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Harbinger
Plagued by waking visions and nightmares, inexplicably drawn to the bones of dead animals, Faye thinks she's going crazy. Fast. Her parents believe Holbrook Academy might just be the solution. Dr. Mordoch tells her it's the only answer. But Faye knows that something's not quite right about Dr. Mordoch and her creepy, prisonlike school for disturbed teenagers.
What's wrong with Holbrook goes beyond the Takers, sadistic guards who threaten the student body with Tasers and pepper spray; or Nurse, who doles out pills at bedtime and doses of solitary confinement when kids step out of line; or Rita, the strange girl who delivers ominous messages to Faye that never seem to make any sense. What's wrong with Holbrook begins and ends with Faye's red hands; she and her newfound friends - her Holbrook "Family" - wake up every morning with their hands stained the terrible brown red of dried blood. Faye has no idea what it means but fears she may be the cause.
Because despite the strangeness of Holbrook and the island on which it sits, Faye feels oddly connected to the place; she feels especially linked to the handsome Kel, who helps her unravel the mystery. There's just one problem: Faye's certain Kel's trying to kill her - and maybe the rest of the world, too.
A rich and tautly told psychological thriller, Harbinger heralds the arrival of an exciting new voice in young adult fiction.
What's wrong with Holbrook goes beyond the Takers, sadistic guards who threaten the student body with Tasers and pepper spray; or Nurse, who doles out pills at bedtime and doses of solitary confinement when kids step out of line; or Rita, the strange girl who delivers ominous messages to Faye that never seem to make any sense. What's wrong with Holbrook begins and ends with Faye's red hands; she and her newfound friends - her Holbrook "Family" - wake up every morning with their hands stained the terrible brown red of dried blood. Faye has no idea what it means but fears she may be the cause.
Because despite the strangeness of Holbrook and the island on which it sits, Faye feels oddly connected to the place; she feels especially linked to the handsome Kel, who helps her unravel the mystery. There's just one problem: Faye's certain Kel's trying to kill her - and maybe the rest of the world, too.
A rich and tautly told psychological thriller, Harbinger heralds the arrival of an exciting new voice in young adult fiction.
309 pages, Hardcover
First published February 2, 2012
39 people are currently reading
5743 people want to read
About the author
Sara Wilson Etienne
2 books115 followersSara Wilson Etienne went to school to become a marine biologist... but when her research transformed itself into a novel, she realized she loved fantasy more than fact. Now she enjoys combining both to create stories that ask "What if?"
Sara writes in Seattle alongside her artist husband and her two dogs. Her favorite days are spent disappearing into different universes, whether it's traveling with Dr. Who, popping into a parallel world with Diana Wynne Jones or Terry Pratchett, or writing her own stories. Or sometimes just taking a nap.
Sara is the author of HARBINGER and LOTUS AND THORN.
www.sarawilsonetienne.com
Sara writes in Seattle alongside her artist husband and her two dogs. Her favorite days are spent disappearing into different universes, whether it's traveling with Dr. Who, popping into a parallel world with Diana Wynne Jones or Terry Pratchett, or writing her own stories. Or sometimes just taking a nap.
Sara is the author of HARBINGER and LOTUS AND THORN.
www.sarawilsonetienne.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 328 reviews
March 20, 2012
”Whether you know it or not, each one of you is at a critical turning point. If you are willing, there is still time to turn back from the terminal paths you have chosen. But Holbrook is your last chance. In the peace of these woods, we can lead you back to society, show you how to assimilate, nurture appropriate behavior. But if you turn your back on this final opportunity, the rest of the world will not be so kind.”
Well, they weren’t exactly kind either. Faye Robson has been fighting with visions and nightmares for years. Instead of trying to find ways to help her at home, or simply listen to her, her father brought her to Holbrook Academy, a glorified mental institution, and just left her in the not-so-gentle hands of Dr. Murdoch. At Holbrook, Dr. Murdoch maintains order with the help of her vicious Caretakers, armed with Tasers and pepper spray. They punish and degrade students at the slightest provocation, but Faye’s group is targeted even more often than the others, and something is happening to them at night while they’re under the influence of sleeping pills.
There are authors who write descriptively and atmospherically like it’s the easiest thing in the world because it comes naturally to them, and some of those authors are among my favorites. However, there are also authors who’d like to belong to that group but can’t quite pull it off. Sarah Wilson Etienne is one of them. Her prose screams that she was trying too hard. I’m not sure what she was aiming to accomplish with the first three or four chapters of Harbinger, but I can tell you that she failed spectacularly. As much as she tried to make her descriptions of Holbrook and the surrounding woods stunning and memorable, her sentences simply lack colorfulness and depth. She doesn’t even have a distinctive style like Tahereh Mafi, for example. (Hey, you can like Mafi or not, but you can’t deny that her writing is different.) As far as I can tell, she tried to find her voice and failed.
The worldbuilding was also a mess. (Wow, I’m being especially eloquent today.) In the not-so-distant future, people don’t live in cities anymore, they are organized in Cooperatives. What are these Cooperatives? Who runs them? If not in the big cities, where do they live? What caused the society to move and reorganize in such a radical way? Etienne mentions something about oil, and then around 25% she mentions Peak War, but the real explanation doesn’t come until later, and even then it’s a lot of telling and no showing, and I just couldn’t see the point. Why would she set her story in a dystopian world if she wasn’t going to develop it properly? Halbrook Academy could have existed in today’s world with a few minor adjustments. In fact, that would have been so much better because the focus needed to remain on the institution alone. I really don’t see the point of throwing your characters in a world that you leave unexplained until the very end. Bits and pieces of information were thrown in randomly, but it was too little and much too late.
The second part of the book was even more confusing and it showed that en excess of ambition can be a very dangerous thing indeed. I’m sure the story about the Red Paint People sounded fascinating in theory, but the end result was confusing and… well, I was trying not to use the word terrible, but it seems that I have no choice. It was a disaster.
In case all this wasn’t enough to keep you away, there’s also the small matter of instalove. Faye and Kel meet and they instantly know that they’re special to each other. Her powers work differently on him and he isn’t at all uncomfortable around her like everyone else seems to be. At one point, she suspects him of spying, but she’s drawn to him nevertheless. She doesn’t really trust him or confide in him, but of course he’s gorgeous so they must be made for each other.
In my opinion, Harbinger isn’t worth your time. If it were a self-published book, I’d say it’s one of those that gives self-publishing a bad name. I struggled to finish it, and I had trouble keeping up with the abrupt changes in pacing. Sarah Wilson Etienne has great imagination, but her writing needs more work.
Also posted at The Nocturnal Library
Well, they weren’t exactly kind either. Faye Robson has been fighting with visions and nightmares for years. Instead of trying to find ways to help her at home, or simply listen to her, her father brought her to Holbrook Academy, a glorified mental institution, and just left her in the not-so-gentle hands of Dr. Murdoch. At Holbrook, Dr. Murdoch maintains order with the help of her vicious Caretakers, armed with Tasers and pepper spray. They punish and degrade students at the slightest provocation, but Faye’s group is targeted even more often than the others, and something is happening to them at night while they’re under the influence of sleeping pills.
There are authors who write descriptively and atmospherically like it’s the easiest thing in the world because it comes naturally to them, and some of those authors are among my favorites. However, there are also authors who’d like to belong to that group but can’t quite pull it off. Sarah Wilson Etienne is one of them. Her prose screams that she was trying too hard. I’m not sure what she was aiming to accomplish with the first three or four chapters of Harbinger, but I can tell you that she failed spectacularly. As much as she tried to make her descriptions of Holbrook and the surrounding woods stunning and memorable, her sentences simply lack colorfulness and depth. She doesn’t even have a distinctive style like Tahereh Mafi, for example. (Hey, you can like Mafi or not, but you can’t deny that her writing is different.) As far as I can tell, she tried to find her voice and failed.
The worldbuilding was also a mess. (Wow, I’m being especially eloquent today.) In the not-so-distant future, people don’t live in cities anymore, they are organized in Cooperatives. What are these Cooperatives? Who runs them? If not in the big cities, where do they live? What caused the society to move and reorganize in such a radical way? Etienne mentions something about oil, and then around 25% she mentions Peak War, but the real explanation doesn’t come until later, and even then it’s a lot of telling and no showing, and I just couldn’t see the point. Why would she set her story in a dystopian world if she wasn’t going to develop it properly? Halbrook Academy could have existed in today’s world with a few minor adjustments. In fact, that would have been so much better because the focus needed to remain on the institution alone. I really don’t see the point of throwing your characters in a world that you leave unexplained until the very end. Bits and pieces of information were thrown in randomly, but it was too little and much too late.
The second part of the book was even more confusing and it showed that en excess of ambition can be a very dangerous thing indeed. I’m sure the story about the Red Paint People sounded fascinating in theory, but the end result was confusing and… well, I was trying not to use the word terrible, but it seems that I have no choice. It was a disaster.
In case all this wasn’t enough to keep you away, there’s also the small matter of instalove. Faye and Kel meet and they instantly know that they’re special to each other. Her powers work differently on him and he isn’t at all uncomfortable around her like everyone else seems to be. At one point, she suspects him of spying, but she’s drawn to him nevertheless. She doesn’t really trust him or confide in him, but of course he’s gorgeous so they must be made for each other.
In my opinion, Harbinger isn’t worth your time. If it were a self-published book, I’d say it’s one of those that gives self-publishing a bad name. I struggled to finish it, and I had trouble keeping up with the abrupt changes in pacing. Sarah Wilson Etienne has great imagination, but her writing needs more work.
Also posted at The Nocturnal Library
June 17, 2012
I... I really have no idea of what to say to this.
I had this whole speech planned out about how buried deep within Harbinger, there was a good book - great even - dying to come out, but clunky writing, choppy sentences and pandemic insta-love made sure it didn't.
But that was before I read the last hundred pages of... this and now I'm like...
Because I don't. I have seriously no idea of what happened here. This book was headed on a clear path to disaster and then it suddenly morphed into this confusing mess where some good things stuck out for me but the rest is blurred at best. I... liked Harbinger. I did. I mean, I still don't think I've grasped its concept, at least not as much as I'd be satisfied to, but it wasn't awful and it did have its moments.
I want to stop thinking about it, though. When I remember it, bits and pieces sprint through my train of thought and I just go crazy and ohmygod someone make this stop, please...
I had this whole speech planned out about how buried deep within Harbinger, there was a good book - great even - dying to come out, but clunky writing, choppy sentences and pandemic insta-love made sure it didn't.
But that was before I read the last hundred pages of... this and now I'm like...
Because I don't. I have seriously no idea of what happened here. This book was headed on a clear path to disaster and then it suddenly morphed into this confusing mess where some good things stuck out for me but the rest is blurred at best. I... liked Harbinger. I did. I mean, I still don't think I've grasped its concept, at least not as much as I'd be satisfied to, but it wasn't awful and it did have its moments.
I want to stop thinking about it, though. When I remember it, bits and pieces sprint through my train of thought and I just go crazy and ohmygod someone make this stop, please...
February 10, 2012
I can honestly say that i tried hard to like this book.. I even tried to like Kel (i always tend to like the main guys so what? ).. i tried, but i failed miserably. There's just nothing in the story that i can relate to. Their world was a messed up one, which made me feel like this one is a mixture of dystopian and paranormal... I usually like those types.. but now.. errm.. i just feel awkward.
I don't feel good after reading it. I feel weirded out and i admit that i did not exactly get the point or Harbinger. If you ask me what the story is all about... it's about ending the world but not quite. LOL. So a group of friends.. or FAMILY (i didn't exactly understand if each of them has powers) who's sooo concerned with the world comes back (using another form / body) to stop the Harbinger who's actually also part of the family but decided to rid the world of it's impurities. It was predictable enough when it came to the part where the Harbinger realized that it's not good to wipe out the people. What irked me out are the events that lead to the discovery of the harbinger. I mean why go in circles? Why all the asylum drama and mysteries. I also felt appalled realizing that the main character went from being an outcast / a closed off person / a person who blames other people and even suspects her love interst.. to eating her own words and becoming the one who'll actually end the world.
I dunno what went wrong.
Maybe this book is just not for me..
I don't feel good after reading it. I feel weirded out and i admit that i did not exactly get the point or Harbinger. If you ask me what the story is all about... it's about ending the world but not quite. LOL. So a group of friends.. or FAMILY (i didn't exactly understand if each of them has powers) who's sooo concerned with the world comes back (using another form / body) to stop the Harbinger who's actually also part of the family but decided to rid the world of it's impurities. It was predictable enough when it came to the part where the Harbinger realized that it's not good to wipe out the people. What irked me out are the events that lead to the discovery of the harbinger. I mean why go in circles? Why all the asylum drama and mysteries. I also felt appalled realizing that the main character went from being an outcast / a closed off person / a person who blames other people and even suspects her love interst.. to eating her own words and becoming the one who'll actually end the world.
I dunno what went wrong.
Maybe this book is just not for me..
August 24, 2011
A dark, mysterious, disturbing, disturbing, disturbing, and beautifully written masterpiece. If you start it, you won't be able to finish it until you find out what the hell is going on at Holbrook Academy.
August 22, 2011
I'm so glad I got to read this early. I loved it so much I blurbed it. Don't you just love the cover?
March 9, 2012
First, I want to start off and congratulate Etienne with creating a story world seemingly set in reality, but with the paranormal influences of Native American myth and tarot cards. I really liked the world she created.
Now, I want to preface the rest of my review by beginning with a quote by John Gardner from his The Art of Fiction: Notes on the Craft for Young Writers, “It is this quality of the novel, its built in need to return and repeat, that forms the physical basis of the novel’s chief glory, its resonant close. … What moves us is not just that characters, images, and events get some form of recapitulation or recall: We are moved by the increasing connectedness of things, ultimately a connectedness of values. To achieve such an effect, the writer must rise above his physical plot to an understanding of all his plot’s elements and their relationships, including those that are inexpressible” (Gardner, 192-3).
Like in most creative writing workshops, I think it is imperative to start a review with some of the strengths (especially if it is going to be a somewhat negative review). Strengths include the use of tarot cards and the myth in use surrounding the inhabitants of Maine. In addition to this, most of Etienne’s character descriptions are captivating (blue hair, etc). I also really enjoyed Dr. Mordoch as a torturous character.
I don’t want to be unnecessarily cruel, because I think Etienne has great potential as a writer and storyteller despite the shortcomings of Harbinger. The plot is unnecessarily hard to follow, and bogged down with flashbacks that I found myself not caring about. I was too involved with the current plot, to be too interested in reading the flashbacks and Faye’s memories. I think that if Etienne is going to have such a myth based narrative, the importance of the talismans and their purpose needs to be clear at the beginning. In fact, the main dramatic question of the narrative changes a number of times. It starts off as the reader wondering how Faye is going to escape this horrible school that her family forced her to attend. Then it switches to why is there blood colored stuff under Faye and her friends’ fingernails, and how are they sneaking out. Then it switches again to who Rita is and what is the secret in the Compass Rose.
I can appreciate a narrative with many questions within the story, but Etienne never really established which question was to be the most important. I constantly felt like the author would pose a problem to the reader, and then we would hear the solution or concerns about that problem while forgetting all about the rest of the questions in the story.
Overall, I am giving Harbinger 2 Stars. I just couldn’t stay focused on the text and all the characters (except Dr. Mordoch) seemed too flat. I don’t want to discourage you all from giving Harbinger a chance, because you might have a better experience. But I think there are stronger YA novels out there.
Now, I want to preface the rest of my review by beginning with a quote by John Gardner from his The Art of Fiction: Notes on the Craft for Young Writers, “It is this quality of the novel, its built in need to return and repeat, that forms the physical basis of the novel’s chief glory, its resonant close. … What moves us is not just that characters, images, and events get some form of recapitulation or recall: We are moved by the increasing connectedness of things, ultimately a connectedness of values. To achieve such an effect, the writer must rise above his physical plot to an understanding of all his plot’s elements and their relationships, including those that are inexpressible” (Gardner, 192-3).
Like in most creative writing workshops, I think it is imperative to start a review with some of the strengths (especially if it is going to be a somewhat negative review). Strengths include the use of tarot cards and the myth in use surrounding the inhabitants of Maine. In addition to this, most of Etienne’s character descriptions are captivating (blue hair, etc). I also really enjoyed Dr. Mordoch as a torturous character.
I don’t want to be unnecessarily cruel, because I think Etienne has great potential as a writer and storyteller despite the shortcomings of Harbinger. The plot is unnecessarily hard to follow, and bogged down with flashbacks that I found myself not caring about. I was too involved with the current plot, to be too interested in reading the flashbacks and Faye’s memories. I think that if Etienne is going to have such a myth based narrative, the importance of the talismans and their purpose needs to be clear at the beginning. In fact, the main dramatic question of the narrative changes a number of times. It starts off as the reader wondering how Faye is going to escape this horrible school that her family forced her to attend. Then it switches to why is there blood colored stuff under Faye and her friends’ fingernails, and how are they sneaking out. Then it switches again to who Rita is and what is the secret in the Compass Rose.
I can appreciate a narrative with many questions within the story, but Etienne never really established which question was to be the most important. I constantly felt like the author would pose a problem to the reader, and then we would hear the solution or concerns about that problem while forgetting all about the rest of the questions in the story.
Overall, I am giving Harbinger 2 Stars. I just couldn’t stay focused on the text and all the characters (except Dr. Mordoch) seemed too flat. I don’t want to discourage you all from giving Harbinger a chance, because you might have a better experience. But I think there are stronger YA novels out there.
October 13, 2012
1.5/5
(c) andrea offermann
a story along the lines of l.j. smith's deliciously creepy dark vision series.
actually it reads as if the author wanted to pay homage to smith and wrote this book, to do so. a mysterious thriller, complete with eerie happenings in this school for 'special' children.
the painter w/ visions, the loner dude, the jokers and rebels. we have the hidden pasts and the secrets lurking behind every nook and cranny. dictatorial authorities punishing them for every deed done the wrong way etc etc.
etienne's attempt to convey the message of protecting our earth and the nature was slathered on rather thickly and destroyed the so far created suspense and enjoyment of harbinger.
on a positive note: to celebrate the book's release, 24 artists were commissioned to illustrate some of the scenes from the book. look at these lovelies:
(c) joan charles
(c) marilyn scott-waters
tag: reincarnation
(c) andrea offermann
a story along the lines of l.j. smith's deliciously creepy dark vision series.
actually it reads as if the author wanted to pay homage to smith and wrote this book, to do so. a mysterious thriller, complete with eerie happenings in this school for 'special' children.
plot:
the protagonist, faye is sent to a reform school run by dr. mordoch, because she's different. each morning faye and her group (called "family") wake up with red-stained hands from the night before. wth happened?
the painter w/ visions, the loner dude, the jokers and rebels. we have the hidden pasts and the secrets lurking behind every nook and cranny. dictatorial authorities punishing them for every deed done the wrong way etc etc.
etienne's attempt to convey the message of protecting our earth and the nature was slathered on rather thickly and destroyed the so far created suspense and enjoyment of harbinger.
on a positive note: to celebrate the book's release, 24 artists were commissioned to illustrate some of the scenes from the book. look at these lovelies:
(c) joan charles
(c) marilyn scott-waters
tag: reincarnation
October 29, 2011
4 1/2 stars
Yes yes yes, "never judge a book by its cover," I know, I know. But can we just PLEASE sit here for a minute and appreciate that AMAZING artwork. LOOK AT IT.
Sara Etienne's debut novel will knock your socks off. I'm serious. Etienne's mastery of storytelling and remarkable characters will not allow you to put this book down, and if you do, you're stuck wondering how it's all going to end.
Faye is tricked by her parents into enrolling into Holbrook Academy which caters to students who are "special." Faye's talent is that she has visions. She can see into your past just by making eye contact which causes people to grow nervous around her. At Holbrook, she is able to find a group of peers who accept her as they struggle to figure out the mystery behind their crimson strained hands.
This plot will have you reading until you get closure. There is no guessing what is going to happen next, you think you know what's going on and then the author throws you for a loop which is just fine with me. While the "finding comfort in dead animal bones" is not as prominent in the plot as the blurb makes it out to be, the plot is still interesting and confusing, but a good confusing.
Sara captures Faye's voice perfectly through the use of the first person narrative. The readers are able to understand her desire to rebel, the feelings she has for the mysterious Kel, and how her visions are affecting her. Faye often experiences the feeling of being taken over by tidal waves which is portrayed so vividly that the action does not sound imaginary at all. There are other instances where you the reader are right along Faye as she comes to terms between what is right and what is wrong, and you're just as distraught as she is.
About 60 pages into the novel, I had this fear that Sara would gloss over the secondary characters in this novel, thankfully she doesn't. We get background information on nearly on all of the characters, even the ones that play the antagonist role, which really makes the reader see this world in shades of gray instead of black and white. Faye's group of friends are interesting and they each have a distinct voice whether it is vegetarian Maya or Comic-Con enthusiast Zach.
The romance wasn't overbearing, it did not steal from the overall plot. Kel was an engaging and mysterious character who excites Faye and scares her at the same time because he is hiding something as well. Their romance is very secondary to the mystery of Holbrook but still ever present.
During my read, I did find myself confused at times, not because of the plot but rather the writing style. I felt that some of the connecting dots were missing. There was instances where I had to flip back a page or two to make sure I didn't miss anything, and then infer what happened between actions. Also the entire novel takes place in one week which is a LOT of action to occur in such a short period of time. When I was reading I assumed that the novel took place over at least a month. I feel like that was entirely way too much action to jam into one short week.
Overall Harbinger was refreshingly unique with a plot that will captivate you. I strongly urge you all to look for this novel when it hits shelves in February. Many thanks to Sara for sending me a copy, it was a great read!
I recommend this novel for fans of young adult mysteries, and those who enjoy stories told in a school setting.
Yes yes yes, "never judge a book by its cover," I know, I know. But can we just PLEASE sit here for a minute and appreciate that AMAZING artwork. LOOK AT IT.
Sara Etienne's debut novel will knock your socks off. I'm serious. Etienne's mastery of storytelling and remarkable characters will not allow you to put this book down, and if you do, you're stuck wondering how it's all going to end.
Faye is tricked by her parents into enrolling into Holbrook Academy which caters to students who are "special." Faye's talent is that she has visions. She can see into your past just by making eye contact which causes people to grow nervous around her. At Holbrook, she is able to find a group of peers who accept her as they struggle to figure out the mystery behind their crimson strained hands.
This plot will have you reading until you get closure. There is no guessing what is going to happen next, you think you know what's going on and then the author throws you for a loop which is just fine with me. While the "finding comfort in dead animal bones" is not as prominent in the plot as the blurb makes it out to be, the plot is still interesting and confusing, but a good confusing.
Sara captures Faye's voice perfectly through the use of the first person narrative. The readers are able to understand her desire to rebel, the feelings she has for the mysterious Kel, and how her visions are affecting her. Faye often experiences the feeling of being taken over by tidal waves which is portrayed so vividly that the action does not sound imaginary at all. There are other instances where you the reader are right along Faye as she comes to terms between what is right and what is wrong, and you're just as distraught as she is.
About 60 pages into the novel, I had this fear that Sara would gloss over the secondary characters in this novel, thankfully she doesn't. We get background information on nearly on all of the characters, even the ones that play the antagonist role, which really makes the reader see this world in shades of gray instead of black and white. Faye's group of friends are interesting and they each have a distinct voice whether it is vegetarian Maya or Comic-Con enthusiast Zach.
The romance wasn't overbearing, it did not steal from the overall plot. Kel was an engaging and mysterious character who excites Faye and scares her at the same time because he is hiding something as well. Their romance is very secondary to the mystery of Holbrook but still ever present.
During my read, I did find myself confused at times, not because of the plot but rather the writing style. I felt that some of the connecting dots were missing. There was instances where I had to flip back a page or two to make sure I didn't miss anything, and then infer what happened between actions. Also the entire novel takes place in one week which is a LOT of action to occur in such a short period of time. When I was reading I assumed that the novel took place over at least a month. I feel like that was entirely way too much action to jam into one short week.
Overall Harbinger was refreshingly unique with a plot that will captivate you. I strongly urge you all to look for this novel when it hits shelves in February. Many thanks to Sara for sending me a copy, it was a great read!
I recommend this novel for fans of young adult mysteries, and those who enjoy stories told in a school setting.
December 1, 2011
I loved this book so much I don’t know where to start. Yes, I have said I loved a book before but you don’t understand I want to write the Harbinger sonnets, sing it love songs, and woo it until, Harbinger loves me back. Take another look at that cover, amazing right? You know how I am about covers! Harbinger totally lives up to its cover.
Once I started reading Harbinger I became so enveloped in the world that Ms. Wilson Etienne created. (Like to the point of being late for picking my kid up from school!) Holbrook Academy is a scary place! I don’t think I would have made it there. I could feel a treacherous doom building in the atmosphere from the start, keeping my intrigue peeked until the last page was tuned.
Faye is dropped off at Holbrook by her father to be rehabilitated, so that she can act like everyone else in society. At least that is the reason everyone has given her. I think anyone who has ever felt alone will enjoy Faye’s character. Faye is smart and kind, but she has this great fear that if she were to open up and show who she really is to anyone she will be left alone. Faye stole my heart while I was reading Harbinger, all the pain she had to feel was completely palpable to me.
The person that Faye wants to trust the most and is also the most confused by is Kel. Faye isn't the only one he had confused—Kel had me guessing too, whether he was good or evil, until toward the end of the book. Kel drove me crazy in the best kind of way because I wanted to love his character but I couldn’t decide if it was safe to. I so enjoyed all the things that Faye would discover about herself through her interactions with Kel.
I think what I liked best about Harbinger is that there were no skimable parts, every word had meaning. I was so wrapped-up in the suspense, I hung on to every word fearful I would miss something. I did not see the ending coming it was very much a surprise. That almost never happens to me!
Happy Reading,
Rebecca
www.bendingthespine.blogspot.com
Once I started reading Harbinger I became so enveloped in the world that Ms. Wilson Etienne created. (Like to the point of being late for picking my kid up from school!) Holbrook Academy is a scary place! I don’t think I would have made it there. I could feel a treacherous doom building in the atmosphere from the start, keeping my intrigue peeked until the last page was tuned.
Faye is dropped off at Holbrook by her father to be rehabilitated, so that she can act like everyone else in society. At least that is the reason everyone has given her. I think anyone who has ever felt alone will enjoy Faye’s character. Faye is smart and kind, but she has this great fear that if she were to open up and show who she really is to anyone she will be left alone. Faye stole my heart while I was reading Harbinger, all the pain she had to feel was completely palpable to me.
The person that Faye wants to trust the most and is also the most confused by is Kel. Faye isn't the only one he had confused—Kel had me guessing too, whether he was good or evil, until toward the end of the book. Kel drove me crazy in the best kind of way because I wanted to love his character but I couldn’t decide if it was safe to. I so enjoyed all the things that Faye would discover about herself through her interactions with Kel.
I think what I liked best about Harbinger is that there were no skimable parts, every word had meaning. I was so wrapped-up in the suspense, I hung on to every word fearful I would miss something. I did not see the ending coming it was very much a surprise. That almost never happens to me!
Happy Reading,
Rebecca
www.bendingthespine.blogspot.com
April 27, 2012
Me while reading this book: 
Every once in a while you come across that one book that looks/sounds so good that you just want to take it your bedroom and whisper naughty things to it seductively.Or maybe that's just me.
Then that book pulls a Harbinger on you.
Let me make this very clear, this isn't a review. This is a rant.
Harbinger is fucking eerie and I mean that in a totally good way. I loved being kept in the dark about stained hands and weird designs on the floor. I loved wondering if Rita, the blonde girl was actually a member of the Academy or Faye's imagination. I actually enjoyed some parts of this book.
Others? Not so much.
Can somebody tell me what the hell happened during the peak wars? I think I missed it in all the "I like him. I don't like him. I want to kiss him. I don't want to kiss him." Let's not forget that this girl is orgasming over the guy's voice and she hasn't even seen his face. All this happens 60 pages in, just saying. Insta-love? Of course not!
Can someone also explain why they don't have pools any more? I think I missed that too. I'd be forever grateful if you could also tell me what actually happened in the end! I lost it in the info-dump.
I'm giving this book two stars just because it's written well enough for a début and at some points it felt like it had potential. Even though the world building was a total fail, I understood what Etienne was trying to do. Sort of.
Every once in a while you come across that one book that looks/sounds so good that you just want to take it your bedroom and whisper naughty things to it seductively.
Then that book pulls a Harbinger on you.
Let me make this very clear, this isn't a review. This is a rant.
Harbinger is fucking eerie and I mean that in a totally good way. I loved being kept in the dark about stained hands and weird designs on the floor. I loved wondering if Rita, the blonde girl was actually a member of the Academy or Faye's imagination. I actually enjoyed some parts of this book.
Others? Not so much.
Can somebody tell me what the hell happened during the peak wars? I think I missed it in all the "I like him. I don't like him. I want to kiss him. I don't want to kiss him." Let's not forget that this girl is orgasming over the guy's voice and she hasn't even seen his face. All this happens 60 pages in, just saying. Insta-love? Of course not!
Can someone also explain why they don't have pools any more? I think I missed that too. I'd be forever grateful if you could also tell me what actually happened in the end! I lost it in the info-dump.
I'm giving this book two stars just because it's written well enough for a début and at some points it felt like it had potential. Even though the world building was a total fail, I understood what Etienne was trying to do. Sort of.
January 27, 2018
I can't do it. DNF at only 14%.
This book was
There was info dump, instalove, hell we even got a "I forced out the breath I didn't know I was holding" on PAGE ONE, people!"
My main problem was that instead of being shown what was happening, we were very abruptly told what was happening and just forced to believe it. It was the reading equivalent to being splatted in the face with a giant water balloon full of piss. I'm not going to tell you not to read it, but YOU DO NOT WANT TO READ THIS BOOK.
This is the lowest rated book I own, and now I can see why. 1/5.
This book was
ALL............
...........................OVER
............THE
..................................PLACE!
There was info dump, instalove, hell we even got a "I forced out the breath I didn't know I was holding" on PAGE ONE, people!"
My main problem was that instead of being shown what was happening, we were very abruptly told what was happening and just forced to believe it. It was the reading equivalent to being splatted in the face with a giant water balloon full of piss. I'm not going to tell you not to read it, but YOU DO NOT WANT TO READ THIS BOOK.
This is the lowest rated book I own, and now I can see why. 1/5.
July 23, 2012
As seen on Zombie Mommies.
I really really wanted to like this one: Mind Games, Visions, Sleepwalking, A Boarding School, A Mystery, A Dark and Handsome Mysterious Boy? All the perfect ingredients for a great story...
...that fell flat like a homemade souffle.
The main problem with Harbinger were too many lose ends. With thrillers, I am completely prepared for unanswered questions that compel me to turn the page, eager to find the answer. But with this one, when i finally got to the end, all the lose ends just became a jumbled mess.
*****I am sorry but this is going to contain major spoilers.*****
In the beginning, Faye gets dropped off (against her will) at Holbrook, which is basically a school for wayward kids. The world has been destroyed and people live in "cooperatives" (which is never really explained; plus, what happens in the story could've just taken place without that). Faye has visions of drowning which began when she was a child but her episodes are getting worse. Then at Holbrook, she begins to hear drums and mysterious thingshappen.
The Holbrook Director, Dr. Mordoch plays mind games with the group in order to ensure cooperation: solitary confinement, privileges taken away, etc...Plus, there are pepper-spraying, taser-loving caretakers. Faye meets a host of characters who bond together like "Survivor Island" against Dr. Mordoch. There's even a ghost. The friends find themselves supposedly sleepwalking and in the morning, their hands are red and there are drawings on the floor.
So of course, I have to know what happens...and in the end, the only things I can gather are:
1) A long time ago, there were a group of people who had power over the earth and had a special meteorite seer stone. (Yes, a meteorite, and I have no idea where they got their power from.)
2) They saw that the earth was going to go to waste in the future so the members transferred their spirit to some relics that were buried. (So they could save the world in the future.)
3) When Faye touched the ocean when she was a child, one of the spirits transferred into her body causing her the visions. (I have no idea how the spirit attached itself to the ocean and what happened to the original Faye.)
4) Dr. Mordoch was being haunted by one of the original tribal spirits. Rita (the ghost/tribal spirit) leaves clues for Faye in the form of a prophecy on Tarot cards.
5) Faye begins to realize her visions as images of the past.
6) Faye, who originally wanted to 'save' the world, now wants to destroy/cleanse it.
7) Her group of friends had been sleepwalking and digging for the relics and become possessed with the spirits of the past and now have powers. They try to prevent Faye from destroying the earth. She ends up changing her mind because of Kel (eye roll).
8) Everyone sings (SINGS!!!) and the pollution from the sea and sky begin to dissipate.
But wait, I never learned more about the bones that Faye finds comfort in or why there were creepy Dr.-Who-Like-Weeping-Angel statues at the Academy or how the friends sleepwalked in the first place.
And although the cover says "psychological thriller," I never felt it as psychological as it was more weird fantasy. And my idea of a psychological thriller does not include spiritual possession. It does remind me a little like a Dr. Who episode (surprise, surprise. since Etienne is a fan) but where Steve Moffat's creepy paranormal scenarios are wrapped up nicely, Etienne leaves you with a disjointed and confusing story. I do have to say some of Faye's lines are a bit humorous but the entire premise was so poorly formed and left me quite angry at the end.
I'm sad to say: Please skip this one.
I really really wanted to like this one: Mind Games, Visions, Sleepwalking, A Boarding School, A Mystery, A Dark and Handsome Mysterious Boy? All the perfect ingredients for a great story...
...that fell flat like a homemade souffle.
The main problem with Harbinger were too many lose ends. With thrillers, I am completely prepared for unanswered questions that compel me to turn the page, eager to find the answer. But with this one, when i finally got to the end, all the lose ends just became a jumbled mess.
*****I am sorry but this is going to contain major spoilers.*****
In the beginning, Faye gets dropped off (against her will) at Holbrook, which is basically a school for wayward kids. The world has been destroyed and people live in "cooperatives" (which is never really explained; plus, what happens in the story could've just taken place without that). Faye has visions of drowning which began when she was a child but her episodes are getting worse. Then at Holbrook, she begins to hear drums and mysterious thingshappen.
The Holbrook Director, Dr. Mordoch plays mind games with the group in order to ensure cooperation: solitary confinement, privileges taken away, etc...Plus, there are pepper-spraying, taser-loving caretakers. Faye meets a host of characters who bond together like "Survivor Island" against Dr. Mordoch. There's even a ghost. The friends find themselves supposedly sleepwalking and in the morning, their hands are red and there are drawings on the floor.
So of course, I have to know what happens...and in the end, the only things I can gather are:
1) A long time ago, there were a group of people who had power over the earth and had a special meteorite seer stone. (Yes, a meteorite, and I have no idea where they got their power from.)
2) They saw that the earth was going to go to waste in the future so the members transferred their spirit to some relics that were buried. (So they could save the world in the future.)
3) When Faye touched the ocean when she was a child, one of the spirits transferred into her body causing her the visions. (I have no idea how the spirit attached itself to the ocean and what happened to the original Faye.)
4) Dr. Mordoch was being haunted by one of the original tribal spirits. Rita (the ghost/tribal spirit) leaves clues for Faye in the form of a prophecy on Tarot cards.
5) Faye begins to realize her visions as images of the past.
6) Faye, who originally wanted to 'save' the world, now wants to destroy/cleanse it.
7) Her group of friends had been sleepwalking and digging for the relics and become possessed with the spirits of the past and now have powers. They try to prevent Faye from destroying the earth. She ends up changing her mind because of Kel (eye roll).
8) Everyone sings (SINGS!!!) and the pollution from the sea and sky begin to dissipate.
But wait, I never learned more about the bones that Faye finds comfort in or why there were creepy Dr.-Who-Like-Weeping-Angel statues at the Academy or how the friends sleepwalked in the first place.
And although the cover says "psychological thriller," I never felt it as psychological as it was more weird fantasy. And my idea of a psychological thriller does not include spiritual possession. It does remind me a little like a Dr. Who episode (surprise, surprise. since Etienne is a fan) but where Steve Moffat's creepy paranormal scenarios are wrapped up nicely, Etienne leaves you with a disjointed and confusing story. I do have to say some of Faye's lines are a bit humorous but the entire premise was so poorly formed and left me quite angry at the end.
I'm sad to say: Please skip this one.
February 22, 2012
...
...
...
aaaaaaallllllrrrriiiiiiggggggggghhhhhhhhhttttttttyyyyy tttttthhhhhhhheeeeennnnnnn
...
so.
that didn't make a lot of sense.
by which I mean that it made absolutely no sense at all.
It was all this book meets that movie for some time, channelling degradation and bad people who think they're good and crazy people who think they're sane (maybe?) and it was very difficult to keep reading because that kind of stuff is never going to be a bucket of fun, but I was ... interested? Yeah, I guess I wanted to find out what was going on, because I really did not have a fucking CLUE what was up and what was down and why the nightmares and mental episodes and drums and ... everything ... anything ... whatever.
Oh, did I mention that this is a dystopian novel? Because I sure as hell didn't know that. And when I say "dystopian" what I actually mean is PREACH FEST. So, you know, if you're COMPLETELY NUTS, BY WHICH I MEAN OBSESSED TO THE POINT OF IN-FREAKING-SANE about saving the environment, you might appreciate this a little more than I did. The author has a lot to say about humans raping the world, which - don't get me wrong - is serious business, but I don't react well to being bashed over the head with it. Repeatedly. Sorry.
Anyway, I didn't actually get many answers, so. Or rather, I think this book went completely over my head. *whoosh* It was too much. And if you've read it, you'll know what I mean. It's flap describes it as "[a] rich and tautly told psychological thriller" and I very much agree with this in relation to the first half of the book, but the second half is just a waste of time, as in I still don't know what the fuck's going on, but it turns out that I don't really give a fuck, so please just fucking end, already. Fun times.
Um, on the plus side, Sara Wilson Etienne is an excellent writer. When you actually focus on what you're reading and stop trying to skim forward to something THAT ACTUALLY MAKES SOME FUCKING SENSE, you realize that she has a very beautiful way of saying what she has to say. Otherwise, the story just rubbed me up the wrong way. Waste of my money, I say.
P.S. Character development. It is severely lacking.
...
...
aaaaaaallllllrrrriiiiiiggggggggghhhhhhhhhttttttttyyyyy tttttthhhhhhhheeeeennnnnnn
...
so.
that didn't make a lot of sense.
by which I mean that it made absolutely no sense at all.
It was all this book meets that movie for some time, channelling degradation and bad people who think they're good and crazy people who think they're sane (maybe?) and it was very difficult to keep reading because that kind of stuff is never going to be a bucket of fun, but I was ... interested? Yeah, I guess I wanted to find out what was going on, because I really did not have a fucking CLUE what was up and what was down and why the nightmares and mental episodes and drums and ... everything ... anything ... whatever.
Oh, did I mention that this is a dystopian novel? Because I sure as hell didn't know that. And when I say "dystopian" what I actually mean is PREACH FEST. So, you know, if you're COMPLETELY NUTS, BY WHICH I MEAN OBSESSED TO THE POINT OF IN-FREAKING-SANE about saving the environment, you might appreciate this a little more than I did. The author has a lot to say about humans raping the world, which - don't get me wrong - is serious business, but I don't react well to being bashed over the head with it. Repeatedly. Sorry.
Anyway, I didn't actually get many answers, so. Or rather, I think this book went completely over my head. *whoosh* It was too much. And if you've read it, you'll know what I mean. It's flap describes it as "[a] rich and tautly told psychological thriller" and I very much agree with this in relation to the first half of the book, but the second half is just a waste of time, as in I still don't know what the fuck's going on, but it turns out that I don't really give a fuck, so please just fucking end, already. Fun times.
Um, on the plus side, Sara Wilson Etienne is an excellent writer. When you actually focus on what you're reading and stop trying to skim forward to something THAT ACTUALLY MAKES SOME FUCKING SENSE, you realize that she has a very beautiful way of saying what she has to say. Otherwise, the story just rubbed me up the wrong way. Waste of my money, I say.
P.S. Character development. It is severely lacking.
May 20, 2012
Well, this book isn't fire-worthy. But it's not shelf-worthy either, and it's not money-worthy, and it definitely isn't time-worthy. It was a senseless mess of narrative that kind of hurt me on the inside.
This story is about Faye, a strange girl with odd waking visions and a fascination with dead things. That's what turned me on to this book; she seemed like an interesting character that I'd like to follow around. Well, it was tolerable, at least.
Oh, and then the obligatory love interest. I have some serious issues with the obligatory love interest concept, but let's leave that off for another review where it's worse. As for this book, the OLI is Kel, another (mysterious) boy that she shares a blind conversation with. There is a redeeming part here, though: she isn't dependent on him at all throughout the book, and they actually have some fun and semirealistic interaction, and she isn't above abandoning him when she thinks he's gone evil. But, of course, they do have A Supernatural Attraction, and they are meant for each other, obviously. Cue instalove. Really dramatic, slightly angsty instalove.
I had some MAJOR issues with the plot, and they WILL BE SPOILERY. Very much so. You've had your warning. For one, she's sent to an "academy" for people crazed and deluded and otherwise socially dysfunctional like her. You later find out, spoilers, that the "headmistress" built the entire school just for her. Just. For. Her. Because some ambiguous event happened distantly in the past, and it made her feel guilty.
Oh, there's also a ghost, and a secret passageway that apparently the actual owner of the school isn't aware of, which leads to Odd and Arcane Knowledge.
As it turns out, she's a reincarnation of an ancient tribe which had several members that had Intriguing Powers, for example, the capacity to see into the future. So ancient-Faye looked into the future (even though it was omg forbidden) and saw that humanity destroyed the earth. At this point, I was getting some major squicks. The whole fantasy-turned-"humanity-destroys-the-earth" thing sets off some tiny alarms in my brain. As it turns out, she and the rest of the magic!council, when they found this out, decided to basically kill themselves so that they could all reincarnate in the future and slay every human on their turf. Make sense to you? Yeah, me neither.
Meanwhile, she has to figure out this tarot card puzzle which is a semblance of a prophecy. Except when she finally solves it, she is almost literally NO further than where she was before. Also these tarot cards were given to her by that ghost, who, as it turns out, is one of the tribe members who was reincarnated too early. Or something.
So a couple marvelous coincidences happen, and all of the tribe members are awakened (it's her dorm buddies, by the way). And all this time she thinks Kel, the OLI, is the Harbinger, the one of the tribe members who is preordained to destroy humanity and take the whole polluted land with him. Except, spoilers, it's actually her. In about three seconds flat, she decides that, no, she doesn't want to SAVE humanity from Kel's Harbingeryness, she wants to DESTROY humanity with her uberpowers.
And then they all stop her, and everything's fine again, and then pollution is gone! Yay!
Okay, what I'm trying to say is, I lost interest in this book over time, especially as the plot became more and more contrived and senseless.
And can we go back to the school for a second? The school, Holbrook, is senselessly violent. And the worst part is, I can't see any reason that anyone would want to escape from Holbrook aside from the violence and hypercontrolling psychological bullshit (which I also qualify as violence).
IMO, the only redeeming characters are her "dorm-mates" before they become hypno-reincarnation-drones, such as the environmental activist chick, who was a semidecent attempt at worldbuilding. And also, Dr. Murdoch, a "villain" character who finally, FINALLY (ignoring her ambiguous motives) isn't just black-and-white evil. She gets tired and gives up near the end, but never loses her convictions. That was a relief, characterization-wise.
Overall, this book was just plain overambitious. The atmosphere and setting were both fuzzy and incomplete, the worldbuilding was simplistic and supposedly sci-fi with no actual sci-fi vibes, half the characters were merely tolerable and the other half on-and-off repulsive and okay. The book played out a lot like a mystery, with little clues everywhere, but failed in that it was too obviously driving toward a very obvious finale--a finale which, I'll say, was ambiguous. Moreover, it had roots in real research as to the local ancient natives, the Red Paint People, but it was both underresearched and overdone. This premise had a lot of potential, and unfortunately, Etienne simply doesn't meet that potential.
The book, in conclusion, was merely tolerable and nothing more. I'd give it a 1.2 or something. Wouldn't read it on a long plane ride if it was all I had brought.
This story is about Faye, a strange girl with odd waking visions and a fascination with dead things. That's what turned me on to this book; she seemed like an interesting character that I'd like to follow around. Well, it was tolerable, at least.
Oh, and then the obligatory love interest. I have some serious issues with the obligatory love interest concept, but let's leave that off for another review where it's worse. As for this book, the OLI is Kel, another (mysterious) boy that she shares a blind conversation with. There is a redeeming part here, though: she isn't dependent on him at all throughout the book, and they actually have some fun and semirealistic interaction, and she isn't above abandoning him when she thinks he's gone evil. But, of course, they do have A Supernatural Attraction, and they are meant for each other, obviously. Cue instalove. Really dramatic, slightly angsty instalove.
I had some MAJOR issues with the plot, and they WILL BE SPOILERY. Very much so. You've had your warning. For one, she's sent to an "academy" for people crazed and deluded and otherwise socially dysfunctional like her. You later find out, spoilers, that the "headmistress" built the entire school just for her. Just. For. Her. Because some ambiguous event happened distantly in the past, and it made her feel guilty.
Oh, there's also a ghost, and a secret passageway that apparently the actual owner of the school isn't aware of, which leads to Odd and Arcane Knowledge.
As it turns out, she's a reincarnation of an ancient tribe which had several members that had Intriguing Powers, for example, the capacity to see into the future. So ancient-Faye looked into the future (even though it was omg forbidden) and saw that humanity destroyed the earth. At this point, I was getting some major squicks. The whole fantasy-turned-"humanity-destroys-the-earth" thing sets off some tiny alarms in my brain. As it turns out, she and the rest of the magic!council, when they found this out, decided to basically kill themselves so that they could all reincarnate in the future and slay every human on their turf. Make sense to you? Yeah, me neither.
Meanwhile, she has to figure out this tarot card puzzle which is a semblance of a prophecy. Except when she finally solves it, she is almost literally NO further than where she was before. Also these tarot cards were given to her by that ghost, who, as it turns out, is one of the tribe members who was reincarnated too early. Or something.
So a couple marvelous coincidences happen, and all of the tribe members are awakened (it's her dorm buddies, by the way). And all this time she thinks Kel, the OLI, is the Harbinger, the one of the tribe members who is preordained to destroy humanity and take the whole polluted land with him. Except, spoilers, it's actually her. In about three seconds flat, she decides that, no, she doesn't want to SAVE humanity from Kel's Harbingeryness, she wants to DESTROY humanity with her uberpowers.
And then they all stop her, and everything's fine again, and then pollution is gone! Yay!
Okay, what I'm trying to say is, I lost interest in this book over time, especially as the plot became more and more contrived and senseless.
And can we go back to the school for a second? The school, Holbrook, is senselessly violent. And the worst part is, I can't see any reason that anyone would want to escape from Holbrook aside from the violence and hypercontrolling psychological bullshit (which I also qualify as violence).
IMO, the only redeeming characters are her "dorm-mates" before they become hypno-reincarnation-drones, such as the environmental activist chick, who was a semidecent attempt at worldbuilding. And also, Dr. Murdoch, a "villain" character who finally, FINALLY (ignoring her ambiguous motives) isn't just black-and-white evil. She gets tired and gives up near the end, but never loses her convictions. That was a relief, characterization-wise.
Overall, this book was just plain overambitious. The atmosphere and setting were both fuzzy and incomplete, the worldbuilding was simplistic and supposedly sci-fi with no actual sci-fi vibes, half the characters were merely tolerable and the other half on-and-off repulsive and okay. The book played out a lot like a mystery, with little clues everywhere, but failed in that it was too obviously driving toward a very obvious finale--a finale which, I'll say, was ambiguous. Moreover, it had roots in real research as to the local ancient natives, the Red Paint People, but it was both underresearched and overdone. This premise had a lot of potential, and unfortunately, Etienne simply doesn't meet that potential.
The book, in conclusion, was merely tolerable and nothing more. I'd give it a 1.2 or something. Wouldn't read it on a long plane ride if it was all I had brought.
February 6, 2012
3.5 stars - Some spoilers
Harbinger introduces us to Faye, a troubled sixteen year old who's parents enrol her at the newly opened Holbrook Academy. Holbrook Academy is a school for disturbed and unruly teenagers. Faye is distressed when she finds out her parents have betrayed her and abandoned her at Holbrook so she can get the 'help' she needs. From a young age, Faye has had strange and frightening visions of the sea. On top of that, Faye has never had any friends and is very much alone due to unintentionally unnerving those around her as she has the power to see a person's fear and make them relive it just by looking in their eyes. Faye was not the usual YA heroine, she was peculiar, detached and freaky. She embraced her visions just as much as she dreaded them, she had moments of complete craziness but she was also introverted and like all teenagers wante dto fit in.
Holbook Academy is more a prison than a school, with locked gates and 'caretakers' who use pepper spray and tasers to ensure compliance. The students are divided into 'Families', there are six students in each 'Family' and each 'Family' have lessons together.
Holbrook is a truly bleak place, which is run by the sadistic Dr Mordoch. The students are expected to obey the rules or risk being puinshed. There is no escape and no way for the students to contact anyone for help. They were not allowed any of their belongings and had to wear hideous jumpsuits and communal underwear. They were only granted 2 minute showers, forced to take sleeping pills at night, given disgusting food and were locked in solitary if they didn't adhere to the rules. The harsh rules and the ruthless caretakers painted the feelings of helplessness, desperation and hopelessness of the students perfectly. There was definitely a dystopian vibe to Holbrook Academy.
When Faye and her new Family wake up to find their hands stained red and mysterious drawings painted on their room floors, they are bound together to uncover the truth. Faye investigates the strange drawings and the more she discovers, the more she realises that her visions and dreams are somehow connected to Holbrook and her new Family.
Kel, who is a member of Faye's new family serves as the mandatory YA love interest. The romance isn't central though and thankfully there's minimal angst and stupidity. The character of Kel was lacking in personality and I felt that he was underdevloped and flat. Some of his past was explored but even then I was largely unaffected by the character and I couldn't bring myself to care about what would happen to him.
Faye's other Family members are depicted fairly well. Her roomate, Maya was passionate, vulnerable and stood up for what she believed in - her past was depressing but she never gave up. Daimon and Nami's flirtation was more exciting than Faye and Kel's reltionship, they had a lot of funny and cute moments together. Nami was a strong, larger than life character and there were times that I thought she would have been the better narrater.
The first 60% of the book has a different feel to the last 40%, the tone changes from a dystopian, mystery, fighting against the powers that be, school vibe to an end of the world, prophecies, ancient civiliztions, sacrifices, reincarnation-esque vibe. Though the change in tone was sudden and odd it was still enjoyable and made the book that much more unique and original.
Harbinger introduces us to Faye, a troubled sixteen year old who's parents enrol her at the newly opened Holbrook Academy. Holbrook Academy is a school for disturbed and unruly teenagers. Faye is distressed when she finds out her parents have betrayed her and abandoned her at Holbrook so she can get the 'help' she needs. From a young age, Faye has had strange and frightening visions of the sea. On top of that, Faye has never had any friends and is very much alone due to unintentionally unnerving those around her as she has the power to see a person's fear and make them relive it just by looking in their eyes. Faye was not the usual YA heroine, she was peculiar, detached and freaky. She embraced her visions just as much as she dreaded them, she had moments of complete craziness but she was also introverted and like all teenagers wante dto fit in.
Holbook Academy is more a prison than a school, with locked gates and 'caretakers' who use pepper spray and tasers to ensure compliance. The students are divided into 'Families', there are six students in each 'Family' and each 'Family' have lessons together.
Holbrook is a truly bleak place, which is run by the sadistic Dr Mordoch. The students are expected to obey the rules or risk being puinshed. There is no escape and no way for the students to contact anyone for help. They were not allowed any of their belongings and had to wear hideous jumpsuits and communal underwear. They were only granted 2 minute showers, forced to take sleeping pills at night, given disgusting food and were locked in solitary if they didn't adhere to the rules. The harsh rules and the ruthless caretakers painted the feelings of helplessness, desperation and hopelessness of the students perfectly. There was definitely a dystopian vibe to Holbrook Academy.
When Faye and her new Family wake up to find their hands stained red and mysterious drawings painted on their room floors, they are bound together to uncover the truth. Faye investigates the strange drawings and the more she discovers, the more she realises that her visions and dreams are somehow connected to Holbrook and her new Family.
Kel, who is a member of Faye's new family serves as the mandatory YA love interest. The romance isn't central though and thankfully there's minimal angst and stupidity. The character of Kel was lacking in personality and I felt that he was underdevloped and flat. Some of his past was explored but even then I was largely unaffected by the character and I couldn't bring myself to care about what would happen to him.
Faye's other Family members are depicted fairly well. Her roomate, Maya was passionate, vulnerable and stood up for what she believed in - her past was depressing but she never gave up. Daimon and Nami's flirtation was more exciting than Faye and Kel's reltionship, they had a lot of funny and cute moments together. Nami was a strong, larger than life character and there were times that I thought she would have been the better narrater.
The first 60% of the book has a different feel to the last 40%, the tone changes from a dystopian, mystery, fighting against the powers that be, school vibe to an end of the world, prophecies, ancient civiliztions, sacrifices, reincarnation-esque vibe. Though the change in tone was sudden and odd it was still enjoyable and made the book that much more unique and original.
January 10, 2012
Teenage Faye finds herself at the creepy Holbrook Academy where she struggles to maintain her sanity, while unraveling her true destiny. Not since the Grandmother in Flowers in the Attic has there been a villain so villainous as Holbrook's headmistress, Dr. Mordock. "Fear is an illusion," Faye repeats to herself as Holbrook's bone-chilling happenings go from strange to life-threatening.
For the reader, Fear is *not* an illusion. Be afraid, be very afraid. Do not read this book during a hurricane. You will want all your lights on.
For the reader, Fear is *not* an illusion. Be afraid, be very afraid. Do not read this book during a hurricane. You will want all your lights on.
Read
February 25, 2012Couldn't get into this. Writing was annoying me with all the telling. "My sense of direction deserted me". And then the insta-love took the cake this time. The girl "met" the guy when they were on solitary confinement and spoke through the walls and at the end of a few paragraphs she was already thinking she would "lose him" when she was released. sigh. (Ana)
September 4, 2011
A highly original, edge of your seat, page turner. Not for one second did I suspect how it would end--nice work Ms. Etienne. Keep those combat boot wearing kick ass girls coming and I'll keep reading.
February 28, 2012
I’m not even sure what to say about this other than wow. It definitely lived up to my expectations. Before you start this one make sure you have a good chunk of time set aside to read it in one go. I had to keep putting it down because that icky thing called life got in the way and I found myself wondering constantly when I could get back to it. It’s one of those books that sucks you in completely.
Faye may be one of my favourite heroines so far in 2012; she’s flawed, in fact at times she’s not a very nice person at all, but you still can’t help feeling sorry for her because of the monstrously horribly life she’s lead. And the reasons for it are completely out of her control. It’s worse when she arrives to Holbrook Academy--another thing out of her control entirely--and she’s subjected to the abuse of the “caretakers” there. She’s just a lonely girl who has problems no one really knows what to do about, so they ship her off to the most convenient place and leave it at that. I rooted for her the entire time, even when what she was doing was rather morally grey.
Her friends were not so well drawn out as Faye was, though the length of the novel and the fact that it’s a standalone has something to do with that. I liked what we had but if a bit more focus could have been put on them and Faye’s relationships with them, it would have been an awesome topper to this already amazing book. I actually didn’t mind Faye’s instant attraction to Kel; I thought the way they first met, with words and voices through a wall, was rather sweet given Faye’s powers. It was a good basis, and given what we find out later in the novel I was willing to overlook the instant attraction bit. It helps that they aren’t officially together “omigod i would absolutely die for you” by the end of the novel, either.
The writing can get repetitive at times, but honestly, it was very rare and the gorgeous descriptions made up for it. When Faye has her visions of the water coming for her, you feel like it’s coming right for you, too. The descriptions of her powers are really well done, and the writing wasn’t at all clunky. The pacing does go into overdrive near the middle of the book, after the first half is relatively slower, so it does get disorienting when it suddenly hits you in the face. It kind of leaves you thinking “Wait, is this really happening? Like seriously?” But given the strengths of the rest of the book I was able to overlook it.
I will admit the red herring placed in the novel didn’t fool me one bit and I knew who the Harbinger was the entire time. Still, the rest of the mystery is well done and kept me guessing, so it makes up for the obviousness of the Harbinger’s identity. Contrary to what some others are saying, I like that Faye didn’t tell us too much about her world, which is obviously close to a dystopian. She grew up with it; it wouldn’t have made sense for her to sit there and infodump about something she’s already familiar with. The little teases we get were realistically the right amount of information a person growing up in that world would give. It was enough that you got the full idea of how absolutely screwed the world is, and therein lies one of Harbinger’s strengths: You want the Harbinger to succeed if it means saving the world, but that also means these kids you’ve grown to care for over the course of the novel would die, and you don’t want that.
While I was reading it I feared it would be one of those novels that you read in one go just to see what the mystery is, then would never think about again once you got the answers. That isn’t the case. Harbinger is a thrilling read with more to offer than just the mystery and I’ll definitely read it again in the future, and I look forward to more of Etienne’s works.
Faye may be one of my favourite heroines so far in 2012; she’s flawed, in fact at times she’s not a very nice person at all, but you still can’t help feeling sorry for her because of the monstrously horribly life she’s lead. And the reasons for it are completely out of her control. It’s worse when she arrives to Holbrook Academy--another thing out of her control entirely--and she’s subjected to the abuse of the “caretakers” there. She’s just a lonely girl who has problems no one really knows what to do about, so they ship her off to the most convenient place and leave it at that. I rooted for her the entire time, even when what she was doing was rather morally grey.
Her friends were not so well drawn out as Faye was, though the length of the novel and the fact that it’s a standalone has something to do with that. I liked what we had but if a bit more focus could have been put on them and Faye’s relationships with them, it would have been an awesome topper to this already amazing book. I actually didn’t mind Faye’s instant attraction to Kel; I thought the way they first met, with words and voices through a wall, was rather sweet given Faye’s powers. It was a good basis, and given what we find out later in the novel I was willing to overlook the instant attraction bit. It helps that they aren’t officially together “omigod i would absolutely die for you” by the end of the novel, either.
The writing can get repetitive at times, but honestly, it was very rare and the gorgeous descriptions made up for it. When Faye has her visions of the water coming for her, you feel like it’s coming right for you, too. The descriptions of her powers are really well done, and the writing wasn’t at all clunky. The pacing does go into overdrive near the middle of the book, after the first half is relatively slower, so it does get disorienting when it suddenly hits you in the face. It kind of leaves you thinking “Wait, is this really happening? Like seriously?” But given the strengths of the rest of the book I was able to overlook it.
I will admit the red herring placed in the novel didn’t fool me one bit and I knew who the Harbinger was the entire time. Still, the rest of the mystery is well done and kept me guessing, so it makes up for the obviousness of the Harbinger’s identity. Contrary to what some others are saying, I like that Faye didn’t tell us too much about her world, which is obviously close to a dystopian. She grew up with it; it wouldn’t have made sense for her to sit there and infodump about something she’s already familiar with. The little teases we get were realistically the right amount of information a person growing up in that world would give. It was enough that you got the full idea of how absolutely screwed the world is, and therein lies one of Harbinger’s strengths: You want the Harbinger to succeed if it means saving the world, but that also means these kids you’ve grown to care for over the course of the novel would die, and you don’t want that.
While I was reading it I feared it would be one of those novels that you read in one go just to see what the mystery is, then would never think about again once you got the answers. That isn’t the case. Harbinger is a thrilling read with more to offer than just the mystery and I’ll definitely read it again in the future, and I look forward to more of Etienne’s works.
May 22, 2012
That was interesting…
Ok so it took me a bit of time to sort through my thoughts on this book and I have finally decided. No wait I lied… no I’m sure
Anyway, I had a hard time deciding whether I loved or loathed this book. I think I settled on loved because this book was just filled with awesomeness. So I came into this thinking it was another one of those camp for people with powers where a girl will fall in love with some guy and she will be different from all other girls and he will be different from all other guys and they will have drama blah blah blah and she will make all kinds of friends blah blah type of books. I was half right, all of the above happens but in a completely rare and exciting way. So yes Faye falls in love with some guy right away, yes she is made of awesome and makes friends semi-quickly and the world focuses on her (literally) but she isn’t like a witch and the people at the camp are actually there for making trouble.
I was at the edge of my seat trying to find out why Faye and her fellow campers were waking up in blood symbols and why it was only happening to them. I had all kinds of theories but none were even near close to the truth. I mean what the heck is a Harbinger? I had never heard of it, and after reading this I LOVE the idea. I love that we finally have some Native American lore in a YA book. A lot of the book lures you into an easy repetitive lull and then snaps you at the end with a WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON realization.
I don’t want to give too much away but I think that this was a really clever and creepy book and other than the so-so romance and predictable back-story I loved this book. I would recommend reading this one in a secluded room at night preferably during a storm. Seriously I was reading it late one night and when my dad came home from work I hid under my bed. And I’m almost 20. I was a little freaked; I mean who knows he could have been a Murdering old man!
[image error]
But on a slightly more serious note…
It was nowhere near perfect, far from it, but it was definitely a nice change from the traditional story.
The things that really threw off my ability to rate this was the slow pace, repetitive style of days at camp, and an underdeveloped of the dystopian? society going on outside of the camp. I couldn’t really tell exactly what was happening but I knew it wasn’t present time and there was some kind of big war going on. While this book was really weird and out there and a bit on the short/slow side it was definitely interesting and surprising so give it a try. :P
For more reviews, and just because you are nice and totally love me, go to my new site which is still kind of crappy and in which I have absolutely no followers! :)
http://royallybookish.blogspot.com/
Ok so it took me a bit of time to sort through my thoughts on this book and I have finally decided. No wait I lied… no I’m sure
Anyway, I had a hard time deciding whether I loved or loathed this book. I think I settled on loved because this book was just filled with awesomeness. So I came into this thinking it was another one of those camp for people with powers where a girl will fall in love with some guy and she will be different from all other girls and he will be different from all other guys and they will have drama blah blah blah and she will make all kinds of friends blah blah type of books. I was half right, all of the above happens but in a completely rare and exciting way. So yes Faye falls in love with some guy right away, yes she is made of awesome and makes friends semi-quickly and the world focuses on her (literally) but she isn’t like a witch and the people at the camp are actually there for making trouble.
I was at the edge of my seat trying to find out why Faye and her fellow campers were waking up in blood symbols and why it was only happening to them. I had all kinds of theories but none were even near close to the truth. I mean what the heck is a Harbinger? I had never heard of it, and after reading this I LOVE the idea. I love that we finally have some Native American lore in a YA book. A lot of the book lures you into an easy repetitive lull and then snaps you at the end with a WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON realization.
I don’t want to give too much away but I think that this was a really clever and creepy book and other than the so-so romance and predictable back-story I loved this book. I would recommend reading this one in a secluded room at night preferably during a storm. Seriously I was reading it late one night and when my dad came home from work I hid under my bed. And I’m almost 20. I was a little freaked; I mean who knows he could have been a Murdering old man!
[image error]
But on a slightly more serious note…
It was nowhere near perfect, far from it, but it was definitely a nice change from the traditional story.
The things that really threw off my ability to rate this was the slow pace, repetitive style of days at camp, and an underdeveloped of the dystopian? society going on outside of the camp. I couldn’t really tell exactly what was happening but I knew it wasn’t present time and there was some kind of big war going on. While this book was really weird and out there and a bit on the short/slow side it was definitely interesting and surprising so give it a try. :P
For more reviews, and just because you are nice and totally love me, go to my new site which is still kind of crappy and in which I have absolutely no followers! :)
http://royallybookish.blogspot.com/
February 2, 2012
3.5 stars
A gripping, psychological thriller that's hard to put down. This debut is as terrifying as it is fascinating. Sara did a masterful job at creating a story that will make the reader feel just as insane as her main character Faye. Getting inside the head of Faye made it hard to distinguish what was real and what was an figment of her imagination. I have to say, that really made for an interesting read, because it was impossible for me to figure out what was really going on. This is one of those story's that similar to the writings of Nova Ren Suma and Michelle Hodkin's where you spend the entire time trying to piece everything that's going on together, only to get to the end of the book and realize that it was an impossible task to do.
Faye is one of those characters you root for when they become rebellious. How could I not? She basically gets dumped at Holbrook Academy, is forced to take pills to "feel normal", has to deal with the crocked Dr. Mordoch, deal with takers who treat her like an animal and the rest of the residents there, and essential have her individuality taken away from her. I give Faye props for trying to escape. Shoot, I would have done the same thing. Even solitary confinement can't break her spirit, but some of the strange things going on at the Academy can. There's plenty of secrets, betrayals and plot twists that keep on coming until the very end. Not to mention a hot little romance on the side.
Faye's story is a bit confusing at times, but that's what kept me reading. I know that sounds weird and there's very few authors who have been able to hold my attention during a confusing plot, but there's something about Sara's writing that captures your attention. Really, there's so much that's going that it was hard to put the book down. The characters, and the setting really help paint the picture of the disturbing things that happen. Like Faye, I had a hard time trying to figure out what were lies, who I could really trust and what was really the reasoning behind Faye's terrifying visions. When the plot twists unravel and Faye's secrets are revealed all I can say is hold on tight for one wild crazy ending that I never saw coming. It's during this time that I had my "oh that totally makes sense" moment.
Again, Sara's writing is crafted so well that by the end of the book when she unravels everything neatly, I was able to look back and see the hints she had dropped, but with out knowing the outcome there is no way I would have been able to pick up on them. Sounds confusing doesn't it? Believe me when you read it you'll know what I mean by that. The other thing that I was fascinated by is Sara's notes at the end of the book (ARC), where she talks about her inspiration for the story. I loved how she was able to take a little bit of fact and history and create a whole fictional story around that. Overall I felt this was a Good Read. There's nothing I can pin point that I didn't like, it's just no a book I loved, but I liked reading it. There is some mild language, and darker undertones in the book making it one I'd recommend to older YA readers.
A gripping, psychological thriller that's hard to put down. This debut is as terrifying as it is fascinating. Sara did a masterful job at creating a story that will make the reader feel just as insane as her main character Faye. Getting inside the head of Faye made it hard to distinguish what was real and what was an figment of her imagination. I have to say, that really made for an interesting read, because it was impossible for me to figure out what was really going on. This is one of those story's that similar to the writings of Nova Ren Suma and Michelle Hodkin's where you spend the entire time trying to piece everything that's going on together, only to get to the end of the book and realize that it was an impossible task to do.
Faye is one of those characters you root for when they become rebellious. How could I not? She basically gets dumped at Holbrook Academy, is forced to take pills to "feel normal", has to deal with the crocked Dr. Mordoch, deal with takers who treat her like an animal and the rest of the residents there, and essential have her individuality taken away from her. I give Faye props for trying to escape. Shoot, I would have done the same thing. Even solitary confinement can't break her spirit, but some of the strange things going on at the Academy can. There's plenty of secrets, betrayals and plot twists that keep on coming until the very end. Not to mention a hot little romance on the side.
Faye's story is a bit confusing at times, but that's what kept me reading. I know that sounds weird and there's very few authors who have been able to hold my attention during a confusing plot, but there's something about Sara's writing that captures your attention. Really, there's so much that's going that it was hard to put the book down. The characters, and the setting really help paint the picture of the disturbing things that happen. Like Faye, I had a hard time trying to figure out what were lies, who I could really trust and what was really the reasoning behind Faye's terrifying visions. When the plot twists unravel and Faye's secrets are revealed all I can say is hold on tight for one wild crazy ending that I never saw coming. It's during this time that I had my "oh that totally makes sense" moment.
Again, Sara's writing is crafted so well that by the end of the book when she unravels everything neatly, I was able to look back and see the hints she had dropped, but with out knowing the outcome there is no way I would have been able to pick up on them. Sounds confusing doesn't it? Believe me when you read it you'll know what I mean by that. The other thing that I was fascinated by is Sara's notes at the end of the book (ARC), where she talks about her inspiration for the story. I loved how she was able to take a little bit of fact and history and create a whole fictional story around that. Overall I felt this was a Good Read. There's nothing I can pin point that I didn't like, it's just no a book I loved, but I liked reading it. There is some mild language, and darker undertones in the book making it one I'd recommend to older YA readers.
February 28, 2012
You can find more reviews @BloodyBookaholic
This book is just plain weird. In a good way? I am still on the fence on that. I saw so many excellent reviews on the book, so I thought "ugh, maybe this book will be kick ass (even though the cover isn't my favorite)" but after reading it, I was more looking for the 3-4 star reviews, because to be completely honest I was confused for the most part of the story, with the story line and how the things, like the hallucinations, were taking place, and I just didn't seem to take full enjoyment out of the book.
It has some very good qualities to be sure, but it also has some very annoying and potentially unpleasant features. Let's start with the good and work our way to the bad.
The good: The ending is pretty exciting, and getting to learn what the hell was going with the story was my favorite part (even though after all the explanation I was still a little confused on the particulars, but oh well). I also liked the major twist at the end of the story involving the main two characters, that was interesting. The dangerous sort of connection between the main two characters was exciting to read about, though...
The Bad: I didn't connect with the characters. I didn't connect with Faye, the main girl character, because her thoughts were so fragmented and I just didn't get what the hell was going on in her head or why. There is a line between keeping things hidden and mysterious and keeping them so hidden that you can't connect with your main girl because of it. The guy, Kel, was made to be the bad ass character, but he seemed to have more than 5 personalities at the same time. His past and his present didn't seem to connect that well, and at some point was even discarded and forgotten about (actually, this happened with every character's past). As to the rest of the supporting characters, I liked Nami (the rebel girl) and Damion (the Marine guy with issues and the hots for Nami), they seemed super interesting, too bad we don't get to hang out with them that much. Another interesting character was Rita, a young girl who seems to hang out around Holbrook Academy, but we get to see too little of her at the beginning and then she comes back and she is all changed. So, character disconnect. As I said before, I also had trouble with the plot line. I understood the main point of the story, I just got a bit lost in getting there. There was just so much happening at the same time that I guess getting to the end was like a battle, and not a battle I enjoyed.
All in all, I finished it, but it wasn't a fave. The whole story seemed to work for a lot of readers, just not this reader.
This book is just plain weird. In a good way? I am still on the fence on that. I saw so many excellent reviews on the book, so I thought "ugh, maybe this book will be kick ass (even though the cover isn't my favorite)" but after reading it, I was more looking for the 3-4 star reviews, because to be completely honest I was confused for the most part of the story, with the story line and how the things, like the hallucinations, were taking place, and I just didn't seem to take full enjoyment out of the book.
It has some very good qualities to be sure, but it also has some very annoying and potentially unpleasant features. Let's start with the good and work our way to the bad.
The good: The ending is pretty exciting, and getting to learn what the hell was going with the story was my favorite part (even though after all the explanation I was still a little confused on the particulars, but oh well). I also liked the major twist at the end of the story involving the main two characters, that was interesting. The dangerous sort of connection between the main two characters was exciting to read about, though...
The Bad: I didn't connect with the characters. I didn't connect with Faye, the main girl character, because her thoughts were so fragmented and I just didn't get what the hell was going on in her head or why. There is a line between keeping things hidden and mysterious and keeping them so hidden that you can't connect with your main girl because of it. The guy, Kel, was made to be the bad ass character, but he seemed to have more than 5 personalities at the same time. His past and his present didn't seem to connect that well, and at some point was even discarded and forgotten about (actually, this happened with every character's past). As to the rest of the supporting characters, I liked Nami (the rebel girl) and Damion (the Marine guy with issues and the hots for Nami), they seemed super interesting, too bad we don't get to hang out with them that much. Another interesting character was Rita, a young girl who seems to hang out around Holbrook Academy, but we get to see too little of her at the beginning and then she comes back and she is all changed. So, character disconnect. As I said before, I also had trouble with the plot line. I understood the main point of the story, I just got a bit lost in getting there. There was just so much happening at the same time that I guess getting to the end was like a battle, and not a battle I enjoyed.
All in all, I finished it, but it wasn't a fave. The whole story seemed to work for a lot of readers, just not this reader.
February 18, 2012
Harbinger is a book unlike any I have read. It was not at all what I expected and in this case that only made it better. It was creepy, suspenseful, and at times, confusing (but in a good way!)
Holbrook Academy is a place for kids who need help. Some of them have mental issues, some have anger issues, some have issues with authority, and some have issues that they would rather keep hidden. Holbrook, however, does not plan on helping them. The headmaster of the school has a different agenda, one that is much more sinister. Holbrook is a dark and twisted place that holds many secrets that tie the kids together. It's a unique boarding school type of setting but in this case it's a boarding school you wouldn't want to go to, even in your worst nightmares. Even though it was such a horrid place it was a beautiful setting.
The characters were both the best and worst part for me. Even though their situations are unlike any I (or anyone really) have ever been in they are very easy to relate to. They are alone, scared, vulnerable, and just trying to find their places in Holbrook and the outside world. Their problems are much bigger than most teenager's problems but they are just like regular teens. Well except for the occasional waking nightmare and the random outbursts at the authority figures at Holbrook. My only real issue was how uncaring Faye seemed at times. She was very focused on what was happening to her and not the other kids even though they were going through the same thing. She was even worse at the end. I just felt that there were times when she was selfish and almost acted like a villain.
The story was one of the most dark and twisted, suspenseful stories I have read. So many things happen that seem unexplainable but they are eventually explained. Everything ties together remarkably well at the end of the book. There is also some very fascinating history in Harbinger and it only added to the awesomeness of the book.
Overall, Harbinger is an amazing debut novel and Sara Wilson Etienne holds a lot of promise as a YA author. On and another great thing about Harbinger is that it is a standalone! =)
Holbrook Academy is a place for kids who need help. Some of them have mental issues, some have anger issues, some have issues with authority, and some have issues that they would rather keep hidden. Holbrook, however, does not plan on helping them. The headmaster of the school has a different agenda, one that is much more sinister. Holbrook is a dark and twisted place that holds many secrets that tie the kids together. It's a unique boarding school type of setting but in this case it's a boarding school you wouldn't want to go to, even in your worst nightmares. Even though it was such a horrid place it was a beautiful setting.
The characters were both the best and worst part for me. Even though their situations are unlike any I (or anyone really) have ever been in they are very easy to relate to. They are alone, scared, vulnerable, and just trying to find their places in Holbrook and the outside world. Their problems are much bigger than most teenager's problems but they are just like regular teens. Well except for the occasional waking nightmare and the random outbursts at the authority figures at Holbrook. My only real issue was how uncaring Faye seemed at times. She was very focused on what was happening to her and not the other kids even though they were going through the same thing. She was even worse at the end. I just felt that there were times when she was selfish and almost acted like a villain.
The story was one of the most dark and twisted, suspenseful stories I have read. So many things happen that seem unexplainable but they are eventually explained. Everything ties together remarkably well at the end of the book. There is also some very fascinating history in Harbinger and it only added to the awesomeness of the book.
Overall, Harbinger is an amazing debut novel and Sara Wilson Etienne holds a lot of promise as a YA author. On and another great thing about Harbinger is that it is a standalone! =)
February 8, 2013
Harbinger had a lot of things going on. I mean a LOT. There were elements that were dystopian, paranormal, psychological thriller, or romance. Unfortunately these ideas were not strung together well and gave Harbinger a disorderly and confusing plot.
Harbinger is set in a post apocalyptic type world, but because Faye is secluded in an institution type place, we only get hints at the dystopian world around her. This would be ok if the action was only in Holbrook Academy, but the story eventually stretches to a world wide problem. Because of the scope of the issues presented by the end of the book I really needed more information about the current government and social structure. We just don't get enough information about what went wrong and what changed from today to bring the world to such a drastic situation. I felt like there was a lot of interesting things there, but it was treated as common knowledge, which in a made up world doesn't really work. Honestly I would have just shifted the setting to today's world because the story is about what is happening at the academy and all of this post apocalyptic stuff was just distracting.
I also found the characters to be really confusing. There's some really unfortunate insta-love with Faye and this guy she meets named Kel. It's that common trope of two people instantly knowing they are super special snowflakes the first time they meet. I really don't like relationships like that in books, I much prefer the slow burn of a relationship that takes a whole book to develop. I find the payoff much more satisfying. (Plus it's never a good sign when the romance happening between two side characters is more charming than the main love interests.)
I felt like there was a lot of potential with Harbinger. The mystery was intriguing and suspense was built well throughout the first half of the novel. However there are just too many different story threads that aren't pulled together neatly. Harbinger would have definitely benefited from a stronger editor who could have narrowed down the scope of the book to just the elements that are essential to the plot and cut the rest out.
Harbinger is set in a post apocalyptic type world, but because Faye is secluded in an institution type place, we only get hints at the dystopian world around her. This would be ok if the action was only in Holbrook Academy, but the story eventually stretches to a world wide problem. Because of the scope of the issues presented by the end of the book I really needed more information about the current government and social structure. We just don't get enough information about what went wrong and what changed from today to bring the world to such a drastic situation. I felt like there was a lot of interesting things there, but it was treated as common knowledge, which in a made up world doesn't really work. Honestly I would have just shifted the setting to today's world because the story is about what is happening at the academy and all of this post apocalyptic stuff was just distracting.
I also found the characters to be really confusing. There's some really unfortunate insta-love with Faye and this guy she meets named Kel. It's that common trope of two people instantly knowing they are super special snowflakes the first time they meet. I really don't like relationships like that in books, I much prefer the slow burn of a relationship that takes a whole book to develop. I find the payoff much more satisfying. (Plus it's never a good sign when the romance happening between two side characters is more charming than the main love interests.)
I felt like there was a lot of potential with Harbinger. The mystery was intriguing and suspense was built well throughout the first half of the novel. However there are just too many different story threads that aren't pulled together neatly. Harbinger would have definitely benefited from a stronger editor who could have narrowed down the scope of the book to just the elements that are essential to the plot and cut the rest out.
November 24, 2011
Faye is going crazy, seeing things that aren’t there. Since she can remember, she’s had a weird connection to death and the ocean. When she is sent to Holbrook Academy to ‘get better’, everything only gets worse. Faye and her friends wake up every morning with blood on their hands, and mysterious symbols written on the floor. She knows it’s her causing this, but how? Working with her friend Kel, she starts to unravel an age old prophecy foretelling madness and death, and soon no one can be trusted, not even herself. Despite it’s heart-stopping pace, I’m glad I took my time digesting all the clues of the mystery, loving every page. Harbinger is unlike anything I’ve read before; it escapes the boundaries of YA paranormal in a satisfyingly disturbing and almost spiritual way. It’s perfect if you’re looking for something different. The whole book is filled with vivid details making every scene so concrete, like you’re there experiencing everything first-hand.
May 7, 2020
I have wanted to read Harbinger for literally years . Then I finally got an iPad and bought the ebook. Before reading it I looked through so many reviews and the gist was you'll either love it or hate it. I loved some parts. I hated others. But it was like reading through a fever dream and waking up exhilarated. Though I thought it was a tad slow at the beginning I urge you to keep with it until the end. That's were Harbinger gained an extra star from me.
November 25, 2011
Dark, creepy, mysterious and so so so beautiful. I loved this book.
June 1, 2015
Didn't really get that...
February 29, 2012
Well this was an eerie read. The kind of eerie you get when watching Shutter Island. All through the book I was expecting monsters to claw through the ventilation, half-hidden eyes peering through the windows, children's laughter echoing in the distance.
Sara Wilson Etienne sure knows how to set the mood. I think in this debut, that was her strong point, and what won me over in the end. She kept me flipping through the (digital) pages, wondering what was happening; if Faye was psychotic, or if she was genuinely experiencing extraordinary things.
We open with Faye's father abandoning her in Holbrook Academy - an asylum for troubled teens - leaving her under the trust and care of Dr. Mordoch. But the very moment she is assigned to her own group, Faye and her allotted "family" starts experiencing inexplicable events. They wake up every morning with red hands, progressively intricate symbols are painted on Faye's floor, and there is also the mysterious blonde-haired girl who only seems to show up when no one's around.
The first half of the book shows promise of a psychological thriller. I was so very looking forward to a logical and seasoned explanation to everything. It had me guessing at conspiracies, at mad scientists, at a psychosis so severe it would derail Faye's entire life.
However, true to the supernatural genre readers have been attributing to this novel, the plot took a very different course. I guess this is why I'm conflicted in my rating for Harbinger.
In the end though, it is unfair for me to judge a book simply because it didn't turn out the way I wanted it to. It would be like rating Harry Potter two stars out of five simply because Hermione ended up with Ron instead of Harry or because Snape dies at the end. If you didn't already know that, whoops.
So now, onto my criticism.
The Characters
I will be brutally honest and say that I did not like Faye. At first, she was bearable and I somewhat pitied her. I hated the way she was left there by her father, I resented the way she (and the other "patients") were treated, and I certainly understood her desire to get out of Holbrook.
But throughout the course of the book, she took such a steep nosedive that I really wanted to shake her silly. She never once stopped to introspect. The way she treated her "family" once she had came up with her conclusion was ridiculous and only served to push them away.
The characters were simply not believable. It was as if they didn't have any real passion - that all their antics were just a facade; and the ending seemed like a cop-out.
The Worldbuilding
What world building?
But here is a case where the lack of world building did not actually matter. It was suffice for us to know that it was set in some kind of dystopian future, following some sort of war, where people lived in "Cooperatives".
I didn't need a whole infodump of background behind the war, behind the Cooperatives, behind whatever other things out there -- and Etienne did not trouble me with any. I'm very thankful for that. It's important to be aware of what your readers need to know, and what should be kept in your Author's notebook, and not every writer seems to get that.
The Ending
Here is an example of an author who wants a happily-ever-after kind of ending, all wrapped neatly in a bow, who is afraid to kill off her main characters. I'm sorry to say it, but I cannot see this happening. It would have been much more absolving if the Harbinger did not survive the entire event. I cannot see any other way for redemption. God only hopes it's not stretched out into a sequel.
But again, I refuse to judge a book because things did not turn out the way I want them to. The world does not work like that, so why should a work of literature?
So despite my annoyance at the MC, despite my disappointment in the ending, The Harbinger still had me hooked, still had me sucked into a creepy atmosphere of forests and turrets shrouded in mist, and so I leave it with four stars.
Sara Wilson Etienne sure knows how to set the mood. I think in this debut, that was her strong point, and what won me over in the end. She kept me flipping through the (digital) pages, wondering what was happening; if Faye was psychotic, or if she was genuinely experiencing extraordinary things.
We open with Faye's father abandoning her in Holbrook Academy - an asylum for troubled teens - leaving her under the trust and care of Dr. Mordoch. But the very moment she is assigned to her own group, Faye and her allotted "family" starts experiencing inexplicable events. They wake up every morning with red hands, progressively intricate symbols are painted on Faye's floor, and there is also the mysterious blonde-haired girl who only seems to show up when no one's around.
The first half of the book shows promise of a psychological thriller. I was so very looking forward to a logical and seasoned explanation to everything. It had me guessing at conspiracies, at mad scientists, at a psychosis so severe it would derail Faye's entire life.
However, true to the supernatural genre readers have been attributing to this novel, the plot took a very different course. I guess this is why I'm conflicted in my rating for Harbinger.
In the end though, it is unfair for me to judge a book simply because it didn't turn out the way I wanted it to. It would be like rating Harry Potter two stars out of five simply because Hermione ended up with Ron instead of Harry or because Snape dies at the end. If you didn't already know that, whoops.
So now, onto my criticism.
The Characters
I will be brutally honest and say that I did not like Faye. At first, she was bearable and I somewhat pitied her. I hated the way she was left there by her father, I resented the way she (and the other "patients") were treated, and I certainly understood her desire to get out of Holbrook.
But throughout the course of the book, she took such a steep nosedive that I really wanted to shake her silly. She never once stopped to introspect. The way she treated her "family" once she had came up with her conclusion was ridiculous and only served to push them away.
The characters were simply not believable. It was as if they didn't have any real passion - that all their antics were just a facade; and the ending seemed like a cop-out.
The Worldbuilding
What world building?
But here is a case where the lack of world building did not actually matter. It was suffice for us to know that it was set in some kind of dystopian future, following some sort of war, where people lived in "Cooperatives".
I didn't need a whole infodump of background behind the war, behind the Cooperatives, behind whatever other things out there -- and Etienne did not trouble me with any. I'm very thankful for that. It's important to be aware of what your readers need to know, and what should be kept in your Author's notebook, and not every writer seems to get that.
The Ending
Here is an example of an author who wants a happily-ever-after kind of ending, all wrapped neatly in a bow, who is afraid to kill off her main characters. I'm sorry to say it, but I cannot see this happening. It would have been much more absolving if the Harbinger did not survive the entire event. I cannot see any other way for redemption. God only hopes it's not stretched out into a sequel.
But again, I refuse to judge a book because things did not turn out the way I want them to. The world does not work like that, so why should a work of literature?
So despite my annoyance at the MC, despite my disappointment in the ending, The Harbinger still had me hooked, still had me sucked into a creepy atmosphere of forests and turrets shrouded in mist, and so I leave it with four stars.
February 15, 2012
NOTE: This one actually got 3.5 stars...
Harbinger was a super creepy, darkly mysterious book with amazingly good writing that was also nothing like what I was expecting it to be. It definitely stood out from a lot of other YA fiction out there because it had such a unique and interesting plot twist-- which I'm not going to give away here, because I want you to be just as surprised and taken away as I was if you decide to read it!
Faye has suffered from terrifying visions and nightmares ever since an incident down at the beach when she was a little girl. Her parents think she is going insane. Heck, Faye even thinks she's going crazy. But she never expects her dad to bring her to Holbrook Academy one day, abandoning her to the sadistic tyranny of Dr. Mordoch and the school's "care takers." The craziness only gets worse, as Faye and the members of her new Holbrook "family" start waking up on the floor of their rooms with red stains on their hands and disturbing drawings on the floor...
So let me just start by saying, holy crap was this book creepy! The mystery was done really well and definitely gave me chills-- I mean, people's hands turning red overnight and strange symbols drawn on the floor and a secret diary and talisman hidden in an old library? Add in some screaming statues and an old set of tarot cards with an unnerving poem on the back, and I was seriously on the edge of my seat!
I also really liked Faye's character, mainly because she was smart and completely aware of what was happening to her. She wasn't some clueless, TSTL bimbo who couldn't put two and two together-- she knows something very strange is going on, has been going on for awhile, and she's absolutely determined to figure out what it is. It made the story so much easier to follow because I was reading from the POV of an intelligent character.
The romance in this book was more understated than a lot of other YA books, which I thought was kind of refreshing. There is some romance going on between Faye and Kel, but for the most part it takes a back seat to focus on the mysterious harbinger plot. I think a lot of readers will like Kel's dark, emo-ish vibe but honestly, he didn't really stick with me as a character, and I don't remember all that much about him...
So with that being said, there were some things I didn't like about this book as well. First of all, the questions Faye asks herself are repeated over and over-- and OVER again to the point where I was like, OK give us some freaking answers already! There was a lot of repetition in other places as well that got to be pretty tedious, and about three-quarters of the way through I was starting to wish that the story would just move forward. Now, I'm one of those people who would almost never DNF a book three quarters of the way through unless it was absolutely putting me into a coma-- I'm just OCD like that-- but just to warn the reader: there is a "hump" to get over in this book, that was kind of frustrating.
On top of tedious parts, there were other parts that were (I thought) very overwhelming. Within the last 100 pages or so there was just so much explanation and background info being thrown at me that I started to get a slight headache. Basically, the mystery unravels of who exactly "The Harbinger" is, and what their purpose is, and it all goes back to like, 5,000 years ago! I don't want to give anything away, but the final part of the book was both totally unexpected and a **little** difficult for me to follow. By the end, I had things figured out for the most part, but I was nervous there for a few chapters that I was going to wind up being completely lost!
Harbinger did end on a positive note for me, despite some hang-ups in the middle. And also, the writing was absolutely beautiful, I have to add that! I was really impressed by Sara's writing style. I'm not sure this book is for everyone, but I would go for it if you are looking for something that will give you the creeps for it's darkly disturbing mystery, or if you just want something really different than other YA fiction out there!
~Lea @ LC's Adventures in Libraryland
Harbinger was a super creepy, darkly mysterious book with amazingly good writing that was also nothing like what I was expecting it to be. It definitely stood out from a lot of other YA fiction out there because it had such a unique and interesting plot twist-- which I'm not going to give away here, because I want you to be just as surprised and taken away as I was if you decide to read it!
Faye has suffered from terrifying visions and nightmares ever since an incident down at the beach when she was a little girl. Her parents think she is going insane. Heck, Faye even thinks she's going crazy. But she never expects her dad to bring her to Holbrook Academy one day, abandoning her to the sadistic tyranny of Dr. Mordoch and the school's "care takers." The craziness only gets worse, as Faye and the members of her new Holbrook "family" start waking up on the floor of their rooms with red stains on their hands and disturbing drawings on the floor...
So let me just start by saying, holy crap was this book creepy! The mystery was done really well and definitely gave me chills-- I mean, people's hands turning red overnight and strange symbols drawn on the floor and a secret diary and talisman hidden in an old library? Add in some screaming statues and an old set of tarot cards with an unnerving poem on the back, and I was seriously on the edge of my seat!
I also really liked Faye's character, mainly because she was smart and completely aware of what was happening to her. She wasn't some clueless, TSTL bimbo who couldn't put two and two together-- she knows something very strange is going on, has been going on for awhile, and she's absolutely determined to figure out what it is. It made the story so much easier to follow because I was reading from the POV of an intelligent character.
The romance in this book was more understated than a lot of other YA books, which I thought was kind of refreshing. There is some romance going on between Faye and Kel, but for the most part it takes a back seat to focus on the mysterious harbinger plot. I think a lot of readers will like Kel's dark, emo-ish vibe but honestly, he didn't really stick with me as a character, and I don't remember all that much about him...
So with that being said, there were some things I didn't like about this book as well. First of all, the questions Faye asks herself are repeated over and over-- and OVER again to the point where I was like, OK give us some freaking answers already! There was a lot of repetition in other places as well that got to be pretty tedious, and about three-quarters of the way through I was starting to wish that the story would just move forward. Now, I'm one of those people who would almost never DNF a book three quarters of the way through unless it was absolutely putting me into a coma-- I'm just OCD like that-- but just to warn the reader: there is a "hump" to get over in this book, that was kind of frustrating.
On top of tedious parts, there were other parts that were (I thought) very overwhelming. Within the last 100 pages or so there was just so much explanation and background info being thrown at me that I started to get a slight headache. Basically, the mystery unravels of who exactly "The Harbinger" is, and what their purpose is, and it all goes back to like, 5,000 years ago! I don't want to give anything away, but the final part of the book was both totally unexpected and a **little** difficult for me to follow. By the end, I had things figured out for the most part, but I was nervous there for a few chapters that I was going to wind up being completely lost!
Harbinger did end on a positive note for me, despite some hang-ups in the middle. And also, the writing was absolutely beautiful, I have to add that! I was really impressed by Sara's writing style. I'm not sure this book is for everyone, but I would go for it if you are looking for something that will give you the creeps for it's darkly disturbing mystery, or if you just want something really different than other YA fiction out there!
~Lea @ LC's Adventures in Libraryland
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