I devoured this ARC within a few days, because it's so tense and atmospheric and compulsively readable. It's character-driven small-town horror with strange twists and awesome sci-fantasy elements. I'm too much of a wimp for horror films, but this book was right on my threshold of creepy.

It's a fresh twist on rotting zombies, with Stranger Things vibes. Highly recommended for fans of YA horror!

ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book wasn't at all what I thought it would be. I'm not fan of zombie like stories so I didn't like What We Harvest. Maybe this'll be a great read for someone else.

Solid horror novel! I enjoyed the cursed town angle, and felt the author did a good job of creating a historic but current cursed town.

I was intrigued by the aspect of the blight. Derek and Wren are likable characters, and I love the twists and turns this book takes. Spanning over just a few days, follow the wild ride to see if Wren can undone a generational curse.

I liked it, but I didn’t love it. I do however think my students will love it.

4.5 stars.

I'm not typically one for zombie horror, but this was quite an enjoyable read. It's a different take on the zombie genre, blending it a little with an isolated, idyllic society that clearly goes wrong.

The writing was really good and I loved the building of the atmosphere. There were some moments of confusion as I tried to understand the world and the blight, but I feel like that was somewhat intentional and I was, in a way, learning things as Wren learned them. It was like being a visitor to the town and being taken along for this horrific trip. Hold on to your pants because this baby is a fast-paced ride.

The characters were well done, though there were a couple of emotional responses and interactions that seemed a little off kilter. Overall, things were realistic and believable. Oh, and I'm not going to lie...I had a serious soft spot for Teddy and it hurt my weak, susceptible heart every time she got mentioned.

The world of Hollow's End was awesome. I loved how magical it all felt and was kind of bummed that it was all being wrecked by this zombie apocalypse. I mean just the description of fields full of rainbow wheat and melons that basically glow-in-the-dark blue were enough to make me yearn to see it in real life.

But oh, not everything in this novel was idyllic. The horror component was smack dang full on horror. It was tense, gory, and downright creepy. Fraistat was NOT afraid to go full bore on this baby and I appreciated every disgusting, cringe-worthy moment of it. The atmospheric writing definitely did not stop at the scenery.

This was a horror rollercoaster of a ride and I really enjoyed myself. It was something totally different and it was a great read. Also, big thank you to Fraistat for giving positive power to carbs.

* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *

Liked the premise, the atmosphere, the writing, but the pacing was a bit off for me and I didn't love the main characters. They were flawed in a way that didn't make sense to me.

Fascinating, graphic, gory, and unique. All words describe this novel and how it was gripping to read. I only rated a 4 because some of the book just seemed to be over-dramatic in the storyline that even in this fictional novel is seemed far-fetched. The way the characters handled certain situations was just odd.

Overall though, this was a very cool and different read.

This one drew me in right from the start. I loved the gradual development of character relationships. It felt more genuine and believable as they worked they're way through the story. The creepy and suspenseful imagery created the perfect eerie ambiance. Definitely unlike anything I've read before.

WHAT WE HARVEST is a love child of fantasy, horror and dystopia. With all the zombie origin stories out there, Ann brings her own version to the table. A rot Quicksilver blight that spoils the crops and if the living beings get infected, they rot too. If the protagonists are a little older, this would've been categorised as an adult
horror story!! There are creepy elements that reminded me of THE RUINS and its poisoning plants!! WWH is an young-adult book that also appeals to adults is what
I'm trying to say here. Some parts and characters' actions display the author's debut-ness, but if pictured overall, WWH stands out. I love that this book turned
out to be totally different than what I had imagined, because the idea that cover design gave was creepy poison garden, WWH is more than that!

Thank you Delacorte Press via Netgalley for the eARC.

The premise of this book reminded me a bit of Small Favors by Erin A. Craig, which initially intrigued me. The story started out a bit slow at first but eventually picked up closer to the end. I enjoyed the mystery aspect of Wren and Derek figuring out what the blight was and what caused it. However, there were a couple of elements that I wish were explored more, like the research team and their families history. I also wish that we could have got to delve more into the personalities of each the characters so that I could connect with them more. The writing style was easy to follow and did a good job of describing the urgency and scariness of the situation. It's definitely a horror/thriller as some pretty chilling stuff occurs, but I thought it was also balanced out well with scenes from the past and also some light hearted dialogue.

All in all I wish that we could have gone more in depth on some aspects but overall it was a chilling read.

What We Harvest is a take a zombie type story. It is fairly down the middle on it's execution. As someone who enjoys zombie stories, there was not much here to set it apart.

A zombie story that shines bright in a crowded genre.

Wren just wants to save her family farm from the blight. A rot, a disease that rots their crops and their bodies if they become infected. But after Wren becomes infected herself she only has so much time to solve the mystery of the blight and save herself and those she loves.

I loved this story. It had me hooked from the first chapter. It has so much going on in it. It's a zombie-like story with a dystopian vibe even though it's not really dystopia. It's horror, fantasy, romance, and a little bit of SciFi all in one. I love the pace that is set for learning what the blight is and how it came about. It was such an action-packed fun story and there were some super creepy parts as well. That cover too. It is really lovely and eye-catching. And not only is the title fitting for this book, but something about it just makes you want to read it before you even find out what it's about. You can really tell the author put her heart and soul into this debut and I feel honored to be one of the first to read it.

As a farm kid... this hit a very specific spooky note for me! This a really fast-faced book with a unique premise and "magic" system. Fans of the movie A Quiet Place and people who loved the spooky vibes in WILDER GIRLS will love this one.

This is a really, fun fresh take on zombies. The world building takes a bit to come full circle, but it does eventually get there and I felt like all my questions were answered, however, I think answering some of those questions earlier in the book could've improved my reading experience a little.

I really loved the characters, and I felt like they felt true to teens, and especially teens in a small community. I also thought the way the situation was treated by the government felt realistic and not far off from what would likely happen.

The book is super atmospheric and made for a really fun read.

This one was just okay to me. I think teens will enjoy this read. I like the concept but the number of flashbacks was distracting as a plot device. I do think this has a really interesting concept, but it just was overshadowed by other things.

3.5 stars

I love how the story started off. I just wish it kept the same momentum throughout the book.

What I didn’t like:

- it took way too long for the main plot to unfold. There were bits of information that I feel, should have been revealed earlier on and not at the 50% mark.

It was easy to lose momentum after having such an adrenaline rush near the beginning.

- I get the MC was a teenager. But she was so annoying. At one point is wasn’t her life I was concerned about, but the horse’s. Like OMG, is the horse ok??!!

Overall, it was an interesting read. Really enjoyed the zombies/blighted. I’m just not sure I felt the payoff was all that great.

I'm always up for a virus story, so this definitely intrigued me. It takes place in a small town, where a blight has spread over the farmlands and turned people and animals into zombie-like creatures. Wren is trying to help her parents save their land when the blight finally catches up to her and she must race against the clock if she's going to save her family and town.

Wren was sort of a wishy-washy character for me. At times I liked her, like how much she still cared for her dog and her determination to figure out the cause of the blight and save everyone. At other times, I thought she was too whiny and I hate when people hurt someone because they think it's best for them. She should have told Derek what she knew and let him decide how he felt about it, instead of abandoning him. At least she does fight for him and tries to make it right by the end.

I didn't totally understand what the blight was and how the families used it. Maybe I missed a bit or maybe it needed to be explained a bit better. Either way, the story was quick paced and I think could have delved a bit more into this world.

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to Delacorte Press and NetGalley for the copy

Hollow's End, a beautiful picturesque town where many tourists came to see the beautiful animals and miracle crops they grew; the Warrens' rainbow wheat from Wren's farm, the Pewters' silver-veined ghost melons from Derek's farm, the Murphys' golden yams, and the Harrises' prized horses and dogs. That is until the quicksilver mercury blight started killing the farms. Silver sludge bled from the earth. First it infected the crops, then the animals, and then it came for the people. White moth-eaten eyes, torn skin, and mold in their mouths smelling of rot. The government arrived in town under the pretense of helping, going door to door giving out flyers. The flyers said that if you suspected someone may have been exposed to the quicksilver blight, contact your emergency triage clinic so they could be treated for mercury exposure. People who were infected turned themselves in, but no one ever came back. But the people of Harlow's End knew the blight was than just mercury and that there wasn't any treatment.
Now the blight has come for Wren and with her parents missing, the only person she can call is her ex-boyfriend, Derek. She's been ignoring him for months since they broke up after what he did. When Derek agrees to help, they realize they don't know as much as they thought they did about their ancestors, the founders of Harlow's End, and their miracle crops. And soon find out miracles aren't free.
Told from Wren's point of view.

Well wow. That was a crazy read in a good way. I like the intricacies of the story. Plague-like story with living zombies. I love a good backstory, but man this was, well let's just say I surely didn't see that coming, AT ALL! I can tell the author put a lot of work into the story. The only thing I didn't like was Wren's attitude. She was a selfish little buttface. I mean, the dog Wren, the dog? Priorities sweet heart!

4.5 Stars

Thank you netgalley and the publisher for my copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I would give this one a 6/10. Characters were good, world was well built, but it struggled to keep me hooked.

What We Harvest is Ann Fraistat's debut novel - a YA read entitled What We Harvest.

For 150 years, the four founding families of the small village of Hollow's End have prospered. Their animals and crops are marveled at by visitors. Wren's family grows 'rainbow' wheat that is delicious in bread. Some even say it has almost magical health benefits. All four families are thriving until…the blight arrives. The last farm to be touched is Wren's family farm. Wren believes it's up to her to save the farms - as she thinks she caused the blight. There's one other person she can ask to help - her ex boyfriend Derek who is also a descendant of the original four families. The will they, won't they romantic storyline is well done. And - what book doesn't benefit from a loyal dog?

If you’re kind of a fan of zombie movies (raises hand) you’ll enjoy Fraistat's world building. The blight is mercurial, slithering and sliding into everything and everyone. It gave me goosebumps. Wren is great lead character - she’s strong, brave, a bit reckless, but determined save the farms and folks of Hollow's End. What she finds isn’t it at all what she expected. Or me either.

There’s lots of action and danger as encounters and skirmishes with the blight increase both in frequency and danger. How can the blight be beaten? Will Wren have to sacrifice herself for the good of the town and it's inhabitants? I do think there was perhaps one too many skirmish for me. It started to feel just a tad repetitive to me. I was eager to get to the resolution.

Isn't the cover gorgeous? And I liked the title's nod to the phrase "You reap what you sow." What We Harvest is a strong debut. I would happily pick up the nest book from this author. 3.5

2.5 stars - While I did really enjoy the spookier aspects of this novel, the overall plot did fall a bit flat for me. I really enjoyed the world building around the town itself and the aspects of legacy when it came to the generational family farms. The entire background of the plot was super interesting and I honestly would have loved to read that story instead. The mystery of the blight within the novel is honestly what kept me the most engaged, but I felt like the novel really faltered with our main characters. Wren and Derick were extremely flawed - and not in the way I usually enjoy my characters to be flawed. They constantly made terrible decisions that I simply could not get behind. They were risky and even though things worked out in the end (because they had to, of course), I feel like their actions didn't really have major consequences for what they chose to do. In addition to this, the novel had a big build up to the mystery of the farms and the blight but the resolution of it felt super fast and not really explained tbh? Also, there were some aspects of the story I felt could have been explored better. I think this is a quickly paced novel that would have benefited with better pacing, tighter plotting and more explanations concerning the world building. Were this novel to have had 50-100 pages more added to it, I think it could have been a much better book.