Harrow Lake

Gr 9 Up–Lola, a white 17-year-old, is used to living in the shadow of her famous father, movie director Nolan Nox, though another shadow has followed her around her whole life, that of her mother, Lorelai, who disappeared when Lola was five. After a fight, Lola returns home to find her dad has been badly wounded and taken to the ER. In the immediate aftermath, Lola is encouraged to temporarily live with her grandma, Lorelai’s mom, in her hometown of Harrow Lake, where Lola’s mom had been the star of her dad’s biggest movie success. Upon arrival in town, she realizes Harrow Lake is full of superstitions and she slowly stitches together a story about her mom while also trying to determine if the town’s local horror legend, Mr. Jitters, is real. Both aided and held back by the locals and her own memories, Lola attempts to solve all the mysteries, even if it costs her life. Ellis’s horror-thriller leads readers down the road of looking for a supernatural monster, but they end up meeting a monster of the natural world.