Rootfingers

by S. Alessandro Martinez

Something has awakened within the walls of little Wren Espinoza's new house. A house that once belonged to Isidoro Cervantes, an artist famous for his paintings depicting dark, surreal, and horrific subject matter, and who committed suicide after retreating from the society that once celebrated his work.

Now with new owners, an ancient force has manifested yet again, infesting the dark corners of the Cervantes House. An entity that feeds on creativity. An entity that forced itself into the role of Isidoro's muse.

An entity that desires to now use Wren and her family for its own artistic purposes.

Genres: Horror, Fiction

120 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 10, 2025

About the author

S. Alessandro Martinez is a Bram Stoker Award® -nominated author of Mexican and Spanish descent who writes horror and fantasy from middle grade to adult. He lives in a haunted manor and loves playing video/board games, practicing necromancy, watching bat videos, collecting skulls, visiting cemeteries, and generally lurking in the dark. The author of several books, as well as short stories and poetry which have appeared in magazines, anthologies, and websites. You’re always welcome to contact Alessandro here or by email at salessandromartinez@gmail.com with any comments, questions, esoteric rituals to bring forth ancient evil from times untold, or whatever you’d like.

Reviews

[N.J. Gallegos · Rating 5 out of 5]

S. Allesandro wastes no time in plunging the reader into a terrifying world along with Wren. Wren's family moved into a house formerly owned by a tortured painter and odd occurrences start happening. Wren has to figure out what's real and what's not, while navigating her crippling fear. A quick read that I highly enjoyed.

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Maybe darkness just always had a way of finding itself home, no matter what."

This is a short, eerie story that builds into a terrifying night in the doomed house once owned by horror painter Isidoro Cervantes. The story is told by 2nd grader, Wren Espinoza, a little child who's afraid of the dark and doesn't like the house. I don't want to spoil anything.🤫

What I will share is that this story is creepy, surreal, moody, atmospheric, body horror, things that go bump in the night, and trapped suspension.💀🙈💀 Each chapter is titled in reference to an actual painting and that's a cool addition.🎨🖌️ It is written well. The only note I have is that this little girl and her thinking came across as much older, like a teenager, instead of a 7 or 8yr old reacting to what was in front of her. Plus, there's references to late night infomercials.📺👍🏻If you like scary stories then this book might be for you. Shout-out to Churo.🐶 Happy reading. *•>§<•*🖤❤️🖤❤️

🚩🚩Check the TWs.18+ read.🚩🚩

🏚️🐕👧🏻Thank you to Mr Martinez and Booksprout. The opinions shared here are my own.👧🏻🐕🏚️

[Katinka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wren’s family moved into the house once owned by famous artist Isidoro Cervantes. What they don’t know is that the house is not a good place. It was said that the artist had gone insane, and his life’s artworks were never found after his death. But when seven year old Wren’s family moves in, her artist mother discovers the hiding place of Cervantes’ lost paintings and begins restoring them. It may have seemed harmless at first, but when the madness that destroyed Cervantes takes hold of her, it seems that perhaps history will repeat itself.

I read a review copy of this book, and it is a rather creepy horror novel. It is not a long book, so it is a fairly quick read. The majority of the story takes place over the course of one night as Wren tries to both save her family and herself. But you’ll have to read the book yourself if you want to find out whether she succeeds or not. I really enjoyed learning that the chapters of this book were titled after artworks. It was very fitting for this story. And clearly the author knows quite a bit about works of art as well as writing creepy tales. This is not a long book, but it does draw the reader in and keep you on the edge of your seat, waiting to see what happens next.

If you enjoy horror novels, especially ones involving paintings or other artwork, stories about artists who seemingly went mad, as well as ones that involve a sort of “monster under the bed” theme to them, then you will likely enjoy reading this novel.

[Zane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some houses don’t just sit on land.
Some houses feed.
Rootfingers by S. Alessandro Martinez is the kind of horror novella that crawls under your skin and plants itself there. This isn’t just a haunted house story it’s a slow, suffocating descent into rot, grief, and something ancient stretching its fingers beneath the soil.From the first page, Martinez builds a creeping atmosphere thick with dread. The house feels alive not in the loud, crashing, jump scare way but in the quiet, watching, breathing way. The kind where the walls don’t move… but you know they’re listening.
The imagery is haunting:
• Twisted trees clawing at the sky
• Earth that doesn’t stay still
• Roots that don’t belong where they’re growing
There’s an oppressive stillness in this novella that makes every small detail feel important. The pacing is tight and deliberate no wasted words, no filler. Just tension tightening like a vine around your throat.
What hit hardest for me was the emotional undercurrent. Beneath the horror, there’s something deeply human here isolation, memory, and the way trauma lingers like something buried but not dead.

[Nikki Wilbur · Rating 4 out of 5]

The way this book gave me the absolute heebie jeebies while reading at night even with the lights on, especially in the beginning before the creature really makes himself known.
Then there was quite a bit of gore that i found quite intriguing, especially the grandmother.
Turning an artists stern focus into a horror was another level of creep.

[Francesca Morales · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very good short horror read! it's not my typical genre but I absolutely enjoyed it and devoured it in one sitting!

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fast and furious nightmare fuel.

[Nichol Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rootfingers is the kind of horror story that gets under your skin and stays there. From the very beginning, it leans heavily into a deeply unsettling atmosphere, delivering a consistently creepy experience that never really lets up.

The plot is intriguing and keeps things moving at a quick pace, which made it an easy and engaging read. While I didn’t form strong opinions about the characters, they didn’t take away from the story either—the real focus here is the eerie tone and disturbing imagery, which the book absolutely nails.

What really stood out to me was just how creepy this book is. It builds tension well and maintains that unease throughout. And the ending? Easily one of the strongest parts. It wraps things up in a way that feels both satisfying and memorable.

Overall, Rootfingers is a fast-paced, chilling read that horror fans will likely appreciate. There’s not much to complain about here—if you’re looking for something creepy and immersive, this one delivers.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Sarah Winter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed how original the concept felt and thought the references to famous works of art helped anchor the surreal story to the real word.

The pacing is quick and engaging, and the writing is descriptive without being heavy, which made it play out like a movie. The tone shifts early on, feeling lighter before returning to a more mature horror edge later.

Following Wren’s perspective creates an interesting atmosphere, though it limits how much is fully understood. I found myself wanting more insight from the other family members, and I was left with some lingering questions.

Overall, a creative and compelling read that’s easy to get through and worth picking up if you enjoy ambiguous horror.

[Warren · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm avoiding spoilers here, but hopefully this gives you an idea if the book is for you.

This novella delivers a powerful punch in just over 100 pages. The opening is immediately gripping, with short chapters that make it impossible to put down. As Wren, the main character, delves deeper into the unsettling realities creeping into her young world, the horror intensifies. It skillfully intertwines overt scares and graphic descriptions that vividly illustrate Wren's complex family dynamics. The entire book evokes a "Tales from the Crypt" vibe, offering a pure, unadulterated horror experience without needing a Cryptkeeper to guide you through it.

[Barbara Cottrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love stories about evil artists and S. Alessandro Martinez has given us a doozy in Isidoro Cervantes. Over one horrifying night, the undead painter torments a family and stalks a young girl. It's grim stuff, but I found myself admiring his eight-year-old protagonist, Wren Espinoza. Despite all the odds, she battles the monster in her new home. I won't tell you how the fight ends, but I will tell you that I admired the young girl very much. And this from someone who doesn't normally like plucky child characters. Highly recommended.

[Kat M · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed getting into the body horror elements of the novella. The concept was perfectly done in this setting and was glad the horror was there in the story. The characters were written in a way that worked together and enjoyed the artistic element of the story itself. S. Alessandro Martinez was able to create something beautiful and terrifying in this novella and glad I was able to read this.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

I purchased this book at an author's book fair. My finds at such places have had mixed results, so I wasn't expecting too much.

What I found was a pleasant surprise! Rootfingers had an eerie setting that only built over time. Alessandro Martinez' ability to build suspense was compelling and thoroughly enjoyable!

[Tiffany Lacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I tried to win this through Goodreads Giveaway because it reminded me of Darcy Coates but I didn't so I bought it , definitely worth it , a haunted house from an 8 year Olds perspective very well done in 104 pages

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is fantastic! True horror and not a happy ending!

A couple of weird grammatical errors that I’m surprised made it past editing, but I can over look these because the writing and story itself it out of this world!

I hope this gets expanded on someday!

[Merkie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't know how you can build so much terror and creep into just over 100 pages. But this was scary from almost the first page.

[Kyle Rehdner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Creepy and fun! Well worth checking out. 3.5 spooky stars.

[Elford Alley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A creepy and disturbing tale of art and obsession, with a dose of cosmic horror too. A terrifying little novella!

[Clare Lune · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truly creative. I love how each chapter title is a shoutout to a work of art.