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Harrow
Sixteen-year-old Brenna doesn’t believe her vivid imagination can hurt her, until she wakes up in a church, covered in blood. Blood that isn’t hers.
She thinks her life can't get much worse, but when she finally finds a way to escape her abusive home, her imagination turns to nightmarish hallucinations.
Niven likes staying inside the abandoned church, hiding from his violent father. The two bond through art and misery, but Brenna knows good things in her life don’t last long.
Her delusions take a horrific turn when she thinks she sees two men gruesomely murdered by a monster in the church basement, but in the end, she’s the one with blood on her hands.
She thinks her life can't get much worse, but when she finally finds a way to escape her abusive home, her imagination turns to nightmarish hallucinations.
Niven likes staying inside the abandoned church, hiding from his violent father. The two bond through art and misery, but Brenna knows good things in her life don’t last long.
Her delusions take a horrific turn when she thinks she sees two men gruesomely murdered by a monster in the church basement, but in the end, she’s the one with blood on her hands.
247 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 27, 2014
1 person is currently reading
601 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
August 30, 2014
Warning-this is not a romance with hearts, flowers, and swooning but a story that will captivate you at the very beginning & creep you out till the very end!
This author reached out to me by email and I finally had a chance to read the ARC that was gifted to me in exchange for an honest review. I will start out that I normally don't read anything but books with some type of romance so this is my first Horror book. Harrow not only surprised me but spooked me in all different types of creepy ways.
Brenna is a very sad girl that lives in a damaged home with her sister Mabel and their drunk & abusive father. She will also befriend a couple of people along the way, Niven who lives in the abandoned church to escape his own home life, & Wyatt, an old HS friend who helps her get a job at the library.
Will Brenna be able to distinguish between her hallucinations between the nightmares she face is real or not? Go on the horrific adventure with Brenna that will be full of ghosts, be trapped in a haunted church, finding missing people, zombies.....
May 5, 2015
I have to be honest, the first chapter of Harrow had me worried. The main character, Brenna, seemed SUPER awkward, inelegant and with that the writing seemed awkward as well but that quickly changed as I started reading more. I began to finally understand Brenna's awkwardness. I started to see why she acted the way she did.
Brenna lives a hard life. Living in a small home with an abusive father and a sister that is always getting into trouble which leads to Brennas blame. None of this helps her crazy, horror filled hallucinations which are VERY abnormal. In fact, I almost made the assumption Brenna was just a serious drug abuser.. Obviously she has a bigger problem than that.
Harrow flips your world erm... mind upside down, drags it into a dark slimy basement, chains you up and flips it right side up again. The twists and turns will blow your mind and leave you thinking about it long after you finish the book.. If the twists and turns were even real! It's mind-ception..
Brenna lives a hard life. Living in a small home with an abusive father and a sister that is always getting into trouble which leads to Brennas blame. None of this helps her crazy, horror filled hallucinations which are VERY abnormal. In fact, I almost made the assumption Brenna was just a serious drug abuser.. Obviously she has a bigger problem than that.
Harrow flips your world erm... mind upside down, drags it into a dark slimy basement, chains you up and flips it right side up again. The twists and turns will blow your mind and leave you thinking about it long after you finish the book.. If the twists and turns were even real! It's mind-ception..
July 22, 2016
I love this book. I pick it up as a free eBook from Amazon without thinking about its content simply because I love horror stories. The cover is very simple, looking much like a book full of horror tropes, making me think of it less. But upon reading Harrow, I found that it covers elements of horror but it's not clichéd. Harrow has a unique story with enough background for the characters to justify their actions and to develop the right atmosphere and nuances for the plot. It was a worthwhile read.
I don't know where the author drew her inspiration from for this book because I could relate so much to it.
Brenna is a 16-year old girl (as old as the girl of the book I read about the other day and most YA books, if not all) hailing from a dysfunctional family. Her mom's been missing her entire life, leaving her and her older sister with a drunken father. She feels neglected at home if not brutally abused when in his drunken state, her father would toss her with enough force that would leave her with bruises. Worse, her sister makes trouble all over the place that makes other people hate her too. A lonely girl without friends, she finds comfort in an abandoned haunted church where she found a lovely boy that will make her stomach go in mushes.
Brenna is too imaginative, like every once in a while there'd be an interlude of some morbid thoughts of hers. Some, her own imagination and some, hallucination. As a reader, it was hard at times recognizing which ones are her own imagination and which ones are not, much like the confused Brenna. I think the narration was deliberate to have this effect. I just don't know whether I like it or not.
If you were a troubled teen, like psychologically or paranormally troubled teenage girl, the events in this book is easily recognizable. For others, it might be traumatizing, for others still, deliciously refreshing. I'll get to that later.
For the sake of horror, there isn't that much horror in this book. There's only a semblance of what I call emotional exploration. Horror junkies are up for the scare (if you want, an easy read would be Jonathan Stroud's Lockwood and Co. series) while I on the other hand, is up for the feels when it comes to horror books. Yes, I love the horrible feeling but I love the emotional journey more. This book delivers on the emotional part.
The story revolves around 4 places mostly: Brenna's house, the library, her new close friend Wyatt's house and of course, the haunted church with an ugly urban legend of a monster in the basement that could eat a man whole and grows stronger by consuming their souls. Brenna wasn't deterred by any of the rumors surrounding the church, she was much taken by the boy who claims to need her, the boy with a very beautiful almost glowing green eyes and a wide intoxicating smile. Niven is a runaway who takes shelter in the church and shelter in the warmth of Brenna's company.
Shit things happen in Brenna's bouts of hallucination. She's been dreaming of running away from it all long before she met Niven but she's more determined now when the ones she loved are hurting from her shit storm.
Let's pause for an personal interlude here. My biology professor said that if the brain produces dream hormones 50% more than normal, you can become a lucid dreamer. At 85% more, you're either demented or schizophrenic. I came from a clan with mental illnesses, with two in my family suffering from schizophrenia.
Since I hit puberty until my early 20s, I'd been suffering from hallucinations after the onset of sleep paralysis. So yes, I hear voices (technically a single man's voice) and feel things in my half-lucid state while I couldn't move on the bed. I told some of my friends (most of them unfriended me) about what's going on with me during those times. They claimed I could be in a relationship with an incubus.
For a long time, I'd been entertaining the idea of demonic possession until the day I finally enjoyed uh, things. Since I felt the comforts of my own body, the hallucinations stopped which is just so frustrating. Just when I start to bask in the pleasures of sleep paralysis did my "incubus" left me. And for what reason? That's how I realize such things are all in the brain.
This book is very much relatable especially to young teenage girls who could be suppressed for various things and in effect, suffer some mental issues. I wasn't diagnosed with anything by the way but the confession room had been my go-to when I was 8 until I was 15 (though I don't go there always) when I could not tell anyone about my "problem".
Head over to my website for more of this review: zirev.com
This book left me with a great feeling after reading. It hooked me up from the very first page and didn't let up with the emotional tension until I read the last word as the story ended.
I don't know where the author drew her inspiration from for this book because I could relate so much to it.
Brenna is a 16-year old girl (as old as the girl of the book I read about the other day and most YA books, if not all) hailing from a dysfunctional family. Her mom's been missing her entire life, leaving her and her older sister with a drunken father. She feels neglected at home if not brutally abused when in his drunken state, her father would toss her with enough force that would leave her with bruises. Worse, her sister makes trouble all over the place that makes other people hate her too. A lonely girl without friends, she finds comfort in an abandoned haunted church where she found a lovely boy that will make her stomach go in mushes.
Brenna is too imaginative, like every once in a while there'd be an interlude of some morbid thoughts of hers. Some, her own imagination and some, hallucination. As a reader, it was hard at times recognizing which ones are her own imagination and which ones are not, much like the confused Brenna. I think the narration was deliberate to have this effect. I just don't know whether I like it or not.
If you were a troubled teen, like psychologically or paranormally troubled teenage girl, the events in this book is easily recognizable. For others, it might be traumatizing, for others still, deliciously refreshing. I'll get to that later.
For the sake of horror, there isn't that much horror in this book. There's only a semblance of what I call emotional exploration. Horror junkies are up for the scare (if you want, an easy read would be Jonathan Stroud's Lockwood and Co. series) while I on the other hand, is up for the feels when it comes to horror books. Yes, I love the horrible feeling but I love the emotional journey more. This book delivers on the emotional part.
The story revolves around 4 places mostly: Brenna's house, the library, her new close friend Wyatt's house and of course, the haunted church with an ugly urban legend of a monster in the basement that could eat a man whole and grows stronger by consuming their souls. Brenna wasn't deterred by any of the rumors surrounding the church, she was much taken by the boy who claims to need her, the boy with a very beautiful almost glowing green eyes and a wide intoxicating smile. Niven is a runaway who takes shelter in the church and shelter in the warmth of Brenna's company.
Shit things happen in Brenna's bouts of hallucination. She's been dreaming of running away from it all long before she met Niven but she's more determined now when the ones she loved are hurting from her shit storm.
“I’m not a doctor, so I can’t give you medical advice.” He begins. His words feel rehearsed until he leans closer to the mesh. “But from a spiritual point of view, you could be experiencing symptoms of demonic possession.”
Let's pause for an personal interlude here. My biology professor said that if the brain produces dream hormones 50% more than normal, you can become a lucid dreamer. At 85% more, you're either demented or schizophrenic. I came from a clan with mental illnesses, with two in my family suffering from schizophrenia.
Since I hit puberty until my early 20s, I'd been suffering from hallucinations after the onset of sleep paralysis. So yes, I hear voices (technically a single man's voice) and feel things in my half-lucid state while I couldn't move on the bed. I told some of my friends (most of them unfriended me) about what's going on with me during those times. They claimed I could be in a relationship with an incubus.
For a long time, I'd been entertaining the idea of demonic possession until the day I finally enjoyed uh, things. Since I felt the comforts of my own body, the hallucinations stopped which is just so frustrating. Just when I start to bask in the pleasures of sleep paralysis did my "incubus" left me. And for what reason? That's how I realize such things are all in the brain.
This book is very much relatable especially to young teenage girls who could be suppressed for various things and in effect, suffer some mental issues. I wasn't diagnosed with anything by the way but the confession room had been my go-to when I was 8 until I was 15 (though I don't go there always) when I could not tell anyone about my "problem".
Head over to my website for more of this review: zirev.com
This book left me with a great feeling after reading. It hooked me up from the very first page and didn't let up with the emotional tension until I read the last word as the story ended.
September 8, 2014
~I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review~
My actual rating was 2.5 stars but I rate up on Goodreads!
My Thoughts
The original reason I picked up this book is because of this gorgeous cover. It looked really promising so I picked it up.
This book’s pacing is super slow. The real action didn’t happen until about 60% in. With that being said I felt some of the events were needed before we got to the action but some wasn’t, A lot of plots were introduced and they were interesting but I felt they were left unresolved. According to Goodreads this is a standalone so the lack of resolution is a big problem for me. The events that were added were really interesting but were left open ended. I’m a strong believer if your going to add plot/event they have to be resolved by the end of the book unless its a series. Unfortunately there is no information I am aware of that this book could be a series.
The horror factor in this book didn’t really appeal to me. I love a good psychological kinda mess with your head kinda book and this wasn”t that at all. I can’t say that I was creeped out or bothered by the scenes of this book at all. Some of the scenes in this book were really hard to picture and thus hard to follow. Especially the action scenes towards the end of the book.
The minor characters didn’t feel like they were hashed out. One scene would start to dive into the characters behavior and why they are who they are but then was abruptly cut off and the story would move forward. This made it really hard to care about these characters even when something happened to them.
The ending of this book was pretty decent actually. I hadn’t predicted some of the events towards the end and I really liked that. The end seemed like something you would see at the end of a horror movie and I really appreciated.
Overall this book was interesting but not something I would usually enjoy.
My actual rating was 2.5 stars but I rate up on Goodreads!
My Thoughts
The original reason I picked up this book is because of this gorgeous cover. It looked really promising so I picked it up.
This book’s pacing is super slow. The real action didn’t happen until about 60% in. With that being said I felt some of the events were needed before we got to the action but some wasn’t, A lot of plots were introduced and they were interesting but I felt they were left unresolved. According to Goodreads this is a standalone so the lack of resolution is a big problem for me. The events that were added were really interesting but were left open ended. I’m a strong believer if your going to add plot/event they have to be resolved by the end of the book unless its a series. Unfortunately there is no information I am aware of that this book could be a series.
The horror factor in this book didn’t really appeal to me. I love a good psychological kinda mess with your head kinda book and this wasn”t that at all. I can’t say that I was creeped out or bothered by the scenes of this book at all. Some of the scenes in this book were really hard to picture and thus hard to follow. Especially the action scenes towards the end of the book.
The minor characters didn’t feel like they were hashed out. One scene would start to dive into the characters behavior and why they are who they are but then was abruptly cut off and the story would move forward. This made it really hard to care about these characters even when something happened to them.
The ending of this book was pretty decent actually. I hadn’t predicted some of the events towards the end and I really liked that. The end seemed like something you would see at the end of a horror movie and I really appreciated.
Overall this book was interesting but not something I would usually enjoy.
August 17, 2014
The book starts off introducing Breena, the girl with the vivid imagination and her troublemaking sister Mabel. Brenna wants to live on her own because of her family. She doesn't like it. You get sucked in by her and start sympathizing her. Just you are put through whatever she is. Later on she meets this boy at the abandoned church she ends up in - Niven, who plays a big role in the plot later on. All of the characters were developed.
I wish I could say something about the plot but I would giveaway too much. I will just mention that there are a lot of totally unexpected twists and turns.
The writing was really good food a new author. However, at certain places I was irritated by the monologue and the descriptions. I am not saying they were bad or anything but just that it was little overdone. 90% percent of the time the descriptions are incredibly easy-imaginable. It was overall fast-paced just little slow in the beginning.
"Harrow" was a gripping read, which will keep you tensioned until the very end, shock you with the twists and turns. In addition, it will make you double check if you've locked your door. The writing is really good and grabs you from the beginning.
The book comes out on August 27th.
This is a debut novel which may have a sequel.
Also I am hosting a giveaway on my blog.
http://dbookheaven.blogspot.com/2014/...
I wish I could say something about the plot but I would giveaway too much. I will just mention that there are a lot of totally unexpected twists and turns.
The writing was really good food a new author. However, at certain places I was irritated by the monologue and the descriptions. I am not saying they were bad or anything but just that it was little overdone. 90% percent of the time the descriptions are incredibly easy-imaginable. It was overall fast-paced just little slow in the beginning.
"Harrow" was a gripping read, which will keep you tensioned until the very end, shock you with the twists and turns. In addition, it will make you double check if you've locked your door. The writing is really good and grabs you from the beginning.
The book comes out on August 27th.
This is a debut novel which may have a sequel.
Also I am hosting a giveaway on my blog.
http://dbookheaven.blogspot.com/2014/...
August 26, 2014
This is one of those books that slowly draws you in and then holds a tight grip on you. She makes you feel with the main character Breena almost instantly and when you do, you can't put it down, I at least could not. I flew through this book in no time even though it was not a short read at all.
The main characters are vividly described allowing easy visualization of the book. After a while you get this suspicion on what is wrong, but can't exactly put your finger on what it is. She weaves a web around you and Breena, confusing you both, leaving you just outside of understanding on what is going on. This makes you hope and pray that she will be ok in the end and gets out of the miserable situation she calls her life.
If you are into the paranormal genre, this one is a well written and fun read that keeps you interested from the moment you start until you finish it. I am definitely looking forward to more books from this author in the future.
"I received this book from the author for an honest review."
The main characters are vividly described allowing easy visualization of the book. After a while you get this suspicion on what is wrong, but can't exactly put your finger on what it is. She weaves a web around you and Breena, confusing you both, leaving you just outside of understanding on what is going on. This makes you hope and pray that she will be ok in the end and gets out of the miserable situation she calls her life.
If you are into the paranormal genre, this one is a well written and fun read that keeps you interested from the moment you start until you finish it. I am definitely looking forward to more books from this author in the future.
"I received this book from the author for an honest review."
July 30, 2014
Great read! I was sucked in by the characters and had to keep turning the page, even when I didn't want to! I was pretty freaked out a couple of times; like go check the locks before I can continue, freaked out. The story was full of twists and the images created by the author were quite vivid and gruesome. I definitely plan to read the book again.
September 22, 2014
All I can say is WOW. This book was exciting, entertaining, and I didn't want to put it down. I will not ruin anyones experience but I was completely surprised. I had a totally different idea of who people were and weren't and how I imagined the book ending. Terrific job Amanda and thank you for the first read experience. Keep on writing, you have a tremendous talent.
December 27, 2014
Creepy. Lots of twists and turns. A good book to read, but not when home alone!
February 1, 2015
I hoped this book would get better so I read it to the end but... yeah... no it didn't.
October 6, 2014
Abridged from my blog, the Paisley Reader.
In Harrow, we meet Brenna, a sixteen-year-old girl unlike many main characters that I read about in fiction (most of the characters are unlike those I’ve read before in good way). Although she has a missing parent, which is what I have come to expect in so much YA and NA literature, that’s about all that is one can call expected about Brenna or about this book. Brenna is desperate to get out of her small town to escape her troublemaker sister (to put it nicely) and her alcoholic father. She truly believes that no one cares about her. She’s a definite underdog, that you really want to root for, and her story made me read on as I wanted to see if she’d make it. I got so much more than that.
It’s an issue with her sister Mabel at the beginning of the book that sets into motion the rest of the story. Mabel has done something to anger two young men and as they hunt for her they stumble upon Brenna and instead decide to take their feelings out on her. You can’t help but feel for Brenna as you learn that this is not the first time that Mabel has dragged Brenna into trouble. Only this time it’s different. From the first encounter, Danny and Nate seek to do Brenna harm and you know that she’s running for her life. It’s when escaping from them that she ends up in the dilapidated old church where she meets Niven. Niven like her is a bit of a tortured soul and he escapes his crummy life by coming to the church as well. Could their meeting be just what Brenna needs to find some happiness?
It’s at the same time she meets Niven that her life seems to be turning around, when she runs into a high-school classmate Wyatt who helps her get a job at the library. You really think that after getting the library job that Brenna is going to make it, but that’s when the hallucinations start. The hallucinations are creepy to downright scary, and Troyer does an amazing job at seamlessly blending reality with horror to the point where you don’t always recognize it for what it is at first. Will Brenna ever get to live a normal life when she can no longer trust what she sees?
A contemporary tale, the setting for a majority of the book is easily imaginable–the library, her house, the area. I think Troyer does a good job describing it all. Where she excels however is with describing the old church where Brenna ends up spending much of her time. She does this not only with how it looks, but also in how it feels, as descriptions change upon the tone of the scene. It is awesome, and there is one scene in particular with a moon that will take your breath away.
There are few very minor issues that I had with the book, along the vein of typos/missing words, but although noticeable, they did not pull me out of the story.
Overall I found Harrow to be an enjoyable and gripping book with an intricate plot that kept me guessing until the very end. Amanda Troyer has turned me on to a new genre within the YA realm–I will definitely no longer shy away from those with the horror tag.
**Thank you to Amanda Troyer for providing me with an ecopy of Harrow in exchange for an honest review**
In Harrow, we meet Brenna, a sixteen-year-old girl unlike many main characters that I read about in fiction (most of the characters are unlike those I’ve read before in good way). Although she has a missing parent, which is what I have come to expect in so much YA and NA literature, that’s about all that is one can call expected about Brenna or about this book. Brenna is desperate to get out of her small town to escape her troublemaker sister (to put it nicely) and her alcoholic father. She truly believes that no one cares about her. She’s a definite underdog, that you really want to root for, and her story made me read on as I wanted to see if she’d make it. I got so much more than that.
It’s an issue with her sister Mabel at the beginning of the book that sets into motion the rest of the story. Mabel has done something to anger two young men and as they hunt for her they stumble upon Brenna and instead decide to take their feelings out on her. You can’t help but feel for Brenna as you learn that this is not the first time that Mabel has dragged Brenna into trouble. Only this time it’s different. From the first encounter, Danny and Nate seek to do Brenna harm and you know that she’s running for her life. It’s when escaping from them that she ends up in the dilapidated old church where she meets Niven. Niven like her is a bit of a tortured soul and he escapes his crummy life by coming to the church as well. Could their meeting be just what Brenna needs to find some happiness?
It’s at the same time she meets Niven that her life seems to be turning around, when she runs into a high-school classmate Wyatt who helps her get a job at the library. You really think that after getting the library job that Brenna is going to make it, but that’s when the hallucinations start. The hallucinations are creepy to downright scary, and Troyer does an amazing job at seamlessly blending reality with horror to the point where you don’t always recognize it for what it is at first. Will Brenna ever get to live a normal life when she can no longer trust what she sees?
A contemporary tale, the setting for a majority of the book is easily imaginable–the library, her house, the area. I think Troyer does a good job describing it all. Where she excels however is with describing the old church where Brenna ends up spending much of her time. She does this not only with how it looks, but also in how it feels, as descriptions change upon the tone of the scene. It is awesome, and there is one scene in particular with a moon that will take your breath away.
There are few very minor issues that I had with the book, along the vein of typos/missing words, but although noticeable, they did not pull me out of the story.
Overall I found Harrow to be an enjoyable and gripping book with an intricate plot that kept me guessing until the very end. Amanda Troyer has turned me on to a new genre within the YA realm–I will definitely no longer shy away from those with the horror tag.
**Thank you to Amanda Troyer for providing me with an ecopy of Harrow in exchange for an honest review**
March 1, 2015
Holy freaking creepy!! My full review will be up shortly!
UPDATE (From the blog)
Holy. Freaking. Creepy. It's no secret that I enjoy the dark and twisty. And let me tell you, Amanda Troyer does not disappoint! She keeps the reader (and her main character!) constantly guessing what's going to happen next...and whether everything that's happening is based in reality, or if Brenna is becoming unhinged.
Brenna's childhood/teenage years have not exactly been all butterflies and rainbows. People have died, others have let their life travel down the tube...and Brenna has been hurt by it all. She would like nothing more than to get out of the small town she lives in, and away from those who have, for lack of a better phrase, done her wrong. I want to hate her sister, and her dad...but in the end, they've all been dealing with her mother's death in different ways, and although I'm still often mad at them, I have a SLIGHT understanding of why they're behaving the way they are. And in a way, they both make up for their sins...although I'm not sure that's what they were meaning to do at the time.
A lot of strange things happen to Brenna throughout this story. Some good, some bad. And since the story is told from Brenna's point of view, and even she is confused about what's real, and what her mind is fabricating, it's SO HARD (in a fantastic way!) to figure out if she's schizo, or if she just has an extremely powerful ability to 'see' more than the average person, so to speak.
On top of all the psychological awesomeness that Ms. Troyer has written, she also did an AMAZING job of making you feel like you were right there in that creepy-as-heck church. The attention to detail is phenomenal, and not just in how the church looks, but how it FEELS to be there. There are days and times where the church is sort-of beautiful in its old, broken down-ness. But even in those moments, you still feel like you need to keep looking over your shoulder, because this church has some deep, dark secrets. I just...it's awesomesauce!
And even after it's all said and done...I'm still not sure if everything that happened to Brenna is real, or if she really is starting to lose her mind. I NEED ANOTHER BOOK! That ending?! Let's just say there was a bit of an unexpected cliff hanger.
I seriously could not stop turning pages the whole time I was reading it. If you love horror (or maybe even if you don't!) you will DEFINITELY enjoy this one!
UPDATE (From the blog)
Holy. Freaking. Creepy. It's no secret that I enjoy the dark and twisty. And let me tell you, Amanda Troyer does not disappoint! She keeps the reader (and her main character!) constantly guessing what's going to happen next...and whether everything that's happening is based in reality, or if Brenna is becoming unhinged.
Brenna's childhood/teenage years have not exactly been all butterflies and rainbows. People have died, others have let their life travel down the tube...and Brenna has been hurt by it all. She would like nothing more than to get out of the small town she lives in, and away from those who have, for lack of a better phrase, done her wrong. I want to hate her sister, and her dad...but in the end, they've all been dealing with her mother's death in different ways, and although I'm still often mad at them, I have a SLIGHT understanding of why they're behaving the way they are. And in a way, they both make up for their sins...although I'm not sure that's what they were meaning to do at the time.
A lot of strange things happen to Brenna throughout this story. Some good, some bad. And since the story is told from Brenna's point of view, and even she is confused about what's real, and what her mind is fabricating, it's SO HARD (in a fantastic way!) to figure out if she's schizo, or if she just has an extremely powerful ability to 'see' more than the average person, so to speak.
On top of all the psychological awesomeness that Ms. Troyer has written, she also did an AMAZING job of making you feel like you were right there in that creepy-as-heck church. The attention to detail is phenomenal, and not just in how the church looks, but how it FEELS to be there. There are days and times where the church is sort-of beautiful in its old, broken down-ness. But even in those moments, you still feel like you need to keep looking over your shoulder, because this church has some deep, dark secrets. I just...it's awesomesauce!
And even after it's all said and done...I'm still not sure if everything that happened to Brenna is real, or if she really is starting to lose her mind. I NEED ANOTHER BOOK! That ending?! Let's just say there was a bit of an unexpected cliff hanger.
I seriously could not stop turning pages the whole time I was reading it. If you love horror (or maybe even if you don't!) you will DEFINITELY enjoy this one!
August 27, 2014
(3.5 stars) I received this book in exchange for an honest review from the author.
When I first read the blurb for this book - coupled with the hauntingly beautiful cover, I knew this was the book for me.
Immediately we are introduced to Brenna and the cruddy life she lives, not to mention all the problems that her sister Mabel causes for her.When her new friend from school starts investigating the disappearance of his brother the apparently haunting of the abandoned town church comes up. But she doesn't think things can get any weirder until the day she hides in the abandoned church and meets Niven, the beautiful boy who seems to never go home. He appears to have a life just as bad as Brenna's and they immediately form a bond.
Harrow is one of those books that creeps up on you with a steady pace that easily keeps you turning pages, only giving you enough information to push you deeper into the depths and needing to know what happens next. When Brenna starts having hallucinations, and weird things start happening I constantly found myself wracking my brain trying to figure out what was going on. I spent a lot of time confused and compelled to read further trying to work everything out. It's hard for me to say much about this book without giving anything away and spoiling the plot twist.
Troyer is great with her descriptions she paints her picture with ease, and weaves a beautiful story. If you like paranormal mysteries with a touch of horror this book is right up your alley. I definitely enjoyed it, and the ending was a great touch.
When I first read the blurb for this book - coupled with the hauntingly beautiful cover, I knew this was the book for me.
Immediately we are introduced to Brenna and the cruddy life she lives, not to mention all the problems that her sister Mabel causes for her.When her new friend from school starts investigating the disappearance of his brother the apparently haunting of the abandoned town church comes up. But she doesn't think things can get any weirder until the day she hides in the abandoned church and meets Niven, the beautiful boy who seems to never go home. He appears to have a life just as bad as Brenna's and they immediately form a bond.
Harrow is one of those books that creeps up on you with a steady pace that easily keeps you turning pages, only giving you enough information to push you deeper into the depths and needing to know what happens next. When Brenna starts having hallucinations, and weird things start happening I constantly found myself wracking my brain trying to figure out what was going on. I spent a lot of time confused and compelled to read further trying to work everything out. It's hard for me to say much about this book without giving anything away and spoiling the plot twist.
Troyer is great with her descriptions she paints her picture with ease, and weaves a beautiful story. If you like paranormal mysteries with a touch of horror this book is right up your alley. I definitely enjoyed it, and the ending was a great touch.
September 23, 2014
Just... Scary!!
Brenna has a story to tell. She suffers from hallucinations and they are becoming more frequent & violent. Brenna's father is an alcoholic & sometimes abusive, her mother bailed on their family years ago and her older sister, Mabel, who hangs with the wrong crowd & gets into more trouble than she can handle. Not the most stable family. Brenna has one friend from school, Wyatt, who helps get her a job at the library and we meet Niven, who hides out in an abandoned church to escape from his own family troubles.
I was hesitant to read this book. The cover & blurb were intriguing enough for me though. Especially the bloody hands holding a rosary with crucifix. My husband is an Anglican Priest, so reading a YA book which is something that interests me, that is based in a church, which is something that interests him... well... I just had to give it a go!
Read the full review here: http://wp.me/p4Nugr-PQ
*I received a copy of this book from the author for an honest review.
Brenna has a story to tell. She suffers from hallucinations and they are becoming more frequent & violent. Brenna's father is an alcoholic & sometimes abusive, her mother bailed on their family years ago and her older sister, Mabel, who hangs with the wrong crowd & gets into more trouble than she can handle. Not the most stable family. Brenna has one friend from school, Wyatt, who helps get her a job at the library and we meet Niven, who hides out in an abandoned church to escape from his own family troubles.
I was hesitant to read this book. The cover & blurb were intriguing enough for me though. Especially the bloody hands holding a rosary with crucifix. My husband is an Anglican Priest, so reading a YA book which is something that interests me, that is based in a church, which is something that interests him... well... I just had to give it a go!
Read the full review here: http://wp.me/p4Nugr-PQ
*I received a copy of this book from the author for an honest review.
September 14, 2014
Harrow puts the spook in spook-a-licious. We follow 16-year-old Brenna who has been abused and neglected by her family for years and finds solace and a new friend in an old abandoned church. The story is well crafted with colorful characters, heartbreaking events, chases, and mysteries that all come to a head with a very satisfying resolution. There is plenty of action and adrenalin pumping situations that kept me turning the pages to find out what was going on, as well as how these events are connected and where it would take the characters. I would recommend this book to older YA readers on up, primarily due to some graphic violence, who enjoy a good little spooky tale with a bit of a new twist. I requested this book from the author and received it with a request for my honest review without any compensation whatsoever, other than the joy of reading a new book.
October 8, 2014
I received this book as a winner from the First Reads.
I will be honest, I could not get into this book, the premise is good, and I was really excited by it, but I could just not get into it. I finished it, and it got a little better at the end, but it was tough.
I don't know if it was the writing, the characters, the plot, or the execution that got me, but it was hard.
The story follows a girl who has an older sister who is a little out there. The girl then meets a boy in a church and then another boy in a library... They may be connected, they may not.
I think that some people may really enjoy this book, but for me I just couldn't really connect with the characters. The sister comes in and out randomly, she is in trouble but it doesn't really connect.
I will be honest, I could not get into this book, the premise is good, and I was really excited by it, but I could just not get into it. I finished it, and it got a little better at the end, but it was tough.
I don't know if it was the writing, the characters, the plot, or the execution that got me, but it was hard.
The story follows a girl who has an older sister who is a little out there. The girl then meets a boy in a church and then another boy in a library... They may be connected, they may not.
I think that some people may really enjoy this book, but for me I just couldn't really connect with the characters. The sister comes in and out randomly, she is in trouble but it doesn't really connect.
October 6, 2014
I just finished harrow, a goodreads first reads find. oh the fears of the mind. it was weird, just weird. let me start by saying I enjoyed it, there were times I couldn't put it down. It was difficult to tell where the book was going with the twisty bendy parts leading every which way. I think this would be a great horror movie, one that would lead the audience along confused most of the way till bam , they're hit with the ending. it's gory and sure to smudge your psyche. think I will run and take a bath now. There's blood everywhere.
April 13, 2015
I'm really upset about disliking this book. I read months ago, but I can't stop thinking about it, oh, it could have been so good. Maybe I will wait a little longer and try again.
I think if... I don't know. I really want to like it.
I think if... I don't know. I really want to like it.
July 23, 2014
Great new book - the story really sucks you in. I love reading books with unpredictable plot lines. Harrow is a refreshing break from the unfortunately common YA fiction drama.
August 2, 2014
This was a kinda creepy, fun read . Author has great descriptions and characters. I received an eARC from the author.
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January 9, 2024I have to temporarily DNF this book. Hope to come back to it soon.
A copy of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
A copy of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
December 23, 2014
Fantastic read!!! Kind of boring in the beginning but keep reading!! It gets sooo good!
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