Helpful Score: 1
The Harrowing is Alexandra Sokoloff's first novel and it is an awesome start. Within the first pages the eerie atmosphere of Mendenhall is set. Mendenhall is an old Victorian mansion which was converted years ago to a dorm on the campus of Baird College. Not far from the dorm on the campus is a long forgotten clearing where there is a marble bench with 5 names carved into it.
It is the day before Thanksgiving and everyone is leaving for home and the long holiday weekend. Robin is not going home and believes she is alone in the dorm. That first night she is desolate. The atmosphere is oppressive in the dorm and Robin is depressed. She discovers after taking some pills and alcohol both totally out of character for her that she is not alone. There are 4 other students staying the weekend at Mendenhall. All have family issues and would rather not go home for the holiday.
There is something or someone else staying at Mendenhall that weekend too.
All the students gather in the study where Lisa found a Ouiji Board. This Board is an original from the 20's, well used and even burned on the edges. Lisa convinces Robin that they should play starting a sequence of events that cannot be reversed. While they play the boys are extremely skeptical but there is a definite presence helping answer the questions.
The presence has a nameâ¦â¦â¦â¦Zachary.
Harrowing - causing physical or psychological pain.
That is exactly what happens to the remaining students at Mendenhall beginning with a simple Ouiji Board game. Unexplained disturbances, presences, and even death follow that one 'harmless' game.
Ms. Sokoloff set the tone of The Harrowing from the beginning pages and never stopped the pace throughout. She was able to bring the reader into Mendenhall feeling the tension and anxiety of this one weekend from hell. Once the book is opened it is impossible to put it down until it is finished. I hope we see more from Ms. Sokoloff.
It is the day before Thanksgiving and everyone is leaving for home and the long holiday weekend. Robin is not going home and believes she is alone in the dorm. That first night she is desolate. The atmosphere is oppressive in the dorm and Robin is depressed. She discovers after taking some pills and alcohol both totally out of character for her that she is not alone. There are 4 other students staying the weekend at Mendenhall. All have family issues and would rather not go home for the holiday.
There is something or someone else staying at Mendenhall that weekend too.
All the students gather in the study where Lisa found a Ouiji Board. This Board is an original from the 20's, well used and even burned on the edges. Lisa convinces Robin that they should play starting a sequence of events that cannot be reversed. While they play the boys are extremely skeptical but there is a definite presence helping answer the questions.
The presence has a nameâ¦â¦â¦â¦Zachary.
Harrowing - causing physical or psychological pain.
That is exactly what happens to the remaining students at Mendenhall beginning with a simple Ouiji Board game. Unexplained disturbances, presences, and even death follow that one 'harmless' game.
Ms. Sokoloff set the tone of The Harrowing from the beginning pages and never stopped the pace throughout. She was able to bring the reader into Mendenhall feeling the tension and anxiety of this one weekend from hell. Once the book is opened it is impossible to put it down until it is finished. I hope we see more from Ms. Sokoloff.
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