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A review by svjak
What We Harvest by Ann Fraistat
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Think zombies, but with quicksilver seeping out of their body, mold growing on their nails, irises turning cloudy white, and a calling home to the forest during the day. At night they come out to hunt and you better be careful - the infected aren't the only way to catch it. The entire land is covered with the blight.
SO MUCH of this book hinges on atmospheric storytelling and world building - Ann Fraistat didn't disappoint. I was pulled into this story from page one. The way she tells a story - man idk. I got so many spooky, creepy, horror story vibes from this novel. It would be a perfect autumn/october mood read. I know this isn't proper horror but it gave me the same feel I got from novels like Bird Box. Fraistat mastered the art of giving the reader that eerie 'someone's watching me' feeling and even now a few hours after finishing the novel I can't shake it.
Not only was the general vibe of the book amazing, but I loved the character dynamics. Wren was a dreamer and a fighter all at the same time. She had an idyllic naïvety about her that made you want to root for her and yet anytime she was cornered the claws came out and you got to see what she was really made of.
This book deeply explores themes of sacrifice, right and wrong, revenge, dark family secrets, the power of bonds with animals, and taking care of the people we love. At times it was heart wrenchingly sad and a few pages down the road I would be laughing or giggling over a cute moment.
I so desperately want more that it's almost a new heartbreak post-novel to realize it was a standalone and this was the author's debut novel. I'm just absolutely blown away.
SO MUCH of this book hinges on atmospheric storytelling and world building - Ann Fraistat didn't disappoint. I was pulled into this story from page one. The way she tells a story - man idk. I got so many spooky, creepy, horror story vibes from this novel. It would be a perfect autumn/october mood read. I know this isn't proper horror but it gave me the same feel I got from novels like Bird Box. Fraistat mastered the art of giving the reader that eerie 'someone's watching me' feeling and even now a few hours after finishing the novel I can't shake it.
Not only was the general vibe of the book amazing, but I loved the character dynamics. Wren was a dreamer and a fighter all at the same time. She had an idyllic naïvety about her that made you want to root for her and yet anytime she was cornered the claws came out and you got to see what she was really made of.
This book deeply explores themes of sacrifice, right and wrong, revenge, dark family secrets, the power of bonds with animals, and taking care of the people we love. At times it was heart wrenchingly sad and a few pages down the road I would be laughing or giggling over a cute moment.
I so desperately want more that it's almost a new heartbreak post-novel to realize it was a standalone and this was the author's debut novel. I'm just absolutely blown away.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, and Grief
Minor: Murder
There is a lot of body horror, blood, death, gore, grief, and violence. I added a warning for murder because although no people end up dying of murder, there are several points in the book where you almost think that's the case. There is also one murder mentioned that happened in the past. There is a lot of animal death, but no animals that are pets or are close to the main characters.