Eden Stafford, our brave (and a little skeptical) heroine, is thrust into a chilling overnight party at the infamous Fairport Village—a place haunted by a legend and two unsolved murders. The legend? Anyone who dares to visit Fairport is cursed. Yep, that’s exactly where Eden ends up. And surprise, surprise, another student is found dead. This is a great YA thriller that I think students will enjoy. Thanks to NetGalley for the ebook to preview.

Thank you so much for the ARC of this book! I was interested in this based on the premise, as I have been reading a lot of thrillers recently. It sounded like it would be perfect. And it was! Until it wasn't. It had a good setting and the idea behind it all was good, but there were parts of the backstory that didn't flow. And events that happened that didn't quite add up to me? It ended up being an alright read, but a lot of it had me making faces at my Kindle because it didn't make sense and things were just strange. It didn't all piece together well.

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

This book had an intriguing setup: an abandoned beach resort shrouded in urban legend, a past murder, and a group of teens facing both their personal baggage and a potential killer. The atmosphere was eerie and suspenseful, and the mystery surrounding Fairport Village kept me engaged.

Eden, the main character, had a compelling backstory, and the themes of bullying, trust, and trauma were woven in well. However, the pacing lagged in the middle, and the character development—particularly of the supporting cast—felt a bit underwhelming. The tension between Eden and her longtime tormentors had potential but didn’t quite hit the emotional depth I was hoping for.

There were some twists that surprised me and the overall concept was strong, but the execution didn’t fully live up to it. A decent pick for readers who enjoy YA thrillers with a supernatural edge, but it fell just short of being a standout.

This was reminiscent of 90s/2000s slasher films. Think "I Know What You Did Last Summer" meets "Urban Legend". This is YA and reads like YA so if you don't like that, this isn't for you. I found it suspenseful and bingeable.
Posted on Goodreads as well.

A well‑executed, atmospheric page‑turner with enough mystery and sass to keep you hooked. It may not reinvent the genre, but it delivers on thrills, character growth, and a satisfying twist — perfect for a dark beach‑night read before demolition takes the ruins away.

If Eden's courage and cleverness resonate, you'll find yourself cheering through every twist—and possibly hunting down Chelsea Ichaso's backlist next.

""𝑭𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒎𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒐𝒏, 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒔𝒆𝒕𝒔 𝒇𝒐𝒐𝒕 𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆 𝑭𝒂𝒊𝒓𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕 𝑽𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒂𝒈𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒅𝒊𝒆!""

Special thanks to @chelseaichaso @sourcebooksfire and @netgalley for the #gifted eARC.

𝙈𝙔 𝙍𝙀𝙑𝙄𝙀𝙒:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This one starts with such a creepy undertone you can't help but keep reading as fast as you can. Eden has had some trouble in life but some how ends up trying to find the answer to the Village Curse.

The amount of twists thie one throws at you is insane. And that epilogue. Whew! Talk about not seeing it coming! This is now my 3rd @chelseaischso book and she is an amazing thriller writer, whether YA or adult. I can't wait to read more from her!

Read if you love:

🔦 Mysterious curse
🔦 Palpable suspense
🔦 Multiple deaths
🔦 Enemies to lovers
🔦 Enemies to friends

𝙋𝙐𝘽 𝘿𝘼𝙔:
March 4, 2025

ℚ𝕆𝕋𝔻❓️⁉️❓️ Have you ever trespassed?
Where?

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#mysteryandthrills #thrillersandsuspense #thrillerfriendsunite #thrillerlover #thrilleraddict #thrillerjunkie #thrillergirlie #bookbuzz #sourcebooksfirepartner #wewerewarned #chelseaichaso
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I love a good YA Fiction mystery where teens have to try and save their own life. I don't know why, but its always full of suspense and a few moments where you wonder what they were thinking. Chelsea Ichaso is one of the top of her game and knows how to get you reading.

The story follows a group of kids who are trying to figure out why one of their classmates died suspiciously at an old abandoned part of town that is known to be cursed! Then they are slowly being hunted by something they do not understand. While I do not love fantasy or science fiction novels much, and I'm not saying this is what that was, I was so intrigued that I would not have been upset if that was the case. Ichaso hooked me from the first chapter with interesting characters that continued to grow, and you learned more and more from.

The story flowed smoothly and you found yourself liking characters you didn't in the beginning and disliking ones you did. I loved the feelings Ichaso pulled out of me as I was reading. It really is hard to hook you from the beginning of a book and never have me lose interest at all. I will be reading every one of Ichaso's books going forward and those I haven't read already. A must read for all YA Mystery lovers!

I absolutely loved this suspenseful thriller from Chelsea Ichaso. She has become one of my favorite YA authors.
This book has it all:
*A decades old murder mystery
*more recent murders seemingly tied to the original case
*a mysterious stranger lurking around the ruins
*Lots of Twists - 2 of which I never saw coming!
And it is a CLEAN read - no sex, no bad language.

I will always purchase her books for my high school library.

This was a tense and gripping read from start to finish. I loved the slow-building suspense and the way Chelsea Ichaso kept me guessing about who to trust. The characters felt real and complicated, which made the twists hit even harder.

A few moments dragged for me, but overall it was a solid thriller with plenty of twists and emotional depth. Definitely one to pick up if you love dark, atmospheric suspense.

This was a story about paying attention to the lore.

This reminded me of a classic 90s slasher (but with cell phones). It was a good time! I didn’t love the twist, but didn’t hate it either and I appreciated that it surprised me!

Thank you Sourcebooks Fire & Netgalley!

3.5 rounded to 4!

It’s been a long time since I’ve read something that had me stressed like this. But this had me trying to stay up all night to try and finish it. The synopsis seemed like it didn’t make much sense, but it actually was such a gripping story that I didn’t see coming.

Ok so the synopsis sounds all over the place, but its really just a group of teens that come to this party that’s not supposed to be happening in a place where someone has once died. People now think it’s haunted so they forbid people from going there. Come to find out, someone did, but it’s not who they think and who they think killed them well, I guess you’ll have to find out. I don’t think the plot was bad, it was just a lot. Definitley felt a lot like the other book I read and reviewed today. She was basically giving us all these things to look for and do and it threw everything off. I was so intrigued by the back story that I almost forgot to say my theories on whodunit.

Which is another point to this. I LOVED this part of it because I got it right, but there was still another part to this that I had no idea was coming. And this time we had all the clues, we just didn’t know that was a thing we had to look for. And while that annoyed me a tiny bit, I still understood. We still needed a wow factor in case those of us who do guess, guess right. I can say without a doubt tho, this is going to be the shock value the teens are looking for.

The characters were weird tho. Eden seemed like she was so bad ass but then she let those kids treat her like shit. I really wanted to scream at her, “STAND UP!” Lol I didn’t understand making her so angry and mean and mad at them if she still helped them or still talked to them. And Lordt that one girl that had the crush?! I wanted to punch her so bad. She made that girl’s life hell because for what? And THEN, like the person she should have listened to, she didn’t. It was so confusing being in her brain sometimes.

The one thing I didn’t like tho, was the fact that there was still some things that needed to be answered. What were those things she was seeing? Did she ever figure it out? If so, why didn’t we? And why wouldn’t she put that part in the story? I would have loved to have confirmation that there was a ghost or something somewhere.

This was a great read. Huge thanks to the author for helping me to get out of my funk for a little and just enjoy listening to a book.

Overall, I give t

Buckle up, because "We Were Warned" by Chelsea Ichaso is a wild, electrifying ride you won't want to miss! This isn't just another thriller; it's a pulse-pounding, adrenaline-fueled journey into a world where secrets simmer, tensions explode, and the past refuses to stay buried. Ichaso crafts a narrative that grabs you from the first page and doesn't let go, weaving a tangled web of mystery and suspense that will keep you guessing until the very end.

The story unfolds with a relentless pace, each chapter ratcheting up the tension and revealing new layers of intrigue. The characters are vibrant and compelling, each harboring their own secrets and motivations that drive the plot forward. You'll find yourself drawn into their world, invested in their fates, and desperate to uncover the truth alongside them. The writing is sharp and dynamic, perfectly capturing the high-stakes atmosphere and the emotional turmoil of the characters.

What truly sets "We Were Warned" apart is its ability to deliver both thrilling action and deep emotional resonance. Ichaso doesn't shy away from exploring complex themes of family, loyalty, and the consequences of past actions. The result is a gripping and thought-provoking read that will stay with you long after you've turned the final page. If you're looking for a high-octane thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat and leave you breathless, "We Were Warned" is an absolute must-read.

I enjoyed that Eden felt like a real teenager, she has angst, friend problems, and doesn't feel like she fits in. I found this book suspenseful, quick paced, and smart, and it kept me reading and on the edge of my seat. Is the curse real? Who is to blame? Is it supernatural, or is the curse just a myth?

Thank you Netgalley and SOURCEBOOKS Fire | Sourcebooks Fire for the ARC!

This book wasn’t bad but wasn’t my favorite. There was definitely some suspense but not enough to keep me engaged. The characters weren’t terrible but definitely not my favorite.
I love YA books but this one just wasn’t for me.

Thank you NetGalley, Sourcebooks Fire and Chelsea for the eARC!

Rating: ✨✨

Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc of this one in exchange for an honest review!

Unfortunately, this book did not work for me. I found it to be full of YA cliches and nothing really stood out for me. I also thought the main character was really annoying and whiny.

I hope others love this one but it just didn’t work for me.

Eden’s friends suck. Her father made a bad move and Eden and her mother were left behind to suffer for it. Those she felt were friends basically abandoned and shunned her just like everyone else in town. So instead of joining in on the secret senior party at the forbidden resort, she tagged along with a classmate making a documentary trying to earn a few needed bucks. The mission? Unearth the mystery of the Fairport Village legend and the curse upon the land that will kill anyone who trespasses on the abandoned resort. Anyone? Not so much. But there have certainly been enough questionable deaths to raise a few eyebrows. Including a fellow classmate the night Eden was filming.

And now Eden feels a presence following her around. And not just her, but those who she used to consider friends, who were also in the vicinity of the death that night. Now as the presence begins to affect them all, they band together to discover the truth of the legend before more fall victim to it.

<i>We Were Warned</i> keeps you wondering if it’s an actual ghost or a killer or two running amuck in a ghost-tastic kind of way. Or maybe even a little bit of both? I’m going to give myself 1.5/3 when it comes to figuring out the deaths. One I nailed, one I completely missed and one I feel I half figured out – lol. Still, there were plenty of surprises that came out of nowhere that were impossible to detect, so it made the read all the more enjoyable. Perfect for fans who love a little horror, a little mystery and a friends to enemies to lovers kind of read.

<img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-oG92TwY2cYY/TyYIQGciBeI/AAAAAAAAA6I/HUOy4Itk81w/s583/4%2520dream%2520catchers.png" width="400" height="175" alt="description"/>

ARC provided by Sourcebooks Fire Books for honest review.

We Were Warned pulls you in with its mix of mystery and horror. I loved how the legend surrounding Fairport Village wasn’t just a backstory, but an integral part of the plot that kept the tension high throughout. Ichaso really knows how to weave suspense into every scene, especially with the eerie atmosphere around the cursed land.

Eden’s perspective on everything—her struggles with being an outsider, her complicated feelings about her companions, and the mystery surrounding the deaths—keeps things grounded in reality, even as the horror ramps up. Watching her try to navigate her past while dealing with a present danger was captivating. The twisty relationships between Eden and the others, especially Caleb, really brought an extra layer to the story. I wasn’t expecting to care about these characters as much as I did, but Ichaso makes you question everything you think you know about them. The ending left me shocked, which is always a good sign when reading thrillers!

Ichaso continues to show her strength in blending horror with emotional depth, and I’m eager to see what she’ll come up with next. If you’re into atmospheric YA thrillers with dark twists, this is definitely worth picking up!

3.5⭐️
This YA thriller was entertaining and suspenseful. I enjoyed the read but can’t say that I *loved it. Thank you to the author, Sourcebooks Fire, and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy.

This book was a big surprise to me.
It started a bit slow, and I wasn’t sure if it was up my alley.
But oh boy, was I wrong.
Once the story picked up speed, it pulled me in completely. The writing style is great, the characters are multi-layered and the suspense increases continuously.
I really like how the secrets unfolded and how the characters interacted with each other. The tension between the former friends, now kinda frenemies was on spot.

I really enjoyed the ride and recommend this book to every YA Thriller lover.

This book was great! It really kept me guessing until the very end. Everytime I thought I knew what was going on, there was another twist. I did guess one thing right, which I thought on a off chance and was super surprised when I was right. I thoroughly enjoyed all the characters, especially the MFC & MMC. They really played well off each other and I could see that little twist a mile away. It was easy to hate the bullies, they made it that way. Overall, a great reading experience. I look forward to many more by this author!