Scan barcode
A review by tayahmarie
Cherish Farrah by Bethany C. Morrow
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Where do I even start with this one? LOL. This was yet another odd, unsettling, and fever dream-esque type of story, but I did enjoy it!
When it comes to the characters, Farrah was by far one of the most fascinating and compelling ones I’ve ever read about. I know a lot of folks don’t like unreliable narrators, but I always have, and Farrah did not disappoint. I was just as entertained by trying to figure out what’s real and what’s not, just as much as the outlandish plot. As for Cherish, I didn’t feel as connected to her character, but I recognized her significance and role, so I still found her interesting to a degree.
I also wanted to note that even though Farrah and Cherish’s friendship is very complex, odd, and essentially toxic, I appreciated Morrow’s analysis of their bond and enjoyed peeling back the layers of the true nature of their dynamic.
Moving onto the thing(s) I loved and didn’t - I loved Morrow’s writing style. This story and the characters are extremely unsettling, and that feeling stayed with me from Chapter one until the end. And if I’m reading a Thriller/Horror, that’s one of the things I look for; how does it make me feel? Am I thrilled? Scared? Unsettled? I can imagine that this isn’t an easy feat for authors to execute, so kudos!
The main things that stopped this from being a 5-star read were the ambiguous ending/plot holes and the fact that this story had the potential to really go there and get dark. I mean really dark, especially when you figure out the larger meaning behind the gift that Cherish’s mom gave to Farrah.
Final Thoughts: Overall, I enjoyed this and still recommend it. I think this was a fresh and unique take on social horror. You never really know people’s true intentions or who’s really in control.
When it comes to the characters, Farrah was by far one of the most fascinating and compelling ones I’ve ever read about. I know a lot of folks don’t like unreliable narrators, but I always have, and Farrah did not disappoint. I was just as entertained by trying to figure out what’s real and what’s not, just as much as the outlandish plot. As for Cherish, I didn’t feel as connected to her character, but I recognized her significance and role, so I still found her interesting to a degree.
I also wanted to note that even though Farrah and Cherish’s friendship is very complex, odd, and essentially toxic, I appreciated Morrow’s analysis of their bond and enjoyed peeling back the layers of the true nature of their dynamic.
Moving onto the thing(s) I loved and didn’t - I loved Morrow’s writing style. This story and the characters are extremely unsettling, and that feeling stayed with me from Chapter one until the end. And if I’m reading a Thriller/Horror, that’s one of the things I look for; how does it make me feel? Am I thrilled? Scared? Unsettled? I can imagine that this isn’t an easy feat for authors to execute, so kudos!
The main things that stopped this from being a 5-star read were the ambiguous ending/plot holes and the fact that this story had the potential to really go there and get dark. I mean really dark, especially when you figure out the larger meaning behind the gift that Cherish’s mom gave to Farrah.
Final Thoughts: Overall, I enjoyed this and still recommend it. I think this was a fresh and unique take on social horror. You never really know people’s true intentions or who’s really in control.