Harrow Lake by Kat Ellis

Publisher: Penguin
Publication Date: July 9th, 2020

Genre: YA Horror, Thriller

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Buy Links: Kinokuniya Malaysia 

Source: Thank you to Times Read for the review copy in exchange for an honest review

Rating: 3.5★

Blurbs

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.

Because I have been wanting to read more thriller/horror genre hence when I saw Harrow Lake is in that circle, I was very excited to jump into the story. 

The story follows with Lola who is a daughter to Nolan Nox, a film director. He mostly directed horror films in which one of his famous, iconic films is Nightjar in which he filmed it at Harrow Lake where he met his wife, Lola's mother. One day, when Lola reach her house she saw a pool of blood throughout her house into his dad's office where she finds his dad has been stabbed. For that reason, after Nolan admitted to the hospital, Lola has to transfer to live her grandmother at Harrow Lake. That's when she discovers uncanny things happen around the town also the secret about her mom. 

The story was undeniably interesting. I love the beginning of the book where it starts with an interview of Nolan Nox which interviewed by a character who you will be discovered from the story soon enough. As the book suggested as a horror, I do feel the eerieness from some of the scenes in the book especially when Lola saw "someone" is watching her from the window. That was really creepy and the fact that I sleep facing the window has given me extra chills. Couldn't put my mind off from that especially imagining with the sound of 'tap..tap..TAP.' God!

So, I'm not sure how should I describe her character. She is okay except the fact she using a lot 'Optimal' which is weird. Because why would she keep on repeating the word 'optimal' and there were a lot of times she keep thinking the words her father said to her. Honestly, I think there are some missing puzzles here and there in the story which one of the reasons it makes me feel a little bit disappointed. 

Overall, I seriously want to give all my love for this but it does not give me that feels. It has so many potentials but I think it doesn't give me full satisfaction from it. It is like something is missing somewhere. Don't get me wrong; I love her writing, the vibes, the creepy, eerie feelings, the ideas which are great. So, it could be me who is weird for not having it. BUT, I do enjoy the book nonetheless. Anyway, despite whatever I feel it could only be me but who knows, it works the best on you.