3.5 stars rounded up

Nine cousins and their families are going to stay at their grandfather’s lake house.It doesn’t take long for the children to begin changing one by one. Their eyes blink from the bottom up and their faces distort, but when you try to get a deeper look at what’s happening, you realize there was nothing strange going on all along… maybe.

The characters are split up into the children and the adults. We never learn anyone’s true name. The children are referred to as The Twins (both Boy Twin and Girl Twin), The Crybaby, The One Who Runs Away, The One with the Beautiful Voice, The Oldest, The Secret Keeper, The Liar, and The Baby. The adults are just referred to as The Adults.

This book had me deeply unsettled. So much so I found myself having to set the book down a few times, but the uneasiness lingered. THE AUTHOR slyly packs in some horrible imagery and scenes, and to view this from a child’s perspective is terrifying. Eyes blinking from the bottom up. Any moment of the book that had to do with the baby left me biting my nails to nubs.

That being said I had a real hard time following any type of plot going on throughout this book. Due to how the characters are named I had a hard time personifying or connecting with any of them. You also never figure out why the children are referred to the way they are nor do they act like their respective nicknames.

This read like a fever dream. Although terrifying, in my opinion it lacked any real substance. There are no chapters, and the writing format is unlike anything I’ve experienced before. It left me feeling like this book was one big run-on sentence.

A big thanks to NetGalley, Saskia Nislow, and Creature Publishing for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

ROOT ROT
By: Saskia Nislow
Release: 3/25/25
Page count: 140
KU: No Hoopla: TBD

Synopsis: A family, both old and young, come together for a weekend… but things grow out of control and will never be the same.

First line: “The Lake House was not on a lake at all, but a river.”

Favorite line: “She couldn’t quite put her finger on it because they were almost identical to his normal eyes, but something was different. They seemed to blink from the bottom instead of the top.”

Thoughts: My first for sure on the Top Ten of 2025 for me and probably will end up in the top three. This is the dictionary definition of perfection. Hands down, the scariest and most unnerving book I have ever read and to go farther, one of the best books I have ever read.

Rating: 10/5

3.5/5⭐️

I needed a minute to collate my thoughts. This novella has a lot of oddities and dark whimsy to offer.

The story follows a group of young children on vacation at their grandfathers lake house. The story begins ordinary enough, where each family has their issues and where the intricacies of family dynamics are slowly revealed throughout the novella.

Our children are not named, instead they are named by their characterisation. I thought this was super intriguing and a unique way of identifying and exploring the characters. We knew so much about them yet so little in a short amount of pages. I will concede I did find it a little tricky to keep track of who was who and if they really lived up to their characterisation. Some were definitely more obvious than others.

This fever induced setting had much to offer where things weren’t quite as they seemed, or perhaps your mind was playing tricks on you with the over imaginative mind of a child. However each child is practically lured into the woods, one way or another and they never come back quite the same.

I very much enjoyed the imagery it was disturbing and unnerving but I wanted to turn the page to find out what happened next. This novella definitely invokes curiosity.

I liked the personification of nature, how everything is connected to the earth. The endless cycle of life.

To be completely honest I wasn’t entirely sure on the ending, I don’t know what I envisioned however it’s not that I thought the ending was bad I just struggled to actually understand what the ending was.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and creature publishing for this arc!

Root Rot is a fever dream of a novella.

From the perspective of children its is writing in a way that keeps your head spinning.

None of the children are given names only nicknames given to them by the other children, the baby, the liar, the twins etc it did make it a little difficult keeping track of who was who as there seem to be so many of them (nine I think!) however horror stories from the perspective of children are given an even creepier edge and as we join the children on their stay at the family home during the summer on their strange experiences it keeps you asking yourself just what is going on!?

For fans of Mexican gothic, fungal horror & lyrical prose that feels like a warped nightmare.

I did enjoy this but I was throw a little by the narrative it did fit with the vibes of the book but sometimes I just felt a little lost. Will definitely check out more from this author in the future.

This is a tense little novela with creepy imagery that will stick with you. I loved the names of the characters, "The Liar", "The Older One". It was a bit disorienting but it also made me feel like I was there apart of it all.

3.25⭐️
I’m not entirely sure what I just read. So let’s start with what I do know: I do know that Nislow’s writing is beautifully atmospheric. As confused as I was for a majority of the story, I also felt like I was right there with them. I also know that Nislow has a gift to really creep me out in less than 100 pages. Again, even though I did really understand what was going on, this was a spooky and chilling read. And even though most reviews I have read said this bothered them, I was not bothered at all by how the characters were named. In fact, I found it incredibly unique and representative of the way children would refer to each other, especially if they don’t see each other very often.

What I don’t know is what the hell was going on. This was definitely one of those books that I feel left too much unexplained. Nothing is explained. Even when it seems like something is about to be made clear, it’s not. It’s made even more confusing. Who’s the villain here? Why? How exactly? Absolutely nothing made any sense. I mean there are some things I can guess at, but I know almost nothing for certain.

However, I would absolutely read something else by this author.

***Thank you NetGalley, Saskia Nislow, and Creature Publishing for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.***

This story follows an extended family, viewed primarily from the childrens point of view, as they spend time at their grandfather's Lake House, as strange things begin to happen all around them.

I found this novella to be eerie, disturbing, dark, and deeply unsettling, but in such a good way! This story was unlike anything I've read before. I can see how it wouldn't be for everyone, but I fully enjoyed falling into it and feeling completely consumed by it! I couldn't put it down!

Excellent narrative style, with such beautiful imagery. This author painted a  masterpiece with words in a way I haven't seen anyone else do before. Unique, heartbreaking, and strangely beautiful all wrapped up in one bizarre little package.

The cover of this book gave me high hopes; its unusual concept drew me in, but I was sadly disappointed. This style of book is not for me, although I know that others quite enjoy it. However, I got lost with all the character names and found myself struggling to pick it up each night.

What a wonderfully disgusting book.

I read the whole thing in a day and honestly everything’s a blur but man did I enjoy the ride. The writing hooked me from the first sentence, eerily atmospheric and beautifully descriptive, and while I can’t say a lot about the plot without spoiling the whole thing, the story’s progression and ending felt effortless and well-deserved, all cushioned in truly beautiful prose.

Sometimes it felt wrong to devour the story like I did because writing like this should be savoured, but I needed to know how it ends (and then I couldn’t sleep because I was creeped tf out). The story is told from the perspective of the children, none of which get names, and there were moments where I got the characters mixed up, but overall Nislow utilises narrative techniques in a way that makes me want to read the story again and again and carefully disect the words.

More of this, please!

I just knew from the cover and blurb I would love this book. From the second I picked it up I couldn't put it down. So bizarre and unique and beautifully written. I look forward to reading more of Saskia Nislow!

I'm not sure what I was expecting with this book but what I got was a bizarre story about a family gathering at the grandfather's cabin, where odd, disturbing and disconcerting events are taking place. The children of the families are banished to their own wing of the house, only seeing the adults at dinner and occasionally otherwise. As the children start to forget things, are they imagining, or dreaming?

The children were not referred to by name, but instead as The Liar, The Secret Keeper, The One with the Beautiful Voice etc ... it seemed like these were not really explained and throughout the story I found it a bit difficult to remember who was who and decipher whose POV I was reading. Perhaps that is by design, as the events keep you guessing all along as what is actually happening, it's quite unsettling reading the descriptions but not being able to fully visualise it. Overall a very interesting but confusing read for me.

🎬 Now Playing: 𝘙𝘰𝘰𝘵 𝘙𝘰𝘵 by Saskia Nislow
🕰️ Showtimes: Best read on a rainy, foggy evening with no interruptions from the outside world
💬 Critic Quote (it's me, I'm the critic): "𝘓𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘺 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘶𝘯𝘴𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘶𝘯𝘨𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘰𝘳."
🍿 VHS Rental Recommendation: 𝘌𝘯𝘺𝘴 𝘔𝘦𝘯 (2022) or 𝘔𝘢𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘰 (1963)
📅 Coming Soon: TODAY! March 24, 2025 from Creature Publishing

Listen. Saskia can say whatever they want, but I know this book was written for me. Unsettling, eerie, and oh-so-perfectly weird. 𝘙𝘰𝘰𝘵 𝘙𝘰𝘵 is the most feverish dream I've had the honor of reading. The prose is hypnotic, threading together characters who feel (at times) barely distinguishable from the lush, decaying whole - yet it all coalesces into something hauntingly cohesive as the characters decide their fate (or let it be decided for them).

𝘙𝘰𝘰𝘵 𝘙𝘰𝘵, to me, is about family and the way our surroundings can suffocate. I hit the last page and immediately thought, "Again, again!"

Be sure to check out Saskia's page for a full playlist of films with 𝘙𝘰𝘰𝘵 𝘙𝘰𝘵 vibes! If you're like me, you'll want to stay in this mood as long as possible.

Thank you so much @netgalley and @creaturepublishing for the advanced e-copy. I absolutely recommend this atmospheric debut novella to lovers of the bizarre and beautiful, and I can't wait to see what Saskia Nislow brings next!

#RootRotBook #SaskiaNislow #CreaturePublishing #BookReview #BookstagramReview #ARCReview #HorrorBooks #WeirdHorror #DarkFiction #FungalHorror #BodyHorror #EcoHorror #AtmosphericReads #CreepyBooks #WeirdLit #TheThing #Matango #HorrorAesthetic #MovieVibes #Bookstagram #Bookstagrammer #HorrorBookstagram #BookishVibes #ReadMoreBooks

At the family lake house, bad things are happening.
Root Rot is a story about nine cousins (in different stages of childhood) at their grandfather's lake house for a vacation. As the tale unfolds, it feels like reality begins seeping into a fever dream with some very creepy imagery. This has the feeling of being the memory of a childhood vacation, with moments and people shifting throughout the narrative. Feelings and ideas mold the way things are portrayed to the reader. Dreamlike depictions of abusive and neglectful, probably frightening, moments on a family vacation made for a somewhat confusing read. But worth it to understand the way the author frames and copes with their past.
After finishing Root Rot, I didn't really know what to make of it. But I saw a blurb for the book discussing childhood trauma/abuse and the Creature Publishing mission to tell horror in a different way, breaking conventions. This gave me more context for what I thought was just a bit out of my grasp. But now I have been piecing together the ideas that didn't make sense without the proper lens.
I would recommend going into this book thinking of it as a child's naive and innocent account of bad things that happened to them and their inability to accurately put them into words. But the feelings and pain remain the same.

When I started Root Rot I thought about following only one of the children that visit the lake house. But instead I discovered a way of story telling that had me gripped from the beginning even if it made some things a little bit more confusing sometimes.

I think it is best read in one sitting so you can keep track of the names and what happens to each children. As I read it over two days it took some time to grasp how changes of perspectives showed a replacement working of the children. I love the way the narrative is told because in the end it makes even more sense to speak of our and us even if it had its rightness already in the beginning.
The decision to name the children for what part of the family they are is really interesting. But I'm not sure if I like that "The Liar" is the one that seems to be trans.

There were some disturbing scenes that got dream like through the narration style. I liked it but I could have stomached something more explicit in some of the scenes. The creature at the end came a little bit out of the blue but I liked the epilogue very much.

I think I will definitely like to read more by them!

What a bizarre little book!

Root Rot follows nine unnamed cousins—The Liar, The Secret Keeper, etc—as they return to their grandfather’s old lake house one summer, only to discover that something strange is going on in the grounds by the water.

Written in first-person plural, the perspective in Root Rot constantly shifts between the nine cousins, often without the reader knowing exactly who’s speaking. It’s immersive and disorienting in the best way; amplified by the bleak, atmospheric setting—think old manor akin to T. Kingfisher’s What Moves the Dead or Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House. The imagery is pretty striking.

The horror elements are also incredibly effective. I’m a seasoned horror reader, but even I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. The dinner scene, in particular, left me quite unsettled.

The ending took me by surprise, the way it shifts into something almost dreamlike. I’ll be honest… I’m not sure I fully understood it, but I definitely enjoyed it.

Overall, I’d definitely recommend this to those who enjoy Strange Little Novels(TM) and fungal horror—I think there’ll be something for you to love here.

Thank you to NetGalley and Creature Publishing for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Saskia Nislow, NetGalley and Creature Publishing for this ARC,

Root Rot is a novella that’s hard to describe; there's a little bit of horror, sci-fi, fantasy and something else. The vibes GO HARD and the aesthetic of it is delicious. Plot wise, it’s hard to say something without spoiling, so, I’ll say this: is it aliens? Mushroom people? some sort of eldritch horror? Black mold? Rich people's problems? Who knows…

At 140 pages, this is a novella rather than a full-length novel so it won't take you very long to read, but either way it is an unnerving page turner! Each child is introduced with a descriptive/archetypal label, rather than a traditional name, which is fitting for folk horror. There's (1) The Oldest, (2) The Boy Twin, (3) The Girl Twin, (4) The One Who Runs Away, (5) The Secret Keeper, (6) The Liar, (7) The Crybaby, (8) The One with the Beautiful Voice, and (9) The Baby. Make no mistake, the naming convention does not reveal much, gender roles are irrelevant, and no single child is necessarily tougher or more capable than the others. What is coming after them is particular in its methods, but not discriminating. The appearances of mushroom circles around the property are the reader's first hint of what the children may be facing, but is it already too late?

I would have given this one a 5 ⭐ if the cast had been trimmed down a bit. There's little room to give proper due to each character. Attempting to track 9 children - who are or aren't where they should be at any given moment - is confusing at first. It does add to the shifting reality though, and you'll find yourself questioning the who, where and when. The Young Aunt, I thought would have a much bigger role having a separate designation from the Adults, but this was disappointingly disceiving. However, Niblow does an excellent job of maintaining the suspense and tapping into the core - sometimes irrational - fears and self-doubt of childhood. I recommend it!

🍄ＢＯＯＫ ＲＥＶＩＥＷ 🖤

I enjoyed this book... I think. It was like waking up from a dream, and the more you try to think about the details, the less you can remember!

The names of the children made it hard to keep track of who was speaking and who things were happening to, but I then again it was happening to all of them ... not that I know what it was. I would have liked their names to have impacted the story more, I know The Crybaby cried a couple of times, but I wanted The Liar, etc, to mean more.

This was definitely a fever dream kind of book. The horror elements were spot on for me, the body horror was enough without going too far, the author takes you to a point but lets you look away. It made me feel unsettled throughout, like someone was waiting to jump out at me, I knew it was coming, but I didn't know when.

Fans of WTF did I just read, and folklaw horror will lap this up.

I flew through this one! What happened? I can’t be sure, but it’s great. There’s something of a Victorian/ethereal/supernatural force within these pages.

Extended family holiday to the lake house sounds like great fun right? What if things at the lake house are not as they seem? The narrative jumps between the cousins (there’s a lot of them), and I LOVED the terms of references for the cousins, who needs names. I’m talking ‘The Liar’ and ‘The One Who Runs Away’ type of thing - this tells me a lot more about these children and adolescents than any name ever could. It goes without saying there’s some bizarre events and a spreading fear and paranoia between the cousins, all at different rates. It’s an incredibly immersive read.

Root rot in gardening terms is essentially a disease caused by a fungal pathogen(s) which can ultimately lead to death. An undermining of growth and the ability to thrive.

If you liked the film Midsommar, and for those of you that have read The Ladie Upstairs by Jessie Elland, I implore you to give this book a go. That gut-feeling of something not being quite right is going to haunt you with this read.

Initially this can be off putting but as the narrative plays out it makes a lot more sense. I read this in one sitting and with it being so short it's perfect for a lazy afternoon. Because of the style of writing with the switching of perspectives and use of "We" (which presumably is the 9 cousins, with switching between single members or small groups of them) the story becomes immersive. You have to pay attention to who's who and where and as that knowledge sets in so does the dread and paranoia. Small creepy things start to happen, what happens is questionable, but also this plays out during long hot summer days which never seems to exsit in a linear reality.

Highly recommend to those who love fungal horror.