I love being given the opportunity to update our school library which is a unique space for both senior students and staff to access high quality literature. This is definitely a must-buy. It kept me absolutely gripped from cover to cover and is exactly the kind of read that just flies off the shelves. It has exactly the right combination of credible characters and a compelling plot thatI just could not put down. This is a great read that I couldn't stop thinking about and it made for a hugely satisfying read. I'm definitely going to order a copy and think it will immediately become a popular addition to our fiction shelves. 10/10 would absolutely recommend.

Very unique narrative and it worked so well and gave such an atmospheric read.

A story of family and friendships and growing up in some freaking-A town with the only family you’ve got left. As Lola happens upon her fathers murder she quickly finds out that she is the walking embodiment of the mother who abandoned her and the town she now calls home is a living shrine to the very same woman.

Some unusual and complex relationships in this mystery thriller.

I really enjoyed this creepy and atmospheric book. The imagery of this book was brilliant and had me creeped out so thoroughly I needed to read it with other people in the room at times.

Following Lola who moves back to her mother's hometown following her father's injury she uncovers unexpected secrets and unnerving local legends.

I really enjoyed how the story unfolded and loved the way it was rounded off at the end.

The creepy vibe of this one really appealed, and when I started reading it, it felt like I was in a creepy 80s mild-horror film. Lola’s been sent off to her estranged mum’s childhood hometown (the titular Harrow Lake) after her film producer dad is savagely attacked at their apartment. And as soon as she sets foot in Harrow Lake, you know there’s creepy dealings afoot. Cue a kooky grandmother, missing luggage and a strange town obsessed with its only claim to fame: a landslide that nearly wiped out its population and spawned its own urban legend, Mr Jitters.

It took a while for things to really get going and there were some parts that did get me hooked. But unfortunately I just didn’t connect with Lola, and her relationship with her dad was just plain weird (especially with his obsession of all things ‘optimal’). There were some interesting plot twists and reveals with this one - but it was enough to help me enjoy this one more.

Spine-chilling read. Definitely read during the day... Spine-chilling read. Definitely read during the day... Spine-chilling read. Definitely read during the day...

Cold and chilling and downright creepy! For a YA I was pleasantly surprised by just how unsettling it was. Thoroughly enjoyed it

🧸🧸🧸 (but so close to 🧸🧸🧸🧸)
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I held back for so long to read this, only to find I was pleasantly surprised. I know, sounds patronising doesn't it. I don't mean it to. More that I had mixed feelings, I saw multiple mixed reviews & I just wasn't convinced. Overall, this is a strong YA murder story with horror overtones.
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One word I'm going to be adding to my "dislike intensely" list is optimal. Think of it as a variant on "like".
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I also felt this would have fitted into the Winchester, Supernatural world. If the brothers had appeared, I wouldn't have been surprised.
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I know I'm not selling it but #HarrowLake is a good story. I found it intriguing.

Overall, I enjoyed this one. It was quite fast paced and at times, I would have liked it to slow down to build more atmosphere and suspense.

Lola was an odd character, I liked her but it was very clear her father was really odd and controlled her in every aspect of her life. In a really creepy way.

It felt like there were quite a few things in the story that were just skipped over and never explained. However, overall, it wrapped up nicely.

Thank you to Net Galley and Penguin NZ for sending me an ARC of this book. 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 quickly 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 some thing--stalking her every move.

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

I was hooked the moment i began reading, there were lots of twists and turns my brain kept on trying to jump or read ahead to figure out what was happening next.. This was a well written and creepy novel,
If you like creepy thrillers this book is for you!

Oh I am not a fan of horror but this book was great! I was on the edge of my seat the entire time and terrified--but in the best way. This story had a way of gripping you entirely.

Loved this. Gave me goosebumps from the beginning, and loved the references to famous horror films.
Addictive writing and plot. Would read from the author again.
Thanks a lot to NG and the publisher for this copy.

I'm definitely in the minority here - most of the reviews I've seen for Harrow Lake give it 4 or 5 stars. While I did enjoy it, I wasn't entirely convinced by it. The majority of the characters are pretty paper thin, and the town of Harrow Lake itself was completely unbelievable. The tension throughout the book is well done though, and it was definitely creepy. I didn't realise it was YA before I started reading it, so that may have affected my expectations slightly.

This was such a good book, and I was hooked from the start...a good plot with lots of twists and turns, one to look out for 😊

Lola is the daughter of famous author Nolan Nox but her life is very restricted as Nolan doesn't allow her any freedom to be a teenager. Lola's mother was the leading lady in Nolan's hit horror movie, Nightjar set in the 1920's in a small town called Harrow Lake. When Nolan ends up in hospital, Lola is sent to stay with her grandmother in Harrow Lake, a lady she has never met before.

The town appears to still be living in the 1920's and everywhere she looks, there are reminders of her mother Lorelei. Determined to find out exactly why her mother left them when she was small, she starts to learn the myths and legends of Harrow Lake and the monster known as Mister Jitters. With her imagination conjuring all sorts of fantasies, she starts to fear that the myths are not just stories.

This is a good story that draws you in to the mysteries of Harrow Lake and what secrets are buried there.

I struggled with this from the beginning. For some reason, I'm not sure if its the writing or me, but I couldn't retain anything.
The story despite sounding interesting. Did nothing for me.
I just wanted to get it finished. So I could move on.
DNF at 45%

Kat Ellis’ new book is a wonderful read that captures the spirit of classic cult horror film, settled in a mystery whilst using the effects of filming a cult film has on the community.

Ellis’s plot although sounds complicated unfolds splendidly and she takes her time to peel back the layers whilst keeping the reader well and truly involved. This real page turner presents itself on almost any page with imagery, wonder and mystery captivating the audience down this dark path which you never are quite sure what lays beyond the next corner. This is brilliant storytelling at its best and though it feels offbeat, once you reach the conclusion it all fits in place. This is like the world’s greatest rubic cube that perfectly fits together at the very end.

The characters are wonderfully eccentric but not for eccentric sense. They fit very well within the confines of the story. We follow Lola from beginning to end and this is where Ellis really shows her talent. On all accounts, this protagonist should be annoying, irritating and loathsome but she is not. You find yourself generally caring for her and like the plot, the layers keep getting peeled back to establish a three dimensional character on all fronts. The townspeople are fantastically eccentric but in a natural sense and they never feel forced upon the plot or story.

I have to give extra kudos to Lola’s missing mother who becomes a character and her presence is felt on every page. She is a main character that even in her absence is still a major player.

Overall, this is an excellent read and loved every word, sentence and nuance and urge everyone to give this a read because books like this do not come every day. This caters to such a wide range, people who love a great mystery, or a fictional book about cult horror film making or the fantastic. This book covers so many bases and does it winningly. This is a definite must read and urge everyone to give this a try. Love, love, loved it.

Lola Nox is the daughter of a prolific horror filmmaker and scream queen. She resides solely with the former after her mother abandoned her family and disappeared from both the public eye and her family's radar, never to be seen again.

After a tragedy occurs, and Lola's father is incarcerated in the hospital, she finds herself shipped off to reside with her estranged grandmother. Harrow Lake is not merely her mother's childhood home, however. Harrow Lake was also the setting for her parent's masterpiece horror film and, years later, the last place her mother was seen alive.

This book was firmly placed inside the horror genre, with many a shadowed figure sighted, creaking floorboard heard, and spooky woodland setting visited, and yet it was the multiple mysteries that predominately gripped me. Lola's past, as well as those of her parents, remained hazy throughout and I tore through these pages in my eagerness to piece together the clues to their current disparate situations. I did guess many of the concluding twists but was still impressed with just how each revelation was slotted together.

Protagonist Lola was the classic spoilt yet lonely, wealthy teenager that I have read about multiple times before and still can't seem to get enough of. She was petulant, hard-headed, and snarky but this also ensured she was brilliantly sassy and wonderfully independent, too. Her journey throughout this book was interesting on both a physical and emotional level. As she learnt more about her present surroundings and familial history she also opened up more about her true self, and the lost and lonely little girl that was at the heart of her identity.

I did find myself with some queries remaining at the close of this but, for the most part, felt satisfied with the revelations and hopeful for Lola's future. Ellis is also definitely an author I am keen to read from again.

After being out for a while , Lola Nox returns to the apartment she shares with her father Nolan since her mother Loriele left them , she finds him bleeding on the floor and he is rushed to hospital . He is on the ICU in a bad way . Larry , Nolan' right hand man and driver , takes Lola to stay with her grandmother in Harrow Lake , a small town most famous for a film made by Nolan some years earlier starring her mother as Little Bird . Things start to get strange as Lola settles into her mothers room in the house and starts to explore the town . Various sinister things happen and rumours abound about a monster Mister Jitters who has to be appeased with teeth hung on the "Bone Tree " . Unfortunately the whole story left me a little cold so can only give 3 stars .

A very surprising book. I ended up liking it a lot more than a thought. Many twists and turns that I wasn't expecting.

Harrow Lake - Kat Ellis

I don’t remember what made me want this book. But I’m really grateful for whatever it was. I loved it!
I’ll quickly add that the genre for this is YA horror - and I am 35. I loved the setting of this story - Harrow Lake a town relatively unchanged since a landslide in the 1920s buried most of the town. The time warp town is also partly down to renowned horror film director Nolan Nox shooting his blockbuster hit ‘Nightjar’ there many years ago. Nolan’s daughter Lola finds herself in Harrow Lake - trying to understand the town, it’s people and most importantly the town’s legend - Mr Jitters. I was hooked as soon as I started this. I liked so much about it. I will definitely be seeking out more of Kat’s work. A great book to end the year with. Thanks to @netgalley & @penguinrandomhouse for my copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.