Rather underwhelming, really. The premise is intriguing and there's the bones of a good book here, but it just mostly falls flat.

I think this would have worked a lot better with an older protagonist; Jo as a sixteen year old has no agency, but instead of upping the stakes or having her make hard choices, everything is just tedious as she argues with her mother.

The story aims for folk horror a la Midsommar or The Wicker Man, but due to the way the plot forces importance on Jo, instead of the townsfolk's vague warnings adding tension, it mostly makes everyone seem very stupid that they won't give the supposed chosen one the information she actually needs.

It feels like there's attempts at setting up a sequel, but it seems unlikely that it'll ever manifest.

My thanks to the author and the publisher for the chance to read this book. Unfortunately, this just was not the book for me. I felt very disconnected from the characters and underwhelmed as the description promised far more than what I got. I expected gothic and creepy with a dose of symbolism and social commentary - unfortunately I just got a rather boring attempt at an eerie house with none of the payoff or investmenr required to enjoy myself.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me an ARC of this book for an honest review.

I fell in LOVE with this cover. It is absolutely stunning, whoever created this deserves a raise. When I read the blurb I became very excited for this book, the premise sounded great, the cover was phenomenal, it was pitched as YA Horror/ Thriller with Fairies- I was anticipating this to be a fantastic book.

It, however, did not meet my expectations. The writing was extremely clunky & continually pulled me out of the story. The main character was sometimes okay, but the scenes with her mother were excruciatingly painful to read- the mother acts selfish, childish & and made me want to grind my teeth in irritation. I do not 'DNF' ARCs that I have requested unless they are absolutely unbearable, and it almost happened with this book. I constantly wanted to put it down, and would have if it had been any longer than the 230ish pages it was.

16 year old “Jo” inherits her grandmother’s property that legends say harbors fairies, that if they escape their world, kidnap young children and from town and take them back with them. Jo has also received a letter from her grandmother explaining that along with the house comes great responsibility. Jo’s mother and stepfather attempt to force Jo to sell the property, but will Jo carry out her generational tasks?

I did not like the writing style of this book whatsoever. The run on sentences mixed with choppy short ones gave a horrible reader experience. This seriously needs to go back to editing, I DNF’ed at 40%. Thank you for the advanced copy

TW: racism, mental illness, kidnapping, domestic abuse, death of a parent

What was even this book? This book was an experience to say the least. The storytelling from a horror aspect was horribly done and it didn't know it wanted to be a regular horror book or a gothic horror. The plot most of the time didn't make sense and felt so cookie cutter. The writing was too confused to be wanted from the back and front of the past to present, one dimensional characters, lackluster plot with random excerpts that didn't make sense for the story at all. All though I didn't really notice the racism aspect of book but there something mention about in connection to nazis and that did make me rather uncomfortable. This was such a big disappointment from a book with such a gorgeous cover.

If I could give this zero stars I would. I couldn’t get more than 10% into this book before I had to stop. The writing is unbearably childish. Every single sentence is a slog to get through, and the first sentence is an entire paragraph of nonsense. This book needs to go back to an editor ASAP

I enjoyed some of the books this was compared to in the blurb, but I struggled to get into this one. I think the writing style was just not for me.

First off, this cover is so good! It's what initially drew me to this book to begin with. Then, the description of a "visceral horror thriller in the vein of Midsommar". Um, yes, please!

Unfortunately, this story left a lot to be desired. The writing was... interesting. It is chalk full of really long run-on sentences. Lots of unnecessary descriptions and then at times blunt and not adding to the story at all.

The characters were just meh for me. I really didn't enjoy them 😬 and the story itself left a lot to be desired. It really could have been a great story, but the writing and some elements made it feel flat, yet clunky.

The pacing is way off. It takes forever to get to anything, and even then, it seems to take even longer. The concept was there, it just was not well executed.

I always feel bad leaving "bad" reviews, but I also try to always be honest, and this one just didn't do it for me. I didn't find it to be as described.

Unfortuantely, and I see this isn't unpopular, this didn't do it for me. I didn't like the writing, and I felt it to be choppy and weird at times. There was a great invision for this story but in actuality, it didn't work the way it was supposed to. I'm really bumbed about it, and I hope that it can get better before it's published.

This book was phenomenal! I never thought I’d be pulled in by a story about fairies. I always figured that they were much like Tinker Bell at the store. It made me rethink that thought. I loved the characters, especially Jo and Hattie. Jo was just an ordinary girl until she realized she wasn’t. I love how she had to deal with real life issues, like her overbearing mother, and incredibly boring stepfather. This was wonderfully written and I’m definitely looking forward to more from this author!

The Cherished by Patricia Ward was a gripping YA horror story!

I enjoyed this book way too much!
It was a fun, intriguing and entertaining read.
Honestly it was a bit of a slow-burn.
But the storytelling and characters were well-developed and compelling.
My first time reading Wards work and I'll most definitely pick up another one by her.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperTeen for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The writing in this was chopping but i did enjoy it. And liked the setting and the plot and characters as well. And really thougjt this could be a favorite but the writing wasnt all there

Wild story about a young girl that inherits her grandmother's home and property. As a minor, her parents plan to pack everything up and sell it. Jo is not so sure that she wants this to happens and reminds her parents that the inheritance is hers. Regardless, Jo and Mom head to the property ... and this is where the story actually begins. The inheritance is more than just tangible property. Jo is introduced to a world that she didn't know existed and is given the opportunity to become so much more than just a kid! This magical story is so unique and entertaining! A wonderful read!

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.