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haileyannereads's review against another edition
2.0
I was hoping for a good, scary book. Instead, it was confusing and just a bit much. I understand what the book was trying to say, but I'm not sure I like the way it was done.
dani17731's review against another edition
3.0
3.75 stars. It was hard to decide on a rating.
I liked the creepy atmosphere but Lola was annoying as shit. I had to keep reminding myself that this is a teenager (I haven't been reading much YA lately), so I guess I can't be too frustrated with her. I really liked the ending, too.
I liked the creepy atmosphere but Lola was annoying as shit. I had to keep reminding myself that this is a teenager (I haven't been reading much YA lately), so I guess I can't be too frustrated with her. I really liked the ending, too.
droar's review against another edition
4.0
OOooo, much spooks! Harrow Lake is a fast paced, spinning confusion of horror aesthetic and mystery in a truly excellent way. I don't read a ton of YA horror (too much shoe horned romance & too little creeps usually) but this one pulled me in with it's concept & captivating cover. & it delivered! I won't go into the story too much before a spoilers cut but I can see why the reviews run the gambit. What I will say is if you're into mystery thrillers with some strong horror vibes I think you'll enjoy Harrow Lake a great deal!
Now on to the nitty gritty full of spoilers:
The only thing that really turned me off a bit is the quantity of abuse. I know it is central to the plot, well thought out on Ellis's part, & fairly carefully talked about buuuut every time Lola did or said something in the first 3/4th of this book I cringed so hard. It was physically painful at points to see how manipulated & twisted Lola had been by Nolan, & then the reveal with Lorelai, And her mothers reaction. Ugh it's all too heartbreaking to stand. I shockingly didn't cry but I think that's just because the knowledge is presented quickly & without comment by and large. I am not saying the content was too much for a teen book or anything, just that I wasn't ready for it & am a wuss.
My only other questions really come from the beginning of Lola's story & Larry, was she wandering around New York covered in blood? Was Larry actually supposed to send her away if 'something happened' to Nolan or was he just making things up to protect Lola & thus Nolan? I don't neeeed to know these things but it would be interesting & the opening & closing leave those areas blank.
One last thing I want to shout about (& think I can without revealing too much), I Love the way Ellis opens & closes this book on Nolan's interview. It expertly builds mystery in the beginning & protects the horror of Lola's section so well. Absolutely perfect choices & I support them 1,000,000%.
Now on to the nitty gritty full of spoilers:
Spoiler
So this book leaves you with a fair bit of leeway in deciding if all the fantastical is Lola's head pushing through repressed memories or some actual fantastical shenanigans going on. That really works for me. I don't think it would have been as satisfying if Ellis further revealed exactly what happened in the museum or had Nolan confess to offing Carter & Cora's dad. I like that the town has an air of possibly actually cursed to it that can absolutely be logically explained, but maybe shouldn't. Long & short is that it really worked for me, this mix of fantastical & phycological, but as someone who is almost always wanting more explanation at the end of a mystery I can absolutely see why some people were disappointed.The only thing that really turned me off a bit is the quantity of abuse. I know it is central to the plot, well thought out on Ellis's part, & fairly carefully talked about buuuut every time Lola did or said something in the first 3/4th of this book I cringed so hard. It was physically painful at points to see how manipulated & twisted Lola had been by Nolan, & then the reveal with Lorelai, And her mothers reaction. Ugh it's all too heartbreaking to stand. I shockingly didn't cry but I think that's just because the knowledge is presented quickly & without comment by and large. I am not saying the content was too much for a teen book or anything, just that I wasn't ready for it & am a wuss.
My only other questions really come from the beginning of Lola's story & Larry, was she wandering around New York covered in blood? Was Larry actually supposed to send her away if 'something happened' to Nolan or was he just making things up to protect Lola & thus Nolan? I don't neeeed to know these things but it would be interesting & the opening & closing leave those areas blank.
One last thing I want to shout about (& think I can without revealing too much), I Love the way Ellis opens & closes this book on Nolan's interview. It expertly builds mystery in the beginning & protects the horror of Lola's section so well. Absolutely perfect choices & I support them 1,000,000%.
booksandlemonsquash's review against another edition
3.0
I received this book from the publisher via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.
I found Harrow Lake really intriguing and atmospheric! From the start you’re thrown into a world of confusion and tension. The creep factor is already dialled you as you start and this only increases as the book progresses!
I’m not a fan of horror at all, and I was worried I’d got in over my head with this one. But I really enjoyed reading it - because it’s super creepy but not terrifying, because it’s also half a mystery, and because it’s well written.
Lola is a girl who has been kept secluded, pretty much, by her father, and is sent to stay with her grandmother while he recuperates from a stabbing. She ends up in the town where his big horror movie was filmed, and where everyone in town knows who she is. Lola may not always be a likeable main character, but she is sympathetic - she’s torn away from everything she knows and into the deep end of this small town.
As Lola tries to find out more about the creepy town legend or her mum, we also get lots of glimpses into how her life has messed her up - she’s seeing things, and this is really not helped at all by the town who all add to her feelings of discontent and like she’s being watched. It’s incredibly well put together.
I am definitely not telling you about the ending because it would ruin it, but I both loved it and found it a little disappointing. I wanted more answers than we got about the town! But I did enjoy how it all played out and how we find out various things.
Overall, this was a 3.5 star read for me but only because I felt there were a few loose ends I’d have liked tied up - while I’m sure this is intentional, I like answers! But the writing and atmosphere is definitely worthy of 4 stars!
I found Harrow Lake really intriguing and atmospheric! From the start you’re thrown into a world of confusion and tension. The creep factor is already dialled you as you start and this only increases as the book progresses!
I’m not a fan of horror at all, and I was worried I’d got in over my head with this one. But I really enjoyed reading it - because it’s super creepy but not terrifying, because it’s also half a mystery, and because it’s well written.
Lola is a girl who has been kept secluded, pretty much, by her father, and is sent to stay with her grandmother while he recuperates from a stabbing. She ends up in the town where his big horror movie was filmed, and where everyone in town knows who she is. Lola may not always be a likeable main character, but she is sympathetic - she’s torn away from everything she knows and into the deep end of this small town.
As Lola tries to find out more about the creepy town legend or her mum, we also get lots of glimpses into how her life has messed her up - she’s seeing things, and this is really not helped at all by the town who all add to her feelings of discontent and like she’s being watched. It’s incredibly well put together.
I am definitely not telling you about the ending because it would ruin it, but I both loved it and found it a little disappointing. I wanted more answers than we got about the town! But I did enjoy how it all played out and how we find out various things.
Overall, this was a 3.5 star read for me but only because I felt there were a few loose ends I’d have liked tied up - while I’m sure this is intentional, I like answers! But the writing and atmosphere is definitely worthy of 4 stars!
crosara's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.75
claudiack's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
4.5
aaron_j136's review against another edition
4.0
oh please I accidentally marked this as a 5 star read. silly me
I did enjoy this book and there wasn't anything I particularly disliked but there wasn't anything I particularly LOVED (hence the 4 star)
I did enjoy this book and there wasn't anything I particularly disliked but there wasn't anything I particularly LOVED (hence the 4 star)
alexabookish's review against another edition
3.0
this was fine. it was definitely creepy, occasionally. i just wanted more from it. more creepiness, more mystery, more thrills. i don’t know, it was kinda just fine. and i think one of the “reveals” was super obvious from early on in the book.
plaidpladd's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
3.0
This book had spooky atmosphere going for it, I'll give it that
scrollsofdragons's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5