We Were Warned by Chelsea Ichaso
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Everyone knows the legend of Fairpoint Village, an abandoned beach resort. 25-years ago, a murder closed the place down and soon the ruins will be demolished for good.
Eden has heard the lore about Fairpoint all her life. They say anyone who sets foot there will be cursed to die, and that has happened a couple of times over the years, when students daring to explore the ruins where killed.
Before the scheduled demo can take place, an overnight party is planned for the ruins. Eden reluctantly attends to assist her friend, Henry, with doing some filming.
She’s nervous about going, more because of the other kids that will be there as opposed to the lore of the ruins. Since Eden’s Dad ditched town after taking part in a little white-collar crime, she’s sort of been a social pariah.
Most concerning to her is being anywhere near her ex-best friend, Caleb. They were so close as kids, but since Freshman year, Caleb has barely given her the time of day.
Unfortunately, the party night takes a horrifying turn and now more kids are dying. Is it the haunting of the ruins, or something much closer to home, that is now stalking these teens and trying to take them out one-by-one?
The 1st-book I read from this author, They’re Watching You, was only 2-stars for me and I was hesitant to pick up anything from Ichaso after that. However, when I read the synopsis for this one, I knew I had to give it a shot.
I’m so happy to report that We Were Warned ended up being a a very solid 4-star read for me. I can’t even tell you how excited I was to be gripped by this one from the start.
It kept me entertained and guessing throughout. I thought the pace was great and I loved the character dynamics. There was a lot of drama, both with the kids and their parents, and I’m always down for that.
My favorite aspects were the mysterious lore of this town and watching Eden have to work together with a group of kids who didn’t necessarily start out as her friends.
I thought Ichaso did a wonderful job with the characters, particularly with Eden and Caleb. Their relationship was complicated from the start, and I felt like all of their interactions felt realistic. The way that relationship changed throughout the book, also made sense and felt organic.
Additionally, I really enjoyed Eden’s growth as a character. The way she started to come out of her shell and started to assert herself more with her peers as she gained confidence.
I did enjoy the conclusion as well, although certain aspects started to get a little muddled towards the end. Overall, I thought it was very well-executed.
Thank you, Tantor Audio, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I would highly recommend the audio format. The narration by Jennifer Jill Araya was fantastic!