Customer Reviews

The Harrowing

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I've seen THE HARROWING compared to teen horror films, but I'm almost two millennia away from being a young adult and have never seen a teen horror/slasher movie. I avoided them like the plague even when I was reviewing a movie weekly for our daily newspaper.

But I do like ghost stories and once I started reading the book, I couldn't put it down. I thought the characterizations of the five college students was great. The build-up is superb as the five bored students, staying at Baird College for the Thanksgiving break, find an ouija board and strange things begin to happen.

It someone playing tricks or have these students actually contacted someone from "beyond," specifically a young man who died years before in a fire at the school?

The tension mounts as the "odd" group of students begin to form alliances and try to figure out what is happening to them. Did they "release" a tortured soul trying to affect some kind of closure, or has a more malevolent force been unleashed?

I found myself really caring about these young people and being pulled into their struggle. The information on the Kabbalah
and other Jewish folklore is fascinating.

The plot moves at a great pace and I certainly can see this as a movie, which isn't surprising since the author, Ms. Sokoloff, is a long-time screenwriter.

I bought a few copies, after reading the ARC, for some lucky people on my Christmas list. Highly recommended

Well, I give the author praise for trying to write a modern day ghost story. She succeeds in one great scene, but the rest of the book stumbles badly.

First off, the characters act and talk like they are in junior high and they are supposed to be in college. Robin, the main character, is depressed for a variety of reasons--she's an outcast, had a crappy childhood, etc--and the author spends more than 20 pages basically stating over and over how crappy Robin's life is. And this is how the book starts so it doesn't make for a real page turner. A more seasoned writer could have communicated this in a few short paragraphs but as I read along, I sensed that this book was heavily padded to stretch it out to the brief 240 pages it was in hardback.

Any horror novel or movie MUST have characters you care about but THE HARROWING -- what does that even mean? -- lacks people we sympathize with. Robin is depressed and self-centered; her roommate Waverly is a self-centered beauty queen type; Patrick is the big dumb self-center jock; Lisa is the college druggie/whore; Martin and Cain are the non-descript remaining male leads.

The idea of being alone on a college campus over Thanksgiving break is a nice way to isolate them but totally unrealistic. There would be sign-up sheets for meals for those not going anywhere and because only five (5?) students are on campus, there would have to be some notice posted about who was or wasn't there. Instead, each one of the five is SHOCKED to discover he or she has company for the four-plus day holiday (roughly Wednesday afternoon to Sunday afternoon.)

So the five of them meet and get drunk, smoke pot, drag out an Ouija board and call up a spirit. This is the BEST part of the book and really moves along nicely and their reactions--for the most part--are pretty realistic. It makes for the best part of the book.

But then...well, the premise is over. Suddenly, it's Sunday and the other students return to school and our five heroes don't see much of each other. This is where the book loses all momentum and I wonder why the author even set up the Thanksgiving break if she wasn't going to continue it? The idea of an isolated and empty gothic campus is a wonderful setting but it's really only used for one scene.

The rest of the book has bulging walls (see The Haunting of Hill House), sex with ghosts/demons (see The Legend of Hell House and The Entity), a wise-cracking demon (see The Exorcist and Evil Dead movies) and plenty of banging noises, "presences," touches in the dark, and weird dreams. (See all of the above again.)

And the end/climax...well, it just all seemed a bit silly and too much of a Friday the 13th/Halloween with the demon walking around with an ax. (I guess that's THE SHINING.)

Worst of all, one college age character actually says, "Hay is for horses!" when he pulls out a gun, stressing that HE'S got a gun to kill the demon.

Hay is for horses?? Ugh.

Crappy dialogue like that, poorly drawn characters -- none of whom we like or care for--and a silly ending with a wise-cracking demon all add up to a big disappointment.

The first Ouija board scene is nicely done. But if you want a REAL modern day ghost story, read JULIAN'S HOUSE!

Ghost stories are sort of a staple with me. I enjoy them when they're well done, in books as well as DVDs, and I especially enjoy them when it's dark or overcast outside. There's something about the mood, the fact that I can almost believe ghosts exist.

I sat down with Alexandra Solokoff's first novel, THE HARROWING, and prepared for a fright fest based on the reviews and the creepy cover. I ended up getting a mixed bag of enjoyment.

The plot revolves around five college students left on their own over the long Thanksgiving holidays. Each of them, as it turns out, had his or her reason for not going home. For Robin Stone, the protagonist of the tale, the reason was her drunken mother. During the first 50 pages, we get a good look at each of these characters. Then, with the fall break in full swing, they lose the power to Baird College where they're in attendance and all the lights go out for the night. I personally really liked the atmosphere of getting locked up in the college and losing power. So far, everything looked good, but it was also too familiar. However, a ghost story has to have a lot of the same earmarks in order to succeed.

However, the group doesn't stay stymied long. They get the fire in the fireplace going and begin searching for something to do. In short order, to no one's real surprise, Robin and the others find a Ouija board. I knew then that something was going to happen because this is the point in all the movies where stuff occurs. But the Ouija board was upsetting to a degree. I don't know how many books I've read that have featured those, and there was even a series of B movies based on those devices (WITCHBOARD, etc.)

Even with the red flags firmly in place at this point, I kept reading. Solokoff's prose style is simple and moves quickly. Those are pluses that keep me turning pages. Unfortunately, the characters never grew past that point. I didn't get any further revelations of their backgrounds, never saw them make any other deeper or more meaningful connections to each other or the story. They just followed their predestined course to get to the end of the book.

That was satisfying in one regard. I got the ghost story I was looking for. But it was unsatisfying because it didn't offer anything new. I will admit that some of the Jewish legends that were mixed into the prose were interesting and entertaining, but they didn't get deep or more fleshed out either. The ending was almost down to paint-by-number, even the final ending, which wasn't a surprise and was totally expected.

Anyone reading this novel in a single sitting as I did will probably ultimately be satisfied. It's an entertaining diversion. But if you lay the book down for any time and start thinking about it, or spend time thinking about it after you've finished, you're going to see how thin it is. The plot and the characters are too familiar, and - as the old saying goes - familiarity breeds contempt.

Still, this was probably written more for younger readers who haven't seen or read a plethora of ghost stories. I think they'll be more satisfied than I was.

However, I enjoyed the book enough to look for Alexandra Solokoff's second horror novel, THE PRICE, coming out in hardcover in February 2008.

It's not often I feel the need to openly review books, but I'm shocked at the praise, nominations and positive reviews being lavished on this book. I made sure to finish it in case I was just getting a silly impression from the beginning, in case something suddenly caught on at some point that was original and interesting.

No such luck. The characters are blatant stereotypes--the "jock," the "slut," the "nerd," the "bad boy/rocker," and our homely heroine Robin who is depressed.

The back of the book proudly proclaims that Sokoloff built the "psychological undercurrents" from her experience dealing with "emotionally disturbed and incarcerated teenagers." I kept waiting for an "undercurrent" behind the blatant pop-psychology and complete lack of understanding applied to all of these characters, and it never came. I had to wonder if she ever really listened to these teenagers, or asked them anything. I've known my fair share of "emotionally disturbed teenagers"--and they don't act like this.

Robin is a stereotypically depressed teen/college student, but doesn't act much like a real one (I've known my fair share). Martin, the "nerd," is written like someone trying to sound smart, rather than the smug, self-assured legitimate intelligence that comes from the type of character Sokoloff seems to be trying to write. It's clunky, awkward and feels like it was carefully but ignorantly constructed.

The plotting, while I applaud the interesting and unusual inclusion of Kabbalistic mythology (I even learned a few things), is standard at best, which offends me far more in horror than something unusual that misfires.

I knew as soon as the five of them pulled out a Ouija board that it was going to take a lot to restore my faith in anything "original" coming out of this book. Unfortunately that "lot" never came either. They play with a Ouija board, it seems benevolent, then seems threatening, spiritual forces stronger than them appear, blah blah blah--if you've read or seen any story involving the supernatural and seances or Ouija boards, move along, there's nothing new here except that peculiar Kabbalistic bit, which is nice, but surrounded by so much stereotypical characterization, poor description and general feelings of "haven't I seen this all before?" that it just can't be saved.

When even the horrid cliché of "Eek! A stranger!...oh gosh, silly me, it was just a coatrack!" was reeled out, I nearly gave up. Of course, first, I thought, "What dorm has coatracks in the hall? How many students these days wear hats? Who would leave their hat on a hatrack over break? Did she even think about any of this or just jump at a cliché and move on?" I say this as someone who did in fact wear a hat in college, just to be clear, but I was one of very few, and I don't think any of us had hatracks--certainly none in dorm hallways.

A shame. If "The Breakfast Club meets Poltergeist" sounds intriguing and like it's not a nightmarish collision of two pretty fun things that shouldn't really collide to you--have fun! You might enjoy this. If you've read about Ouija boards and seemingly clique-separated kids before and find them tired--stay away. Stay far, far away.

Delicious....this book was something I desperately needed...a good light fiction read that also was interesting, scary and troubling at the same time. Oh...what's that, Baird college students leave en masse for Thanksgiving and we are left with five lone students, one creepy gothic dorm and a dark and story night...who doesn't smell supernatural thrills???!! The Harrowing is somewhat typical in it's depiction of college students (jock, loner musician, nerd, slut, invisible chick) and reminiscent of a teen horror flick made into a book, but still, I really enjoyed the flawed characters, the Freudian psychology, and the overall tense, heavy feel of the book. It was sad and depressing, desperate and hopeful all at the same time and best of all...it races along, no dead spots, no lulls...it's a nonstop front to back spine tingling tale that weaves it's way from the present day, back to the 1920's and then back to creation and the kabala.I recommend it for ghost story and horror freaks like me...though it does purport to be a ghost story, it's really not, kinda, sorta, but not totally...read it and you'll see what I mean! It even managed to creep me out, reading it home alone, foolishly enough, during thunder storm...at night...I'll leave my rating at...simply delicious, you'll want to curl up with this on a chilly night with a blanket and a good cup of tea!!

The Harrowing by Alexandra Sokoloff
Mass Market Paperback - October 30, 2007
4 Stars

Robin Stone is a troubled young woman. Her means of escape from her unbalanced mother was by running away to college paid with guilt money from her absentee father.

Still, she remains unhappy and depressed in the academic arena and feels like a shadow nobody will miss if she's gone. When Thanksgiving comes, she stays in the echoing Mendenhall dormitories rather than going home to her mother for the long holiday weekend.

She finds that she's not alone and on the first night with the help of drugs and alcohol she makes friends with the unlikely mixture of remaining students: Martin, Patrick, Cain and Lisa.

Lisa finds a Ouija board. Its uncanny responses freak everybody. Have they really contacted the spirit of Zackary Prince or is she the blunt of a practical joke? And then it gets stranger.

The Harrowing is not a book you want to read when you go to bed unless you plan on sleeping with your eyes open and listening for the bump in the night. Especially when you read Chapter Twenty-One!

Ms. Sokoloff is a talented writer. She drew characters with personal insecurities, placed them in a recognizable setting, and then threw in paranormal elements, causing me to become quickly caught into the story. I accepted that stretch when reality told a step away. I look forward to reading her next book.

Reviewed by Jackie from Bookaholics Romance Book Club

The story takes place on a college campus. It's Thanksgiving break, and while most students are going to have turkey day with their family, five students choose to stay on campus: the jock, a slut, a bookworm, a musician, and our heroine, the lonely Robin. There's not much friendship between them, but as the hour runs late, illegal substances are passed around and someone finds a Ouija board. Then the students meet Zachary, and the game turns into a nightmare.

The story is truly scary. I had a little trouble sleeping at night. I used to be a horror junkie, and this story definitely has some common elements (the stereotypical characters, the dark, spooky campus, the electrical storm). What makes this story truly unique is that the author takes these common elements and combines them with myths from the Jewish Kabbalah. This provided a fresh twist and kept the plot from getting stale.

This book is not for children or even most teens. The topics included are questionable and frightening. What will appeal to teens and adults are the characters. They face common battles like family issues, rejection, and isolation. Their isolation bonds them together. This is what drives the story and will keep folks reading.

The author has worked as a screenwriter, and this is apparent from her writing style. She paints pictures with her scenes. You could see this being made into a movie.

Here's the thing: if I watch a movie and it's just 'all right' then that's fine; after all, it has only been an hour and a half or two hours of my time. But the thing is, of all the forms of entertainment, reading has the slowest delivery. I don't speed read and so, what with working and sleeping and all, even a short novel like "The Harrowing" will be read over a period of 4 or 5 days. That's a lot of investment of one's free time and therefore - call me unfair - but a novel had better be more than 'all right'.

I recently read an interview with and review of Sokoloff in a back issue of 'Black Static' magazine. I have few novels by women writers (especially in the horror genre) and so wanted to discover some new ones -

- and "The Harrowing" is just 'all right'. It's got a beat and you can dance to it, you might say. Fine. If it was an hour and a half movie. But four or five of my evenings after work? Nuh-uh. It's not just the fact that the story is only ever merely good, the writing too is workmanship. Despite being a short book, there are some 30 chapters and in every other chapter characters 'whirl' and 'gasp'. Must be a record as to how many times these two verbs have ever been used in one work. Doesn't the author's word processing software come with a thesaurus? I'm sure it does, but this kind of by-the-numbers, phone-it-in laziness is symptomatic of the whole book. Oh, yeah, and how lame was that epilogue?!

I have any number of terrific novels by women on my shelves, but mostly a single book here and there or occasionally two or three by the same author. With the exception of Margaret Atwood and Connie Willis there are no female novelist whom I slavishly follow.

Short story collections by female writers, on the other hand, I have a ton of: Alice B. Sheldon, Lisa Tuttle, Pat Cadigan, Alice Munro, Margo Lanagan, Kelly Link and on and on. I've recently read some wonderful short stories and a novella by Sarah Pinborough, but have yet to read her novel "A Matter of Blood" released last year (I've heard her Leisure imprint novels were 'all right'). And 'Black Static' magazine also did a feature on Sarah Langan. Here's hoping ...

... and here's wondering where all the great female horror novelists are.

Like so many books of this ilk (which reminded me of David Ambrose's "Superstition" which also features a Ouija Board) it sort of fell apart at the end. But getting there was a good read, and I marginally recommend it to people who enjoy ghost stories. One HUGE problem I had with this though -- and it took me out of the narrative time and again -- was the author's use of the word "jolt" way, way too often. In fact I was jolted by her overuse of the word. Someone needs to buy this author or her editor a thesaurus, quick.

Five troubled, alienated college students, a creepy old Gothic dorm, an Ouija board, and a VERY angry spirit combine somewhat predictably in this novel to make a pleasantly scary read. The characters are the usual student "types" you find in this kind of story (which seems geared to be made into a movie): innocent virgin, reluctant jock, socially backward egghead, campus slut, and cynical artist. However, the backstory involving the spirit of a student from the 1920s gave some depth to the plot, and the material on Jewish mysticism was interesting. A fast-moving, enjoyable thriller.