About Me

My photo
Tea-drinking introvert found either behind a book or within arm's reach of one. Book reviewer, and book sniffer. You may have seen me on W24, BooksLive, Aerodrome, Bark Magazine, CultNoise Magazine, or Expound Magazine.

10 Nov 2020

Review: Harrow Lake by Kat Ellis

Twenty years ago, Nolan Nox directed one of the best horror films of our time; Nightjar. Set in the small town of Harrow Lake, and starring a local girl called Lorelei, the film went on to be a famous cult classic. However, not long after filming the movie, Lorelei disappeared without a trace, leaving her daughter Lola alone with Nolan. Now, when Lola is sent to stay with her grandmother in Harrow Lake, she can’t help but wonder if there’s more to her mother’s disappearance than she initially thought. Being in Lorelei’s childhood home, and retracing her steps across the town and film, Lola is surprised by how superstitious the town seems to be, and how desperate the locals are to escape – just like her mother did. In discovering the truth about her family and her past, Lola learns that some monsters aren’t just relegated to our imaginations and scary stories – but that all darkness has roots in truth.

Harrow Lake is suspenseful and fast-paced from the start, making it almost impossible to stop reading. The longer Lola stays in the town, the stranger the story becomes, until the reader is questioning not just Lola’s sanity, but their own. Dark, chilling and thoroughly entertaining, Harrow Lake is a perfect read for fans of thrillers and intrigue. A sneakily tangled and embroidered narrative flits between the real and the unreal in a nightmarish rhythm that’s as mesmerizing as it is impressive. Ellis has created a young adult novel that lacks the melodrama of the genre, instead presenting a protagonist who is mature and sophisticated, adding to the gravitas of her situation and inexplicable events in which Lola finds herself. If you like intrigue, you’ll love this book – it’s one hell of an adventure from start to finish, and I’ve no doubt it’ll be eyed for a film adaptation.

Harrow Lake by Kat Ellis is published by Penguin Random House.

No comments:

Post a Comment

What do you think? Let me know!