Mercy is about a girl who was born into a cursed family. The curse is called the Sorrowing. The Sorrowing affects multiple families that live in the town Mercy lives in. The families and town have just accepted the effects of the Sorrowing. They do not try to achieve their goals. They are content not disturbing the Sorrowing and living Their lives how they are until the Bowen’s come back to town. The Bowen’s family is also affected by thee Sorrowing and when Matteo’s mom becomes sick because she tries to open up a cafe in town. Mercy helps Matteo try and break the curse.

Patricia’s writing helped to be affected by what the characters in the book were going through. There were characters like Mercy’s grandfather that you felt bad with the life he wad dealt and everything he had went through. It was nice to see even though Mercy was cursed that she had true friends like A.J. Who stood by her.

All in all I enjoyed this book it was a quick easy read and kept the story moving throughout the whole story.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins Children’s Books for the ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

As a NYC public school teacher, I spend my days surrounded by young people navigating tough environments and complicated legacies, so Mercy struck a deeply personal chord. Mercy’s quiet strength and deep-rooted resignation to a generational curse felt heartbreakingly familiar—like watching one of my students accept a burden they didn’t ask for. The Sorrowing, with its slow, creeping rot of Arbor Falls, is one of the most effective metaphors for generational trauma I’ve read in a long time. The lush writing and poignant cross-generational relationships made this story incredibly moving. When Matteo Bowen arrives—unaware of the curse but unwilling to be cowed by it—it reignites something in Mercy. Their partnership, built on truth and refusal to settle, felt like the kind of spark I try to nurture in my classroom every day.

The mystery itself is gripping—I tore through pages, needing to know what really happened to the Gracey family. You feel the weight these characters carry; the pain and relentless pressure of living under the Sorrow. The town, the rot, the growing sense of dread were so vividly written I could smell the decay. This is a book that lingers. 5 STARS!

I’ll be recommending it to colleagues and friends, especially as fall creeps in. There’s something powerful about stories that ask what we inherit—and what we can choose to break. Thank you, PATRICIA WARD, HarperCollins and NetGalley

This was definitely a good mystery story. A small town who done it. With a curse hanging over the town and the core families never being able to actually live. One of the core families descendants moves back to town, his wife is a little to ambitious and causes the sorrowing to come down on her hard. Her son and another core family teen decide enough is enough and try to find a way to break the long lived curse.

Another unexpected good read. The premise is amazing as is the story inside it. The struggles of the MC against this curse was truly a journey worth reading about. Made me very emotional at times. The atmosphere is dark and haunting with jolts of hope that will make you root hard for everything that's happening. A very engaging story.

This book was very good ! I really enjoyed the storyline. I would love to see a continuation somehow of this book, or maybe a prequel of the original "curse". I thought it was written very well, and although at some points confusing (not the authors issue, the reader was distracted often) it was such a good book!

~thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for giving me a chance to read & review this book ~

This started off strong and then I just got bored of it. I wanted to like it so much but I just didn’t. It felt very repetitive to me.

This thriller/mystery held a dark and dreary energy, with lots of depressing aspects throughout the first half. The story focuses on what is known as the sorrowing - a curse set on certain families because of a family murder that went unsolved for years. It causes mold, dirt, dust, and disgusting things to overtake every part of life & dampens anyone’s chances at success. “Living in the shadows” is what one of the characters refers to it as. Overall, good read that picked up a lot more towards the end, and the history behind it was interesting. Thanks to NetGalley for the arc!

⭐⭐⭐

MERCY by Patricia Ward

Thank you Netgalley and Harpercollins for the earc (Oct 7)

The Sorrowing, that's what keeps Mercy and the other core families of Arbor Falls from prospering. They're cursed because of what happened ages ago. When the Bowens move back to town, however, things change, and soon Mercy has to unearth what happened that night in hopes of stopping the curse.
I really, really wanted to love this book, but I'm not sure how I felt about this book. At first, I found MERCY to be confusing. The characters kept referring to The Sorrowing with no details on what it actually was, and when it was finally explained it made the book make more sense. But, the book wasn't as thrilling as I would have liked...for the first half or so. Once the second half started playing out, I grew more intrigued. I guess trying to solve and stop the curse made for a better read than all the talk of the actual Sorrowing and whatnot.

Come for the stunning cover art, stay for the small-town supernatural mystery. Mercy isn't here to deliver outright horror but instead fully immerses readers in a small-town gothic story about generational curses ((real and metaphoical)) and what we go through in the face of the circumstances we're dealt. ((Okay, and just a TOUCH of rot horror... which I loved and honestly never get enough of.))

I have to talk about Patrica Ward's masterful character development. Mercy gives us a unique cast and a front row seat to watch their growth, but my favorite characters are the non-human ones. The Sorrowing feels like a character in itself, as does the town as a whole. I'll point it out any time I come across it, but I love authors who are able to create characters out of locations- Ward did a truly exceptional job of this. My gripe is that I'd have liked to have a bit more of The Sorrowing's interactions included. It does feel ominous knowing it's ever-present, but for something this large, we don't get as much detail around its impact over the years.

Under the surface of this easily bingeable mystery is also something deeper: a commentary on small-town mindsets, racism, the power of perspective, sexism, and the ways that we fight to overcome ((or succumb to)) generational trauma. Look closely at our characters, and you'll see each of the stages of grief represented. You'll see loss, pain, and suffering. But you’ll see strength, determination, and connection, too- a reminder that we don't have to be a product of what's been done to us unless we choose to.

For a book that felt like I flew through it, Mercy says a lot. I'd recommend this book to fans of mystery with a supernatural edge and readers who like to dig between the lines of the books they read. This is one I'll absolutely be adding to my physical library.

((While the viewpoints shared are my own, I want to thank NetGalley, HarperCollins Children's Books, and Patricia Ward for this complimentary copy.))

First, this cover with the words “I’m sorry” all over drew me in immediately! Especially with the one word title, Mercy. This young adult supernatural mystery follows Mercy, who is navigating living with a decades old curse that haunts her family. The author does an amazing job at describing The Sorrowing. I could vividly picture the rot and just how heavy and prevalent it is within these cursed families’ lives (physically/mentally). I couldn’t put this down as I needed to know what would happen next immediately!! I really enjoyed all of the characters and the relationships within. Overall, Mercy is a great YA supernatural mystery that will keep you wanting more. This will be the perfect read for spooky season in October!

A solid 4.25 stars. A really intriguing YA horror with a mystery I desperately wanted to see solved.

Mercy Farr has resigned herself to her fate: her family (along with two other families) have been cursed for decades by the Sorrowing as a result of covering up the murders of the Gracey family. The Sorrowing is an entity all on its own: slowly rotting and decaying the town of Arbor Falls, but especially preying on the families involved in the cover up. Make plans to leave? You'll find your travel plans cancelled for some unbeknownst reason. Want to open a new business? Prepare for a storm to come through town and completely destroy the building. Mercy knows this, she's lived it all her life. It's what took her mother from her. All that changes when the Bowens move in and don't know they're one of the cursed families. When Mercy finally tells the Bowen's son, Matteo, he refuses to take it lying down. Along with their friends, they begin a journey to find out what really happened the night of the Gracey murders - and if there's a way to finally break the curse.

This was a beautifully written story. I could picture the town, the rot, everything so clearly and I think that added to the horror in a great way. I couldn't put the book down, waiting for the next thing to go wrong or for the Bowens to finally get what was happening to them. You could really feel how resigned everyone was to having to live with the Sorrowing; they knew the rules and how to live without aggravating it. Matteo coming in and refusing to settle for this life was the jumpstart Mercy needed, and I'm so glad she had it. The mystery of this had me hooked and each unveiling of a new clue had me eager to turn the next page.

I would have liked to see the Sorrowing interact more with the families - is that awful to say?? I know the families have essentially learned their lessons over the past 70 years with the exception of the Bowens, but there were definitely times in the story that I expected the Sorrowing to interact more with Mercy or Cody.

I would definitely recommend this, especially in the fall for spooky season.

Thank you to HarperCollins for the eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I wish we could do half stars so I rounded this one up.

Let’s start with the good: the prose? Chef’s kiss. Atmospheric, spooky, and soaked in haunting folklore. You can feel the weight of grief and trauma on every page. The story about Mercy’s mom… the explanation of the curse.. it keeps you reading and wanting more… but then you don’t get more. The curse is interesting but not very well defined. I think that made me lose interest a few times.

The plot kind of wanders. And by “kind of” I mean I occasionally wondered if I’d accidentally skipped pages. Several times I found myself trying to figure out why things were happening.

Overall it was a decent ride! I would recommend it as an easy read.

As I said, 3.5 stars .. Rounded up because I’m scared the sorrowing will find me!

Thank you NetGallery and HarperCollins publishings for the opportunity to read this one early!

This book should come with a warning label: if you have depression or anxiety you may want to pass on this book. The author is THAT GOOD at setting the mood. I was depressed by chapter 8! I wanted to know how Mercy was going to make it through adulthood. I adored AJ for being by her side no matter what. I cheered when Matteo would push her to think about WHY things were the way they are. And I absolutely needed to know WHAT HAPPENED all those years ago. A definite must read.

Thank you Netgalley and HarperCollins Children’s Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Patricia Ward’s “Mercy” is a haunting, slow-burning supernatural mystery set in the cursed town of Arbor Falls. While marketed as horror, the book leans more toward atmospheric suspense, creating a story of generational trauma, buried secrets, and the weight of history on those who remain. With its compelling themes of racial and cultural discrimination, small-town insularity, and the desperate fight for truth, “Mercy” is a gripping read for fans of YA mysteries with a supernatural twist.

Mercy has always lived under the weight of the Sorrowing—a generational curse that has plagued her family and several others in Arbor Falls for decades. The Sorrowing acts like a creeping infection, manifesting as black soot that spreads across the town, sickening those most connected to the sins of the past. The curse keeps the affected families stagnant, preventing them from growing, dreaming, or leaving behind the town’s shadowed history. But when the Bowen family returns to Arbor Falls, everything changes. Their ignorance of the town’s unspoken rules sparks a chain reaction, forcing Mercy to dig into the dark history of the Sorrowing. As she unearths long-buried secrets—ones that involve erasure, racial discrimination, and the cover-up of a wealthy white man’s crimes—she realizes that the only way to break the curse is to finally confront the truth.

One of the book’s greatest strengths is its immersive world-building. The Sorrowing is not just a metaphorical burden but a tangible, eerie presence—marked by the relentless appearance of black soot, the physical decay of the town, and the strange, selective way it afflicts certain families. This curse serves as a powerful allegory for the slow deterioration of rural towns weighed down by their own unspoken histories. The book also excels in its exploration of justice, guilt, and complicity. Mercy’s journey is not just about breaking a supernatural curse; it’s about challenging the lies and cover-ups that have allowed injustices to fester for generations. The book’s commentary on cultural and racial discrimination is brought up naturally into the story, adding depth and relevance without overshadowing the story’s core mystery.

The characters are another highlight. Mercy is a compelling protagonist—resigned to her fate at first, but gradually evolving into someone who refuses to accept the silence that has defined her town. The side characters, including Mateo, all contribute meaningfully to the story. Rosie, with her hopeful attempts to beautify the town, provides a stark contrast to the curse’s destructive presence, though I do wish her role had been further developed.

While the book’s mystery is engaging, some aspects of the curse’s mechanics feel inconsistent. The Sorrowing’s reach is sometimes unclear—certain extended family members are affected, while others seem untouched without explanation. Additionally, the pacing can feel repetitive at times, with certain revelations drawn out longer than necessary. For those expecting outright horror, Mercy may not fully deliver. While the atmosphere is undeniably eerie, it leans more into supernatural mystery and generational trauma than outright thrills. Readers looking for jump scares or intense horror elements may find the story a bit slower than expected.

Overall, “Mercy” is a beautifully written, deeply atmospheric book that explores the weight of generational curses—both literal and metaphorical. Its themes of racial injustice, small-town secrets, and the necessity of truth make it a thought-provoking read, especially for YA audiences. Ward definitely delivers an engaging supernatural mystery with an ultimately hopeful and satisfying ending.

You can so tell this is YA and didn't have anything really that I thought was edge-of-your-seat thrilling. It kinda of fell short for me

There is a lot of goodness with this novel. Recommend for lovers of YA mystery and darkness.

Pros
Most characters add a necessary element to the story
Unraveling of the mystery
The ending (yes, it's "happy" but the conflict is resolved)

It got a bit redundant and repetitive at times. Seemed to be a mismatch of who was affected by the Sorrowing. At times, extended family could be impacted (Rosie) but then other times some seemed immune. Wanted more about Rosie and her enthusiasm to beautify the town.

3.5 stars. This was an average young adult read. It felt like most of the other supernatural mysteries geared towards teenagers. Not bad at all, but not thrilling either.