Where do I even start with this one? LOL. This was yet another odd, unsettling, and fever dream-esque type of story, but I did enjoy it!


When it comes to the characters, Farrah was by far one of the most fascinating and compelling ones I’ve ever read. I know a lot of folks don’t like unreliable narrators, but I always have, and Farrah did not disappoint. I was just as entertained by trying to figure out what’s real and what’s not, just as much as the outlandish plot. As for Cherish, I didn’t feel as connected to her character, but I recognized her significance and role, so I still found her interesting to a degree.


I also wanted to note that even though Farrah and Cherish’s friendship is very complex, odd, and essentially toxic, I appreciated Morrow’s analysis of their bond and enjoyed peeling back the layers of the true nature of their dynamic.


Moving onto the thing(s) I loved and didn’t - I loved Morrow’s writing style. This story and the characters are extremely unsettling, and that feeling stayed with me from Chapter one until the end. And if I’m reading a Thriller/Horror, that’s one of the things I look for; how does it make me feel? Am I thrilled? Scared? Unsettled? I can imagine that this isn’t an easy feat for authors to execute, so kudos!


The main things that stopped this from being a 5-star read were the ambiguous ending/plot holes and the fact that this story had the potential to really go there and get dark. I mean really dark, especially when you figure out the larger meaning behind the book Cherish’s mom gifted to Farrah.

This was intense and interesting. And also fairly disturbing.

All the points to Morrow for creating an incredible sense of foreboding and wrongness in the quietest and subtlest way possible. This is an extraordinarily difficult tone to achieve and the author did it flawlessly.

It’s a unique plot, and slow moving in a way that only works if the book is also very well-crafted structurally, which Cherish Farrah absolutely is.

Sadly, this is also very, um, psychologically icky. We want to feel for Farrah, and at times can’t help but doing so, but it’s not without trepidation and at times, disgust. The book makes some interesting points about why Farrah and the other characters are the way that they are and succeeds in demonstrating that Farrah’s flaws are not entirely her fault.

But it’s still tough to root for a character who is this emotionally manipulative and unapologetic about her psychological puppeteering of others, even if we understand and even sympathize with how she got there.

Thank you so much to @duttonbooks for putting this one on radar. I loved it! It is one of the books where you aren’t quite sure what is going on, but you aren’t able to stop reading it because you just can’t wait to find out what is going on. I sped through this one because I was so curious to find out the outcome. It did a great job of keeping my attention and keeping me entertained through out. If you are a fan of Get Out and mysteries involved wealthy families with some darkness mixed in I think you will enjoy this one!

Favorite Quotes:

“Being a spoiled white girl when you’re Black is literally my favorite thing ever. It confuses very literally everyone.” “That’s the only reason I put up with it.”

Polite society is a misnomer.

She’s the only person I still love when I hate her.

Whatever else you are, you’re still a Black girl. One day you’ll know how impossible it is to tell the difference between personalized terror aimed straight at you, and good ole run-of-the-mill systemic prejudice.

Cherish was a spoiled white girl who also happened to be Black, and it meant that the consequence of coddling, the incompetence it breeds, was dangerous.

My Review:

It has been over a day since I finished reading this one and I am quite conflicted and have been stewing and unable to start another book while I ruminate. I vacillated while reading but just couldn’t grasp all that was going on in this disturbing, multi-faceted, and complex tale. I occasionally felt lost, and frequently addled and confused while trying to understand the logic and symbolism the characters employed. And I wasn't the only one as they were confusing and confounding each other as well.

There was a surfeit of personality disorders, anger, smoldering resentment, and an annoying sense of entitlement, as well as significant features of mental illness to wade through. I was invested and motivated, yet I couldn’t put all the pieces together, it was beyond my plane of experience or comprehension. Regardless, the various characters’ level of sociopathy was chilling and distressing.

I still can’t settle on whom I despise more, as every single one of them was a source of deep disappointment to me in the end. There were no heroes in this tale but quite a few victims. I must surrender and move on, yet I give the author her due and respect her process and word prowess. Ms. Morrow kept me on edge, off-balance, and intrigued.

This read had my heart racing from the beginning pages. It's filled with harrowing emotional vulnerability and the cover is also noteworthy.

this social horror was soooo interesting and creepy. kinda like Get Out meets My Sister, The Serial Killer. Farrah (17) has manipulated her way into her best friends white adoptive family… but who is really in control? the narrator’s perspective is unsettling and mysterious and i did not know how it was gonna end! will not forget this one.

As the only two black girls in school, Farrah and Cherish stick together. They’re inseparable, even if Farrah does make fun of Cherish for being WGS - White Girl Spoiler. Adopted by very wealthy white parents, Cherishes life has been a little different to Farrah’s. As Farrah moves into live with Cherish while her family smooths out some friction between them, Farrah gets a true look at the dynamic of the Whitman’s and her controlling, scheming plans are pushed to the extreme.

Cherish Farrah is a very powerful book. Farrah is a wonderful narrator, but it’s not always easy keeping up with her plans and somewhat disjointed thoughts all the time. But she’s very compelling to read, and the situation with Cherish is fascinating. What first seems like a simple friendship is layered with control and manipulation and becomes quite tense at times.
Slightly slow paced to begin with but soon picked up and had me hooked. This is a very cleverly written book, and the relationships and dynamics between all of the characters are very delicate.

I really enjoyed reading this! It was fascinating and thrilling and I highly recommend it!

There is something so creepy about this story. Cherish and Farrah are two teenage black girls. Cherish was adopted as a baby by a wealthy white couple. When Farrah sees her as a young girl, she sets out to be Cherish’s best friend. We are never really sure who is in control. Farrah is the narrator. I will not forget her voice for a long time.


Thank you to NetGalley and Dutton Books for the free Advanced Reader’s Copy in exchange for an honest review. I gave this 3 stars. I did feel the pacing was a bit too slow. In addition, I could not handle the scene towards the end that was pure horror. While I do not regret reading this book, there are images that will stay in my mind for a really long time. I would recommend it to people who like horror.

Okay this book is WEIRD. but in a way I liked, mostly. I sometimes wanted more clarity, especially at the end but otherwise, damn. Spooky, startling, all about power dynamics and interracial families. All about the vibes.

I waited a while to share my thoughts about this book. I didn’t want to bash it, especially during Black History Month. But, here we are!

The long rundown: Cherish and Farrah have a codependent, toxic friendship.

Farrah’s parents hit hard times and lost their jobs and their home. To not disrupt Farrah’s life and education, she stays with Cherish and her family while they sort their situation out.

Farrah thinks she orchestrated her staying there and is in control of what’s going on. She thought wrong…

Weird things start happening to Farrah while living with the Whitmans. She soon understands she isn’t in control at all.

On to my thoughts: Described as a thriller, I was waiting for the “thrilling and horror” to happen. I pushed along to get to the end of the book, only to be even more confused and disappointed.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC to read and provide my honest opinion.

Control – that’s all she’s ever wanted. Her life though, is out of control. Her Black parent’s country club house in in foreclosure. To regain control, calculating Farrah arranges to move into her best friend Cherish Whitman’s house with her white parents. Cherish, the only other Black girl in the country club neighborhood is White Girl Spoiled – a condition that allows her to be unaware of the realities of the world and live an inexplicably idyllic life. Farrah exploits the willingness of Cherish’s family to take her in, but then weird things start happening. Who is really in control here?

This social horror novel is so well written! I read this book in an evening. Our narrator Farrah is loveable… but not. Her observations about the realities of life as a Black girl are insightful and searing, but her obsession with control sometimes borders on psychopathy.

The ending was not what I expected but wrapped the book up so perfectly. How far would you go for someone you loved? And what does love really look like? What might happen when wealthy white parents adopt a beautiful Black girl?

This book was a fabulous read, and I recommend it to lovers of fiction, racially aware novels, thrillers, and horror!

Maybe this was just not a genre match for me. I know it's not considered YA, but it read like YA to me, which I don't usually choose. I also felt like the mysterious premise was not fully fleshed out by the end of the book.

Went into this with no idea what it was about and was totally gripped from start to finish. Chilling, visceral social horror and not like anything I've read before.

As much as I was looking forward to this book, I'm nearly at the halfway mark and simply cannot finish it.

I've picked it up, read some, and put it back down several times. The writing is great and the characters are engaging. To a point. But there is simply too much repetition and I become bored. Keep in mind that I'm a voracious reader and will stay up all night to finish a great book.

Right now, I feel like I'm slogging through. It's torture. I have many much more engaging books to read on my Kindle. Rather than slam this book on social media and review sites, I'll simply leave my feedback here.

This book won't be for everyone, but I think I can safely recommend it to people who enjoyed My Sister, the Serial Killer, which was very popular at our store. A good match for people who liked Lovecraft Country as well, and Jordan Peele's filmography.

I have such mixed emotions on this book. Very dark and explores important themes, but ultimately was just too much of a slow burn and I didn’t really look forward to returning to the book once I put it down.

WTF did I just read? Have you ever finished a book and were like "did I like this?" This was me after Cherish Farrah. Was it tense? Yes. Did I have a clue what was happening? No. Did I enjoy it? Definitely not - but I don't know if that was because of the material or because of the actual story. I don't want to give any spoilers but I would say to read this book if you like:
Unreliable narrators that leave you confused (maybe in a good way?)
Tense descriptions that make you question what you read
A dependent friendship that might cross the line (or does it?)
Twists and turns
Inconsistent pacing (sometimes its so fast and amazing, but lots of times it's slow)

Overall, I'd recommend reading it just so you can form an opinion. This book is so messed up. But I did want it to be better.

Cherish Farrah, by Bethany C. Morrow, is a story that will stay with readers long after they finish. Cherish and Farrah are best friends and the only Black girls in their country club community. Cherish, adopted by her white parents, is what Farrah refers to as WGS (white girl spoiled). Farrah, dealing with a new reality and set of circumstances she resents, manipulates herself into Cherish's world and family. Soon after she begins staying with Cherish's family strange things start to happen and Farrah finds herself in a precarious situation where the monsters may be closer than she thinks. Told with startling prose and a unique voice, the social-economic situations peel back layers revealing something much more horrifying. As the first type of social-horror novel I have read Cherish Farrah is an unexpected and disturbing literary gem.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

When I saw Morrow‘s new book available on NetGalley, I knew it that I wanted to read it. I loved her book A Song Below Water and was so excited for this one. While I am still - 24 hours later - not entirely sure what in the world I finished reading yesterday, I do know that it is literary genius and that Morrow’s work is certainly eye-opening and thought-provoking.

Cherish Farrah follows two young Black girls, both attending a fancy prep school. Cherish, the adopted daughter of an insanely wealthy white couple, is best friends with Farrah, the black daughter of a not as wealthy but still very well-off Black couple. Farrah has spent years working her way into Cherish’s life and her family, only to learn - as her carefully crafted world starts to fall apart – that perhaps she is not the only one who has been playing a game all along.

This story is more a commentary on race and wealth in America then it is anything else. The story itself is more loosely crafted than what I typically read, and it’s definitely a character driven story, but the ideas and the motivation and inspiration in these characters makes this book well worth the read. Even as I still try to wrap my mind around what I read, I know that this will be one that I go back to and that I am looking forward to discussing with other people. I read it in just a day and even with my bit of confusion over where exactly the story was going, the twists and turns kept me reading and I could not tear myself away from this one.

Thanks to @NetGalley and @duttonbooks for the eARC of this one in exchange for my honest review!

I was not expecting the thrilling ride that I got from this book! I knew it was a thriller just not as dark but I loved every minute of it! I read somewhere that they recommend that you read this book without reading the blurb so I went in almost completely blind to what was going to happen. But that just added to the adventure! Absolutely addictive and a fantastic read!