DNF at 50%
When I hear a "visceral horror thriller" I expect it to be...well, thrilling. The pacing was slow, there is so much of this story that could have been cut down - specifically all the time that Jo and her mom spent at their house, before they go to the grandmother's house.

I was waiting for something exciting to happen, but all we had was a creepy farmhouse, a creepy man who lived on it, and an obvious fae-like child.

Jo is one of the most average protagonists I have read. Her perspective is dry and the stylistic choices with her voice were not great. I was trying to steamroll my way through, just to see the exciting incidents when they got to the farm, but 50% of the way through and nothing really happens. Not what I expect from a horror and certainly not from a thriller.

The Cherished is the story of a teen who inherits her grandmother's farm. A sinister letter is given to her written by her grandmother and she doesn't know what to think. It's a fast paced gripping tale of a girl who comes into her own, finds belonging, and faces the troubles of the town that have been goingon for generations. This was a fantastic read for those who like YA horror and fantasy.

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. Overall, this book was enjoyable enough.,I just didn’t think it was great.

ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Oh dear, the writing style just wasn’t for me. Run-on sentences as long as a 6-line paragraph!? I’m not sure how this made it out of an editor’s hands.

Intriguing idea for a book, but poor execution. I was so sad, I was really looking forward to enjoying this one based on the summary.

A sixteen year old girl inherits a house from her estranged grandmother and finds herself with unexpected duties that will unlock the secret to why her father was the way he was and what it means for her future. Jo is sick and tired of her mother and stepfather constantly nagging and controlling her, yet when she receives a letter from her estranged mother saying she has left the home to Jo along with the responsibilities of it, Jo is determined to see the house for herself. Yet the moment she gets into town the whole place is strange and the tenants that come with the house are strange... but the more she digs the more she begins to realize that the delusions her father use to be about are so imaginary and that there is a real danger here. This story was so slow, boring, and just meh all around. The story was going for a dark fairytale but there’s barely anything dark or exciting about it. The story was likened to The Hazel Wood and Wilder Girls with a touch of Midsommer but it honestly felt nothing like any of those. Jo is an unlikable main character, in fact, all the characters are unlikable and the actual plot doesn’t pick up until about 40-50% of the book. The story deals with fairies... but you don’t actually get it until far later into the book. Then there was the issue of the author’s descriptions of mental illness and race in the book and it just didn’t sit well with me. Overall, this one was not a for me and it just didn’t work at all.

*Thanks Netgalley and HarperCollins Children's Books, HarperTeen for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

I tried to go into this with an open mind but it wasn't for me. I struggled with the writing and characters. There was some odd representation. Personally, it wasn't a genre I usually read but I wanted to get out of my comfort zone. If this is a genre or topic you enjoy give it a shot, but I maybe would recommend this to someone like me looking to dip their toe in a book like this.

This is a spoiler-free review!

I would first like to thank NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy of The Cherished in exchange for an honest review -- this is an uncorrected proof, and there may be changes to the book in the final version.The Cherished releases on April 18, 2023.

I first have to say that I absolutely love the cover art for this book, and it is one of the main things that drew me to reading it. Combined with the description, my expectations were high, especially because I was in the mood for a good horror book. However, the writing was not what I expected, and it felt as though the story was dragging on while at the same time throwing in random information or characters that did not have anything to do with the plot.

Jo, Abigail, and Robert all have a nagging voice about them that makes almost everything that they said sound grating to the ear. Jo is sixteen years old and thinks in the most outrageous ways that cause her character to be hard to follow, especially as the main character. Abigail's character felt two-dimensional at first, but then started to get a little bit more in depth as the story went on, but never really expanded in a way that made the reader want to read about her.

The plot felt sporadic and was moving at an inconsistent pace -- I felt as though I was reading a book that had passages removed, making it harder to follow what exactly was going on. Instead of a horror book, it felt more like a short story you would read in English class that barely touched the surface of what horror embodies. Instead of being a little spooked while reading, I actually felt annoyed at almost every single character, especially Jo, because no one would communicate with each other, or they would talk in vague warnings that were not going to help anyone.

Hattie's character, while interesting and helpful to the plot, actually provides yet another annoyance to the reading experience. She just feels very out of place and not well developed enough for her implied importance to actually take root in the reader's view of her. The relationship she has with Tom is very much father/daughter, but they also try to warn Jo about certain things while not telling her anything all at all, which is frustrating to read.

I found that the plot's pacing was making it hard to read the book -- it was slow in the first half, but then it started to jump around quickly and begin to incorporate ideas that seemed to be only half-developed rather than something more solid.

Overall, I think that the concept was definitely there, but the execution was not living up to how it needed to be played out. I felt a little bored during a lot of the chapters, and other chapters were kind of just jumping around and did not feel as though they were completed. Expecting a horror book, I was disappointed to say the least -- there was certainly nothing scary about this book, and while the concept would be considered eerie, it just did not pull through.

If you are looking for a quick read that has somewhat of evil fairytale elements, then The Cherished will definitely check those boxes for you.

This book was magnificent! I loved the mystery and watching the story unfold little by little. The imagery was RICH. I was really transported into Jo's world. There were plenty of omg moments and twists. I have nothing but good things to say about this book, honestly. A great read. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Unfortunately I was not able to finish this book. The writing was choppy and confusing and the story line didn't really seem to be going anywhere.

When Jo inherits her grandmother’s house, she must return to the small rural town that she hasn’t visited since she was a kid - since her father was alive.

She never expected to be included in the will at all - let alone named as the sole beneficiary of the estate. Why would her grandmother leave all of this to a teenager? A cryptic letter leaves her with more questions than answers.

With her very pregnant mother in tow, Jo begins to inspect her inheritance and is surprised to find the house has tenants who are…a bit off. They are secretive and seemingly afraid - but of what?

As Jo rediscovers the property, she also rediscovers long-forgotten memories that feel like warnings. What was her grandmother hiding? What was she protecting them from? And what will it mean for Jo’s future? As Jo unravels the awful mysteries of the house, she must come to terms with her painful past and face the truth about her family’s dark connection to this property.

I liked this book, but I didn’t love it as much as I hoped. A few horror elements are there, but I would categorize this as more of a Fantasy-Thriller than horror. I also didn’t expect the ending to be so abrupt. I’m assuming this is the first in a series based on the way it ended. I enjoyed the slow-build of tension and mystery with the characters, but there were quite a few loose ends with the plot, which is why I suspect a sequel is in the works. Definitely a compelling read, but I’m not sure I would return to read a second installment.

Did not finish as the writing was mid - honestly it was ‘choppy’ and unfinished

I only managed to get through a few chapters before the quality of the writing made me stop - although I do commend the author for a fascinating story line the writing itself did not live up to its perceived standards 😬

I was excited to read this book but I unfortunately had to DNF it. The story was soo slow and didn't follow through with what the description offered.

It took a bit to get into the story. Once I did I was so thrilled that I did. It was an excellent story that was a slow burn to the tense and nail biting conclusion. After completing the book I realized that I needed that slower beginning to really get into the story and let it take over. Once it does you won’t be disappointed.

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.

I believe that there can be healthy representation of mental illness in literature, The Cherished, was not that.

Just going to rattle off some of my thoughts

- The writing was all over the place.
- I was Uncomfortable reading this, and not in a good-this-is-a-twisted-yet-enjoyable-book // but rather a I'm-not-sure-how-much-more-I-can-take kind of way
- I did not enjoy the MC, or hardly any of them really
- Jo is my sisters name, which is a personal thing to me I know, but no thank you - pass.
- TW for abusive behaviors and uncomfortable misrepresentation of mental illness
- I am probably blind, I couldn't find the plot

I so wish things were different, the concept I believe is stunning, the directions this just happened to go did not jive with me, personally

One million stars. I was OBSESSED with this book- I read it in about 4 hours. Lily and Nick are the newest heartthrobs. I loved the self discovery and love and acceptance that Nick had to go on in order to prove to himself that he deserved to have Lily in his life and I loved the journey that Lily had to go on too- standing up for herself and what she wants.

Give me more of them- there was some spice but this was, at its core, just a heartfelt, feel- good time romance and I loved it.

This ARC was provided by NetGalley.

This was an entertaining read however I do believe it fell a bit short. I think the concept is really interesting, young girl inherits estranged grandmothers old home only to find something strange going on in the town. Love a good plot like that - and then we add in some fairies!
Fun!
I wish we found out more about the fairies - more about their life, why they come to our world, how they aren’t truly the enemy etc. I think the author was touching on all of this and what I really liked was that the fairies were not really the “bad guys”. It’s kind of a devastating story - a person (a man of course) captures fairies to bring them over and then because they are trapped here they take children from our world. The fairies aren’t bad, the children aren’t bad - it’s just all such an unfortunate situation. Especially when Jo is devastated by her new responsibilities. She knows that what she ends up having to do is wrong but “has to be done”. I would love to have explored that more. Again, the story was interesting but I think it was just on the verge of being truly fascinating/thrilling.
I will be getting it for our library!

I’m super grateful to have been given an ARC of this title but I unfortunately had to DNF it at 20%—sometimes even if I hate a book I can slog through it, but the writing in this was so disjointed and clunky that I couldn’t keep going. Jo was also fully unbearable and it read incredibly juvenile to me. All of her “snark” was very middle school sounding in a way that doesn’t suit something being marketed as YA horror. Also, it was fairly offensive on more than one occasion? Not a great look.

I really enjoyed this dark tale about fairies! What an interesting viewpoint, and thought provoking.
Well done!

This was an e-arc gifted by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

16 year old Jo inherits an old farmhouse from her estranged grandmother, and with this a mysterious letter from her with various rules - including one that says she can’t ever sell the house. Her mother and stepfather, who Jo doesn’t have the best relationship with, are pressuring her into selling the house as it needs too much work but Jo is not so sure she wants to. Upon arriving, Jo remembers a few stories her father used to tell her, and starts to wonder if they were more than just folk stories

Personal thoughts: I was first drawn to this book by the beautiful cover and the premise, it seemed like the perfect read for spooky season. Seeing some of the reviews was a bit troubling, but I decided to give it a chance. The first half of the book was very hard to get into, it wasn’t engaging and it doesn’t help that the characters are not likable at all (I get that the mom and stepdad aren’t meant to be well liked, and Jo is your typical teenager but they just didn’t seem to have any redeeming qualities) the book really doesn’t drop any hints on what is going on, so it wasn’t even giving me an incentive to keep reading but decided to anyways.

And I’m glad I kept reading. Once I figured out what is going on, the book became quite enjoyable to read and was fast paced. I do wish less time was spent on the first half and the conversations between Jo and her mom and instead could’ve had more of a backstory on Jo’s dad or grandmother. The random letters from Jo’s grandmother would’ve been a nice touch if they actually added something to the story, but they just seemed random and unnecessary. I honestly think with a few changes, this could become a great book!

Thank you to NetGalley, HarperTeen and Patricia Ward for the opportunity to read this book