The Harrowing

January 22, 2024
On the same day that 17-year-old Rowan almost shares a kiss with her longtime best friend and crush Lucas, she discovers that she is a Harrow, a seer of death who, via hand-to-hand contact with the perpetrator, can glean murderous intent before a grisly death occurs. Seeking her father’s help, she’s sent to Rosewood, where Rowan and the other enlisted Harrows train to identify imminent criminals—“incrims”—by their red or black aura and to tag them with a tracker, which, unbeknownst to the Harrows, leads to an incrim’s sedation, imprisonment, and sometimes worse. Her mother’s murder three years ago motivates a grieving Rowan to use her premonitions to prevent anyone else from losing a loved one to violent crime, but after confirming Lucas’s incrim status, she must grapple with the inevitability of the Harrows’ premonitions and the necessity of Rosewood’s vigilante operation. Ominous, high-contrast illustrations by Hickman (Buzzing) thoroughly match the misanthropic mood Kiesling sets. Slashes of color, mostly in hematic red, punctuate grayscale spreads and signal the blood-soaked climax of this visceral graphic novel, a jumping-off point for a critique of the prison industrial complex. Rowan appears white; some secondary characters have brown skin. Ages 14–up.

March 1, 2024
A girl's ability to predict crime embroils her in a troubling experiment. Rowan, who works on her family's worm farm, is still mourning the violent murder of her mother 12 years ago. She has long since dropped the habit--instilled in her by her supposedly germophobic mom--of wearing red gloves out in the world. But now Rowan's in her senior year of high school, and she discovers that the briefest contact of her hand against another person results in her having terrifying visions of death. Rowan is quickly whisked off to Rosewood, a boarding school, where she learns that she's a Harrow, or a person gifted with the ability to see crimes before they occur. In this graphic novel that blends Shallow Graves by Kali Wallace with "Minority Report," Rowan slowly learns that protection and rehabilitation are not Rosewood's only goals, and that her mother's fate might be connected to secrets she uncovered. The story is paced on the slower side, but the action builds up as Rowan realizes that the boy she has a crush on might soon be implicated in her secretive new world, and that her own family might be hiding something in plain sight. The muted grayscale art makes the touches of red pop, but some jerky transitions between action scenes can make it hard to follow the plot. Rowan reads white; Lucas has brown skin and curly black hair. An original, genre-blending graphic novel for patient readers. (Graphic horror. 14-18)

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March 15, 2024
Grades 9-12 Rowan is the daughter of a worm farmer living life as an average teenager, crushing on her best friend, Lucas. Lately, however, whenever Rowan touches someone, she becomes overwhelmed with visions of bloodshed and death. As her abilities intensify, Rowan reaches out to her father for help and ends up being drugged and taken to Rosewood, a school for children with skills similar to hers who are taught to use those unique abilities to stop crimes before they happen. Initially, Rowan agrees with the mission but soon questions if they should punish those who have yet to commit a crime. This dark and haunting story explores the question of whether we have free will or are predestined by fate. Drawn in a dark art style, Hickman's largely grayscale panels highlight the importance of specific moments by introducing limited splashes of color. Rowan's struggles with her identity as she searches for her voice and purpose will resonate with teens, especially those who like psychological horror.

COPYRIGHT(2024) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Starred review from December 6, 2024

Gr 10 Up-Rowan, the daughter of a worm farmer, is grieving her mother's death when she learns a shocking truth: her family's medical history is not simply germaphobia, as she believed. Instead, her gloves prevent her from seeing glimpses of future crimes committed by imminent criminals she comes into contact with. Once she has her first vision, she begins working with the scientists her mom was connected to before she was murdered. Training alongside other "harrows" her age, Rowan grapples with the ethical dilemmas of her inherited power, especially as she discovers that the boy she loves manifests a murderous aura. Dark colors with pops of red enhance the tone created by the dialogue and plot of the story. Rowan's character is developed, and readers will connect with her misfortune. This graphic novel thoughtfully explores themes of stereotypes, bioethics, and the moral dilemmas associated with "playing God," tying these concepts to Rowan's journey and the consequences of her inherited abilities. The illustrations don't shy away from the tough stories of the future crimes depicted in the visions, with some spreads featuring murder victims and such horrific events as school shootings. Hand this title to teen fans of Stranger Things and Wednesday. VERDICT This stand-out graphic novel will have horror fans spellbound.-Angie Jameson

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