Blog Tour | Book Review – Harrow Lake by Kat Ellis

Hello my bookish friends. Today I’m really excited to be part the #UltimateBlogTour by TheWritesReads for the haunting and chilling horror YA, Harrow Lake by Kat Ellis. I’m not going to say any more apart from here is my review and a little bit more about the book.

Harrow Lake by Kat Ellis
on July 9, 2020
Genres: Horror
Amazon | Book Depository | Waterstones
Goodreads

The must-have thriller of 2020 that will keep you gripped, keep you guessing and keep you up all night.
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.

My Review

Who doesn’t love a good horror movie?! I admit that it wasn’t until my boyfriend that I enjoy more horror films. Favourites include Resident Evil, or any good Zombie movies, and A Quiet Place at the moment. But what about reading them, where do you stand? So Harrow Lake is probably the first book I dabbled in this genre but wow, there really is something about reading horror in comparison to watching it. I think it’s so much worse. Ha.

Harrow Lake, is known for its film history. Lola daughter of Nolan Nox, the director of the film Nightjar that took place in that very town. When Lola discovers her father stabbed in their apartment, she has to go and live with her next of kin, her grandmother in Harrow Lake. Her mother and father got together during the film, her mother, the main character, Little Bird. But she left, leaving it just her and Nolan. Now, in Harrow Lake she uncovers more about the town that defines existence, what happened her mum and the legend that is Mister Jitters had something to do with it.

So let me answer my first question, do I enjoy reading horrors? There was a reason why I never really took to the genre much, whilst horror on tv is there physically on the screen, reading it lends to your imagination. Your imagination is amazing when reading fantasy, but it can certainly turn on you and twist things when you read something like Harrow Lake. I had no expectations for this book, buy holy crap did it creep me out. I think that means the author has written an amazing horror book for that reaction.

The setting of the book really sends shivers down you. A particular scene with human teeth and jittering of Mister Jitter would have be reaching for the cushions if I was watching it. There is one thing I can’t stand in horror and that’s teeth chattering, or any type of jittering. It really gets to me and my boyfriend does like to replicate those sounds after the movie. I digress though, there is something about Mister Jitters, the puppet with it’s talons and jittering. There’s even a song about him, why a song. Oh a creepy doll that Lola that she had an imaginary childhood friend. Kat Ellis must have known that would have seeped right into my bones. That is why I couldn’t put it down.

A haunting setting, chilling sound effects and oh what else, characters – yes. Now I think for me I couldn’t connect with them. But I guess that’s a good thing I guess. Should you relate to characters in a horror movie?! Lola is a complicated character, she isn’t very likeable but to be honest with having Nolan as a father and Larry, the chauffeur – no wonder. Carter, the park ranger – I rather liked him, I think it’s because he’s the guy to go to who knows about the town, a sane one at least. Cora, her (sort of) friend, I found her fascinating, she is the girl of the town, but the one who really wants to escape it. She isn’t afraid to tell it how it is, even if it scares you.

Harrow Lake is by far the creepiest book I have ever read.It will leave you mind reeling, hence why it took me so long to get into another book. It’s dark, chilling and will haunt you for a long time.

Side note – Read it, preferably in the daytime, not at night, you might get nightmares.

Thank you to Penguin for sending me a copy in exchange for a review! Thank to The Write Reads for organising the blog tour!