- Hardcover: 368 pages
- Publisher: Ulverscroft; Large type edition edition (1 Feb 2011)
- ISBN-10: 1444805622
- ISBN-13: 978-1444805628
- Product Dimensions: 23.5 x 15 x 0.4 cm
- Average Customer Review: 2.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
The Harrowing
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Product Description
Review
“"Poltergeist" meets "The Breakfast Club".”—"Kirkus Reviews" “[A] pyrotechnic climax...a cinematic finale.”—"Publishers Weekly"
“A real page-turner, a first novel of unusual promise.”—Ira Levin, author of "Rosemary’s Baby""" “Fast, original, and genuinely creepy.”—F. Paul Wilson, author of "Midnight Mass""" “Pulsates with a fear factor that starts early and doesn’t stop until the last page.” —"Florida"" Sun-Sentinel"
"Absolutely gripping…It is easy to imagine this as a film…Once started, you won’t want to stop reading." --"The Times" (UK)"" “An eerie ghost story that captivates readers from page one. The author creates an element of suspense that builds until the chillingly believable conclusion. Four stars.” —"Romantic Times Book Reviews"
“Alexandra Sokoloff conjures up a demon older than time and --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
“A real page-turner, a first novel of unusual promise.”—Ira Levin, author of "Rosemary’s Baby""" “Fast, original, and genuinely creepy.”—F. Paul Wilson, author of "Midnight Mass""" “Pulsates with a fear factor that starts early and doesn’t stop until the last page.” —"Florida"" Sun-Sentinel"
"Absolutely gripping…It is easy to imagine this as a film…Once started, you won’t want to stop reading." --"The Times" (UK)"" “An eerie ghost story that captivates readers from page one. The author creates an element of suspense that builds until the chillingly believable conclusion. Four stars.” —"Romantic Times Book Reviews"
“Alexandra Sokoloff conjures up a demon older than time and --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Book Description
SCREAM meets THE EXORCIST is this chilling and completely gripping debut from a new and exciting voice in the world of horror
--This text refers to the
Paperback
edition.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Whilst I think I could have come up with a more accurate front cover blurb than "Scream meets The Exorcist", The Harrowing is an enjoyable little tale of five "outcast" college kids left behind in a creepy campus whilst everyone else is home for Thanksgiving. The setting is hardly innovative & the kids themselves read like the cast-list of a horror movie that Paris Hilton would star in but ... Alexandra Sokoloff somehow manages to create a highly enjoyable, fast-paced & genuinely creepy novel that reads like a 90 minute movie.
If you're not a fan of the horror genre you'll find to plenty to criticise here but if you do like a good horror story before bed, I'd recommend picking this up for it's cover price (or better still less) & you might well find yourself having nightmares about dark,creepy college hallways & seances by firelight on a stormy night.
If you're not a fan of the horror genre you'll find to plenty to criticise here but if you do like a good horror story before bed, I'd recommend picking this up for it's cover price (or better still less) & you might well find yourself having nightmares about dark,creepy college hallways & seances by firelight on a stormy night.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
A tale of five college students that are left behind at Thanksgiving due to interpersonal family issues who find each other and start to play with a Ouija board that is located by one of the female protagonists. Events then spiral out of control and no one is sure whether it's a hoax or the genuine article which leads to intense paranoia to the victim as well as the others.
What really sold this tale to me however was the concept. It really was creepy. However, at one point it suddenly changed going more from an Adult novel to a Young Adult story as the tale dived into the principle character's sexual activity which I felt was unnecessary to the overall arc and appeared that the tale had changed authors partway through with different concepts that were never fully realised.
That said, the twist was fairly basic and had been utilised by a great many others so unfortunately was a little too predictable with the ending being a real let down after such a careful build up. But what was the saving grace of the tale was the author's descriptiveness in her reanimation sequence which was intense and was similar to a scene in Random's Birthing House.
Overall if you find it either discounted or on a carboot give it a go as you'll get a bit of fun out of it however I wouldn't pay the full cover price. A great shame as the premise had such potential.
What really sold this tale to me however was the concept. It really was creepy. However, at one point it suddenly changed going more from an Adult novel to a Young Adult story as the tale dived into the principle character's sexual activity which I felt was unnecessary to the overall arc and appeared that the tale had changed authors partway through with different concepts that were never fully realised.
That said, the twist was fairly basic and had been utilised by a great many others so unfortunately was a little too predictable with the ending being a real let down after such a careful build up. But what was the saving grace of the tale was the author's descriptiveness in her reanimation sequence which was intense and was similar to a scene in Random's Birthing House.
Overall if you find it either discounted or on a carboot give it a go as you'll get a bit of fun out of it however I wouldn't pay the full cover price. A great shame as the premise had such potential.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
The bio for Sokoloff tells us she is a screenwriter and that explains a few things. To me The Harrowing reads like the novelisation of a film. The descriptions of people, places and atmosphere are quite good (despite being rather unoriginal in content) but there is no depth to the characters. They are a group of troubled young people who all feel like outsiders for different reasons but we don't really get to find out much about their back stories beyond what seems to be a rather forced share-your-troubles moment. I won't bore you with the details but the storyline is also pretty clichéd and predictable - I was waiting for a good twist but it never came. I was expecting to enjoy this book and I honestly wasn't looking for a groundbreaking horror novel but I finished it feeling liked I'd just wasted my time and money.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Predictable but enjoyable!
Somewhere between my little-girl love of Enid Blyton and my adolescent (and beyond) adoration of Stephen King, there's a space which could be aptly labelled the "Point and Pike... Read more
Published 4 days ago by Laura
Quite a surprisingly good read!
Alexandra really writes well considering this is her frst novel!! I didnt purchase the book off amazon but from a local book shop for a mere £1. Read more
Published 10 months ago by AnnieW
I quite liked this book
If you just want something to read to pass the time and ghost stories are you thing then this is a good book. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Lucy Russell
Average story, average prose...
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. Read more
Published 15 months ago by Paul Campbell
Good, short, simple and scary.
It was a good short book to read. Reminiscent of point horror days, a nice getaway from all the complicated 'adult' horror books. Read more
Published 17 months ago by Kaykiie
Oh, please.
What was I thinking? When I see a movie on the SyFy or Horror Channel, with the description beginning, 'Five college students...' I know not to go near it. Read more
Published 18 months ago by Mitz
What is a harrowing?
I certainly fell for this one. Smart cover, apparently approving review by Ramsay Campbell (what was he thinking?), nominated for some award or other (yes, but by who?). Read more
Published 19 months ago by john souray
NO STARS. VERY BAD. DON'T EVEN BORROW THIS.
This book is dire beyond belief. I saw it in the supermarket and it was cheap so I immediately thought it can't be very good. I was correct, sad to say. Read more
Published on 11 Mar 2010 by JennyD
Harrowing?
It was certainly a harrowing experience reading this book. Where do I start? Cliched characters - the studious geek, the jock, the promiscuous young girl, the outsider. Read more
Published on 13 Dec 2009 by Jane E. Myers
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