Root Rot

By: Saskia Nislow

Narrated by: Angela Scappatura

Come meet The Liar, The Secret Keeper, The Crybaby, and the rest.

Nine children travel with their families to their Grandfather's vacation property, where strange things begin to happen: eyes blink from the bottom up, mushrooms ooze blood, people's faces don't hang right anymore—except they do, once you look more closely. Transformations warp the children's sense of time and place, the very land itself seeming to encroach upon them.

As The Liar watches the children succumb one by one to an unknown fate, she must make sense of absent stars in the night sky, vials of amber liquid that taste of milk, a funny little rope tied in knots. She's faced with a choice: join or resist, only the choice is not so simple.

Set in The Grandfather's Lake House as he continues to extend his property lines and told in the eerie we of the children, Root Rot explores predatory family dynamics, the boundaries of bodies and home, and how individuals choose to participate in or push back against structures that would harm them.

©2025 Saskia Nislow (P)2025 Tantor Media

Very Creepy

Haunting narration, very interesting writing style. I expect I will reread it in the future!

Don’t go into the woods

Creepy in the best way. A little confusing but at the same time poetic. Thought provoking on deep subjects like family trauma and childhood. Would recommend

Absolutely loved this book, I’m surprised it’s not a movie yet

I was recommended this book on the horror subreddit and I’m so glad i finally checked it out- it’s amazing. The atmosphere of dread is on point, and the imagery is delightfully frightening. The unreliable narrator tosses the reader/listener back and forth between safety and fear, and it creates a sense of being off kilter in the best, most creepy way. I’m sure this book isn’t good for everyone, but as a huge fan of slow burn, dread horror, I want more. I was bummed to see this is the only book by this author. Their ideas are gold, and I can’t wait to read more.

Amazing!!!

You have to listen! Amazing story and narration. Cannot recommend this enough. Looking forward to more stories like this.

Hypnotizing, confusing, engaging, and scary

The experience was discomforting. You'll spend the time trying to understand the process, the meaning. It's there. It's just not happy. It's heavy and haunting. Would recommend for anyone who likes raw paranoia and a looming feeling of disturbance.