Roses and Rot

Kat Howard — 2016

Publishers Weekly Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Horror Novel of Summer 2016 “Captivating, fiercely smart (about sisters, artists), utterly transporting. I read it so consumingly, it was more akin to swallowing it whole. Not to be missed.” —Megan Abbott, Edgar-winning author of The Fever and You Will Know Me “Kat Howard seems to possess a magic of her own, of making characters come alive and scenery so vivid, you forget it exists only on the page. Roses and Rot is both beautiful and dark, lovely, and haunting." —Anton Bogomazov, Politics and Prose Bookstore “A contemporary dark fantasy full of dark magic, the hidden traps of fairy tales, and painful humanity. I loved every page.” —Christopher Golden, New York Times bestselling author of Dead Ringers Imogen and her sister Marin escape their cruel mother to attend a prestigious artists’ retreat, but soon learn that living in a fairy tale requires sacrifices, whether it be art or love in this haunting debut novel from “a remarkable young writer” (Neil Gaiman). What would you sacrifice for everything you ever dreamed of? Imogen has grown up reading fairy tales about mothers who die and make way for cruel stepmothers. As a child, she used to lie in bed wishing that her life would become one of these tragic fairy tales because she couldn’t imagine how a stepmother could be worse than her mother now. As adults, Imogen and her sister Marin are accepted to an elite post-grad arts program—Imogen as a writer and Marin as a dancer. Soon enough, though, they realize that there’s more to the school than meets the eye. Imogen might be living in the fairy tale she’s dreamed about as a child, but it’s one that will pit her against Marin if she decides to escape her past to find her heart’s desire.

Reviews

Melissa Palmer@melissapalmer404

Nov 5, 2023

Book #27 Read in 2016 Roses and Rot by Kat Howard This is a recommended read for Juliet Dark fans. Imogen and Marin, sisters, reunite at Melete...an artist retreat that they have both been invited to attend. But there is more to the school than meets the it....with a paranormal twist. This gothic tale is well written and the characters are multi-layered and complex. I enjoyed this book and recommend it. I received a copy of this book from Amazon Vine in exchange for a honest review.

b.andherbooks@bandherbooks

Oct 9, 2021

A dark fairy-tale about two sisters who join an artist colony but find out it is tied to the world of the Fae. I enjoyed the story, and found it lyrically written, but was hoping for a little more depth. Readers who are unfamiliar with Fae legends may need to read outside of the book to truly understand some of the lore. I also found the "romance" angle to be much less of a focus than some of the descriptions and reviews I read, and while sexy, I didn't really connect with that aspect of the novel. I did like the focus on the two sisters, their different gifts, and how their terrible mother both brought them together and tore them apart.

Jessica Nottingham@hdbblog

Sep 1, 2021

To me, the testament of a good story is how long it sticks with you after you finish. My favorite books are the ones that, no matter what else you might be doing, are always at the back of your mind. Wooing you. Reminding you that they exist. Begging for another read through. Kat Howard's Roses and Rot hasn't unleashed me from its magical confines yet. I finished it well over two days ago, and it just won't leave me be. I tell you, I'm not even upset. All I really want is a hardcover of this so I can lovingly read it over and over again. I love fairy tales, with all of my being. To be more specific, I love the fairy tales that are a bit on the darker side. The ones where people might be changed forever, or even die. The ones were love only prevails after sacrifice. That's exactly how Howard's writing captured me. Imogen's story is equal parts heartbreaking and uplifting. It deals with the definition of love, with sisterhood, and with all the blood, sweat and tears that go into passionate art. Imogen's life is revealed in tandem. Both her present, and her past, play a part in the fairy tale that she is unknowingly being woven into. It's magical, and trust me when I say it's easy to get lost in. Which brings me to my next two points. First of all, this is a very difficult book to read at times. It does deal with childhood abuse, both of the verbal and physical varieties. Like all good fairy tales, it also has its very sad portions, so be warned. My biggest warning though, is that this book is extremely hard to put down. Chances are high that you won't want to set it down at all. So this is me giving you a heads up, before you end up staying up well into the wee hours of the morning because you started this before bed. It's addictive. I don't hand out five star reviews very easily. A book has to truly sweep me up, in order to make its way onto my list of favorite books. Roses and Rot did just that. I'm thrilled that I was able to read this, and saddened that it's over. I'll miss Melete, and all its magic. Another read through can't come soon enough.

Dani C@danisweetea

Aug 31, 2021

"This is what happens, when things are not quite a fairy tale." Roses and Rot is the perfect fall read for anyone who loves mixing dark academia vibes with dark fairy tales. Kat Howard's writing is beautiful, prosaic, and the occasional sudden shift lends to the protagonist's own disorientation as she tries to navigate in this artists' colony that isn't what it seems. A truly gorgeous story about overcoming the demons that life keeps throwing at you, rebuilding family ties and breaking down toxic ones, and the spectrum of how people approach their artwork, from healthy hard work to obsessive and desperate. I don't know if this was intentional or not, but it's almost a story about believing in yourself, but not in a gimmicky kind of way. More in the fairy tale, you can do this if you try, kind of way. SPOILER ALERT - TRIGGER WARNINGS Trigger warnings: parent to child abuse, suicide