Author: Kat Ellis
Genre: YA Horror
Release Date: 08.25.20
Publisher: Dial Books
Source: E-ARC via NetGalley
My Rating: 3 stars?
SYNOPSIS: “Things I know about Harrow Lake:
1.It’s where my father shot his most disturbing slasher film.
2.There’s something not right about this town.
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 quickly 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”
I’m having a hard time deciding what to rate Harrow Lake. Right now, three stars feels best, but my thoughts about this book are complicated. The writing and well-crafted horror atmosphere of this story were fantastic. It was unsettling enough that I would avoid reading it at night because it creeped me out so much. The way the story was crafted was terrifying and unnerving in the perfect way.
With that being said, I also had a hard time connecting to the story. I didn’t have much of an emotional connection to the cast and I found myself losing interest at times. I cared enough about the story to stick around for the ending, but also I did skim read a fair amount of the middle. The characters (main and side) fell flat, and there was a lack of emotional connection there. I wanted to know what would happen in the end, I was curious, but I had little sympathy for what the characters were dealing with.
So, while I did love the writing and scary vibes, I wasn’t emotionally invested in the story. I stuck around for the ending (which was worth it!) but overall this wasn’t the book for me. I wouldn’t say this is a bad book, it is definitely still worth a shot if you think you’d enjoy it! Horror has never necessarily been my genre of choice, and I think that also played into my feelings towards Harrow Lake. It wasn’t a bad book, just not one for me. If you decide to pick this up I hope you enjoy! Trust me when I say that the town of Harrow Lake is downright creepy 🙂
Thank you so much to the publisher for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
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