Together We Rot by Skyla Arndt is unlike any other book I have ever read. The premise is unique and nuanced, the characters are fully fleshed out for such a short book, and the overall plot is interesting and easily captivating. Needless to say, this was a pleasure to read.

The characters, mainly Wil and Elwood, are some of the most interesting I have ever encountered. The quirks and nuances of both these characters remind me of Blue and Gansey from The Raven Boys, mostly because both of those characters are so fascinatingly unique and practically jumped off the page at me.

Wil and Elwood were the same.

From the moment this story began, I was captivated by Elwood, the shy, sweet, and somewhat naive son of the town pastor, and Wil, the fiery and determined daughter of a woman who went missing two years ago. Not only did I enjoy the fact that Wil, the female main character, was the strong and protective one in the relationship, but I also felt like the chemistry between these two characters was very potent. Their shared past is a huge part of this, but also their warring personalities. Such differences made them way more compatible because they just balanced each other out beautifully.

The side characters, Ronnie, Kevin, and Justin, are interesting, too, but their personality traits fell flat since they hardly had enough page time for me to become truly attached. Elwood’s father, the villain of this story, is also slightly cartoonish and akin to a textbook bad guy. Though that may be true, I was interested in his reasons for wanting to sacrifice Elwood.

Moving to the plot, I have never read a book so steeped in Biblical history. Besides the fact that Elwood’s father is the town pastor, there are several references to Bible passages, mainly one pertaining to the sacrifice of a son. The whole reason behind the villainous plot is also influenced by Biblical happenings, because the fictional town the book is based on once suffered a famine, so the pastor sacrificed his son to God. From then on, the sacrifices continued. It was interesting to read a book so clearly influenced by stories presented in the Bible, but to say this book is overly religious is untrue. The story also includes many fantastical themes that tie in well. I noticed that this book also doubled as a brief mystery since Wil is searching for her presumed missing mother toward the beginning, as well as a horror, since the ending presented a few frightening themes and descriptors. So many themes may have made another book seem cluttered, but it only added a more unique style to this story and plot.

The premise and writing style of Together We Rot was also something I enjoyed. Arndt
is amazingly adept at providing sensory details that will draw readers in and never let them go. The feel of the book was somewhat gothic, almost offering a style akin to Cat Winter’s writing and her ability to spook readers before they are even halfway through the book. While reading Arndt’s work, I felt I was bracing for that horror theme to play a part because, from the beginning, the story was drawing on gothic themes and some elements of horror through Elwood’s hallucinations. Needless to say, when the horror entered near the end, I was fully braced for it and glad it was present, because it was hinted at from the beginning.

Though I did thoroughly enjoy this book, the overall length of the story was slightly disappointing, and the ending felt slightly rushed because of that. I had hoped we would see some more cute moments between Wil and Elwood before we reached the climax, but I blinked once, and the end was already upon me. This book could have suffered a few more pages because it was such an interesting read, and the end could have been more thoroughly explored. Though I do feel this way about the book’s length, those with a shorter attention span or who feel some books are too long will appreciate the length.

All in all, Together We Rot is a book I will not be forgetting soon. With its fascinating characters, nuanced plot, and captivating premise, this story is one I will find myself thinking about often.