final goodbye with his friends, already self-flagellating for the sins of drinking and disobeying his father, he discovers his path is not as virtuous as he thought. He's not his father's successor, but his sacrifice. For the woods he's grown up with are thirsty, and must be paid in blood.

Now on the run from a family that wants him dead, he turns to the only one who will believe him: Wil. Together, they form a reluctant partnership; she'll help him hide if he helps her find evidence that his family killed her mother. But in the end they dig up more secrets than they bargained for, unraveling decades of dark cult dealings in their town, led by the Clarke family.

And there's a reason they need Elwood's blood for their satanic rituals. Something inhuman is growing inside of him. Everywhere he goes, the plants come alive and the forest calls to him, and Wil isn't sure if she can save the boy she can't help but love.

My Review:
This was such a thrilling read! The synopsis sounded really intriguing, and it fit the season and the vibes, so I'm glad that I picked it up when I did, I had such a great time reading this book, getting to know Wil and Elwood!

The premise with Wil's mom presumed to be sacrificed by Elwood's family and the cult that they're in? Sounds intense! And it was, especially went the cult turned to him to be a victim, because that's the opposite of family, you know? But some people are just awful. 

Both of them were dealing with difficult family dynamics, both of them because of what Elwood's family does. Which complicates things when a) they have to work together and b) when they fall in love. But I couldn't get enough, I had to know more about them and their story!

Oh, but that ending, that hurt. After all that they went through, all that they uncovered, I was really hoping that they could come out of it with a better outcome. But what they were up against was pretty bad, so I guess I'm glad that there was some sweet with the bitter. 

This was such a creepy and amazing book and I'm so glad that I read it! 

Author: Skyla Arndt
Read: October 11th, 2023
Source: Ebook.bike 
Reason Why: Sounded really great, and it's a DAC Book and a SAC 2023 Book!
Publisher: Viking
Published: August 29th 2023

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars