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The Cherished
For fans of Claire Legrand, Rory Power, and Danielle Vega comes a visceral horror thriller in the vein of Midsommar, as one girl inherits a mysterious house from her estranged grandmother—and a letter with sinister instructions.
Jo never expected to be placed in her absent grandmother’s will—let alone be left her house, her land, and a letter with mysterious demands.
Upon arriving at the inherited property, things are even more strange.
The tenants mentioned in the letter are odd, just slightly…off. Jo feels something dark and decrepit in the old shack behind the house. And the things that her father used to talk about, his delusions… Why is Jo starting to believe they might be real?
But what Jo fears most is the letter from her grandmother. Because if it’s true, then Jo belongs here, in this strange place. And she has no choice but to stay.
With a deadly enemy that cannot be seen, a world that may only be unlocked by a chosen few, and a chilling past that must be unearthed at any cost, The Cherished is an original, hypnotizing contemporary horror—one that will thrill readers of White Smoke, Wilder Girls, and The Hazel Wood.
Jo never expected to be placed in her absent grandmother’s will—let alone be left her house, her land, and a letter with mysterious demands.
Upon arriving at the inherited property, things are even more strange.
The tenants mentioned in the letter are odd, just slightly…off. Jo feels something dark and decrepit in the old shack behind the house. And the things that her father used to talk about, his delusions… Why is Jo starting to believe they might be real?
But what Jo fears most is the letter from her grandmother. Because if it’s true, then Jo belongs here, in this strange place. And she has no choice but to stay.
With a deadly enemy that cannot be seen, a world that may only be unlocked by a chosen few, and a chilling past that must be unearthed at any cost, The Cherished is an original, hypnotizing contemporary horror—one that will thrill readers of White Smoke, Wilder Girls, and The Hazel Wood.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published April 18, 2023
28 people are currently reading
5560 people want to read
About the author
Patricia Ward
4 books61 followersI am Lebanese-American, born and raised during the civil war in Beirut, Lebanon. I moved to the States when I was 18. Much of my work explores themes of civilian wartime suffering, emigration, and tensions around nationality and identity. Having grown up surrounded by the Armenian side of my family in Beirut, I often use my mother's maiden name of Sarrafian on my works as a way to honor that part of my life story.
I got my MFA from University of Michigan and published many stories, poems, and essays, and then published my first novel, The Bullet Collection (Graywolf Press, 2003). It received the GLCA New Writers Award, Anahid Literary Award, and Hala Maksoud Award for Outstanding Emerging Writer.
I wrote a few more novels that were not placed, and then, after my son was born, I decided to explore the world of book arts. For some years, I made miniature books and dioramas and enjoyed showing my work in a variety of venues both in the U.S. and abroad. Eventually, I published Skinner Luce (Talos Press, 2016), and I slowly turned back to writing full time. My YA supernatural The Cherished came out April 2023 from HarperCollins, and Mercy is forthcoming in October 2025.
I still create paper objects and recently have taken to sewing as well. I love the counterpoint and balance the tactile arts afford my writing life.
I've moved so much over the years, and I remember every place I've lived, the people, the moments, the landscapes. I now live in Vermont, and hopefully will not have to move again.
I got my MFA from University of Michigan and published many stories, poems, and essays, and then published my first novel, The Bullet Collection (Graywolf Press, 2003). It received the GLCA New Writers Award, Anahid Literary Award, and Hala Maksoud Award for Outstanding Emerging Writer.
I wrote a few more novels that were not placed, and then, after my son was born, I decided to explore the world of book arts. For some years, I made miniature books and dioramas and enjoyed showing my work in a variety of venues both in the U.S. and abroad. Eventually, I published Skinner Luce (Talos Press, 2016), and I slowly turned back to writing full time. My YA supernatural The Cherished came out April 2023 from HarperCollins, and Mercy is forthcoming in October 2025.
I still create paper objects and recently have taken to sewing as well. I love the counterpoint and balance the tactile arts afford my writing life.
I've moved so much over the years, and I remember every place I've lived, the people, the moments, the landscapes. I now live in Vermont, and hopefully will not have to move again.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 262 reviews
July 23, 2022
Jo lives with her mom and stepdad and is dissatisfied with their life together. But one day, she receives a letter informing her that she is the sole inheritor of her grandmother’s house and property and that she has some unexplained responsibilities associated with them. There are tenants in the house who set her and her mother on edge, and she begins to get the feeling that the unbelievable stories her father used to tell her may be closer to the truth than anyone thought.
This work leaves a lot to be desired. I like the premise and thought the setting would be interesting, but I didn’t feel that it was executed well. I know this work is an advanced copy and not the final product, but this are an absurd number of negative things that detracted from my reading experience.
Currently, the writing is not engaging. It shifts between short, stilted sentences and long, run-on sentences that take up half a page. There were short excerpts of letters between the chapters that had no explanation and added nothing to the narrative. This book was mostly exposition, and much of it was unnecessary. There were large chunks that were Jo’s repetitive complaining that added nothing to the story other than making me dislike her even more as a protagonist. The author also heavily relied on telling rather than showing, which greatly detracted from the possible immersion in the book. There were also many instances of plot induced stupidity and plot holes that made this work frustrating to read. I’m not going to go in depth into the characters, but there were no likeable/engaging/relatable characters and they all lacked in depth and development.
The pacing of this work was not even. It was just past the 50% mark of the work before we started getting hints at what might be happening, and another chunk before anything actually started to happen. The first half of the book could honestly be trimmed down to just a couple of chapters. The ending was also extremely unsatisfactory.
One of the biggest things I noticed was that the author approached certain topics in an outdated and offensive way. There were many examples of this throughout the work, so I’m just going to list a few. The biggest thing was the way the author handled mental illness and race – near the beginning of the work, without any context, someone is described as being in a “paranoid schizo state” as well as “crazy.” And soon after they’re described as being “dark-skinned, Hispanic looking. He could be from anywhere. He might even be an Arab” and then later describing his physical looks as being “unsourced darkness.” (Sidenote, I believe he was the only character in the work described as being anything other than white.) Whereas another character was described as the “epitome of class” with “long tan legs” and blonde hair. There was also an instance where a character was a little rude and got labeled a Nazi. I’m not going to dive into how absurd it is that these stereotypes and derogatory descriptions are being used in a new Young Adult work, but these things MAJORLY detracted from any enjoyment I may have been able to get from this book.
It was quite honestly a struggle to make it through this book. I’d be willing to reread it and alter my rating if the author made some drastic changes before publication, but for now I don’t recommend that anyone read this book.
I received an ARC of this work through NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion. All thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.
This work leaves a lot to be desired. I like the premise and thought the setting would be interesting, but I didn’t feel that it was executed well. I know this work is an advanced copy and not the final product, but this are an absurd number of negative things that detracted from my reading experience.
Currently, the writing is not engaging. It shifts between short, stilted sentences and long, run-on sentences that take up half a page. There were short excerpts of letters between the chapters that had no explanation and added nothing to the narrative. This book was mostly exposition, and much of it was unnecessary. There were large chunks that were Jo’s repetitive complaining that added nothing to the story other than making me dislike her even more as a protagonist. The author also heavily relied on telling rather than showing, which greatly detracted from the possible immersion in the book. There were also many instances of plot induced stupidity and plot holes that made this work frustrating to read. I’m not going to go in depth into the characters, but there were no likeable/engaging/relatable characters and they all lacked in depth and development.
The pacing of this work was not even. It was just past the 50% mark of the work before we started getting hints at what might be happening, and another chunk before anything actually started to happen. The first half of the book could honestly be trimmed down to just a couple of chapters. The ending was also extremely unsatisfactory.
One of the biggest things I noticed was that the author approached certain topics in an outdated and offensive way. There were many examples of this throughout the work, so I’m just going to list a few. The biggest thing was the way the author handled mental illness and race – near the beginning of the work, without any context, someone is described as being in a “paranoid schizo state” as well as “crazy.” And soon after they’re described as being “dark-skinned, Hispanic looking. He could be from anywhere. He might even be an Arab” and then later describing his physical looks as being “unsourced darkness.” (Sidenote, I believe he was the only character in the work described as being anything other than white.) Whereas another character was described as the “epitome of class” with “long tan legs” and blonde hair. There was also an instance where a character was a little rude and got labeled a Nazi. I’m not going to dive into how absurd it is that these stereotypes and derogatory descriptions are being used in a new Young Adult work, but these things MAJORLY detracted from any enjoyment I may have been able to get from this book.
It was quite honestly a struggle to make it through this book. I’d be willing to reread it and alter my rating if the author made some drastic changes before publication, but for now I don’t recommend that anyone read this book.
I received an ARC of this work through NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion. All thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.
January 10, 2023
TW: Gaslighting, toxic parent relationship, kidnapping, language
*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:Jo never expected to be placed in her absent grandmother’s will—let alone be left her house, her land, and a letter with mysterious demands.
Upon arriving at the inherited property, things are even more strange.
The tenants mentioned in the letter are odd, just slightly…off. Jo feels something dark and decrepit in the old shack behind the house. And the things that her father used to talk about, his delusions… Why is Jo starting to believe they might be real?
But what Jo fears most is the letter from her grandmother. Because if it’s true, then Jo belongs here, in this strange place. And she has no choice but to stay.
Release Date: April 18th, 2023
Genre: YA Fantasy
Pages: 336
Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
What I Liked:
1. The plot seemed mysterious
2. Reference to Abba 🥰
What I Didn't Like:
1. The tone of the book is so dry
2. Jo comes off whiny and spoiled
3. It just seemed to easy at the ending - rushed
Overall Thoughts:
It's so odd that some books you can tell it's a YA and some you think it could be adult, unfortunately with this book it reads YA in an annoying whiny way. When I first started this book I assumed that Jo was supposed to be older and perhaps not so well off but right within the beginning Jo got on my nerves. They are pretty well off financially. Jo complains that she can't have the house even though she hasn't known about it or cared about that grandmother at all. Jo just got on my nerves as this spoiled rich person.
There is a part where she complains because she has to go through the mail and says it's gross. The mails on the table how is it gross? Also why haven't the parents gone through it?? Who doesn't look through their mail??
Nothing feels like it happens. If you love books where chores are talked about then this is the book for you.
I liked that there wasn't some forced romantic romance between characters that wasn't needed.
There were some surprises along the way that I didn't expect. Like her father being one of the taken away children or why they pushed her mother to leave when she was pregnant.
Final Thoughts:
Okay so I don't think this book is as bad as people are saying from my perspective. Yes, there are some issues with this book but I was curious to find out the mystery behind the fairies. The problem is that it's labeled as horror when it's not. There is ZERO horror in this book. This is 100% fantasy.
The writing is choppy. There's lots of run on sentences. Thought and plots that feel like what's the point. The book takes a while to get started with too much focus on her home life and complaining to each other, her step-father, and townspeople about selling the house.
I didn't hate this book. I think its a meh okay book but I'll probably forget it by next year. I'd like to see what else the author can do in the future.
Recommend For:
• Fairies
• Novella's
• Mysterious towns
• Stories with mystery houses left to family member
IG | Blog
Thanks to Harper teen and Netgalley for this advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:Jo never expected to be placed in her absent grandmother’s will—let alone be left her house, her land, and a letter with mysterious demands.
Upon arriving at the inherited property, things are even more strange.
The tenants mentioned in the letter are odd, just slightly…off. Jo feels something dark and decrepit in the old shack behind the house. And the things that her father used to talk about, his delusions… Why is Jo starting to believe they might be real?
But what Jo fears most is the letter from her grandmother. Because if it’s true, then Jo belongs here, in this strange place. And she has no choice but to stay.
Release Date: April 18th, 2023
Genre: YA Fantasy
Pages: 336
Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
What I Liked:
1. The plot seemed mysterious
2. Reference to Abba 🥰
What I Didn't Like:
1. The tone of the book is so dry
2. Jo comes off whiny and spoiled
3. It just seemed to easy at the ending - rushed
Overall Thoughts:
It's so odd that some books you can tell it's a YA and some you think it could be adult, unfortunately with this book it reads YA in an annoying whiny way. When I first started this book I assumed that Jo was supposed to be older and perhaps not so well off but right within the beginning Jo got on my nerves. They are pretty well off financially. Jo complains that she can't have the house even though she hasn't known about it or cared about that grandmother at all. Jo just got on my nerves as this spoiled rich person.
There is a part where she complains because she has to go through the mail and says it's gross. The mails on the table how is it gross? Also why haven't the parents gone through it?? Who doesn't look through their mail??
Nothing feels like it happens. If you love books where chores are talked about then this is the book for you.
I liked that there wasn't some forced romantic romance between characters that wasn't needed.
There were some surprises along the way that I didn't expect. Like her father being one of the taken away children or why they pushed her mother to leave when she was pregnant.
Final Thoughts:
Okay so I don't think this book is as bad as people are saying from my perspective. Yes, there are some issues with this book but I was curious to find out the mystery behind the fairies. The problem is that it's labeled as horror when it's not. There is ZERO horror in this book. This is 100% fantasy.
The writing is choppy. There's lots of run on sentences. Thought and plots that feel like what's the point. The book takes a while to get started with too much focus on her home life and complaining to each other, her step-father, and townspeople about selling the house.
I didn't hate this book. I think its a meh okay book but I'll probably forget it by next year. I'd like to see what else the author can do in the future.
Recommend For:
• Fairies
• Novella's
• Mysterious towns
• Stories with mystery houses left to family member
IG | Blog
Thanks to Harper teen and Netgalley for this advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
April 17, 2023
Review coming soon.
April 22, 2023
Like a 3.5
It wasn’t that bad, guys
It wasn’t that bad, guys
April 14, 2023
After perusing a lot of the reviews, I honestly do not have the same opinion for this book. I loved it. I did not know what the issue at the farm was. I suspected it, and the creatures ended up being far worse than the tales we usually hear about them. Not so cute and sweet. Vicious, evil little buggers.
I can definitely see this book turned into a movie. Yes, it will be a horror film. Maybe it needed more blood and gore for some people, but for a YA book, maybe not.
The reason why this is a horror story is because those creatures are all cute and sweet in most YA stories, but they steal children. How is that not scary? What do they do to these children? And if you are tasked with stopping them, you think they're going to make it easy for you? I mean, they aimed to rip the baby out of her pregnant mother's stomach. How is that not scary???
I honestly want a book two. In that book two, the author should scroll down and read some of the comments to help improve the story to make it better to add more horror to it. I think some of the beta-readers have valid points. Reminder, I loved the story. Could it be better? Everything can. This universe is one I'd like her to continue.
I can definitely see this book turned into a movie. Yes, it will be a horror film. Maybe it needed more blood and gore for some people, but for a YA book, maybe not.
The reason why this is a horror story is because those creatures are all cute and sweet in most YA stories, but they steal children. How is that not scary? What do they do to these children? And if you are tasked with stopping them, you think they're going to make it easy for you? I mean, they aimed to rip the baby out of her pregnant mother's stomach. How is that not scary???
I honestly want a book two. In that book two, the author should scroll down and read some of the comments to help improve the story to make it better to add more horror to it. I think some of the beta-readers have valid points. Reminder, I loved the story. Could it be better? Everything can. This universe is one I'd like her to continue.
July 19, 2022
I have mixed feelings on this one. The writing was honestly terrible, but also I read an arc a full nine months before the publication date, so I expect the final result will be much better and I’m not letting that affect my review.
My main issue with it is the ending was extremely unsatisfying, and there were so many plot holes. If this was setting up to be a series I’d be fine with it, but it ended like the first book in a series, not like a standalone. Again, as I’m reading it nine months before the pub date and I expect a lot will change (and possibly a sequel be announced?), I’m not really letting that affect my review.
The best thing about this book is that it’s FUN!!! The characters are annoying and the plot doesn’t make a lot of sense and the writing is terrible but golly it was just so fun to read!!! I will overlook a lot of things for a genuinely fun story.
Also, my deepest thanks to Patricia Ward for writing a fun YA book with NO ROMANCE!!!!!! That is a truly rare find and every time I come across one I’m legally required to like it.
My main issue with it is the ending was extremely unsatisfying, and there were so many plot holes. If this was setting up to be a series I’d be fine with it, but it ended like the first book in a series, not like a standalone. Again, as I’m reading it nine months before the pub date and I expect a lot will change (and possibly a sequel be announced?), I’m not really letting that affect my review.
The best thing about this book is that it’s FUN!!! The characters are annoying and the plot doesn’t make a lot of sense and the writing is terrible but golly it was just so fun to read!!! I will overlook a lot of things for a genuinely fun story.
Also, my deepest thanks to Patricia Ward for writing a fun YA book with NO ROMANCE!!!!!! That is a truly rare find and every time I come across one I’m legally required to like it.
did-not-finish
July 19, 2022(Stopped at chapter 4) I will not be reading anymore. The writing is not good; it’s very choppy, formatting is weird, and stylistic choices make the narrative confusing to read.
There are also some offensive (and just straight up bad) takes in this book that made me uncomfortable to read. I appreciate the publisher and Netgalley for providing me the e-ARC, but I won’t be continuing with this book.
The one star is for the Dead Meat reference and that’s all.
There are also some offensive (and just straight up bad) takes in this book that made me uncomfortable to read. I appreciate the publisher and Netgalley for providing me the e-ARC, but I won’t be continuing with this book.
The one star is for the Dead Meat reference and that’s all.
August 21, 2023
I went into this book blind - picked it up based solely on the cover, never having heard of it - and I'm so glad it caught my eye because I absolutely loved it. I was shocked to then come here and see all the negative reviews. The mother daughter relationship is indeed toxic, but I thought it was fitting for the themes of the book, and both characters grow to better understand each other by the end.
The inclusion of racist and ableist sentiments expressed by some characters served to highlight the main character's feelings of not fitting in, and I believe were only intended to reflect the beliefs of those characters, not of the author, or the book as a whole.
The main character's 'whining' as other reviewers have put it felt warranted for her situation, and I did not find her annoying at all. I thought her character was very strong, but not in the way of so many 'strong female leads' where she wasn't allowed to have flaws. She felt like a realistic teenager - angst and 'whining' and complaining about her parents included. What teenager doesn't do those things?
My favorite part of the book was that there was no magical solution that made everything better at the end as there so often is in this genre. There was no grand epiphany where the main character realizes the solution was in front of her the whole time - a solution so many others before her somehow failed to notice. No, she is faced with the stark truth of a very grim reality and beautifully rises to accept her fate and complete her assigned task. Worth the read.
The inclusion of racist and ableist sentiments expressed by some characters served to highlight the main character's feelings of not fitting in, and I believe were only intended to reflect the beliefs of those characters, not of the author, or the book as a whole.
The main character's 'whining' as other reviewers have put it felt warranted for her situation, and I did not find her annoying at all. I thought her character was very strong, but not in the way of so many 'strong female leads' where she wasn't allowed to have flaws. She felt like a realistic teenager - angst and 'whining' and complaining about her parents included. What teenager doesn't do those things?
My favorite part of the book was that there was no magical solution that made everything better at the end as there so often is in this genre. There was no grand epiphany where the main character realizes the solution was in front of her the whole time - a solution so many others before her somehow failed to notice. No, she is faced with the stark truth of a very grim reality and beautifully rises to accept her fate and complete her assigned task. Worth the read.
December 16, 2022
Unfortunately, me and this book didn't click as much as I hoped after seeing that cover.
The main reason this book didn't work for me were the writing. I can see why other people might love this book but it just wasn’t my thing.
ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The main reason this book didn't work for me were the writing. I can see why other people might love this book but it just wasn’t my thing.
ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
April 20, 2023
I went into this book blind and was pleasantly surprised. I have already suggested it to a few of my book friends. The story grabbed my interest when young Jo inherits her grandmother's house and property with the stipulation that she can never sell. I didn't expect what happened and loved it. The author's descriptions made it feel like I was watching a movie. I highly recommend!
June 2, 2025
4.5 stars, rounded up! I’ve searched high and low for a book that would give me a feeling akin to the one Melissa Albert’s The Hazel Wood gave me. This is it! The tone of this is so similar. I loved reading The Hazel Wood! If you did too, it’s extremely likely that this will be the book for you.
It’s hard to nail down what the actual genre of The Cherished is, because it’s so unique, but I’d classify it as a horror-infused fairytale that grapples with big topics such as generational trauma, the experience of being an immigrant, and finding one’s identity.
Because this is an unusual book, I think it’s struggling to find its ideal audience. If you enjoyed reading the classic Grimm’s Fairy Tales, I think you’ll like this. It is indeed very grim, much like those old fairytales are.
The main character, Jo, is a realistic teen who isn’t concerned with what people think of her. So if you tend to enjoy books that feature “unlikeable” characters, this’ll be your sort of book.
Some of the negative reviews The Cherished has received made me concerned about reading it, because I would never want to support a racist author. After finishing, I feel confident in saying that this is not a racist book. There are racist attitudes, which are briefly expressed by a couple of side characters. The main character, Jo, is biracial and the racist comments are directed toward her. Since the reader is supposed to identify with the main character, it's obvious that the racist comments are meant to be seen as negative. It’s baffling to me how the use of racism could be understood otherwise by those reviewers, given the context of how it is presented in the book. I personally appreciated that the author is trusting YA readers to figure out that those side characters are racist and insensitive without explicitly spelling it out for them. Teen readers are far more perceptive than we give them credit for!
The writing occasionally had some sentence structure issues, but never enough to be distracting. For the most part, I absolutely loved it! The atmosphere and setting were immersive and addictive, and I couldn’t wait to pick it up again because of how much I enjoyed the eerie feeling it gave me. It also made me consider all of the potentially horrifying aspects of living in a rural location! In an interview, the author said that she found the noise that grasshoppers' wings make extremely unsettling, as she hadn’t encountered grasshoppers until she moved from Lebanon to rural America as a teen. As someone who has lived in rural places in America, I’ve never even considered that before!
Also, an incredibly cool detail that made me gasp aloud when I noticed: the cover of this book appears to be a painting at first glance, but if you look closely you can see that it’s actually embroidered! Which ties in to the main character Jo’s love of sewing in the book. Katerina Marchenko, an embroidery artist based in Moscow, created it!
Highly recommend, for the right reader! I would eagerly devour anything that Patricia Ward writes in the future!
It’s hard to nail down what the actual genre of The Cherished is, because it’s so unique, but I’d classify it as a horror-infused fairytale that grapples with big topics such as generational trauma, the experience of being an immigrant, and finding one’s identity.
Because this is an unusual book, I think it’s struggling to find its ideal audience. If you enjoyed reading the classic Grimm’s Fairy Tales, I think you’ll like this. It is indeed very grim, much like those old fairytales are.
The main character, Jo, is a realistic teen who isn’t concerned with what people think of her. So if you tend to enjoy books that feature “unlikeable” characters, this’ll be your sort of book.
Some of the negative reviews The Cherished has received made me concerned about reading it, because I would never want to support a racist author. After finishing, I feel confident in saying that this is not a racist book. There are racist attitudes, which are briefly expressed by a couple of side characters. The main character, Jo, is biracial and the racist comments are directed toward her. Since the reader is supposed to identify with the main character, it's obvious that the racist comments are meant to be seen as negative. It’s baffling to me how the use of racism could be understood otherwise by those reviewers, given the context of how it is presented in the book. I personally appreciated that the author is trusting YA readers to figure out that those side characters are racist and insensitive without explicitly spelling it out for them. Teen readers are far more perceptive than we give them credit for!
The writing occasionally had some sentence structure issues, but never enough to be distracting. For the most part, I absolutely loved it! The atmosphere and setting were immersive and addictive, and I couldn’t wait to pick it up again because of how much I enjoyed the eerie feeling it gave me. It also made me consider all of the potentially horrifying aspects of living in a rural location! In an interview, the author said that she found the noise that grasshoppers' wings make extremely unsettling, as she hadn’t encountered grasshoppers until she moved from Lebanon to rural America as a teen. As someone who has lived in rural places in America, I’ve never even considered that before!
Also, an incredibly cool detail that made me gasp aloud when I noticed: the cover of this book appears to be a painting at first glance, but if you look closely you can see that it’s actually embroidered! Which ties in to the main character Jo’s love of sewing in the book. Katerina Marchenko, an embroidery artist based in Moscow, created it!
Highly recommend, for the right reader! I would eagerly devour anything that Patricia Ward writes in the future!
April 17, 2023
This had some cool aspects to it and got fairly creepy at one point, but it took a while to get there and the main character didn't carry the story well.
Jo is a sixteen year-old living with a mom she doesn't get along with and a stepdad she doesn't like. I can understand being a teen and struggling with your parent, but Jo came across as whiny and spoiled and it made it difficult to get behind her. Not that Abigail is necessarily so much better, but I could see how she'd seek out a stable relationship after so much turmoil in her previous one.
The pacing is slow for the first two-thirds, there are some hints but I wanted to get to the exciting part. I did enjoy the reveal of what was going on and the beings kind of freaked me out. I wanted more development about this, but it was so late in the story that we didn't have enough time.
The ending was rushed and way too easily dealt with. I don't know that I'd call this horror, more a fantasy with some darker parts. There's a decent story here, but I think it needs more development.
I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to HarperTeen and NetGalley for the copy.
Jo is a sixteen year-old living with a mom she doesn't get along with and a stepdad she doesn't like. I can understand being a teen and struggling with your parent, but Jo came across as whiny and spoiled and it made it difficult to get behind her. Not that Abigail is necessarily so much better, but I could see how she'd seek out a stable relationship after so much turmoil in her previous one.
The pacing is slow for the first two-thirds, there are some hints but I wanted to get to the exciting part. I did enjoy the reveal of what was going on and the beings kind of freaked me out. I wanted more development about this, but it was so late in the story that we didn't have enough time.
The ending was rushed and way too easily dealt with. I don't know that I'd call this horror, more a fantasy with some darker parts. There's a decent story here, but I think it needs more development.
I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to HarperTeen and NetGalley for the copy.
April 19, 2023
Based on the reviews I'd seen on Goodreads, I was ready to be positively appalled by this book. But... I really have no idea what the hate is about? I mean, it's not my new favorite or anything, but nor does it have me outraged either. I will say, there were a few moments where I was like "wait are you really using this very racially insensitive term in 2023?" and I agree, that is not acceptable. But it was also one or two instances, and I really am holding out hope that they get edited out of the final version. Someone read it and let me know. Or I will use this as an excuse to shuffle over to B&N to check for myself, even better!
What I Liked:
►The concept was actually pretty interesting. There are a lot of questions that the reader is going to want the answer to, from the start. Why's Grandma leaving Jo this house? Why was she being so extra about it? Why is Jo's family so against it? Intriguing, right?
►I was definitely invested enough to want to know what was happening. Frankly, I wanted to know what this place was all about! Not just the house, but the whole town seemed iffy, and I definitely wanted to know why!
►I liked that family dynamics were very much at play. I loved that we were being let in on both deep-seated family secrets from years gone by as well as dealing with the relationship that Jo currently had with her mom.
►It's fast paced and quite readable. I mean look, it's short and sweet, and the mystery is pretty compelling, so. I am always here for a book like that.
What I Struggled With:
►I felt no connection to the main character. I mean, this is fairly self-explanatory, yes? I didn't really dislike Jo or anything, she was fine. She just... didn't have a huge effect on me one way or another? It was almost like I was being told about her, but I wasn't really getting the emotions behind that. I think had it been told in first person, some of that could have been resolved. But alas.
►It required a pretty sizable suspension of disbelief. This is likely at least partly on me, because I am not always so good with the supernatural/paranormal, but if you are more able to "go with it" than I am, this may be less of an issue for you.
►The aforementioned insensitive comments. Again, this one kind of speaks for itself. See above.
Bottom Line: It's not without issues, but it is also a pretty fun and entertaining mystery/thriller.
You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight
What I Liked:
►The concept was actually pretty interesting. There are a lot of questions that the reader is going to want the answer to, from the start. Why's Grandma leaving Jo this house? Why was she being so extra about it? Why is Jo's family so against it? Intriguing, right?
►I was definitely invested enough to want to know what was happening. Frankly, I wanted to know what this place was all about! Not just the house, but the whole town seemed iffy, and I definitely wanted to know why!
►I liked that family dynamics were very much at play. I loved that we were being let in on both deep-seated family secrets from years gone by as well as dealing with the relationship that Jo currently had with her mom.
►It's fast paced and quite readable. I mean look, it's short and sweet, and the mystery is pretty compelling, so. I am always here for a book like that.
What I Struggled With:
►I felt no connection to the main character. I mean, this is fairly self-explanatory, yes? I didn't really dislike Jo or anything, she was fine. She just... didn't have a huge effect on me one way or another? It was almost like I was being told about her, but I wasn't really getting the emotions behind that. I think had it been told in first person, some of that could have been resolved. But alas.
►It required a pretty sizable suspension of disbelief. This is likely at least partly on me, because I am not always so good with the supernatural/paranormal, but if you are more able to "go with it" than I am, this may be less of an issue for you.
►The aforementioned insensitive comments. Again, this one kind of speaks for itself. See above.
Bottom Line: It's not without issues, but it is also a pretty fun and entertaining mystery/thriller.
You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight
March 20, 2023
Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Jo's family life has never been easy, and now that she's been given the family's home in her grandmother's will, it will not be easier. Her very pregnant mother is not the kindest, especially regarding Jo's late father and grandmother. That's not to mention that Jo can't remember what happened at the house to have given her scars on her arm to this day. When the current tenants of the house turn out to be strange characters, Jo starts to uncover the truth about the house and her past.
While I was intrigued by the premise and the cover, this book needed a lot more work in several areas.
First and most importantly, there were several instances of outdated, offensive language used by the main character that is never challenged by the narrative. Someone is referred to as being in a "paranoid schizo state," a woman is called a "Nazi baker" after committing the crime of talking to someone else instead of the main character, and the language around Jo's non-white father's appearance was derogatory. This is not a historical fiction where the main character gets their viewpoint challenged, this is a modern story. It is a wonder that this book is being published by a big publisher but this language has gotten through into a nearly finished copy.
Even without the offensive language, the story itself was unengaging, poorly organized, relied on cliche, and did not execute on its premise. A switch to a first-person perspective could have made Jo relate more to the audience. There were a lot of redundancies in the interactions between her and the other characters. The lack of questions she asks about the ridiculous stuff going on around her was infuriating. The characters were stock and did not feel like they had much depth to them. There were several examples of the author being too on the nose, like having Jo listen to "Money, Money, Money" and then thinking about her mother's consumerism. The pacing was very unbalanced, with the majority of the book having nothing happen.
The only thing that I thought was interesting was that the supernatural element was a different type than I expected - fairies instead of ghosts/hauntings. But even with that, there is not a horror element like the book pitched itself to have. It compares itself to Midsommar (a movie I love), but I can't think of anything that the two had in common - in plot, characters, stakes, pacing, etc.
Overall, this book really was a let down. Most importantly, I would like the publishers at HarperTeen to seriously consider what sort of language they will allow to be published into their books.
Jo's family life has never been easy, and now that she's been given the family's home in her grandmother's will, it will not be easier. Her very pregnant mother is not the kindest, especially regarding Jo's late father and grandmother. That's not to mention that Jo can't remember what happened at the house to have given her scars on her arm to this day. When the current tenants of the house turn out to be strange characters, Jo starts to uncover the truth about the house and her past.
While I was intrigued by the premise and the cover, this book needed a lot more work in several areas.
First and most importantly, there were several instances of outdated, offensive language used by the main character that is never challenged by the narrative. Someone is referred to as being in a "paranoid schizo state," a woman is called a "Nazi baker" after committing the crime of talking to someone else instead of the main character, and the language around Jo's non-white father's appearance was derogatory. This is not a historical fiction where the main character gets their viewpoint challenged, this is a modern story. It is a wonder that this book is being published by a big publisher but this language has gotten through into a nearly finished copy.
Even without the offensive language, the story itself was unengaging, poorly organized, relied on cliche, and did not execute on its premise. A switch to a first-person perspective could have made Jo relate more to the audience. There were a lot of redundancies in the interactions between her and the other characters. The lack of questions she asks about the ridiculous stuff going on around her was infuriating. The characters were stock and did not feel like they had much depth to them. There were several examples of the author being too on the nose, like having Jo listen to "Money, Money, Money" and then thinking about her mother's consumerism. The pacing was very unbalanced, with the majority of the book having nothing happen.
The only thing that I thought was interesting was that the supernatural element was a different type than I expected - fairies instead of ghosts/hauntings. But even with that, there is not a horror element like the book pitched itself to have. It compares itself to Midsommar (a movie I love), but I can't think of anything that the two had in common - in plot, characters, stakes, pacing, etc.
Overall, this book really was a let down. Most importantly, I would like the publishers at HarperTeen to seriously consider what sort of language they will allow to be published into their books.
October 25, 2022
Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this, but I wish I’d read the reviews before requesting it.
Similar to other reviewers, I did not appreciate the author’s descriptions of mental illness and race in this “book”. The characterizations were misguided at best and ableist and offensive. The writing itself also feels like someone’s poorly written fan fiction; the plot is all over the place, the MC hates their family, and is the epitome of “not like other girls”. Additionally, the useless parents/adults who rely on a child to solve their problems is a major mark against this.
My biggest frustration, however, comes from the fact that the “villains” in this are abused and mutilated children who are seen as inhuman monsters that must be destroyed. That just does not work for me.
For a better take on “there’s something evil connected to my family home”, try “wake the bones” by Elizabeth kilcoyne or Sarah gailey’s “just like home” for a super weird but excellent story.
Similar to other reviewers, I did not appreciate the author’s descriptions of mental illness and race in this “book”. The characterizations were misguided at best and ableist and offensive. The writing itself also feels like someone’s poorly written fan fiction; the plot is all over the place, the MC hates their family, and is the epitome of “not like other girls”. Additionally, the useless parents/adults who rely on a child to solve their problems is a major mark against this.
My biggest frustration, however, comes from the fact that the “villains” in this are abused and mutilated children who are seen as inhuman monsters that must be destroyed. That just does not work for me.
For a better take on “there’s something evil connected to my family home”, try “wake the bones” by Elizabeth kilcoyne or Sarah gailey’s “just like home” for a super weird but excellent story.
May 11, 2023
The Cherished is the story of Jo whose life is upended when her paternal grandmother dies and leaves her a house. Jo's mother, anxious to sell, takes Jo to the house where they meet the odd caretaker Tom and a mysterious ward of the house, Hattie.
The Cherished is problematic at best. The way this book talks about mental health, fat people, and POC is quite unsettling. Additionally, Jo is super annoying. She hates her mother because she's pregnant? I don't understand. Also, I don't think I've ever come across another character (or person even) who says "ew" as much as Jo. We get it. Everything is ew. If that weren't enough to put you off this book the pace is excruciatingly slow.
While I think that this book had a good premise, it was very poorly executed. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC. However, I did not enjoy this book.
The Cherished is problematic at best. The way this book talks about mental health, fat people, and POC is quite unsettling. Additionally, Jo is super annoying. She hates her mother because she's pregnant? I don't understand. Also, I don't think I've ever come across another character (or person even) who says "ew" as much as Jo. We get it. Everything is ew. If that weren't enough to put you off this book the pace is excruciatingly slow.
While I think that this book had a good premise, it was very poorly executed. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC. However, I did not enjoy this book.
April 13, 2023
Thank you Netgalley and Harper Audio for allowing me access to an ARC of this book.
Star rating: 4.25
The description of this book says that it is perfect for people who like Rory Power, specifically Wilder Girls, and people who enjoyed The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert. I was a little on edge when I saw this book being compared to Rory Power because I thoroughly loved Wilder Girls but found Burn Our Bodies Down hard to follow, nonsensical, and honestly a little boring, but I'm not getting this at all. I also feel a certain amount of indifference about The Hazel Wood. However, all my slight worries were for naught because this book is amazing. It is 100% for people who liked Rory Power or Melissa Albert. There were also some aspects of it that reminded me of The Depths by Nicole Lesperance. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I do find Jo to be a little juvenile for her age. She is 16 and while I am an adult, I remember being 16 and I also read a lot of YA on a regular basis, I even read middle grade on occasion, but it just seemed like Jo was portrayed a lot younger than some of her YA MC counterparts.
As for Jo's mother, Abigail, she is like a wicked stepmother come to life, except she's not a stepmother. I would say she is almost like a cartoon supervillain but there are so many aspects of her waspy personality that are so believable that I have a hard time saying she's an unrealistic character. I think it someone reading this comes from a family who is only ever extremely loving and accepting and is surrounded only by similar family, they would find her personality unrealistic, but as someone who's been around people just as unpleasant as Abby, she feels awful but oh so believable. However, the development of their relationship, in the end, was very nice.
The only thing that kind of bothered me- and this maybe nitpicky- is how Jo is portrayed as a "typical teen addicted to social media" and how she was at her wits end after finding out the farm had no service. It was such a minor thing, and it was mentioned a few times but every time I would just roll my eyes because it’s such a stale, cheap thing to say about teens. Especially, when Jo is shown to be a girl with a lot of thoughts and feelings, a girl who loves art and is endlessly creative. In fact, Jo isn't even characterized as being addicted to her phone, she only uses it a few times on page prior to her arrival at the farm. I dunno Jo just does not strike me as a girl who would be in shambles over a loss of service.
Star rating: 4.25
The description of this book says that it is perfect for people who like Rory Power, specifically Wilder Girls, and people who enjoyed The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert. I was a little on edge when I saw this book being compared to Rory Power because I thoroughly loved Wilder Girls but found Burn Our Bodies Down hard to follow, nonsensical, and honestly a little boring, but I'm not getting this at all. I also feel a certain amount of indifference about The Hazel Wood. However, all my slight worries were for naught because this book is amazing. It is 100% for people who liked Rory Power or Melissa Albert. There were also some aspects of it that reminded me of The Depths by Nicole Lesperance. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I do find Jo to be a little juvenile for her age. She is 16 and while I am an adult, I remember being 16 and I also read a lot of YA on a regular basis, I even read middle grade on occasion, but it just seemed like Jo was portrayed a lot younger than some of her YA MC counterparts.
As for Jo's mother, Abigail, she is like a wicked stepmother come to life, except she's not a stepmother. I would say she is almost like a cartoon supervillain but there are so many aspects of her waspy personality that are so believable that I have a hard time saying she's an unrealistic character. I think it someone reading this comes from a family who is only ever extremely loving and accepting and is surrounded only by similar family, they would find her personality unrealistic, but as someone who's been around people just as unpleasant as Abby, she feels awful but oh so believable. However, the development of their relationship, in the end, was very nice.
The only thing that kind of bothered me- and this maybe nitpicky- is how Jo is portrayed as a "typical teen addicted to social media" and how she was at her wits end after finding out the farm had no service. It was such a minor thing, and it was mentioned a few times but every time I would just roll my eyes because it’s such a stale, cheap thing to say about teens. Especially, when Jo is shown to be a girl with a lot of thoughts and feelings, a girl who loves art and is endlessly creative. In fact, Jo isn't even characterized as being addicted to her phone, she only uses it a few times on page prior to her arrival at the farm. I dunno Jo just does not strike me as a girl who would be in shambles over a loss of service.
July 8, 2023
"The Cherished" by Patricia Ward is a decent story that explores themes of love and loss, but unfortunately, it didn't quite resonate with me. While the premise was intriguing and the writing style competent, I found myself struggling to connect with the characters and fully engage with the plot. Ward's attention to detail and descriptive prose were commendable, creating a vivid backdrop for the story. However, I felt that the pacing was inconsistent, with certain parts dragging on while others felt rushed. "The Cherished" may appeal to readers who enjoy heartfelt stories with a touch of romance, it ultimately didn't hit the mark for me as a five-star read but still an enjoyable dip into the story itself.
December 21, 2022
2.5 stars ⭐️ I picked up this book because was promised YA horror story, hunted house and FAIRY.
The concept of the book is interesting, but I didn’t like the execution.
Beginning of the story was okay, then it went downhill, and I started feeling that the plot doesn’t make sense and I lost interest.
I didn’t get the horror elements as expected; the atmosphere built at the beginning was okay, then it was lost. The characters were not interesting, somehow enjoying.
Maybe it happened because of the audiobook, and if I read the physical book the things would be different.
Thank you NetGalley for the free audiobook.
The concept of the book is interesting, but I didn’t like the execution.
Beginning of the story was okay, then it went downhill, and I started feeling that the plot doesn’t make sense and I lost interest.
I didn’t get the horror elements as expected; the atmosphere built at the beginning was okay, then it was lost. The characters were not interesting, somehow enjoying.
Maybe it happened because of the audiobook, and if I read the physical book the things would be different.
Thank you NetGalley for the free audiobook.
April 25, 2023
I had a lot of trouble while reading this book. Up till 45% of the book I wanted to DNF, since it is complicated and not at all what I expected.
After that the book became a bit better, however the storyline still had some issues. The writing style is okay, worldbuilding is complicated. There are a lot of details in the characters that wouldn't have been needed.
I did like the end of the book, since it had some nice twists.
I just think this book wasn't really my cup of tea, but think others could really enjoy reading it
After that the book became a bit better, however the storyline still had some issues. The writing style is okay, worldbuilding is complicated. There are a lot of details in the characters that wouldn't have been needed.
I did like the end of the book, since it had some nice twists.
I just think this book wasn't really my cup of tea, but think others could really enjoy reading it
May 23, 2024
1.5 stars
I wanted to like this, but:
A) the storyline was a plot I’ve read and enjoyed more from other books.
B) Some characters said things that felt racist????? And classist????? And I cannot find a single reason as to why that was included.
Go read “Horrid”, “House of Hollow”, or “What Big Teeth” instead.
I wanted to like this, but:
A) the storyline was a plot I’ve read and enjoyed more from other books.
B) Some characters said things that felt racist????? And classist????? And I cannot find a single reason as to why that was included.
Go read “Horrid”, “House of Hollow”, or “What Big Teeth” instead.
January 11, 2023
At first I wasn't sure I'd enjoy this read because of too many parallels to my own childhood. I grew up on a farm and I did not enjoy any aspect about it, the early mornings and nonstop work and being located in such a remote area we couldn't get cable TV (internet wasn't even a thing at that time). I didn't want to read anything remotely similar and expected I might give up on the book before giving it a fair chance, but the writing was so good and I became so invested in the characters and their story that it never occurred to me to stop reading. I wanted to find out what Jo's grandmother's mysterious letter meant, when she told her she was leaving her all her property and belongings and that it was her duty to care for them. I wanted to know the full story behind Jo's dad's alleged mental illness and his kidnapping her. I was desperate to learn more about the people on the farm, why they behaved so strangely and what secrets they were hiding. I chose to read this book based on the beautiful cover alone and didn't really pay attention to the synopsis, and I had no idea what was coming.
The full first half of this book is an introduction to the characters and hints about their backgrounds. Jo is the lead, a teenage girl whose grandmother has left her everything in her will. But her mom and stepdad tell her under no uncertain terms that the farm must be sold because it's worthless. Jo has a couple years before she's of legal age to own a house, so it seems she has little choice in the matter. She and her mother go to inspect the property, have a realtor provide some information on the value of everything, and to clear out whatever is just garbage that needs getting rid of, since the house is anything but tidy, filled with expired food and piles of laundry and even rat droppings.
I thought the characters and their relationships felt incredibly real and they were realistically complex. Jo has a typical teenager's relationship with her mother. Her father died and she has a stepfather she doesn't think cares for her at all, and she has feelings of jealous and spite over the fact that her mom is pregnant and she'll have a much younger stepsibling to contend with. Her mom's family comes from money, and they have blatant racist feelings toward her deceased father (who was adopted), which makes Jo self-conscious about her own skin color. Her paternal grandmother is the one that is leaving everything to her, and Jo has conflicted feelings about that situation because she hasn't seen her grandma in so many years, and her memories from childhood days spent on the farm are blurred but she thinks her grandmother may have beaten her. It was interesting to see her memories come in focus as she spends time on the farm and begins to relieve some of the events from long ago.
I liked exploring the farm and the nearby town with Jo. It was driving me crazy how everyone seemed to know the Big Secret except Jo and her mother, and I wanted to know so badly what was going on. I had my own suspicions but they were way off the mark. I couldn't have predicted how dark the story was going to get after the halfway mark.
The second half of the book has Jo realizing exactly what her grandmother was protecting and what is at stake. The situation is far graver than she could have guessed, and she has to do awful things that are so beautifully written that you can feel and empathize with her as she goes through the new tasks set before her. There were moments I felt her terror and remorse.
I felt the story wrapped up beautifully with Jo accepting what her life's purpose will be, and trying to make amends with the people in town and on the farm that she's put in danger. I loved how her relationship with her mom and stepdad evolved as well. The story had dark moments but in the end you really feel hopeful that everything will work out. I loved this book so much and would love to read more of this author's work in the future!
The full first half of this book is an introduction to the characters and hints about their backgrounds. Jo is the lead, a teenage girl whose grandmother has left her everything in her will. But her mom and stepdad tell her under no uncertain terms that the farm must be sold because it's worthless. Jo has a couple years before she's of legal age to own a house, so it seems she has little choice in the matter. She and her mother go to inspect the property, have a realtor provide some information on the value of everything, and to clear out whatever is just garbage that needs getting rid of, since the house is anything but tidy, filled with expired food and piles of laundry and even rat droppings.
I thought the characters and their relationships felt incredibly real and they were realistically complex. Jo has a typical teenager's relationship with her mother. Her father died and she has a stepfather she doesn't think cares for her at all, and she has feelings of jealous and spite over the fact that her mom is pregnant and she'll have a much younger stepsibling to contend with. Her mom's family comes from money, and they have blatant racist feelings toward her deceased father (who was adopted), which makes Jo self-conscious about her own skin color. Her paternal grandmother is the one that is leaving everything to her, and Jo has conflicted feelings about that situation because she hasn't seen her grandma in so many years, and her memories from childhood days spent on the farm are blurred but she thinks her grandmother may have beaten her. It was interesting to see her memories come in focus as she spends time on the farm and begins to relieve some of the events from long ago.
I liked exploring the farm and the nearby town with Jo. It was driving me crazy how everyone seemed to know the Big Secret except Jo and her mother, and I wanted to know so badly what was going on. I had my own suspicions but they were way off the mark. I couldn't have predicted how dark the story was going to get after the halfway mark.
The second half of the book has Jo realizing exactly what her grandmother was protecting and what is at stake. The situation is far graver than she could have guessed, and she has to do awful things that are so beautifully written that you can feel and empathize with her as she goes through the new tasks set before her. There were moments I felt her terror and remorse.
I felt the story wrapped up beautifully with Jo accepting what her life's purpose will be, and trying to make amends with the people in town and on the farm that she's put in danger. I loved how her relationship with her mom and stepdad evolved as well. The story had dark moments but in the end you really feel hopeful that everything will work out. I loved this book so much and would love to read more of this author's work in the future!
March 12, 2023
1.5 stars- thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this Arc!
I'm not sure how to feel about this book. I think the idea was very good, but it wasn't well executed.
First off, up until Abigail saw the fairy, the book was really quite boring. Everything moved very slowly, but after that happened, everything moved too fast. It was too clean of an ending, probably because the book would have had to be longer for the ending to be good. Another thing I didn't like about the writing was the style of it. It's very choppy and confusing. It definitely gets better as the book goes on, but for the first good part of the book, the style made it harder to get through because i kept losing interest and also having to go back and remember who different characters were. Also, it wasn't always consistent- I specifically remember one part of the book where Hattie has this long paragraph, and she speaks on the same level that Jo was, but the rest of the book she was written to come off as a young child who didn't have much schooling and wasn't very eloquent. There were a lot of things like that and just a lot of plot holes in general.
Another thing that annoyed me was Jo, which made it much harder to read the book because she's the main character. She was just really bratty and spoiled, and also had some takes that just made me uncomfortable ("paranoid schizo state", "dark-skinned, Hispanic looking. He could be from anywhere. He might even be an Arab", etc). There was honestly no character in this book I liked.
One thing that I think was good is that there were a few plot twists that I didn't guess, like her why her mom had to go when she was pregnant, and things like that.
I'm not sure how to feel about this book. I think the idea was very good, but it wasn't well executed.
First off, up until Abigail saw the fairy, the book was really quite boring. Everything moved very slowly, but after that happened, everything moved too fast. It was too clean of an ending, probably because the book would have had to be longer for the ending to be good. Another thing I didn't like about the writing was the style of it. It's very choppy and confusing. It definitely gets better as the book goes on, but for the first good part of the book, the style made it harder to get through because i kept losing interest and also having to go back and remember who different characters were. Also, it wasn't always consistent- I specifically remember one part of the book where Hattie has this long paragraph, and she speaks on the same level that Jo was, but the rest of the book she was written to come off as a young child who didn't have much schooling and wasn't very eloquent. There were a lot of things like that and just a lot of plot holes in general.
Another thing that annoyed me was Jo, which made it much harder to read the book because she's the main character. She was just really bratty and spoiled, and also had some takes that just made me uncomfortable ("paranoid schizo state", "dark-skinned, Hispanic looking. He could be from anywhere. He might even be an Arab", etc). There was honestly no character in this book I liked.
One thing that I think was good is that there were a few plot twists that I didn't guess, like her why her mom had to go when she was pregnant, and things like that.
Read
April 15, 2023DNF @ 5%.
I only finished the first chapter but that was enough to know that I'm not going to read any further. I'm quite positive that if I had read any further that this would have definitely earned a one star.
Here are some passages that helped me come to my decision. I don't know what the page numbers would be because I have an e-arc and they don't really put page numbers in those.
Jo can't remember what happened-just that it was nighttime, and Gammy sounded so frightening, yelling over and over, Get out! Jo got badly hurt and still has ugly scars down her arm; Gammy hit her with a rake by accident, her dad later told her. She can't remember that or anything else, not even when he drove them off in a paranoid schizo state.
The next one was:
"To think she had nothing, literally nothing, to do with us," Abigail rants, "and then she goes and dumps this on us! I'll have to go through her things. My God, that house was crammed with junk like a Turkish bazaar!"
Now, that really had me questioning this book. But this next one was the final straw:
Maureen was bad enough, but Enzo wasn't even her actual son, and his background was a total mystery because he couldn't remember it. Who couldn't remember anything, not even one detail? Someone severely damaged, that's who. Someone dangerously broken. Plus, he was dark-skinned, Hispanic looking. He could be from anywhere. He might even be Arab."
That was it. I cannot believe in this day and age of the year 2023 that people think it's okay to write ableist and racist garbage like that. Like what was the point of that? All in the first chapter! No thanks.
e-arc provided by NetGalley
I only finished the first chapter but that was enough to know that I'm not going to read any further. I'm quite positive that if I had read any further that this would have definitely earned a one star.
Here are some passages that helped me come to my decision. I don't know what the page numbers would be because I have an e-arc and they don't really put page numbers in those.
Jo can't remember what happened-just that it was nighttime, and Gammy sounded so frightening, yelling over and over, Get out! Jo got badly hurt and still has ugly scars down her arm; Gammy hit her with a rake by accident, her dad later told her. She can't remember that or anything else, not even when he drove them off in a paranoid schizo state.
The next one was:
"To think she had nothing, literally nothing, to do with us," Abigail rants, "and then she goes and dumps this on us! I'll have to go through her things. My God, that house was crammed with junk like a Turkish bazaar!"
Now, that really had me questioning this book. But this next one was the final straw:
Maureen was bad enough, but Enzo wasn't even her actual son, and his background was a total mystery because he couldn't remember it. Who couldn't remember anything, not even one detail? Someone severely damaged, that's who. Someone dangerously broken. Plus, he was dark-skinned, Hispanic looking. He could be from anywhere. He might even be Arab."
That was it. I cannot believe in this day and age of the year 2023 that people think it's okay to write ableist and racist garbage like that. Like what was the point of that? All in the first chapter! No thanks.
e-arc provided by NetGalley
December 2, 2022
Jo received a weird letter after her grandmother died. A list of demands and an inherited property. Jo and her pregnant mother go to clean up the old property and evaluate the state of the house and the neighborhood. Odd things start happening and her childhood stories soon turn into unraveled memories involving her father and creatures she never believed to be real.
Going into this book I wasn’t really sure what to expect. Honestly,a couple of chapters in i was wondering if it was the type of book i actually wanted to read. (Was honestly just in a minor reading slump). I decided to give it a second chance at around 40% through. I AM SO GLAD I DID!!!!
It picked up so fast and was amazing! I honestly wish it had been longer after reading it all. So good! Glad i had the opportunity to read and review this story. I cried and was shaking at one point because i got so sucked into the story. I highly recommend to horror and suspense lovers.
Going into this book I wasn’t really sure what to expect. Honestly,a couple of chapters in i was wondering if it was the type of book i actually wanted to read. (Was honestly just in a minor reading slump). I decided to give it a second chance at around 40% through. I AM SO GLAD I DID!!!!
It picked up so fast and was amazing! I honestly wish it had been longer after reading it all. So good! Glad i had the opportunity to read and review this story. I cried and was shaking at one point because i got so sucked into the story. I highly recommend to horror and suspense lovers.
April 13, 2023
Yall, I am willing to overlook a lot of things. I can live with horrible editing, misspelled words, run on sentences, whatever, as long as the book is good.
What I cannot overlook is the racism, sexism, and every other phobic/ism that is in this book.
I cannot properly explain what genre this book is other than loosely YA. Its not a horror, its not coming of age, its not really anything.
I cannot say that I recommend this one, because I do not.
What I cannot overlook is the racism, sexism, and every other phobic/ism that is in this book.
I cannot properly explain what genre this book is other than loosely YA. Its not a horror, its not coming of age, its not really anything.
I cannot say that I recommend this one, because I do not.
December 11, 2024
2/5 doesn’t mean I think this book is bad—it's more like the literary equivalent of a lukewarm cup of tea. Perfectly fine, but not exactly the soul-stirring elixir I was hoping for.
April 10, 2023
2.5⭐️
Jo hasn’t seen her grandmother since she was young and her mentally I’ll father tried to run away with her. But then she receives a letter from a lawyer stating that she had inherited Gammy’s house and the tenants that live there. Gammy was always particular about the house: iron pieces that should never be moved, an old house on the property with a permanently locked door and random messes throughout the house. And nothing had changed since the last time Jo visited the house.
Along with her heavily pregnant mother, Jo returns to the house to clean up before trying to sell it. There she meets Tom, the farm hand that Gammy’s letter said would never belong, and Hattie, a strange girl who acts much younger than she is. They are both determined to follow Gammy’s rules and force them on Jo. They aren’t the only odd people they run into-most of the towns people are very unimpressed by Jo and question if she knows the truth about the house. And then there was the statue in the cemetery that has the name of a person Jo knows is alive. Jo’s family has kept secrets from her and now she has to learn the hard way the history of that house.
The premise of this sounded more interesting than it really was. I was almost instantly out off by the main character’s fatphobic comments about her mother and even more by the gaslighting and manipulation from the mother. While flawed characters are usually interesting to read, this was just a lot.
The writing was also kind of all over the place. There was either short choppy sentences or run on sentences and paragraphs that were hard to follow. At times it felt like the author had a list of adjectives that they needed to check off and just used them wherever (I keep going back to the scrawny, muscular leg). Jo’s opinions changed so wildly and without warning it felt more like her original views were forgotten and then remembered later on.
Thank you Netgalley and HarperCollins for providing this ARC for an honest review.
Jo hasn’t seen her grandmother since she was young and her mentally I’ll father tried to run away with her. But then she receives a letter from a lawyer stating that she had inherited Gammy’s house and the tenants that live there. Gammy was always particular about the house: iron pieces that should never be moved, an old house on the property with a permanently locked door and random messes throughout the house. And nothing had changed since the last time Jo visited the house.
Along with her heavily pregnant mother, Jo returns to the house to clean up before trying to sell it. There she meets Tom, the farm hand that Gammy’s letter said would never belong, and Hattie, a strange girl who acts much younger than she is. They are both determined to follow Gammy’s rules and force them on Jo. They aren’t the only odd people they run into-most of the towns people are very unimpressed by Jo and question if she knows the truth about the house. And then there was the statue in the cemetery that has the name of a person Jo knows is alive. Jo’s family has kept secrets from her and now she has to learn the hard way the history of that house.
The premise of this sounded more interesting than it really was. I was almost instantly out off by the main character’s fatphobic comments about her mother and even more by the gaslighting and manipulation from the mother. While flawed characters are usually interesting to read, this was just a lot.
The writing was also kind of all over the place. There was either short choppy sentences or run on sentences and paragraphs that were hard to follow. At times it felt like the author had a list of adjectives that they needed to check off and just used them wherever (I keep going back to the scrawny, muscular leg). Jo’s opinions changed so wildly and without warning it felt more like her original views were forgotten and then remembered later on.
Thank you Netgalley and HarperCollins for providing this ARC for an honest review.
May 4, 2023
*I received a free copy via YABC in exchange for my honest opinion*
Well, I could have done without reading this book. It wasn't horrible, but it wasn't great either. The story was subpar and didn't really pick up until more than halfway through the book. The beginning of the book was slow and boring. It repeated for the first half and then once the "discovery" happened, it changed the pace. I just think it read more juvenile than young adult. I honestly don't know if they ever said how old Jo was, but I was to assume she was a teenager. However, in the story she came off younger, probably more like 10-12. This made it hard to follow along and really imagine the surroundings. The plot seemed very meh as well. Everyone expected Jo to know what was going on, even though it was clear that she didn't. So when she did something to set off a chain of events everyone got mad at her? But how was she supposed to know? A lot of the reviews I read stated that the writing was very choppy, and I'd have to agree. I think this being written in third person rather than first contributed a lot to that.
None of the characters were very interesting. All of them were two dimensional and didn't have a lot going for them. I didn't care about any which didn't help my enjoyment of the book. Since the plot and the writing weren't strong for me, I was hoping for strong characters but that didn't work either.
Overall, The Cherished by Patricia Ward just didn't do it for me. I think this book would be better geared toward younger YA/older MG. If this book was written a little differently, and geared towards Middle Grade - I think it would have been more successful. Everything came off more juvinelle and without solid writing or story, it didn't deliver.
Well, I could have done without reading this book. It wasn't horrible, but it wasn't great either. The story was subpar and didn't really pick up until more than halfway through the book. The beginning of the book was slow and boring. It repeated for the first half and then once the "discovery" happened, it changed the pace. I just think it read more juvenile than young adult. I honestly don't know if they ever said how old Jo was, but I was to assume she was a teenager. However, in the story she came off younger, probably more like 10-12. This made it hard to follow along and really imagine the surroundings. The plot seemed very meh as well. Everyone expected Jo to know what was going on, even though it was clear that she didn't. So when she did something to set off a chain of events everyone got mad at her? But how was she supposed to know? A lot of the reviews I read stated that the writing was very choppy, and I'd have to agree. I think this being written in third person rather than first contributed a lot to that.
None of the characters were very interesting. All of them were two dimensional and didn't have a lot going for them. I didn't care about any which didn't help my enjoyment of the book. Since the plot and the writing weren't strong for me, I was hoping for strong characters but that didn't work either.
Overall, The Cherished by Patricia Ward just didn't do it for me. I think this book would be better geared toward younger YA/older MG. If this book was written a little differently, and geared towards Middle Grade - I think it would have been more successful. Everything came off more juvinelle and without solid writing or story, it didn't deliver.
October 24, 2025
TW: anxiety, talk of mental illness, racism
I DNF at about half way through. There are some fun concepts and interesting ideas, but this isn't horror, it's at best dark fantasy. The synopsis and advertising is false making this seem like YA horror.
Unlike other reviewers the racism and unflattering, outdated talk of mental health, while upsetting, didn't make me think this was the author being offensive. They are being used in this book to make a point. The MC is 16 and she is parroting back what her mother and her mothers rich asshole family is saying about her and her father. The MC is not saying these things because it's how she thinks or believes, it's almost in a self depreciation way. I think the author is trying to show that the mother's family looked down on her dad ( and to an extent her) because he wasn't white and rich and wound up being mentally ill. This was the most interesting part of what I read, honestly.
The author tried to make the MC sympathetic, but unfortunately she came across as annoying. I enjoy an unlikeable or unreliable female character, when they are written well. This one isn't.
I got bored and the characters annoyed me, it took way too long to get going. If I put a book down and don't think about picking it back for more than a week it's no longer worth my time.
So if you like slow starting dark fantasy books about fairies and changelings. This book is for you.
I DNF at about half way through. There are some fun concepts and interesting ideas, but this isn't horror, it's at best dark fantasy. The synopsis and advertising is false making this seem like YA horror.
Unlike other reviewers the racism and unflattering, outdated talk of mental health, while upsetting, didn't make me think this was the author being offensive. They are being used in this book to make a point. The MC is 16 and she is parroting back what her mother and her mothers rich asshole family is saying about her and her father. The MC is not saying these things because it's how she thinks or believes, it's almost in a self depreciation way. I think the author is trying to show that the mother's family looked down on her dad ( and to an extent her) because he wasn't white and rich and wound up being mentally ill. This was the most interesting part of what I read, honestly.
The author tried to make the MC sympathetic, but unfortunately she came across as annoying. I enjoy an unlikeable or unreliable female character, when they are written well. This one isn't.
I got bored and the characters annoyed me, it took way too long to get going. If I put a book down and don't think about picking it back for more than a week it's no longer worth my time.
So if you like slow starting dark fantasy books about fairies and changelings. This book is for you.
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