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A review by mellabella
Harrow Lake by Kat Ellis
2.0
I'm on the fence with this one. A teenage girl is abruptly sent to the town her mother (who she hasn't seen since she was 5) grew up in to live with her maternal grandmother after her father is attacked in their NYC apartment.
While definitely creepy and atmospheric (and captured the sinister nature of some small towns)... I think my expectations were too high. That cover art drew me in!
Lola wasn't a very likable main character. I tried to give her grace. She's a teenager with an absentee mom (or so we think). Her home life as the only child and daughter of a famous horror film maker seems lonely. She craves attention while being prickly to people that give it to her.
She's also somewhat of an unreliable narrator. Was Mary Ann really making appearances?
There were so many times that she made poor life choices by wandering (or running off) alone that I just figured something was going to happen to her.
I did like the way her memories unfolded. What really happened to her mom and how evil her father (who, I might mention, she idolized) is. All the while figuring out why her mom was so eager to leave the town she grew up in.
But did we ever learn why her bag was hidden and why? What was the grandmothers story?
I'm going to assume at the end that she made it out OK and, beat her father at his own horror making game with the book and subsequent movie?
While definitely creepy and atmospheric (and captured the sinister nature of some small towns)... I think my expectations were too high. That cover art drew me in!
Lola wasn't a very likable main character. I tried to give her grace. She's a teenager with an absentee mom (or so we think). Her home life as the only child and daughter of a famous horror film maker seems lonely. She craves attention while being prickly to people that give it to her.
She's also somewhat of an unreliable narrator. Was Mary Ann really making appearances?
There were so many times that she made poor life choices by wandering (or running off) alone that I just figured something was going to happen to her.
I did like the way her memories unfolded. What really happened to her mom and how evil her father (who, I might mention, she idolized) is. All the while figuring out why her mom was so eager to leave the town she grew up in.
But did we ever learn why her bag was hidden and why? What was the grandmothers story?
I'm going to assume at the end that she made it out OK and, beat her father at his own horror making game with the book and subsequent movie?