Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc


I was really hoping this was going to be an unputdownable thriller, but unfortunately, I found this book to be very slow. I really tried to stick with it to find out the big "twist" but I just kept losing interest.

The twist was twisting! I was trying so hard to predict the ending with the most outlandish guesses and I still didn’t get it right. I am deducting one star for the Scooby Doo ending lmao. “Let’s see who’s under this mask! Old man Caruthers?!?!” 💀 I am a sucker for a good villain monologue though.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a free advance copy!!

Creepy, fast-paced, and full of twists, We Were Warned is a fun YA thriller with plenty of suspense. When Eden gets stuck at the abandoned Fairport Village during a party, a student ends up dead—fueling rumors of the town’s deadly curse. Now, she and her worst enemies have to work together to figure out what really happened before they’re next.

The eerie setting adds to the tension, and while some twists were easy to guess, the mystery kept me engaged. A solid read for fans of spooky thrillers!

Thank you Chelsea Ichaso, Tantor Audio, Sourcebooks Fire, and Netgalley for the advanced copy!

***Thanks to NetGalley for providing me a complementary audiobook copy of WE WERE WARNED by Chelsea Ichaso in exchange for my honest review.***

4.5 STARS

Chelsea Ichaso keeps upping her game with each new release.

Teens today trying to solve a decades old murder is not a new idea. The way Ichaso develops unique characters with complex backstories combined with an interesting mystery, a number of plausible suspects and a killer/killers I never expected kept me on the edge of my seat guessing.

Ichaso’s word-building is more clever with each book. She’s an automatic preorder for me.

The narration was outstanding with so many different voices, both male and female, young and older, sounding unique and authentic.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tantor Audio for providing an ARC.

🎧 We Were Warned by Chelsea Ichaso
🎙 Narrated by: Jennifer Jill Araya
⭐ Overall Rating: 3.5/5

📖 Quick Summary:
When a student is found dead at an abandoned resort, Eden Stafford is forced to work with the people who’ve made her life hell—especially Caleb Durham—to uncover the town’s dark secrets. The story blends mystery, horror, and fractured friendships into a sharp, unsettling read.

💭 What I Liked:
✔️ The sleuthing!
✔️ A classic high school slasher vibe with a strong atmosphere
✔️ A few well-placed twists

🤔 What Didn’t Work for Me:
The romance took up more space than I expected.
While the mystery was solid, it leaned more toward suspense than thriller—I was hoping for more action, but that’s just personal preference.

🎙️ Narration & Audio Performance:
Loved the narrator—she did a fantastic job. No notes.

📖 If You Liked...
The Blonde Dies First by Joelle Wellington
Dead Flip by Sara Farizan
Death at Morning House by Maureen Johnson
Win Lose Kill Die by Cynthia Murphy
Girls Who Burn by MK Pagano

💬 Final Thoughts:
We Were Warned is a solid mystery with a unique spin that keeps you guessing until the end. The atmosphere and sleuthing were great, and the ending leaves at least one big question open—but in a way that works. The mix of mystery and character stuff was hit or miss for me, and honestly, I was hoping for more kills. But if you’re into YA slasher-style mysteries, this one’s worth checking out. It’s got a fresh feel and could definitely stand out in 2025.

I have a weird relationship with Chelsea Ichasos books. This is the 5th book I’ve read and most of them I rated rather low. Despite that I keep coming back when an ARC is available and I am glad I do because I really enjoyed this!

One huge improvement with this book and the last (which I gave 3.75⭐️) was that she thankfully moved on from her old narrator who was awful. For this book she had Jennifer Jill Araya who did a fabulous job! While the 1x speed was a little slow for me it was still recited very well. I sped it up to compensate and it was still delightful. Ms Araya has a skill for doing male voices and making them sound very authentic and not cringy like you can hear at times when the opposite gender is vocalizing characters. She gets 5⭐️ for her recitation.

As for the book itself. I planned on listening for a bit whilst i prepped dinner but ended up changing my household tasks so i could continue listening. Before I knew it i was at the end.
I enjoyed the story, how it unfolded, the mystery elements, the twists and more. It really is the type of aha thriller than I love to read. I highly recommend it!!

4.25⭐️
I am thankful to have gotten the audio ALC for free from Tantor Audio through NetGalley to read which gave me the opportunity to voluntarily leave a review.

My rating system since GoodReads doesn’t have partial stars and I rarely round up.

⭐️ Hated it
⭐️⭐️ Had a lot of trouble, prose issues, really not my cup of tea (potentially DNF’d or thought about it)
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Meh, it was an ok read but nothing special
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really enjoyed it! Would recommend to others
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding! Will circle back and read again

Hooked from the first few pages. Extremely well written and and fast paced YA thriller. The Ruins is a locally cursed abondoned resort with a jaded history. When s local teen turns up dead, his death is ruled suicide by the authorities. Eden does not think ghis is true. She is joined by her "peer tormentors" that she has avoided contact fot years. As tge group begins to uncover clues, it seems more and more that the student was murdered.  Who will heed tge warning? Who can be trusted?

Thsnk you to Tantor Media for the ALC. The narrator was outstanding and the production quality was top notch.

Fun, eventful and mysterious story. Gave ‘I know What You Did Last Summer’ vibes that kept you needing to know what was happening.
Looking for a tame, yet eventful, young adult book then this is worth reading!

Ichaso does a great job balancing suspense, friendship drama, and eerie vibes. The small-town setting and high school dynamics feel realistic, and the way the mystery unravels kept me guessing. While some parts felt a little predictable, the fast pace and creepy atmosphere made up for it.

Overall, We Were Warned is a fun, gripping read perfect for fans of YA thrillers like One of Us Is Lying or A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder. Definitely recommend if you’re in the mood for something spooky and twisty!

Definitely a fun YA mystery with a little romance and thriller. Had my attention straight off in the first chapter. Love when and author keeps you guessing and just when you think you've got it figured out the hit you with a twist and this author delivered.

Thank you Netgalley for this fun Arc.

I just want to start by saying that I began this book at 9 am this morning and finished at 4:12pm today. I couldn’t put it down. It was very well thought out and the twists were engaging! The narrator was perfect and overall I can’t wait to recommend to my book club!

Another entertaining YA thriller from Ichaso. I appreciate how she weaves the elements of everyday teenage drama and angst into her stories as it enables the plot to carry more layers. In this book, Eden and her mom having such a complicated history with the town made building trust so much more difficult which felt different than other thrillers where your MC might have a friend or love interest that they are working closely with from the beginning. This constant tension and suspense throughout the book helped keep me engaged and interested up to the end.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced audio copy of this title. The narration was excellent.

We were warned by Chelsea ichaso. I was on the edge of my seat to find out who did it. Every turn and twist surprised me. It was detailed and mysterious. 4 stars

Eden Stafford is dealing with a ton of personal drama when she gets roped into a party at the creepy, abandoned Fairport Village, a place with a dark history of death and curses. Things go south fast when someone ends up dead, and Eden has to team up with her long-time tormentors, including Caleb, the guy who made her life miserable. The suspense and mystery were fun, and I liked the idea of uncovering dark secrets, but some of the characters and twists didn’t hit quite as hard as I hoped. Still, it’s a solid, entertaining story if you’re in the mood for a quick, spooky read!