Thank you Penguin Group Dutton, Bethany C. Morrow, and NetGalley for providing me an arc in exchange for an honest review. I do want to say that the cover is stunning and immediately caught my eye. Unfortunately this book did not work for me. My favorite part of it was the social commentary but the writing style was not something I enjoyed and I found it extremely vague (I know this was intentional) and hard to read. The only reason I kept reading to the end was because I was provided an arc and wanted to see if there was a big twist at the end! The big twist unfortunately wasn't worth reading this book for. I think if someone really enjoys social horror novels and is not bothered by extremely vague and slow burn horror, this would be for them. The whole time it is clear that something very unsettling is happening and in movies I enjoy this but it must not work as well for me in book form.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for gifting me a digital ARC of this novel by Bethany C. Morrow - 3.5 stars!

Farrah is a young Black girl who manipulates her way into her best friend's home and family. Cherish, a Black girl was adopted by wealthy White parents, who give her a life even Farrah's wealthy parents can't. When Farrah's parents hit a financial downturn, Farrah moves into Cherish's home. But things start happening beyond even Farrah's strict control measures.

This one was tough for me - it was very slow, especially in the beginning. The topic of racism and classism were interesting and there was also a horror vibe throughout. I was probably not the right audience - I liked the writing and suspense but ended up feeling somewhat confused at the end.

I missed something in this book that apparently a whole lot of other people caught. It felt like way too much build up and way too much whiny teenage girl angst. By the time something actually happened, I didn't care anymore. It felt overly contrived and when I got to the twist I couldn't muster more than an "oh, okay, so that is what it is. huh." Not exactly a ringing endorsement. But, not every book is for every person and some others whose opinions I value really liked this one. Just not me.

Cherish Farrah is well written, and the characters are vibrant and realistic. Ultimately, what fell short for me was the plot I wanted to love it, but ended up mostly confused and thinking that I had missed something. After consideration, I think that maybe social horror isn't one of my preferred genres, which leads me to conclude that this is probably a fantastic book for some readers, but just not for me.

Farrah and Cherish are best friends and two of the only Black girls at their prestigious private school. When Farrah’s parents fall on hard times, she goes to stay with Cherish and her adoptive white parents. Farrah has ulterior motives, but she isn’t the only one.

This was another book on my most anticipated list and it did not disappoint. This is definitely a slow burn and told completely through Farrah’s point of view, which proves to be a bit unreliable at times. Farrah is manipulative and arguably sociopathic and narcissistic, but I found myself weirdly rooting for her.

Despite being a slow burn, this book was dark and deeply suspenseful which made it hard for me to put down. There was also very nuanced social commentary about race, class, interracial adoption and privilege. Both Farrah and Cherish are very privileged as they both come from upper middle class and upper-class backgrounds, but the book clearly highlights who has the upper hand (spoiler it’s the white parents with vast generational wealth).

This will definitely be a book I’ll wish I could go back and read again for the first time. My only disappointment is that I didn’t like where the book ended. It would have been great to have just one more chapter or an epilogue. Ending aside, I loved this book. If you’re looking for a slow-burn psychological thriller, this is definitely worth picking up!

I really wanted to love Cherish Farrah and went in to it quite optimistic. What starts as a story of two fiercely loyal best friends, unique in their own little families and world's but with the usual teenage dramas and worries, quickly spirals into something completely unexpected.
The characters are clearly troubled, both girls have their own issues and while they're loyal to each other, they have their secrets too.
It's strange because there were moments in this book where I felt a bit lost with the internal monologue and things that happened and I'm not sure I definitely understood parts of it but I somehow still enjoyed it.
In the end , I didn't wish it was a better book, I just wished I'd understood it better!
Cherish Farrah has a good unique plot and is written well, it was just a bit lost on me. This is not a criticism of the author or the book, I think this was just me struggling to follow for some reason!
On a judge-y note, I absolutely adore the cover of this book!

Cherish Farrah by Bethany C. Morrow is a slow burn social horror. It looks at the social issues that arise when a Caucasian couple adopt an African American, it makes fear of how there own race will perceive the child and the couples own ideas on race manifested as real horrors. The book waits until the very end to make it's point on race, and it's powerful but it takes it to the last pages to get there, which frustrated me because I was in serious doubt this book would have a point at all. The book delivers on the tension, which is layered through out. There are twist which all play out at the end of the book. This book will get compared to the film Get Out which might hurt it as the plot of this book was good but not great like Get Out. The writing by Bethany C. Morrow is good in creating and keeping the tension through out small gestures layered in subtext conversations. Cherish Farrah horror is more cerebral with thinking people are out to get you then, people physically trying to get you. I had a love hate relationship with Farrah who is the stories narrator, she thinks the's winning like Charlie Sheen, but is losing so hard. I was ask by the publisher, Dutton, through Netgalley to read Cherish Farrah early. Cherish Farrah by Bethany C. Morrow is Published on February 8th 2022.

The Plot Summary: Farrah's best friend is Cherish. Cherish is the only Black girl who lives in their rich suburbs and school. But Farrah is not like Cherish she was raised by her biological parents where Cherish was raised by her two white adoptive parents. Farrah and Cherish's boyfriends were also adopted by a white couple. Farrah's parents are struggling to stay in the class structure and Farrah's dad has been looking for work elsewhere. Farrah convinces her parents to stay with Cherish and her folks, what looks like a long sleep over turns her best friend against her as they become frenemies almost competing for parental approval. Farrah wants the class life that Cherish has and he control her influence can buy, with Farrah's life spiraling out of control she will do anything to gain control.

What I Liked: The tension through out this book and the little snipes and the subtext behind Cherish's and Farrah's conversations. The ending pulled everything together, I was doubting that it would. I liked the choices and conversations in the conclusion. The intense scene between Farrah and Jerry that was scary while he he was helping her a great scene and my favorite in the book. I like Cherish's character most of all, how she's getting manipulated by everyone and still trying to maintain innocence. I liked the part about the Whipping Boy book but wanted more about it maybe a quick refresher on that story.

What I Disliked: That it took overly long to get to the point of the narrative. It took to 50% of the book for anything to happen. Farrah was a hard character to like she dissed Cherish for being white but seemed to want the white family way more than her Black one. She thought she was the manipulator but anyone could see she was the one getting manipulated.

Recommendation: This one is a hard one I loved the tension, but was frustrated when it took forever for anything to happen. I will barely recommend this one but be warned it is a slow burn with a worthwhile conclusion at the very end. I think the point that the book finally makes about racism is an interesting one, that could enlighten people on casual racism. I rated Cherish Farrah by Bethany C. Morrow 3 out of 5 stars. The rating of this book was hard one for me to place, I think the pace brought it to the 3 despite some of the good content, that you have to finish the book to get too and this book made me think about not finishing a couple of times.

This psychological social thriller follows best friends Farrah and Cherish, the only two black girls at their private school—one raised by black parents, the other white. They are as close as sisters with Farrah staying at the Whitman's home for long periods of time. The Whitman's adore Farrah and everything she has done for their daughter so when Farrah's parents are in a financial crisis and forced to move out of state, they offer to have her move in with them. As Farrah's parents take time to make their decision, strange things start happening to her while staying at the Whitman's. This book explores the intersectionality within race and class

This. Was. WILD! My notes while reading it were nuts—I was constantly questioning not only the characters, but also myself because just when I thought I had something or someone figured out, I was very very wrong. Farrah is obsessed with being in control—she learned from the best, her mother. She meticulously dissects conversations and behavior to manipulate how they can best service her and her goals. Automatically, you can't trust anything about her—textbook unreliable narrator. The lengths she goes to maintain control are truly horrifying. As stranger things start to happen to Farrah, you see that maybe things are not quite as they seem—making me question if you can believe or trust anyone.

The first half moves pretty slow, but once it starts to pick up, it really picks up. Farrah is brutal and being in her head is a dark place to be. Likening it to Get Out is a great comparison in themes and tone. Despite being from a teen voice, this is in no way a YA book.

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was drawn in from the first pages.So well written characters that will shock surprise keep you turning the pages This is a book I will be recommending.#netgalley #duttonbooks

I really enjoyed this book! The first half of this book was pretty slow, since it held a lot of Farrah's intermost thoughts, the rest of the book really picked up!

I love a book that is full of unlikeable characters, and these ones were so full of depth that I really enjoyed getting to know them more. I was hanging on the edge of my seat to see what bad mistakes they would make next!

This is a really quick fun read, that is not for the faint of heart!! I have heard so much about this author, and I can't wait to read more of her work!


Thank you to Dutton for providing an arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Dutton for an advanced reader copy of Cherish Farrah

This was such an interesting read for me. People compared it to the movie Get Out. It ended up being a sort of dark read where Farrah wanted to push her best friend Cherish out of the picture and work her way into Cherish's adoptive family. There were some pretty graphic things that went on in the book and I found myself unable to put it down until I finished.

The book is well-written, I think possibly I'm just too old to be part of the ideal audience. This book is probably best marketed as YA as there wasn't a single thing in it that was relatable to me as a 35-year-old, and unfortunately with its crazy wealthy subjects it doesn't really have a lot of common ground that might bring an older audience looking for nostalgia. I went to a private school with primarily wealthy students and still wasn't really able to relate.

I also found it hard to get into because Farrah is so manipulative right from the get-go. You don't really have a chance to like her before you suspect she's conniving. The author immediately and repeatedly talks about how she 'wears a mask' to the point where I searched it in my kindle and noted that the word is used more than 20 times. I got the point after two. Other than that, I found it to be well written just a little too young to be mainstream mystery/thriller. I would recommend this one highly to fans of Gossip Girl & Pretty Little Liars.

Cherish and Farrah are the only two Black girls at their school. Since they met in third grade, they have been best friends, practically sisters. It appears that these ride-or-die besties have the perfect relationship from the outside. Control, manipulation, envy, and tallies complicate things. Then a series of unfortunate events cause Farrah to realize that her Black family isn't like her wealthy white friends, and she may have to move out of town with her parents. When Farrah temporarily moves in with Cherish and her white adoptive parents, she believes her problems are solved. But that's when the real problems begin.

The first half of this slow-burn novel was challenging for me. It moves very slow. Often, it focused on Farrah's disjointed inner monologue. Just go in ready to patiently wait for the story to unfold.

The last third of the book hooked me. It became clear that nothing was as it seemed. The final twists in the book take advantage of all the weird dynamics among the various relationships in the book, and they are unexpected, clever, and DARK. It was masterful how the author incorporated social commentary on racism and classism into the book.

<I>Cherish Farrah</i> was my first social horror book, and it blew my mind! I might need a support group after this one. While this chilling, slow-burn horror story won't appeal to every reader, this terrifying look at our society through Farrah's eyes is a wild ride!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for an early copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

An obsession between two teenaged girls goes from unhealthy to dreadfully dire, as their families watch and play a part in one another's lives.

Oof. I really wanted to like this domestic thriller about a eerily creepy wealthy white family, their adopted Black daughter, and their adopted daughter's only Black friend. All the messages about race, particularly about Black women, are spot on and important. Which is why I am giving this at least 2 stars. But the sloooow burn, the rushed conclusion, and the overly descriptive narrative just left me feeling ready to get this book over with and move on to my next read.

I think the biggest issue I had with Farrah's narrative is that she does not sound like a 16 year old girl, but rather a Harvard professor of literature. Her thoughts are way too detailed, way too contrived. Farrah will spend 10 beautifully wordy sentences describing someone's facial expression. 5 sentences on how she's trying to act in control. All of her little analyses and figures of speech take up so much space, that there's very little else that goes on for pages at a time. Until the last 20 pages or so of the novel when everything comes crashing down and the book just...ends.

I love this author's YA, so couldn't wait to read this; and it did not disappoint! Had echoes of The Vanishing Half, but with a pacier plot. Definitely recommend.

✨Book Review✨
Cherish Farrah by Bethany C. Morrow
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
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I honestly don't know how I felt about this book. It was definitely a mind trip. I didn't know what was happening for most of the story. I never knew who to trust, but it made me want to keep reading to figure it out. The beginning was extra slow, but as the pieces started to come together I flew through the second half.
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If you enjoy books where you never know who to believe and aren't quite sure what is happening most of the time, this one is for you. The story does end up coming together, but it's pretty disturbing. If that's up your alley you will love this one!

SLOW BURN THRILLER
I wasn't really sure what to expect from this book when I first picked it up but I went with it anyway. About halfway through, I was wondering what to expect and why I should care about these two girls. On the one hand ew had Cherish, a seemingly sheltered girl who has had the ideal upbringing by her rich white parents and on the other, Farrah, a witty, sharp-minded (and sharp-tongued) best friend who's lived an almost parallel life until her parents lose it and they find themselves leaving the somewhat lavish life they once had.

Farrah moves in with Cherish and her family and soon finds herself trapped in a warped reality that she doesn't know she was living in the first place.

This book was a slow buildup but after it got going it was entertaining and the end was twisty and while not totally unexpected wrapped up the story nicely.

Read this if you liked GET OUT

An absolutely chilling read that I could not put it down. This was a compelling read that kept me guessing the whole time. A much needed refreshing take on a psychological thriller that I cannot recommend enough. This is the first adult novel I've read from Bethany C. Morrow and it will not be my last!

The love-hate relationship between teenage girl bffs is explored in Cherish Farrah.

Farrah is the child of upper middle-class black parents. Her best friend, Cherish, is the black adopted daughter of even wealthier white parents. When Farrah’s parents have financial difficulties, she decides to take over Cherish’s life of being WGS, white girl spoiled. That’s when things really start to get weird in this social horror tale.

Rarely do the publisher’s comparisons get it so spot on. Cherish Farrah really is like Get Out and My Sister, the Serial Killer. If you are a fan of either, you will be entranced by this book too. I think setting it in the world of teenage girls was a brilliant move. Though the pacing was slow like an old gothic novel (think Rebecca), the book deserves 4 stars for its intriguing take on an emerging sub-genre!

Thanks to Dutton Books and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Cheris Farrah is the social commentary thriller I wasn't expecting. Cherish and Farrah are best friends and the only two black girls in their elite community and private school. Farrah's parents lose their house and she moves in with Cherish and her white adoptive parents. Strange things start to happen and the girls' friendship and love for each other is tested. The mystery takes quite a bit of building to get to but it sneaks up on you. Keep with it and see where the book leads.

Thank you to Netgalley and Dutton Books for the electronic advanced copy.