Harrow Lake Review

 

Title: Harrow Lake

Author: Kat Ellis

Publisher: Penguin

Publication Date: 09 July 2020

Source: Penguin Random House South Africa

Format: ARC (Advanced Reader's Copy)

Pages: 320

Rating: 4 Stars

Goodreads Synopsis:

Welcome to Harrow Lake. Someone's expecting you...

Lola Nox is the daughter of a celebrated horror filmmaker - she thinks nothing can scare her. 

But when her father is brutally attacked in their New York apartment, she's swiftly packed off to live with a grandmother she's never met in Harrow Lake, the eerie town where her father's most iconic horror movie was shot. 

The locals are weirdly obsessed with the film that put their town on the map - and there are strange disappearances, which the police seem determined to explain away. 

And there's someone - or something - stalking her every move. 

The more Lola discovers about the town, the more terrifying it becomes. Because Lola's got secrets of her own. And if she can't find a way out of Harrow Lake, they might just be the death of her. 

Book Review:

Pre-reading Thoughts:

I remember receiving this book at one point during last year and I was so excited to read it because the ARC copy looked like a VHS tape with its cover. I absolutely loved the design. This book has been catching my eyes for months so I am really excited to get it for #Thrilltober!!

Thank you so much to Penguin Random House South Africa for providing me with a copy of this book. Just a quick disclaimer for those reading this review, I have received this book for free. Please note that this does not affect my opinions in any way. All thoughts are my own. 

Writing Thoughts:

The book starts and ends with an interview that takes place after the events in the book. This does a great job of setting up the tension especially since not all of the interview is readable. I enjoyed the descriptions of certain events as it made the book not only flow well but made me turn the pages faster. The most of the dialogue that took place was internal but when Lola interacted with other characters, it was awkward and almost forced. Personally, I think this added to the story but I am not entirely sure if it was intentional or not. 

Plot Thoughts:

The plot was definitely one that kept me up at night and even had me sitting on the edge of my seat. As mentioned, the book starts off with an interview between Nolan, our main characters father, and an unknown reporter. The questions asked leave us with much to consider when we actually start with the main plot. The book starts off slow and seems like just another one of those small town stories but it quickly turns sinister and creepy. 

Character Thoughts:

Lola made for an interesting main character. She was very dependent on her father and almost seemed lost in the beginning when she didn't have access to his presence. However, as the story progressed, Lola became a strong character that was plagued not only by the memory of her mother but also by a monster that seemed to always be around the corner.  

Final Thoughts:

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. This book left me with chills every time I finished reading it. It was something I wasn't quite expecting and surprised me at every turn. The writing kept me engaged and was descriptive which matched the sinister and creepy events of the plots. Lola was not a character I liked in the beginning but she slowly grew on me. I definitely think that she made this book for me. If you are looking for a book that will leave you feeling like the shadows at night are watching you, then you definitely need to pick this up! Thank you so much to Penguin Random House South Africa for providing me with a copy of this book!

Yours in Reading, 

Melleny