“People sometimes say to live life with no regrets, but I’m not sure I agree. I want to keep looking ahead, to learn to forgive myself and others. But part of forgiving myself is accepting that I made a mistake. So I think it’s okay to have regrets. We pick up and move ahead, stronger and better versions of ourselves because of them.”

Over twenty years ago, the Blackmore matriarch murdered her son in a chilling case that rocked the town of Fairpoint. Now, the Blackmore curse hangs like a spectre over the town, condemning anyone who steps on the property to death. Since the first murder, two more women have died at the Blackmore mansion, and fear of the “curse” is reignited when another high school student is murdered. Eden Stafford, a high school senior turned social pariah after her father was the subject of a townwide scandal, is thrust into the mystery surrounding these murders. She was one of the last people to see one of the latest victims, her classmate Henry, alive. The other witnesses include the same kids who abandoned and ridiculed her after her father’s wrongdoing. Now, the unlikely crew is forced to band together to solve a decades-old mystery that threatens to take even more lives if they cannot get to the bottom of what (or who) is plaguing Fairpoint. As they work together, the teens must come to terms with dark family secrets, tragic loss, intense feelings, and a town and history they no longer recognize.

Unlike a lot of mystery-thrillers catered to young adult audiences, this book did not shy away from danger and incredibly high stakes. The deep-rooted uncertainty that the characters would actually be okay raised tension and made the novel nearly impossible to put down. The book isn’t without its lighthearted moments, though. A burgeoning romance between Eden and Caleb (one of Eden’s former friends turned bully turned reluctant ally) is a slight disruption to the narrative’s progression, but often a pleasant one (I mean, who doesn’t love a good friends-to-enemies-to-lovers subplot). Despite my appreciation for this developing relationship, some of the characters and side plots were underdeveloped, even those that were supposed to drive a lot of the mystery. Additionally, the pacing was at times inconsistent, lagging in the middle, but a desire to know the truth of the Fairpoint murders drove me just as it drove our main cast of characters. There were multiple jaw-dropping moments, and a shocking final reveal, but some explanations and character motivations were lacking in the final pages. Despite some bits of this plot murkiness, this twisty YA novel is an enthralling and haunting story that truly puts the “thrill” in “thriller.”

We Were Warned by @chelseaichaso

This is one of my favorite YA thriller authors. I read Dead Girls Can’t Tell Secrets about 2 years ago and loved it! So I was very excited when I found out she was writing another book!

This is was such a good pace thriller and the twist at the end 👌🏼 I really like the spooky seeming of the ruin and the rumors of it! Eden is the talk of the school gossip and made a target after a scandal. She attends a party at the ruins and things start to happen, like dead classmates. Skeptical about trusting Caleb, Eden and Caleb start to find out if it really was an accident. Will they be next or will they find the killers?

💭QOTD: Are there any haunted places near you?

Ratings:
⭐️: 3.5/5
📖: 368
📚: YA mystery/ thriller
✏️: 3/4/25

Thank you @netgalley , @chelseaichaso , and @sourcebooks fire

Ichaso is quickly becoming one of my favorite YA writers due to the creepiness and compelling narrative of her work.

We Were Warned is spectacularly spooky, creepy from start to finish and a wonderfully twisted mystery-thriller. This was a read that I felt tense during and was incredibly hard to put down.

I thoroughly enjoyed the cast of young adults who are trying to work through their rocky history together and distrust of each other to solve the mystery.

Caleb and Eden are particularly refreshing and I believed the romance subplot and cheered for them.

I didn't suspect the murderers. I did, however, enjoy their method of using supernatural appearances (black hooded figures stalking other characters) as a mask.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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!

Thank you NetGalley! Typical Young Adult novel that I enjoy. I really felt for the main character and her struggles. This was my first book by this author

The author dropped readers right into the middle of the action from chapter one, setting up the story’s fast pace. The concept, enshrouded in a mysterious past, remote location, and creepy town folklore, set up a great concept. This really felt YA - the narrative voice sounded like a teenager and the author did a great job capturing the history and tension between small town high schoolers. This reminded me of a Fear Street book, in the best way, full of growing tension and twists.

Got to read one ahead of release. Well written t was a slow slow burn. It reminded f the movie the ring as far as in letter curse" plots go. I'd itely recommend it to middle
Sunool/high school aged. I tend to read young adult to vet books my nieces may read. They love mystery and thrillers so this is one I will be buying for them to enjoy. I found the
characters well developed for the most part but would have loved more background on the curse prior to diving into the main characters trying to do a
"documentary".

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc. Definitely a good young adult mystery. Very adventurous and spooky. Love the descriptions of the creepy places and the intrigue. Was rooting for the teens!

Thanks to Sourcebooks Fire and NetGalley for an ARC of We Were Warned by Chelsea Ichaso in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 3/5

Having previously read and loved So I Liked by Chelsea Ichaso, I had high hopes for this new book. While it turned out to be enjoyable, it didn't quite deliver the same level of drama as her earlier work. Nevertheless, I still appreciated the narrative and found the characters to be engaging overall.

This book was spooky and entertaining. It kept me guessing until the very end. I kind of expected a few things that happened, but otherwise face-paced and 'thrilling'. Wished there was more of a definitive ending for 1 character. And something that happened around 76% didn't match up with the beginning.

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. I think this might be one you need to listen to on audio.

2.5 stars rounded up

I found this to be a “chilling” YA suspense thriller that blends eerie atmosphere with gripping tension. The story follows a group of teens who are warned about an ominous curse hanging over their small town. The tension builds as they uncover more about the dark forces at play and realize they may not escape its grasp. There is a spooky vibe throughout the novel, making the reader feel as if they’re constantly on edge, unsure of what will happen next. The curse adds a supernatural layer to the suspense, and you can’t help but wonder whether the characters will be able to break it—or if they’re doomed from the start. There’s a nice balance of suspense, character development, and twists that keep you turning the pages.

Overall, it’s a great pick for fans of YA thrillers with a supernatural touch.

3.5 stars
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
A lot of books haven’t been hitting lately, so while We Were Warned wasn’t the best thing I’ve ever read, I’m glad to say I had fun. It’s thrilling and a bit creepy in the best way, and one of my favorite aspects was the atmosphere of Fairport Village, and digging into the lore and legends behind the central mystery. There’s a crossover between the mystery and the typical teen drama, and while I wasn’t as invested in the latter, I did like how the two complemented each other.
The characters are probably the weakest part of the book, but that’s probably not shocking, as they function more to move the story along than to really connect to the reader. With the teen drama also not resonating with me as much, I will also own that it’s an aspect that I’ve simply outgrown.
But the plot is where the story really shines, taking these otherwise boring characters on a truly wild ride. The stakes are fairly high, and while the story was sometimes bogged down by pacing issues, it only slightly impacted my overall investment in how it would turn out.
Overall, I had a lot of fun with this one, and with the caveat that I’d encourage looking to teen readers for critique on aspects relating specifically to their experiences, I’d recommend this book to readers in search of an atmospheric YA thriller.

I do enjoy YA thrillers from time to time and this one specially looked good to me. It was fast paced, suspenseful and had a great storyline. The book was spooky with its abandoned resort and I loved the whole embezzlement scam touch to it. Of course there’s amateur sleuths, which is always fun. Oh, and who doesn’t love a small town mystery? Definitely a great YA thriller but, I think anyone could read it and enjoy it.

Im convinced any book with the flame on the cover is just amazing! I really liked this one! I didn’t love it as much as others, but this was still a super fun ride. I loved the cursed location aspect!

Twisty ride through and through, especially the epilogue! Didn’t expect to have a gut wrenching moment involving our fmc’s dad. Loved the mystery aspect of it and that I couldn’t figure out who did it.

I was nervous starting this book it felt like the plot had started before the first chapter, but by the time I was 10% in I was already invested. You may have to suspend so disbelief to really enjoy this book but I think it's worth it. It was creepy thrilling and engaging. It kept me on my toes trying to figure out who did and and the final twist really got me. I will definitely be recommending this book to my friends.

A deeply suspenseful and poignant story that dives deep into the challenges of small-town life and the secrets we keep from the next generation.

It has been a while since I've read a book that had me reading into the early hours of the morning. I loved Eden! She was such a strong lead, and I really enjoyed reading this book from her perspective. I was so happy to see that the romance was a secondary plot and (at least for me) didn't take away from the main plot. I also really liked that the suspense. Was something paranormal happening or was it an actual person committing the murders? And I definitely didn't see the end coming! I will definitely be purchasing this book for the teen collection!

"Everyone knows the legend of Fairport Village: twenty-five years ago, a shocking murder closed the place down. This year, the ruins will be bulldozed at last. But tonight, it's not too late to die.

All her life, Eden Stafford has heard the lore about the abandoned beach resort at the edge of town: ever since the notorious murder there, anyone who sets foot on the property is cursed to die, It's more than just a story: over the years, two high school students who dared to explore the ruins of Fairport Village were killed there.

Eden is no stranger to notoriety, having endured a family scandal that's made her a target at school. So when she reluctantly attends an overnight party at the ruins, she's on edge - not because of some legend, but because the clique that has made her life hell for years is there, too, including Caleb Durham, the worst of them all.

Yet out of all the things Eden expected to happen that night, finding another student dead at Fairport Village wasn't one of them.

Though the death is ruled an accident, Eden knows she saw something suspicious at the ruins - and Caleb and her other longtime tormentors did too. Now they're all being followed by a deadly stranger, and to save themselves, they must work together to uncover the truth about Fairport Village. But after all that's happened, can Eden really trust Caleb and his friends? Or will they leave her to face a killer alone?"

I'm getting peak Wes Craven vibes from this book!