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.

Enjoyment: 4.5
Total rating: 4.93

I had read a fantasy duology by Morrow before and was in love with the way she delivers social commentary in an impactful, emotional, critical, and pertinent way without ever losing track of the story she is telling or the reader.

Let me tell you, this YA thriller is even better than her fantasy books (okay, not really. They are both equally fantastic). It does, however, have a completely different tone, and I am here for it. Cherish Farrah is engrossing, fast-paced, intense, tense, and dark. I cannot stop thinking about how Morrow contrasted Cherish and Farrah, their toxic dynamic, and how the tension went up and down like a symphony without ever dropping.

I loved it and hope Morrow continues to write darker and messed up stories like this.

Disclaimer: In exchange for an honest review, I am thankful to the publishers and NetGalley for providing a copy of Cherish Farrah.

This was troubling and weird on so many levels, but its truly an unforgettable read!! If you liked Get Out, you should read this!

Thank you Dutton for the e-arc

This book was not for me. I thought it would be an addictive read because so many people were recommending it to me, but I couldn't get past a 1/4 of the book.

This is a slow and steady book before it really takes off - I'd encourage the reader to persevere, you'll be rewarded with a dark and twisted thriller.
3 stars

"Everything can burn but us."

WOW! This is a dark, twisted story. I know, I know. The cover doesn't relay that at all. Even the title has the word "cherish" in it and makes you think of a sweet romance or something. THIS IS NOT THAT.

First, the beginning is a bit of a slog. It's really slow and you are with a not terribly fun narrator, Farrah. It's nearing the end of the school year and Farrah is staying with her best friend Cherish. Farrah's life has imploded with her mother losing her job and her family losing their beloved home in their cherished very upperclass neighborhood. Farrah wants to stay with her friend Cherish - maybe Cherish's parents will even adopt her.

But when Farrah suddnely becomes ill and can't seem to find a reason for a 2 day illness, she also finds a journal that confuses her even more. What is really going on here? Learning the twists and turns was brutal. There are so many layers to the story and I appreciated Farrah so much more as we learned each new one. There is a bit of blood and horror but it's not for shockvalue and works to ramp up the stakes and really drive the message home. I wish the cover relayed so much more what a dark but well done story this is. I'm so glad I read it!

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

I wanted to like this one a lot more than I did. Despite being so short, it felt like it moved really slowly, and the twist at the end didn't land for me. Although the prose and narration were evocative, I also found them both to be confusing,

I received this and as an eARC to read for free in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for giving me access.

The premise of Cherish Ferrah intrigued me and I wasn’t sure what to expect with that synopsis. Needless to say, I wanted to enjoy this story but unfortunately I couldn’t.

The pacing was so slow that I found myself wanting to put the book down and not even attempt to finish. While it did take me forever and a day to finish, there is something about it that seems familiar and I cannot put my finger on it.

This one was not for me in the slightest, but if you like a slow mystery, this might be a good read to you.

This one is a slow burn. and while the ending is....WOW, the lead up doesn't make it worth the journey. Ture horror fans may be disappointed. This is much more of a social-thriller.

Social horror is a new-ish genre that uses traditional horror and thriller literary elements to bring light to social issues. Bethany C. Morrow’s new novel Cherish Farrah is one such book, bringing readers into the lives of two black girls - Cherish and Farrah - who seem strikingly alike except when it comes to one key difference - Cherish’s parents are white. Cherish is what Farrah calls “WGS” (white girl spoiled) because although they both live in an affluent community, Cherish is privileged in a way that Farrah will never understand. Highlighting the differences in being raised by white and black parents, Cherish Farrah tells the story of a bonded pair of teenage girls, and what happens when something sinister threatens their relationship.

I always check the Goodreads rating before reading a book because I like to go into a story with a vague sense of what to expect. I saw that the ratings for Cherish Farrah were lukewarm, but I took the reviews with a grain of salt because I often end up loving books that others hate.

Cherish Farrah is a book that is definitely a slow burn. Right from the beginning, you can tell that something is not quite right with this story. Even though this novel, told primarily through Farrah’s vague inner monologue and musings, moves along at a maddeningly slow pace, I held on with anticipation, waiting for the big reveal which would uncover what was really happening here. Being that this novel is classified as social horror, I was expecting some sort of shocking, jaw-dropping twist.

SPOILERS …. I had all sorts of theories as to what was really behind Farrah’s actions. Was she some sort of monster? A robot? Cherish’s clone? Clone is close because Farrah ends up being revealed as Cherish’s “whipping girl.” Okay, I am not someone who is immediately thrown by a twist that comes out of left field, but this turn in the storyline was poorly executed. The build-up to and aftermath of the reveal is ineffective and unbelievable. There’s no inherent reason for Farrah’s role as whipping girl, aside from her white parents not wanting to inflict harm on their black daughter who already has to struggle so much in the world. Lame. There isn’t even an explanation as to why Farrah’s parents would hand their only daughter over to this deranged couple, nor is Farrah’s odd behavior throughout the novel demystified (she truly had me convinced she was a monster with her constant utterances of “control” and the descriptions of her injuries and strength that made her seem otherworldly.) I hate to say it, but I was all in for Cherish Farrah until the twist, which is where this book lost all of my devotion and respect.

Regardless of my distaste of the twist, I enjoyed this novel up until the 75% mark, thus my 3 star rating.

I wanted to love this but I think it was too slow burn for a horror. I have enjoyed books by Bethany C. Morrow in the past, but it always takes me awhile to get used to her writing style. It just never seemed to click for me in this one for some reason! I think part of this is a me thing and I'm realizing I'm not a fan of reading about toxic female friendships. This is also way more disturbing that I expected!

In Bethany C. Morrow's newest novel CHERISH FARRAH the calls are coming from inside the house, and so are the screams. Our fiction pick for July will keep you cool for the rest of summer as it sends chills down your spine days after you've read the last sentence. Farrah Turner is a 17-year-old Black girl who plays a game of dominance as she manipulates her way into the home of Cherrish Whitman, best friend and adopted daughter of a wealthy, white family. But soon, everything she knew begins to unravel, and motives are soon revealed.

THE PLOT
CHERISH FARRAH follows Cherish and Farrah who are the only two black girls in their upper-class community. They are best friends. Cherish is the adopted daughter of white parents. Farrah’s parents have lost their home to foreclosure and she has been living with her best friend Cherish while her parents try to figure everything out. 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. Soon everything begins to unravel when the Whitmans invite Farrah closer, and it's anyone's guess who is really in control.


MY OPINION
DNF at 10%. For the life of me, I could not get into this book. I honestly did not like the writing at all. I struggled so much with actually trying to read this. I struggle with ADHD and sometimes I physically can not read a book because the words are not making sense. Most of the time when this happens I am able to continue reading and the words start to make sense, but with this book that did not happen. I had to read over the sentences multiple times to try to understand them. Honestly, this is my problem but I think their writing style did not help me.


Thank you to Penguin Group Dutton and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

One of 2022’s best thrillers! Twisted and truly unputdownable. Dysphoric and surreal!
A young, calculating Black girl who manipulates her way into the lives of her Black best friend’s white, wealthy, adoptive family and all goes awry in every way! Totally addictive. All the stars!

I wanted to like this one but it was so slow to get going that I forgot it was billed as horror until it took a turn around 53% in. I was still confused on what was actually happening and why, and it took so long to resolve that I was never truly engaged, just more curious how it would end. This is a dark and disturbing book which normally I like, but it has to make sense and this one just was not for me.

Thank you to Dutton Books and NetGalley for the digital copy to review.

This book is DARK. From the beginning, I sensed that something was off but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. The way this story unfolded was insane. If you want a social thriller (think Get Out, The Other Black Girl, etc.) this is definitely it. This isn't a book you tear through, it's definitely a slow burn.

I was not a fan of this book. Thank you netgalley for letting me review this one! Cherrish Farrah wasn't my cup of tea. I was not engaged at all. Thank you for the opportunity to read a Bethany C Morrow book!!