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White Room 9: A Polar Survival Horror Novel
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
August 10, 2026
D.N.F.
Tedious.
Tedious.
August 12, 2026
A Very Enjoyable Read That Keeps You Guessing!
White Room 9 is an enjoyable and fast paced Arctic survival horror thriller featuring an unknown pathogen that turns everyone exposed into a thermal sink and is unlike anything I expected. I love being surprised by books by an author new to me, my TBR pile just grew by another author's canon! If you think this is another cookie cutter Arctic survival thriller, think again! Overall, 5/5 stars! Highly recommended to fans of Arctic survival horror, outbreak thrillers or just want a book that won't have readers figure out the situation before the ending, a bit of a cliffhanger. I am looking forward to book 2 very much!
White Room 9 is an enjoyable and fast paced Arctic survival horror thriller featuring an unknown pathogen that turns everyone exposed into a thermal sink and is unlike anything I expected. I love being surprised by books by an author new to me, my TBR pile just grew by another author's canon! If you think this is another cookie cutter Arctic survival thriller, think again! Overall, 5/5 stars! Highly recommended to fans of Arctic survival horror, outbreak thrillers or just want a book that won't have readers figure out the situation before the ending, a bit of a cliffhanger. I am looking forward to book 2 very much!
September 13, 2026
💀 ROBIN’S REVIEW: THE AUTOPSY OF WHITE ROOM 9
White Room 9: A Polar Survival Horror Novel by F.G. Harrow
Star Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Skull Dread Rating: 💀💀💀💀
🪦 THE BODY
There are certain places where I already have no desire to vacation.
Mr. Harrow has now added one more reason to avoid anything requiring industrial-strength winter clothing.
White Room 9 takes a location that is already deeply unfriendly to human existence and decides nature simply is not doing enough.
Before long, staying alive requires more than a decent coat and common sense.
Mostly because common sense is having a nervous breakdown too.
Very chilly.
Very unsettling.
Very much somebody else’s problem.
🔪 FIRST INCISION
This one hooked me early because it does not hand over its secrets nicely.
You know something has gone spectacularly sideways, but understanding what happened is another matter.
Every new piece of information made me adjust whatever theory I had been confidently building five minutes earlier.
Eventually I stopped pretending I knew anything.
It was easier that way.
Mr. Harrow clearly enjoyed watching me guess.
I hope he had fun.
🩸 THE AUTOPSY
The confined setting works extremely well because there is nowhere comfortable for the tension to escape.
Every hallway feels questionable.
Every decision deserves reconsideration.
And every time somebody thinks they might have figured out the situation, there is another lovely complication waiting to ruin the mood.
I particularly liked that the threat has structure behind it. The more I learned, the more interesting it became.
There is a big difference between mysterious and random.
This stayed mysterious.
Unfortunately for my nerves.
🫀 STILL HAD A PULSE
The characters gave me people to actually care about, which continues to be one of horror’s cruelest tricks.
They are trying to make sense of something that refuses to cooperate, and their choices generally feel understandable given what they know at the time.
Did I occasionally want to yell instructions at them?
Absolutely.
That is my sacred duty as a reader.
I also liked the growing distrust between everyone.
Nothing improves an already terrible situation quite like wondering whether the person standing next to you belongs on the list of terrible things.
🦴 WHAT BROKE
There were a few stretches where I wanted things tightened up a bit.
At nearly four hundred pages, occasionally the story lingered when I was ready for the next horrible development.
Then something happened and I regretted rushing them.
Apparently I cannot be pleased.
My bigger complaint is that this is Book One, and the ending knows it.
Mr. Harrow does not gently escort you toward a tidy conclusion.
He leaves you staring toward the next book like someone just shut the door in your face.
Rude.
☠️ CAUSE OF DEATH
White Room 9 gave me a creepy location, an increasingly disturbing mystery, characters I did not want horribly destroyed, and enough unanswered questions to keep me suspicious until the end.
Mr. Harrow also reinforced one of the most important lessons horror has ever taught us.
When somebody who clearly knows more than you tells you to leave something alone, perhaps try listening.
No investigating.
No curiosity.
No heroic little peek.
Just turn around and mind your business.
Would that make for a terrible horror novel?
Yes.
Would I still be alive?
Also yes.
And now, against my better judgment, I need Book Two.
Book Series:
White Room 9: A Polar Survival Horror Novel (The White Room Trilogy Book 1)
Book 1 of 2: The White Room Trilogy
Search Two (The White Room Trilogy Book 2)
Book 2 of 2: The White Room Trilogy
Reviewed by Robin for Robin’s Review
White Room 9: A Polar Survival Horror Novel by F.G. Harrow
Star Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Skull Dread Rating: 💀💀💀💀
🪦 THE BODY
There are certain places where I already have no desire to vacation.
Mr. Harrow has now added one more reason to avoid anything requiring industrial-strength winter clothing.
White Room 9 takes a location that is already deeply unfriendly to human existence and decides nature simply is not doing enough.
Before long, staying alive requires more than a decent coat and common sense.
Mostly because common sense is having a nervous breakdown too.
Very chilly.
Very unsettling.
Very much somebody else’s problem.
🔪 FIRST INCISION
This one hooked me early because it does not hand over its secrets nicely.
You know something has gone spectacularly sideways, but understanding what happened is another matter.
Every new piece of information made me adjust whatever theory I had been confidently building five minutes earlier.
Eventually I stopped pretending I knew anything.
It was easier that way.
Mr. Harrow clearly enjoyed watching me guess.
I hope he had fun.
🩸 THE AUTOPSY
The confined setting works extremely well because there is nowhere comfortable for the tension to escape.
Every hallway feels questionable.
Every decision deserves reconsideration.
And every time somebody thinks they might have figured out the situation, there is another lovely complication waiting to ruin the mood.
I particularly liked that the threat has structure behind it. The more I learned, the more interesting it became.
There is a big difference between mysterious and random.
This stayed mysterious.
Unfortunately for my nerves.
🫀 STILL HAD A PULSE
The characters gave me people to actually care about, which continues to be one of horror’s cruelest tricks.
They are trying to make sense of something that refuses to cooperate, and their choices generally feel understandable given what they know at the time.
Did I occasionally want to yell instructions at them?
Absolutely.
That is my sacred duty as a reader.
I also liked the growing distrust between everyone.
Nothing improves an already terrible situation quite like wondering whether the person standing next to you belongs on the list of terrible things.
🦴 WHAT BROKE
There were a few stretches where I wanted things tightened up a bit.
At nearly four hundred pages, occasionally the story lingered when I was ready for the next horrible development.
Then something happened and I regretted rushing them.
Apparently I cannot be pleased.
My bigger complaint is that this is Book One, and the ending knows it.
Mr. Harrow does not gently escort you toward a tidy conclusion.
He leaves you staring toward the next book like someone just shut the door in your face.
Rude.
☠️ CAUSE OF DEATH
White Room 9 gave me a creepy location, an increasingly disturbing mystery, characters I did not want horribly destroyed, and enough unanswered questions to keep me suspicious until the end.
Mr. Harrow also reinforced one of the most important lessons horror has ever taught us.
When somebody who clearly knows more than you tells you to leave something alone, perhaps try listening.
No investigating.
No curiosity.
No heroic little peek.
Just turn around and mind your business.
Would that make for a terrible horror novel?
Yes.
Would I still be alive?
Also yes.
And now, against my better judgment, I need Book Two.
Book Series:
White Room 9: A Polar Survival Horror Novel (The White Room Trilogy Book 1)
Book 1 of 2: The White Room Trilogy
Search Two (The White Room Trilogy Book 2)
Book 2 of 2: The White Room Trilogy
Reviewed by Robin for Robin’s Review
September 24, 2026
Very, very, very interesting and strong premise initially that sucked me into this book. It was so good at first, but the farther into the book you get, the more tedious it becomes. I feel angry, as if I was robbed of what could have been! Unfortunately, I will not be finishing this book because of some qualities that I feel are too prevalent. That being said, there could be things that I have issues with that will be later resolved, though I highly doubt it.
This is possibly the most redundant novel I have ever read, sometimes to the point where I need to check if I’m rereading the same pages somehow. It’s shocking the amount of times that absolutely unnecessary information can be repeated on only one page, let alone dozens. There are constant recaps of character locations that also take place sometimes multiple times of the same page, with nothing changing in between. The books seemingly takes place within maybe a few hours, but the constant recapping adds so much pointless text that adds nothing to the story and rather, is to its detriment. The section that I just closed the book on is when they finally confront the creature that has been living unlogged in a secure room (Fantastic idea, I was so excited to see where it would go. Unfortunately, nowhere much). The main character, Naomi is trying to save another crewmate, Beck, from being dragged into the secure room with the creature. Probably 7 sentences per page (this is not an exaggeration) are dedicated to explaining how she is still holding onto Beck’s hand. For some reason?
There are verbal check ins with nearly every character, including the one that she is holding on to, that she states need to take place every 30 SECONDS! And we hear each and every one of them, several times per page! If this was reduced just a small portion, the novel would be much more readable and intense.
The creature was a cool, unique idea, but unfortunately, the descriptive text in this novel did little to help me imagine anything in this story, whether it be the creature and its molded anatomy or even the station itself. The time that was wasted on redundancy could have done wonders for accurate and consistent description instead.
Part of me wonders if these issues are because of an AI assistant, which would be disappointing. There’s a lot of things this book does (or did) well, but there are more problems that make it too difficult to finish. I really want to give this five stars, but I feel three is being generous, unfortunately. I will read more of this author’s work to get a better feel for the writing style, though I hope it does not provide the same detriments.
This is possibly the most redundant novel I have ever read, sometimes to the point where I need to check if I’m rereading the same pages somehow. It’s shocking the amount of times that absolutely unnecessary information can be repeated on only one page, let alone dozens. There are constant recaps of character locations that also take place sometimes multiple times of the same page, with nothing changing in between. The books seemingly takes place within maybe a few hours, but the constant recapping adds so much pointless text that adds nothing to the story and rather, is to its detriment. The section that I just closed the book on is when they finally confront the creature that has been living unlogged in a secure room (Fantastic idea, I was so excited to see where it would go. Unfortunately, nowhere much). The main character, Naomi is trying to save another crewmate, Beck, from being dragged into the secure room with the creature. Probably 7 sentences per page (this is not an exaggeration) are dedicated to explaining how she is still holding onto Beck’s hand. For some reason?
There are verbal check ins with nearly every character, including the one that she is holding on to, that she states need to take place every 30 SECONDS! And we hear each and every one of them, several times per page! If this was reduced just a small portion, the novel would be much more readable and intense.
The creature was a cool, unique idea, but unfortunately, the descriptive text in this novel did little to help me imagine anything in this story, whether it be the creature and its molded anatomy or even the station itself. The time that was wasted on redundancy could have done wonders for accurate and consistent description instead.
Part of me wonders if these issues are because of an AI assistant, which would be disappointing. There’s a lot of things this book does (or did) well, but there are more problems that make it too difficult to finish. I really want to give this five stars, but I feel three is being generous, unfortunately. I will read more of this author’s work to get a better feel for the writing style, though I hope it does not provide the same detriments.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 14, 2026
Dr. Naomi Calder wakes up from anesthesia with no idea why; furthermore, the entire base is frozen, and the commander is missing. Upon checking the data on the panels, she realizes that the "White Room" protocol has been activated—a procedure in which individuals are isolated in a frozen chamber due to potential contagion. Where is everyone else? Did it really activate without warning?
Once the main character wakes up, she begins searching for clues as to why the crew was put under anesthesia, making for a fast-paced and tense story. It lacks details, personal descriptions, or character backstories; I think including those elements would have helped the reader connect with the characters (I know I’ll forget most of their names later on, except for Naomi, Harlan, Jonah, and Cole, given their roles in the plot). It leans more toward thriller than horror, though I did anticipate some body horror. Some descriptions were hard to visualize; a map or reference image would have been great. Also, for someone who isn't a fan of survival stories or sci-fi, certain terms were difficult to grasp, even though they were repeated frequently throughout the chapters. The cause of the situation and the reason for their location aren't clearly explained.
I know the cover looks suspiciously like AI-generated art (I hope it isn't—but if it is, author, please change it!), and I can't help but wonder if AI was used for the writing as well; several sentences follow the same pattern found in fanfiction generated by those programs. I really hope that isn't the case—but if it is, please just admit it so we don't waste our time. If I'm wrong, I apologize; we live in a world where technology can't be trusted.
Once the main character wakes up, she begins searching for clues as to why the crew was put under anesthesia, making for a fast-paced and tense story. It lacks details, personal descriptions, or character backstories; I think including those elements would have helped the reader connect with the characters (I know I’ll forget most of their names later on, except for Naomi, Harlan, Jonah, and Cole, given their roles in the plot). It leans more toward thriller than horror, though I did anticipate some body horror. Some descriptions were hard to visualize; a map or reference image would have been great. Also, for someone who isn't a fan of survival stories or sci-fi, certain terms were difficult to grasp, even though they were repeated frequently throughout the chapters. The cause of the situation and the reason for their location aren't clearly explained.
I know the cover looks suspiciously like AI-generated art (I hope it isn't—but if it is, author, please change it!), and I can't help but wonder if AI was used for the writing as well; several sentences follow the same pattern found in fanfiction generated by those programs. I really hope that isn't the case—but if it is, please just admit it so we don't waste our time. If I'm wrong, I apologize; we live in a world where technology can't be trusted.
August 5, 2026
White Room 9
This is one of the best survival horror novels I have read in a while! It kept my attention the from the beginning to end. There is no fluff. Just a solid story and solid characters who try to survive a cluster of bad situations after another. I can't wait to jump into the second book. I definitely recommend this one to fans of survival horror.
This is one of the best survival horror novels I have read in a while! It kept my attention the from the beginning to end. There is no fluff. Just a solid story and solid characters who try to survive a cluster of bad situations after another. I can't wait to jump into the second book. I definitely recommend this one to fans of survival horror.
September 21, 2026
A Slow Burn
This book moved way way too slow for me. The main doctor character and the engineer are the only memorable people for me. Seeing this as a 3 book series, makes me regret I invested my time. There is no clear plot. This is a hard pass recommendation from me.
This book moved way way too slow for me. The main doctor character and the engineer are the only memorable people for me. Seeing this as a 3 book series, makes me regret I invested my time. There is no clear plot. This is a hard pass recommendation from me.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews