What We Harvest is a poignant and thought-provoking novel that explores the complexities of family, identity, and the enduring bond between mothers and daughters. Set against the backdrop of a small farming community in Maryland, the story follows protagonist Leah as she grapples with the sudden death of her mother and the secrets that come to light in the wake of her passing.

At its core, "What We Harvest" is a story about the connections that shape us and the importance of understanding our roots. As Leah delves into her family's history and uncovers long-buried truths, she learns valuable lessons about forgiveness, acceptance, and the true meaning of home. With its compelling characters, heartfelt storytelling, and richly textured setting, "What We Harvest" is a moving and unforgettable read that will resonate with readers long after they've turned the final page.

I loved this book so much I bought the hard copy upon release.

First, the beautiful cover drew me in. What a beautiful cover! I couldn't resist at all. And then, diving into such a smooth and well written story pulls you in completely. All of your senses are rapidly firing from the excellent descriptive language used throughout the story. We are able to imagine being immersed in the scene, and to feel and experience everything along with the characters. it is truly a work of art, and impeccable writing done by Ann Fraistat. I was on the edge of my seat, for a variety of reasons, while reading this beauty, and highly recommend it to any and everyone! So very lovely. Definitely a 5+ star for me!

Thank you to NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a great for me this time of year. I love horror books in October. Secret crops, stones and so much more. I felt like I was in this book with the characters and I was going with them on this wonderful story. Zombie-like creatures in a town Hollow's End, what could go wrong? Such a interesting book, I was excited to read what happens next. I do not think I have read this author before but I am intrigued. *This book was given to me for free at my request from NetGalley and I provided this voluntary review.*

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's for giving me a free eARC of this book to read in exchange for my review!

Any time something is comped to Wilder Girls, im immediately intrigued, but this one didn’t quite work for me. The creeping dread and mystery of the plant horror didn’t quite line up with my tastes.

What We Harvest by Ann Fraistat was received directly from the publisher and I chose to review it. I had not read this author before and feel all potential reviewers should know this is a YA (Young Adult) novel. I wont go into plot but the plotline is very rarely used. The blights takes on plants, animals and eventually humans. There was a lot of "down time" where a person could skim and not miss much, not that I am suggesting that. If you, or someone you buy gifts for is into plant-based zombie-type books, give this one a read.

4 Stars

What We Harvest:

Thank you @getunderlined @prhaudio partner, for my gifted copy.

I know I irrationally love my dog too, but now I understand how I sound to my husband when I talk about my dog.

Now that is out of the way, this is seriously the perfect creepy horror YA rec for fall. We have this farming community that has this rot coming to life. When you ingest of have direct contact with the blight, it’s lights out. You’re basically an extra on The Walking Dead. Our girl Wren thinks it’s all her fault this is happening because she tried to help a bit with her family’s rainbow wheat. What is unveiled is a secret that goes beyond all comprehension.

I won’t lie, this book grossed me out in the best way. The descriptions on how this zombie wheat was affecting people had me side eyeing my tomatoes as I was doing fall garden clean up. Lauren Ezzo always creeps me out in a horror book, and I feel like that’s her calling. She’s the voice of my nightmares.

Overall, a great haunting of a book for your YA dreams. This was a backlist for me on NetGalley, and I remember not being able to finish but knew I wasn’t in the right mind space. I’m so glad I picked it up again because this was freaking terrifying and amazing.

Look, the characters don't behave logically in this pretty thrilling horror/fantasy. But there are whole lot of stories in the world where the action could easily be avoided if characters just communicated with each other. So I can forgive that particular fault. The zombie animals were fun and scary and the romance was sweet enough, if not exactly swoon-worthy.

I loved this debut novel, full of twists, turns and genuinely scary situations. I received an ARC of this book on Netgalley and tore through it! WHAT WE HARVEST is a story set in the small town of Hollow's End, a town whose main claim to fame is its four magical farms, run by four founding families. But when a mysterious blight starts consuming the farms one by one, Wren Warren is the only one left who can stop it, if she can stop the Blight from getting her too.

The characters in this book were all wonderful, especially Wren, Derek and Claudette, but my favorite part of this book was the setting. The Quicksilver Blight is a truly terrifying opponent, and the author doesn't shy away from describing its nastier effects. This book has twists that caught me off-guard and surprised me, and I wasn't expecting that ending.

Read this book if you want to get lost in the eerie atmosphere, and if you're a fan of stories about alchemy and facing impossible odds. I can't wait to see what else Ann Fraistat writes!

I am sorry for the inconvenience but I don’t have the time to read this anymore and have lost interest in the concept. I believe that it would benefit your book more if I did not skim your book and write a rushed review. Again, I am sorry for the inconvenience.

This book was received as an ARC from Random House Children's - Delacorte Press through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

This book reflects the value of hard-work and the value of the product created. For Wren's family, it was the wheat they harvested until it was completely destroyed by this blight that turned the area haunted, deterring everyone in town away from the area seeking other vendors. Then the blight, killed off the animals, and now it's coming for the community. Everyone is in panic and it's up to Wren to find the truth and save the community and its livestock. The story was thought-provoking, compelling, exciting, and valuable perfect for a read on a rainy day. It's so easy to get lost in this book passing through time making you not want to stop and put it down.

A book that gives another point-of-view to a valuable and powerful theme that will connect all of its readers. This book deserves 5 stars.

3.5 stars. This was a very unique take on zombies. The story was good. The romance was meh. The pacing is what threw me off. Took me 3 weeks to finish. Love the cover though so will definitely keep my finished copy.

This book pleasantly surprised me! I don’t usually enjoy YA anymore just because the language used is so juvenile. This book was an exception to that rule. This book chilled me in a different way than most horror novels. It was an interesting new take on the zombie trope.

Wren Warren lives in Hollow’s End, where her farm, Rainbow Fields, grows wheat in all colors of the rainbow. Three other farms in town also grow so-called “miracle crops.” This brings in tourists by the dozen. When a sliver sludge the townsfolk call blight starts eating away at those crops and turning people and animals into zombies with glowing white eyes, Wren, along with her boyfriend Derek, start searching for a cure. The more time passes, the more secrets she realizes her family has been keeping.

Will she and Derek be able to stop the blight before it’s too late?

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me a free copy to review!

This book was pretty weird and I was super into it for the most part. WHAT WE HARVEST tells a tale of corruption and greed and its impact on future generations. We meet Wren as she's trying to keep the blight away from her family's farm, only to find herself infected with it as her parents go missing and the lives of her first love and his family are now at stake. I thought the concept behind this book was really unique. A blight in the crops that turns people into Zombie-like creatures? Yeah, alright. lol. This book had a really interesting feel to it that has vibes similar to books written by Rory Power and Erin Craig, but the setting and premise stands completely on its own. Fraistat's writing style has a special quality in that it pulls you into Wren's story and keeps you totally gripped throughout the whole book. I never really felt the plot lag at all which always impresses me. I enjoyed the second chance romance angle Fraistat plays at with Wren and Derek. It had that sense of YA innocence and edge that I enjoy so much. We have a plague, town and family secrets, and horror enough to keep your heart pounding, all wrapped up in a fantastically weird, compulsively readable package. A strong debut from Ann Fraistat that is perfect for spooky season.

Absolutely had a blast reading this book. I am not a typical reader of YA but this book had me on the edge of my seat. I would definitely recommend this book to all types of readers. Loved it!

A YA Horror novel that really understands the lane it should be in! Excellent!

It's creepy, has a bit of gore here and there, enough teenage angst (love interest, parents) to keep you interested in the drama, a beloved pet dog, a farm/small town setting, a female hero and zombies!!!!

Well, zombie-ish I guess.

Zombies are my least favorite Horror story which I usually avoid at all costs. But this beautiful cover and the description of this story pulled me in and I just had to read it. I'm so glad I did!

I started this before dinner and stayed up late to finish it that same evening. A great mystery to solve, action packed storyline that will have your blood pulsing at least a few times and may even provide a tear or two before you're done.

Highly recommend!!

WHAT WE HARVEST is unlike most other zombie books I've ever read.

Hollow's End, the imaginary setting of the book, a small town where slightly fantastical crops are known to grow, was at once beautiful and sinister. I kept finding myself wanting to live there, and then remembering that something awful was lurking and I'm actually a big chicken, haha.

You can't help rooting for the cast, and of course my all time favorite is TEDDY THE DOG. Fast-paced and unputdownable, I binged this stunningly written debut and marveled at its hidden themes.

Thanks to the publisher and NG for an ARC. Sorry that I forgot to actually share my review until now, but these are my honest thoughts!

I’ve been chasing the high I felt after reading Small Favors by Erin A. Craig last year ever since I finished that beautifully dreadful prairie Gothic, and I think I’ve finally found something I can compare it to: What We Harvest by Ann Fraistat.

While this book takes place (presumably) in the modern day, and there’s no confusion of “is this a cult or a homesteading settlement,” the story does center around a community of farm families who are facing an unexplained horror that is devastating their crops.

The founding families of Hollow’s End have been farming the land there for generations. The family’s all have their own specialties that tourists call “miracle crops,” including the iridescent wheat that the main character’s family grows. But one day they begin to notice something strange: a silver-tinged mercury blight begins taking over the crops, people go missing, and slowly but surely, the farms start to fade and the town is put under a strict quarantine.

Then, infected animals begin to reappear at night, coming out from the fog-covered forest. A curfew is put in place to protect the remaining residents from whatever these creatures are, and no one is allowed to enter or leave the town.

If this sounds like a nightmare situation to you, you’re absolutely right. The main character, Wren, knows that these horrors are not natural, and only something sinister could cause her loved ones to stalk the town at night, taking whatever living things they can find back into the woods.

What We Harvest is a story of survival and hope, and doing whatever you can to save the people and places you love. There are secrets hiding in the forest, in cold, dark basements, and locked away in the past, but nothing stays hidden forever.

I found this book to be incredibly fast paced, dark, eerie, mysterious, and a little gory at times, with the perfect amount of teenage love and angst sprinkled in as well. If you’re a fan of YA horror be sure to pick this one up.

Thank you to the publisher, Penguin Teen Canada, for sending me a digital copy to read and review.

5 bright and beaming stars for this horrific beauty! Warnings for violence, gore, body trauma.

Wren grew up in the ideal small town, one where everyone knows your name and the unique crops bring visitors from far and wide. At least, it was ideal until the blight came. It began with the rotting of crops and zombified animals, but quickly spread to the townsfolk. When Wren's parents don't come home one evening from helping out on another blighted farm what horrors await Wren in a quest to find her parents? And what sins of the past will be brought to light about the blight?

This story has it ALL. A captivating plot, flawed characters, and plot twists you absolutely won't see coming. Just when I thought I could see what was coming next everything was turned on its head. Wren and her fellow cast of characters make you root for them(sometime to be devoured, just because of how cool the blight was). Derek (her love interest/ex boyfriend) brought actual flavor to the story which can be hard to find in today's young adult novels, as well as his entire family. This can't be considered a true review without talking about the Blight. No spoilers here, but woooow! The author put in the work to bring the ultimate of Zombiesk viruses. No plot holes or loose threads in that strain, and the history shines like the silvery goo the blight is made of.

If you love horror, a good zombie tale, or even a tale of family secrets returning to haunt future generations then look no further than What We Harvest. Recommended for ages 14+ as the gore can be graphic at times(but in the coolest way!). I can't wait to see what this author has in store for us next, I just know it'll be a wild ride!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

"No one was watching, but these days the forest had eyes."

What We Harvest follows our main character, Wren, on a mission to save her town from the blight destroying everything in its path. Set out to save her family's wheat farm and her town, Hollow's End, she reconnects with her ex, Derek, to save what is important to them. With a flip of the page, we dive into this interesting story to uncover the secrets of the town.

"It wasn't just in the plants. It was in the soil. How deep did it already run?"

The cover of this book, drew me in and piqued my interest. This story has a mystery that our characters are trying to solve while also trying to stay alive. With family, zombies, and strength throughout, this book has a lot to offer.

Thank you to Delacorte Press (Random House Children's) and NetGalley for providing me with an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review.

Preview: The cover drew me in, and this sounds really intriguing!