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emmaahlerup's review against another edition
5.0
Detta är den läskigaste bok jag någonsin har läst. Sträckläste och fasade men kunde inte sluta läsa. Ajvides bästa!
mollie_makebelieve's review against another edition
5.0
Holy cow! If you like suspense with just a touch of horror/science fiction I HIGHLY recommend this book! It is haunting to say the very least, the kind of book that I couldn't put down and definitely should not have been reading right before bed! I'm adding it to my re-read list!
It's from the same author who wrote "let me in/let the right one in" he does a good job with scary and kinda graphic but not too gross (it does get a little "off" in places but not to the point where it takes me out of the story) and it doesn't fall into the "torture porn" category of the horror genre which is just NOT my thing!
Suspenseful at times and heart wrenching at others. Lindqvist is very skilled at painting a DARK landscape but putting just enough light in that you don't get lost and give up on the characters. Based on this book and on "Let the right one in" Ill be checking out more from this Author!
It's from the same author who wrote "let me in/let the right one in" he does a good job with scary and kinda graphic but not too gross (it does get a little "off" in places but not to the point where it takes me out of the story) and it doesn't fall into the "torture porn" category of the horror genre which is just NOT my thing!
Suspenseful at times and heart wrenching at others. Lindqvist is very skilled at painting a DARK landscape but putting just enough light in that you don't get lost and give up on the characters. Based on this book and on "Let the right one in" Ill be checking out more from this Author!
perfectcupoftea's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-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
1.0
lyndacclark's review against another edition
4.0
As always with Lindqvist, this was an incredibly moving, intriguing story. A story with horrifying elements, but not a horror in the traditional sense, Harbour takes longer to get going than some of Lindqvist's other novels, but the further you're sucked in, the more you realise all that careful groundwork was necessary. The lives of the islanders are inextricably linked and it's understanding the depth of those connections that makes the ending all the more compelling.
breadandmushrooms's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
yksisarvisprinsessa's review against another edition
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.0
leanne_83's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed reading Harbour, but I found the storyline to be weaker than his previous books - Let the Right One In and Handling the Undead. I think it lost its way towards the end and left too many unanswered questions.
It had its moments of suspense and a foreboding, yet it is not a horror story. It won't make you fear the sea, but it will make you see it differently. I found the book to be more of a character study, on what can happen to a person when they lose someone close to them - the self destruction, guilt, fear, uncertainty and despair they struggle with. Yet it isn't all bad, we also see how hope and love is stronger than the evil in the world.
Lindqvist is good at telling stories, he can make characters jump of the page and linger in your mind for days after finishing his books, and the settings are just as important as the stories. However, Harbour's plot feels rushed and not as well thought out. There's something missing and the ending just doesn't do the book justice.
It had its moments of suspense and a foreboding, yet it is not a horror story. It won't make you fear the sea, but it will make you see it differently. I found the book to be more of a character study, on what can happen to a person when they lose someone close to them - the self destruction, guilt, fear, uncertainty and despair they struggle with. Yet it isn't all bad, we also see how hope and love is stronger than the evil in the world.
Lindqvist is good at telling stories, he can make characters jump of the page and linger in your mind for days after finishing his books, and the settings are just as important as the stories. However, Harbour's plot feels rushed and not as well thought out. There's something missing and the ending just doesn't do the book justice.
ryoflame's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Docked a few points because while I did very much enjoy the process of reading this bizarre story, I felt like so much of it remained vague that by the end I didn't really feel like I'd gotten any answers to my many questions. I loved a lot of the ideas and the characters but they didn't always mesh cohesively. I did enjoy the bouncing around between past and present--it broke up some of the weirdness into more palatable chunks. Puzzled by this book, unsure if I know anyone I'd confidently be able to recommend it to... I feel like I'd benefit from another read through.
boris3141's review against another edition
3.0
It's like Lovecraft! But Swedish! And like some Lovecraft (and lots of Lovecraft-knockoff) stories, the sort of reveal of what's really going on is kind of a letdown compared to the buildup. Luckily the buildup is pretty darn enjoyable. And I kind of am a sucker for the whole "small rural town hides ancient evil" type genre.
suzemo's review against another edition
3.0
Disclaimer: I received this for free from St. Martins.
This was my first book by this author. I love good, non-gore horror, so I was excited to read this book.
I thoroughly enjoyed the first third (or so) of the book. The writing is beautiful and the book is wonderfully atmospheric. Both the writer and the translator deserve mountains of kudos for it (and for the rest of the writing).
When the story of the mystery of the island/sea start coming out, I thought it was a little odd, and not very satisfying. The characters are all real, the motivations make sense, but some of the "twists" are just a bit much.
Towards the very end of the book, the mystery/horror got a little crazy and the last few pages were just a jumbled hot mess. There was no explanation as to why the sea "monster" (for lack of a better term) was at that island, how it came to be, what the denizens of the island (who were so intertwined with it) were or anything. There was much made of how the sea was "weak" but no explanations, no resolution.
Beautifully written book, but the end just fell apart, like the author didn't know where he was going.
It's really 2.5 stars. I really, really liked the writing and the beginning, but the end kind of ruined it all for me.
This was my first book by this author. I love good, non-gore horror, so I was excited to read this book.
I thoroughly enjoyed the first third (or so) of the book. The writing is beautiful and the book is wonderfully atmospheric. Both the writer and the translator deserve mountains of kudos for it (and for the rest of the writing).
When the story of the mystery of the island/sea start coming out, I thought it was a little odd, and not very satisfying. The characters are all real, the motivations make sense, but some of the "twists" are just a bit much.
Towards the very end of the book, the mystery/horror got a little crazy and the last few pages were just a jumbled hot mess. There was no explanation as to why the sea "monster" (for lack of a better term) was at that island, how it came to be, what the denizens of the island (who were so intertwined with it) were or anything. There was much made of how the sea was "weak" but no explanations, no resolution.
Beautifully written book, but the end just fell apart, like the author didn't know where he was going.
It's really 2.5 stars. I really, really liked the writing and the beginning, but the end kind of ruined it all for me.