Harrow Lake review

Lola Nox is the daughter of a celebrated horror filmmaker - she thinks nothing can scare her. But when her father is brutally attacked in their New York apartment, she's swiftly packed off to live with a grandmother she's never met in Harrow Lake, the eerie town where her father's most iconic horror movie was shot.

The locals are weirdly obsessed with the film that put their town on the map - and there are strange disappearances, which the police seem determined to explain away.

And there's someone - or something - stalking Lola's every move.

The more she discovers about the town, the more terrifying it becomes. Because Lola's got secrets of her own. And if she can't find a way out of Harrow Lake, they might just be the death of her...

That blurb ticks off everything I want from a book, and Harrow Lake is just as good as it sounds. I'm on a constant quest for YA horror and this is one of the best I've read. I rarely read a book in 24 hours these days, but I devoured Harrow Lake. 

The suffocating small town setting is captured to disturbing detail. There are so many superb, dark set pieces and creepy supporting characters that really immerse you in the story.

Reading this book feels like watching a great horror film! There's tangible suspense, scares that really got under my skin and a mystery that I couldn't predict at all. The pop culture references fit well and reminded me of favourite horror movies, like Scream.

It's so rare to find a book that evokes visceral fear and Harrow Lake is definitely one that will stay with me. It's definitely a new favourite and I can't wait until my preorder arrives on 9th July. 

The Polar Bear Explorers Club by Alex Bell - review

Publisher: Faber & Faber (31 Oct. 2017)

I received this book in exchange for an open and honest review.

It sounded like a respectable and worthy enough death for an explorer - tumbling from an ice bridge to be impaled upon a mammoth tusk - but Stella really, really didn't want that to happen, just the same.

Join Stella Starflake Pearl and her three fellow explorers as they trek across the snowy Icelands and come face-to-face with frost fairies, snow queens, outlaw hideouts, unicorns, pygmy dinosaurs and carnivorous cabbages . . .

When Stella and three other junior explorers get separated from their expedition can they cross the frozen wilderness and live to tell the tale? (Publishers' blurb)

I don't know how Alex Bell does it. Frozen Charlotte and Charlotte Says are two of the creepiest YA books I've ever read - I still can't look at dolls in the same way. Then, this book came along and it's one of the sweetest, quirkiest and most action-packed middle grade books I've ever read! I've heard this described as being the new Northern Lights. It could definitely have that same lasting appeal, and as a bonus is more accessible too!

Every detail about this book is really imaginative and surprising, even down to the creatures and plants of the world. These touches really complimented the magical setting and plot line.

The characters in this book are absolutely lovely, especially the group of children. All of them had unique qualities that different people could relate to, and certain characters had really interesting story arcs. It was refreshing to have characters that were surprising and multi-faceted! 

I liked the fact that this book explored some fantasy tropes and completely flipped others, which made for a fresh and fun reading experience. It also delved into some really emotional subjects, such as grief, in an empathetic way. 

My only regret is that this would be the perfect book to read on a really cold, preferably snowy day. That might be a good excuse to read it again!

If you liked the sound of this, now try The Prisoner of Ice and Snow by Ruth Lauren, which I reviewed here.