Cherish Farrah by Bethany C. Morrow is a thought-provoking and unsettling novel that delves deep into the complexities of race, class, and power dynamics. Morrow's masterful blend of social horror and psychological insight makes this a compelling read for those interested in narratives that challenge societal norms and explore the darker aspects of human relationships.

A+ concept, C+ delivery. I just....why [give us the key to the twist so early on? Why not push back against the conclusions made by the Whitmans? How am I supposed to see Farrah? I just didn't quite get it as a full package.

This book was.... weird. I feel like I was confused most of the way through it, trying to figure out if Farrah was the antagonist or if it was Cherish, her family or her mom, but then it took a turn at the end that was completely unseen/not hinted at throughout the book. Definitey a head scratcher, and not necessarily in a good way.

This was very good. I read it so quickly and it was very easy to read. There were also quite a lot of scenes that did have me creeped out a little.

This story is about a very intense toxic friendship, but one that also during the book evolves to something beautiful. I was also surprised that I guessed the ending, but it felt like it was the best ending for everyone. Also of course it is mostly about our girly Cherish and her family, but through the eyes of Farrah. I also like how the title is just a wordplay with their names.

As an adoptee myself I do always look to pick up books that feature adoptees, and I do also feel like the horror genre can work quite well with certain experiences as an adoptee especially if your parents are white. I feel like this book als does work with that, but the explanation left me a bit confused as to how it worked. Maybe, because I'm not American. Other than that I liked it a lot, also very much enjoyed Farrah as a character since she's just like me for real for real. And the rage as a teen who isn't clued into decisions that do also affect your life I could relate to that.

Felt a bit confused right from the beginning as to everyone's dynamics towards one another, but thought the concept of this sounded very interesting.

Oh man this book is DARK! I know it was described as a social horror, but somehow I still wasn't prepared. I kept pushing through because I needed to know what happened but at the same time just wanted it to end. It's a gruesome read --in the abstract, but also in the physical (SPOILER skin peeling, tongues bitten off...) -- and I think it would have been helpful for that to be suggested a bit more in its pitch from Dutton. I would have skipped it.. So I tried to review the book objectively but I do not believe I am quite the right audience.

Thank you to Dutton and NetGalley for the copy.

Cherish Farrah is a social horror novel written by Bethany C. Morrow. This trending genre refers to a book or movie that uses themes of horror and suspense to present examples of oppression in society, such as race, gender, class, etc. Jordan Peele’s film, Get Out for example.

I haven’t delved too much into this sub-genre, so I was excited to give this one a read. Pitched as a cross between the books My Sister, The Serial Killer and The Last Mrs. Parrish, I was immediately hooked.

It’s a story of two best friends, Farrah and Cherish, who are the only black girls in their country club community. While Cherish has been adopted by a wealthy white family, Farrah’s parents just had their house foreclosed on. Farrah cannot bear the idea of temporarily living in a condominium, so she moves in with Cherish and her family. Farrah holds a lot of angst and resentment towards her parents, especially her mother. But Cherish’s family welcomes her with open arms, with no expectations or questions asked. Farrah continuously refers to Cherish as “white girl spoiled”, but envies and covets her luxurious lifestyle.

The story has a bit of a slow start, and then the suspense builds up towards the second half of the journey. In terms of plot, it just wasn't as “thrilling” as I wanted it to be, and I didn’t like any of the characters. I kept waiting for the thrill, but it was lacking. It was disappointing.

Thank you to the editors at Penguin Group Dutton and NetGalley for providing me with an Advanced reader’s copy (ARC) of this novel in exchange for nothing but my honest review.

I'm all for a tale about a woman who goes to pretty much any lengths to get what she wants, but this one focused more on social justice rather than mystery and murder.

I could not get into this book, ultimately it was not form me and I could not finish it. It may be one for other readers

This was a great read. I had a hard time putting it down and was left with a bit of a book hangover afterward. Definitely recommend.

I'm a bit torn on how to rate this one. I definitely found it compelling, and had a hard time putting it down. However, the main character was extremely hard to relate to and sympathize with, and some of the ideas and the way they were wrapped up seemed underbaked. Still, I really enjoyed this one and look forward to more from this author!

Wow, this is an intense read.

This first person narrative allows the reader an intimate connection to the main character’s inner most thoughts. Farrah presents psychopathic tendencies. She is cold and calculating, constantly thinking a few steps ahead and attempting to keep everything under her control. She often behaves in a way she thinks others expect to appear normal and to manipulate others. Meanwhile, her grandiose sense of self worth is juxtaposed with the micro-aggressions of a black girl growing up in a white community. The result is a compelling and disturbing read that has every opportunity to provoke thought and discussion.

Also, this book has some of the most interesting sentences. For instance, "I hold him snug and nuzzle my forehead into him the way I always did when we were watching a movie that was supposed to scare me”. Just chilling. The story and main character grabbed my attention. I could not stop reading and completed the book in one sitting.

Read a likes- Justine Larbalestier’s My Name Is Rose and Jennifer Donaldson’s I Know You Remember.

Highly recommend this read!

This was a complete DNF from me. I could not get into this one at all. Got aout a third of the way and decided that I wasn't invested.

*Thank you @duttonbooks for the copy in exchange for an honest review. Review not posted to Amazon/Goodreads because less than 4 stars or DNF.*

This one was definitely a slow-burn read for me. Perhaps it was the space I was in as I was reading. Hoping to revisit this one at another time and perhaps will enjoy it more.

An extra, extra slow burn.

I know that the story was trying to be similar to the bizarre Get Out, but leaving the reader in confusion too long can be really frustrating. It made me feel like nothing made sense and because the characters weren’t written in a likable way, I wasn’t invested in waiting for the slow burn to come together.

I’m not always a big YA fan, but this was dark and tense and unexpected and the commentary is just spot on. However, it needed some editing because the reader has to spend way too much time not knowing where something is going.

Farrah Turner and Cherish Whitman are seventeen-year-old best friends and the only two Black girls in their white upper class community. The major difference: Cherish has white adoptive parents who completely fawn over her. After Farrah's parents undergo financial hardships and have to move, she begins to spend more and more time with the Whitman family. But the longer Farrah stays, the more often strange things happen: poisoning, illness, fever dreams, and a mysterious journal with tally marks.
Ok so...WTF did I just read?
Told from Farrah's POV, she is a supremely unreliable narrator. The beginning is mostly reflections, flashbacks, and the endless emphasis of Farrah maintaining her controlled mask, which lends a lot to the slow pacing of the book up until the escalation and climax where everything happens so quickly I had to pause and go back. The characters are flawed yet compelling and I would have loved to have more than one character's POV or insight. It may have been better (?) if the universe Bethany Morrow created was broader than the narrow pinpoint of Farrah's POV. The ending just didn't seem to answer any questions and in the end, I still felt like nothing really happened (aside from is mentioned already in the SYNOPSIS of the book.
I really wanted to love this book because it highlights the intersectionality of race, gender, and socio-economic status, but I just didn't...not to say that I hated it...it may just have gone over my head because the narrative is fully in Farrah's. 2 stars, it was just ok.

"Seventeen-year-old Farrah Turner is one of two Black girls in her country club community, and the only one with Black parents. Her best friend, Cherish Whitman, adopted by a white, wealthy family, is something Farrah likes to call WGS—White Girl Spoiled. With Brianne and Jerry Whitman as parents, Cherish is given the kind of adoration and coddling that even upper-class Black parents can’t seem to afford—and it creates a dissonance in her best friend that Farrah can exploit. When her own family is unexpectedly confronted with foreclosure, the calculating Farrah is determined to reassert the control she’s convinced she’s always had over her life by staying with Cherish, the only person she loves—even when she hates her.

As troubled Farrah manipulates her way further into the Whitman family, the longer she stays, the more her own parents suggest that something is wrong in the Whitman house. She might trust them—if they didn’t think something was wrong with Farrah, too. When strange things start happening at the Whitman household—debilitating illnesses, upsetting fever dreams, an inexplicable tension with Cherish’s hotheaded boyfriend, and a mysterious journal that seems to keep track of what is happening to Farrah—it’s nothing she can’t handle. But soon everything begins to unravel when the Whitmans invite Farrah closer, and it’s anyone’s guess who is really in control.

Told in Farrah’s chilling, unforgettable voice and weaving in searing commentary on race and class, this slow-burn social horror will keep you on the edge of your seat until the last page."

I almost DNF'd this book. For some reason I couldn't. (I hate not finishing) then halfway through, it picked up. I held on for that moment, that point in the book that pulls everything together with the character development, plot, and theme. I'm still waiting. It was a good read but the ending left me wanting more of everything.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my review copy!

What a sinister, dark tale of two 17 year-old Black teenagers in a mainly white neighborhood. It was a slow start with a lot of build-up, and then it picked up with an incredibly quick pace. It was tough to put down after the first 1/4 or so and I couldn't wait to see what the outcome was. It kept me guessing and second-guessing myself and I would highly recommend!

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Gripping and dark.