Symbiotes

by Amanda Linnemeyer

Don't Breathe In

In tightly controlled Terris, your future is rooted in the symbiotic fungi you bond with—organisms that grant abilities to serve society's needs. But Sora questions the overbearing Committee and longs for more than her isolated community offers.

When she and her friends break the rules and venture deep into the forest, they stumble upon a terrifying new fungus. A sudden burst of spores sends them scattering, and someone among them bonds with the deadly shroom, unleashing fear and a monstrous new threat.

In the chaos, Sora accidentally bonds with another unknown mushroom, giving her strange abilities of her own. Now, she may be the only one who can stop the horror descending on her home.

As the Death Shrooms twist bodies and minds, Sora must face a bone-chilling question: can she embrace her unexpected power to stop the nightmare engulfing Terris, or will her unique bond make her the next target?

Genres: Horror, Dystopia

312 pages, Paperback

Published October 7, 2025

Reviews

[Val~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to BookSirens and the publishers for this advanced reader copy! I never expected this book to be so interesting and intriguing. It’s a sci-fi / horror plot filled with mystery, suspense, biology, species, botanics (fungi-related), human-like beings, community, and love! I liked the way the author was able to get my attention with the amazing world-building related to a different kind of life from the one we know here on Earth. The setting is super cool, and so is the symbiotic process of bonding with the shrooms to gain abilities that are important for life in this place, which, at the same time, is what urges some kind of rebellion against the system. Not all of the mushroom species are benign, so there goes the horror plot. I love that the story has many plot twists that I didn’t see coming!!! I’d definitely read more books from the author. I had a really good time reading this story.

*It’s important to mention that the trigger warnings should be explicitly mentioned in the book, because there some.

[Bee’s Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

“𝑾𝒆 𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒗𝒊𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒔, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒍𝒆𝒕 𝒅𝒐𝒘𝒏 𝒃𝒚 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒔𝒕”.

ʂყɱცıơɬɛʂ • 4.25 ⭐️
•
Symbiotes completely pulled me in with its inventive world and eerie twist on the typical fungal fiction.

In Terris, everything from your identity to your role in society is dictated by the fungi you’re bonded with. It’s an unsettlingly orderly world, and Sora is one of the few who dares to question it. When she and her friends break the rules and venture into the forest, what they find challenges everything they thought they knew, and brings with it some seriously creepy consequences.

I did feel some parts were seemingly skimmed over quite quickly, but it made sense in some cases given the setting and characters’ emotional priorities at the time. Just wanted to know even more about this world and its workings! 😅

The world-building was easy to follow without being overwhelming, and the whole system of fungal bonding was such an interesting concept. The story moves at a more quick pace the tension ramps up nicely quite early on.

Huge thanks to Book Sirens and Ringtale Publishing for the eARC. What a strong debut! Fingers crossed a book box picks this up; I’d love to grab a special edition!

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I went into this ARC with no expectations and just a brief idea of what this story was about. Before I settled down to read, I gave my husband a quick explanation of the book and he looked at me both confused and slightly horrified at the thought of mushrooms binding to people.

I know, I know. Wild right? But stay with me.

I don't say this lightly when I tell you… this book was phenomenal.

The storytelling was impressive and I felt as if I was part of this strange world, along for the ride that unfolded.

If you're into thriller, fantasy and low-key horror, this book should do the trick. I would love to see this story expand and continue with another book in the future.

5 stars from me and kudos to the author!

[Leslie Lucille · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of all, I loved the world building in this book. Learning about this who other interesting civilization and their biology was so fascinating! I almost wish I could have gotten even deeper into their origins and the way their world works. Some of the premise gave me some Divergent vibes, which absolutely isn't a bad thing.
The pacing got a little slow in the middle, and some parts felt a touch redundant, but not enough to really pull me out of the story.
Once things really started ramping up, the horror factor did as well, and for YA it pushed the boundaries of being graphic, and I loved that!
The ending felt thought out, and made you want to revisit and see what happens next. All in all, an enjoyable YA horror with an unique world!
Thank you for this eARC! My review was honest and voluntary left.

[Meladi Hodges · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 4.5 stars
Not my usual read, but I still enjoyed it

I got an advance reader copy of Symbiotes and I am so glad I read it. I usually go for realism and romance but this still pulled me in. The plot was exciting and the world building was creative. I could see inspiration from Lois Lowry’s The Giver and some Brandon Sanderson as well.

I thought the main character was very likable and brave. I especially enjoyed the details about the different shrooms in their community and wished there had been even more about them. My only small critiques are that the president felt one dimensional, an “evil for evils sake” type villain. The made up swear words like rot and mulch sometimes pulled me out of the story as well.

Overall it was a fun and thoughtful sci fi and dystopian read and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys this genre.

[Lupita_333 · Rating 4 out of 5]

The extremely controlling government and the bonding of mushrooms with people made this story super interesting. I really liked how Sora fought to prove her innocence in the mysterious deaths of other students. I also really liked how other characters teamed up with Sora to take down the evil characters.

Thank you BookSirens for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[L.J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full disclosure: I worked with the author on the first draft of this novel.

I am SO proud of Amanda, first of all. Seeing where it started and where it's gone showcases her talent as an author who wants to tell the best version of the story, without letting ego take over. She always has such great, diverse concepts, and you can look forward to many new stories from her in the future.

Onto the book!

Sora is a levelheaded, relatable character who has enough emotion to be realistic without being a pushover. Her desire for independence, knowledge, and a desire to help her community gets her into trouble she has to get herself out of. The cordyceps-taking-people over kind of trouble. But there are more positive, symbiotic relationships formed between other characters and mushrooms. This is all about balance and harnessing good from the bad.

The world-building is creative and fun, with just enough humor and horror sprinkled in to keep things fresh. This isn't a body horror or anything like that; more cerebral than anything. So if feminist thrillers/light horror with a hint of sci-fi is your jam, this might be for you!

Also gotta love that cover!

[Marie Nedland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, I enjoyed the plot very much. It started out at a good pace and then kept you wanting more. I especially loved the unique plant themed curse words.

There are only 2 things that could have been better to receive a full 5 stars. 1) a bit more world building/ cultural background and 2) a little less internal monologue, especially repeated concepts/thoughts.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[E.P. Klopp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Creepy. This read is creepy! For lovers of science fiction and horror, make this your next read. If you enjoy good vs evil, a little romance, and some chilling moments, "Symbiotes" is the book for you.

[Cori Laatsch · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars, rounded up to four

Thanks to Ringtale Publishing for the ARC! All opinions are my own.

This book hooked me right away, starting in media res with a fun group of kids stirring up trouble in their very ordered society. The first few chapters immediately reminded me of The Giver, the way the society is structured and the responsibility of its citizens to do their part. I also felt the spookiness right away, but it really only cultivated into "horror status" at the end. The author did a good job of turning the concept of bonding with the mushrooms into horror through her use of language and the imagery of death and decay. I enjoyed the author's writing style and felt immersed. My only complaint there is that I would've liked a younger sounding voice from Sora, who felt very mature and too reasonable at times, which isn't aligned with the typical middle grade protagonist we see. But that didn't pull me away from the story too much.

My main gripe is that the story felt like it reached the peak of the conflict too early, which made the middle chunk feel stagnant and repetitive. If we had started a little bit earlier in the story, with the kids discovering the unknown mushrooms and maybe investigating a bit, we couldn't had more space to build and build the conflict up to a climax, where it all converges at the end. For that reason, halfway through, I would've rated this a three. By the first third, we knew who our bad guys were, our protagonist was locked up, and there wasn't anywhere else we could go. If that happened more around the 2/3 mark, the pacing would've been much improved. But the last quarter of the book brought me back around to a 3.5 rating, as I really enjoyed the ending fight and was adequately spooked by the vivid language.

The worldbuilding could have been a bit more in-depth and leaned more into the dystopian side, but we also learned a lot in a short amount of time and knew what we needed to. If we had gotten more insight into the other cities and a more upfront role of the government, the ending revelation might've been more satisfying and cohesive. The author kind of went back and forth from the "big bad" being one of the kids and being the corrupt government leader (which were both revealed really early on), and it might've been more effective to lead with the kid as the villain and have more of a reveal of the government involvement later on.

But all in all, I enjoyed the writing and the storytelling and learning about this world. The stakes felt fairly high the whole way through, even when the conflict wasn't building much, and the horror element was definitely there. I could see middle graders picking this up and being a bit freaked out (in a good way). It tackled good themes for that age group as well, without being too overt about it.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️ 3.5 Stars (Rounded Up to 4)
Thank you to NetGalley and Ringtale Publishing for the ARC!

Symbiotes by Amanda Linnemeyer is one of the most unique and strange books I’ve read this year and I mean that in the best way possible. It’s dark, bizarre, and oddly thought-provoking, blending elements of science fiction, horror, and nature-based transformation in a way that feels both unsettling and fascinating. The concept of human connection with fungi and the idea of merging consciousness through nature was so original it really stood out. As someone who drinks functional mushrooms daily and knows how powerful and beneficial they can be, I found that element particularly intriguing. The way Linnemeyer took that natural magic and twisted it into something eerie and dangerous made the story even more memorable.

The atmosphere is heavy, damp, and claustrophobic in the best “lost in the woods” kind of way. There’s a lingering sense of dread that builds as the story deepens, paired with lush, sometimes grotesque descriptions that make you feel like you can almost smell the earth and decay. The pacing did dip a bit in places, and I occasionally found myself wishing for more clarity around the rules of this world, but the originality of the premise more than made up for it. It’s weird, it’s haunting, and it lingers long after you finish like spores in the air.

Amanda Linnemeyer clearly has a unique voice and a wild imagination. If you enjoy eco horror, fungal symbolism, or stories that blur the line between humanity and nature, this one’s worth exploring.

[Katina The Witch’s Bookmark · Rating 3 out of 5]

YA dystopian horror is a tricky blend, but Symbiotes embraces it with confidence. The premise is immediately gripping: humans bonded to mushrooms in a world controlled by a rigid hierarchy, where a single fungal spore can twist bodies, minds, and social order. The concept is bold, unsettling, and original, with an eco-horror undertone that makes the world feel alive and quietly threatening.

The horror is vivid and unflinching for YA. Mushrooms blooming beneath skin, spore clouds erupting from wounds, and grotesque transformations create a squirm-inducing, body-focused dread. It’s more eerie and fascinating than scary, but it lingers. The story also carries a subtle social commentary, contrasting two colonies’ responses to a spreading plague, which felt like a clever nod to how communities deal with fear and control.

I loved the gentle, respectful romance threaded through the story. It’s built on friendship, trust, and mutual support, offering a healthy model of connection in a genre often dominated by brooding drama.

Where the book falls short is emotional depth. Sora and the supporting cast are engaging but never fully land, which keeps the tension from hitting as hard as it could. Pacing dips in the middle, and some plot threads resolve too neatly.

From an adult perspective, this is a 3-star read. For early teens, it’s a strong entry into darker YA horror, blending atmosphere, big ideas, and a uniquely unsettling fungal twist.

[Kieran Deshevy · Rating 4 out of 5]

First a big thank you to the Amanda Linnemeyer and Ringtail Publishing for providing me with a free advanced copy to read and review!

As someone who thinks mushrooms are fascinating in how varied they are and how they interact with the rest of the world, Symbiotes was a really fun read!
Within the first couple chapters, I was pretty sure I knew what was going to happen in the book, and I was mostly correct. That being said, I didn't enjoy it any less, and I was pleasantly (or horrifically) surprised by some of the curveballs thrown at me when reading.
Amanda puts just the right amount of detail into explaining the setting for me. Enough that I can understand where I am and be more curious, but not so much that it overwhelms my ADHD. Quite the opposite, actually, I had trouble putting it down!
On that note, the pacing was a bit fast, which some readers may enjoy less than I did.
Some readers may be turned off by violence or gore, so just a heads up for that. There isn't violence or gore in most of the book, but when it appears can be a bit of a jump scare, very much in the foreground.

All in all, a solid 4/5 for me. If you enjoy fantasy, fungi, and fighting against a corrupt system, I recommend!

Also, side note, the fact that all the character names are derived from the scientific names of various fungi brings me IMMENSE joy.

[Leoxo_ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Symbiotes… it’s creepy, a bit scary, romantic at times, and overall an interesting adventure in this strange world that Amanda Linnemeyer has created in her debut novel. I found it to be a quick read, and pretty refreshing in all the witch fantasy romance I’ve been reading recently. I thought it was a nice fit for an October read as the atmosphere was tense, especially in the latter half of the book. I found the world intriguing, but the main character was a bit of a miss for me. She was quite hung up on some of the mysteries of the book until the very end, never seeming to make more logical leaps and figure things out, and I felt somewhat disappointed in how it paid off in the end. I did also find that some of the actions of other characters felt very weird, but I’m putting that down to the tone of the book and the main character having a lot of suspicions about a lot of people that ended up true in some cases and not all. However, I really did enjoy the body horror elements of this book! I would love to read a short story collection or something of the sort from this author. I think the prose around some of the light horror elements really sucked me in and had me grimacing and twisting my face at some of the imagery (in a good way!).

Thank you to BookSirens and Ringtale Publishing for letting me read an ARC of this book for free!

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Overall Rating: 3 out of 5
Spice Rating: 0 out of 5

Trigger warnings: Depictions of gruesome death and violence.

Pros:
- I could easily visualize the scenes, places and events occurring.
- The story is dystopian, with isolated cities. This alone makes the stakes higher for characters.
- I kept waiting for the twist in the plot that I thought I had figured out; turns out I was wrong. I was pleasantly surprised and happy by this!


Cons:
- I did struggle with visualizing the characters' descriptions. I was making the connection that different symbiotes left different colored markings on their skins, but for some reason, I wasn't picturing it on top of their actual skin colors (blue, purple, etc.)
- The end of the book was hard to push through. I don't want to give anything away, but I felt some scenes were dragged out longer than necessary.
- While the plot was laid out nicely, some things that happened didn't make sense to me. A non-spoiler example is how quickly some things occurred or didn't occur; it almost felt like these things occurred to make the plot happen the way the author needed it to happen.

[Emm · Rating 3 out of 5]

🍄 Symbiotes ARC Review🍄

Sora and her friends live in Terris, a community ran by an overbearing Committee. In a world where you must bond with a fungi to gain powers, Sora and the other rebel, putting off bonding as long as possible. When they break the Committees rules and venture into a forest, one of them bonds with a dangerous fungi. They aren’t the only one as Sora accidentally bonds with a different spore.

Rating: 3.5/ 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Symbiotes was a quick and easy read. I was intrigued almost the whole time. I finished the book in about a day.

The concept of bonding with spores/ fungi and gaining specific powers from them was super interesting. I think the magic system is where this book really shines.

I didn’t care for Sora much…I actually like Ligo the most out of all the characters. Sora seemed to ask question she already should have known the answer to, and then didn’t ask questions when they were actually needed.

This pacing is very quick. I think there was a lot of important details that were skimmed.

I recommend Symbiotes if you like plant-based magic systems.

Thank you to BookSirens and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Molly · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, this book just made me say it — I’m officially a horror reader now! For about six weeks, I’ve been telling myself, “I’m not really into horror, but it’s spooky season, so I’ll try a scary book.” One after another, they’ve been pretty good, and little by little I’ve gotten used to the creepy stuff. But this one? This one converted me.

I read Symbiotes almost in one sitting — about three or four hours, with some breaks — because it completely held my attention from start to finish. The concept felt really unique to me (maybe that’s because I’m new to horror), but either way, I thought it was fantastic. Once the action starts, it barely lets up, and there’s a great twist in the plot that kept me hooked.

Yes, people die — it is a horror book, after all — but it’s also got a bit of a coming-of-age element, which I found really interesting. There’s definitely some body horror, so if that’s not your thing, you might want to know that going in. But if it doesn’t bother you, you’ve got to read this book.

It’s quick, gripping, and just scary enough without being nightmare fuel. I absolutely loved it and totally recommend it.

[⋆｡‧˚ʚ Chantal ɞ˚‧｡⋆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

【ＮｅｔＧａｌｌｅｙ　ＡＲＣ】

𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨:

Yet another fungi related book.

I really enjoyed it!

We have a community of people (?) who bond with certain mushrooms in a way to choose their career path. Their president, however, forces her people to stick to the ones she deems “safe” and basically controls everything they do, and what they should and shouldn't know.

But Sora wants more out of life. She's not a stickler for rules and wants to be free to choose her own bond, her own path.

And when one person out of her friend group comes across a forbidden shroom, everything goes downhill.

From kept secrets to mindless zombie-like characters, this book was such an interesting read.

(There was a touch of romance, and slightly gory scenes here and there.)

It's about breaking free from metaphorical restraints.
It's about what happens to someone who was dealt with a bad hand.
It's about blindly following authority, and not being able to think for one self.
It's about striving for change in a controlling environment.

❛𝐈'𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐞𝐬, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐈'𝐝 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦.
𝐍𝐨𝐰 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬.❜

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A unique atmospheric read, taut with suspense and high-energy.

I really enjoyed the unique world-building and atmosphere within Symbiotes. Each member of society must choose a symbiote to bond with from a pre-approved selection provided by the committee that rules the town. Each symbiote provides a benefit to the community, such as providing the substance for their lights (glow lamps) or growing vines of various thicknesses to stabilize buildings as they're built.

The characters were full of life and feelings, reacting to the various events in believable ways. No character felt flat or two-dimensional.

The pacing was steady and continuous - the main protagonist Sora encounters problem after problem, resolving one just to find herself in the midst of another one. I thought at first it meant the story was going to move too fast but winded up being just right for the plot to develop.

A delightful and intriguing read based on the unique story-building.


Thank you for the e-ARC from Netgalley and Ringtale Publishing.

[Rachel Durazo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such an interesting premise. The characters of this world are bonded to different types of fungi. The type of fungi they bind to determines their magical powers. Once they are bonded they are sent for their world’s version of job training. Just like in any dystopian novel with an overbearing ruling class like The Committee there is a rebellion brewing. I met Amanda through an arc group on Facebook, so I had no expectations of the book going in. I just knew that Amanda needed reviews and I had just heard about the whole arc system and what it entails and I asked what her book was and next thing I knew I had a copy! I could not tell that it was a young adult book except for the ages of the characters but from my Romania’s background that’s not anything new lol. This is a horror story so be prepared for creepy and scary. Perfect for Halloween reading! I don’t usually like horror but the way it was combined with great storytelling and world building made a genre that I usually hate quite enjoyable.

[Bebo Saucier Carrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an ARC of this book for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I adore the concept of this book: a strange world where people have blue or purple skin and bond with mushrooms that give them powers. It reads solidly in the middle grade/low end of young adult literature, and I think young readers will really enjoy it. For older readers, the reading experience might feel a little juvenile because the execution of this concept wasn't the best. Too many characters were introduced off the bat, and the reader is dropped in the middle of the action, both of which lead to a confusing start. The abundance of characters means that they are all pretty flat and not fleshed out. Even our main characters, Sora and Daxis, aren't fully realized.

All in all, a fairly good debut, especially for its audience. Not my favorite, but I am certainly not the target audience here, so that's okay!

[Kai · Rating 3 out of 5]

The concept was super interesting! That was what really got me interested in the first place. People having to bond with mushrooms to survive is already cool, then they also get different powers dependent on what type of mushroom they pick. Then it gets into a dystopian aspect with the controlling government, and the group of kids finding a new mushroom species. It truly drew me in. However, I did have some problems with the pacing of the book, it was fairly slow until right at the end. It also felt like not all of the questions were answered, probably because it was a shorter book. The romance also felt unnecessary to me. I enjoyed the small horror aspects in this book, though if you go into this looking just for horror you may be disappointed. I would say its more dystopian/thriller to me. Overall it was a fun, easy, shorter read that kept me hooked.

[Sam Rude · Rating 2 out of 5]

Symbiotes is a dystopian tale that takes place in a world where people in the community bond with specific symbiotic fungi to perform various jobs. If you are a young person who has a vague interest in the mycological then this book is for you. If you are a fungal-fanatic, the biological descriptions may leave you disappointed but you may have fun guessing the namesake fungal species of various characters.

The plot moves along at a fast clip and there were reveals and moments which genuinely greatly surprised me. I wouldn't say I walked away with a deep understanding of the world or every character's personal motivations but as Sora runs from crisis to crisis (usually in the forest) I found myself enjoying the journey.


Thank you for the ARC from Netgalley and Ringtale Publishing.

[max :3 · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book has a very fun concept, but I unfortunately did not enjoy the execution. It's sometimes enjoyable to read for it's strange and wacky dialogue and overall vibe, but I feel like that also highlights on the writing problems. You kinda just get thrown into the world and lots of information thrown at you, yet none at all at the same time. Very "show don't tell" ; I feel like the world was not described very well. The inner dialogue is very repetitive and gets stale quite quick. I found the plot a bit more interesting around the halfway mark, but I still found myself frustrated with the writing. The characters aren't that interesting, which makes the stakes feel lackluster. I wanted to like this, but it's just simply not for me. (cross-posted on netgalley)

[Castra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well-written. Gripping. Dark yet fascinating. This is a suspenseful fantasy-low horror YA novel that gives me a little bit of Stephenie Meyer "The Host" meets a tiny bit of Divergent vibes. This novel centers around a world where humans must bond with mushrooms for survival. The premise is as interesting as it is bordering down-right terrifying as you journey through the story of a girl with too much curiosity who is launched into a state that no one understands. (They find a new breed of mushroom that bonds to her - changing her into someone - or something - no one has seen before.) Those of you looking for new reads this spooky season will really enjoy this one. A terrific debut for this author. I can't wait to see what more she has on the horizon.

[Tabatha_Reads_Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well-written. Gripping. Dark yet fascinating. This is a suspenseful fantasy-low horror YA novel that gives me a little bit of Stephenie Meyer "The Host" meets a tiny bit of Divergent vibes. This novel centers around a world where humans must bond with mushrooms for survival. The premise is as interesting as it is bordering down-right terrifying as you journey through the story of a girl with too much curiosity who is launched into a state that no one understands. (They find a new breed of mushroom that bonds to her - changing her into someone - or something - no one has seen before.) Those of you looking for new reads this spooky season will really enjoy this one. A terrific debut for this author. I can't wait to see what more she has on the horizon.

[Bepis.・✫・゜・。. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had no idea what to expect going into this, but I was pleasantly surprised by all the twists and turns throughout.

Like some of the other reviews here, I did struggle with some of the descriptions of the characters and although I was having a great time, I did get a little bored 75% of the way through but pushed through to find out what happened.

I loved the quirky dialogue and I might find myself saying “oh, rot!” from now on! The writing was graphic and I found it easy to visualise the characters surroundings and everything that was going on with them!

Overall, this was a very different concept for me and I loved the dystopian vibes.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you BookSirens for the ARC!

[Gina L · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really liked the premise of this book and the start of it but unfortunately as I continued to read I liked it less and less. This seems more like a first draft to me, its got promise but it's just not done. I feel like some changes need to be made for it to be classed as YA correctly.
There is a lot of repetition, like constantly going back to the same place in the woods, it would be nice to see more of this place they live in. A lot of thoughts get repeated. And everyone just seems like an idiot, the adults are just brainless.
I got half way and then sped forward to the end just so that I could get it done.

Thanks Netgalley for an ARC of this book

[Bianca ‎♡‧₊˚ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book for an honest review through BookSirens.

I think this was a pretty great book. Really cool premise, very different from other books I’ve read. I do think it could’ve used a bit more backstory and had a couple of plot holes. Some aspects were a bit juvenile, which is understandable considering the main character is like 15 years old. But a couple of times it gave the vibe of silly cartoon villains going “MUAHAHA I’ve got you!” Which then took me out of the story because it was far fetched.

Overall, fun book. I liked the pacing. The mushrooms were really cool. I’d probably read a sequel just for that!

[L Madrid · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love a unique premise and this book really delivers that. It’s a creepy, dystopian YA where everyone has to bond with a fungus to get their role in society. The main character, Sora, isn’t really into the whole system, and then she accidentally bonds with something way more powerful (and terrifying) than what anyone else has. After that, everything is downhill: friends start changing, the town is in danger, and Sora might be the only one who can stop it. Think The Last of Us meets Divergent.