Harbinger

Sunday 21 April 2013

Harbinger

I'm all for dystopia and post-apocalyptic theme but this book was simply not for me. Presenting Harbinger by Sara Wilson Etienne.

Here is the summary of the book:

Girl, Interrupted meets Beautiful Creatures in this fast-paced thriller. When sixteen-year-old Faye arrives at Holbrook Academy, she doesn't expect to find herself exactly where she needs to be. After years of strange waking visions and nightmares, her only comfort the bones of dead animals, Faye is afraid she's going crazy. Fast. But her first night at Holbrook, she feels strangely connected to the school and the island it sits on, like she's come home. She's even made her first real friends, but odd things keep happening to them. Every morning they wake on the floors of their dorm rooms with their hands stained red. Faye knows she's the reason, but what does it all mean? The handsome Kel tries to help her unravel the mystery, but Faye is certain she can't trust him; in fact, he may be trying to kill her - and the rest of the world too. Rich, compelling writing will keep the pages turning in this riveting and tautly told psychological thriller.

I'm all for dystopia and mix of paranormal but what actually made me get this book but I just couldn't get the point of this. Faye has been fighting these visions all her life but then not being able to do anything about it, her father carts her to his glorified mental institute, Holbrook Academy. With caretakers armed with Tasers and pepper sprays and her group being targeted much more than the other......but I just couldn't see the balance in the tale......lost interest in it halfway and just couldn't understand the point of this.

The world building in not done properly. Description felt a bit verging on verbose and frankly couldn't create the atmosphere this genre does. There is also no clue as to what led to these averse conditions. Th part of the Red stained hands tried to create a type of mystery it but by then.....it simply confused everything about it for us. There is imagination here.... vivid imagination but Ms. Etienne couldn't deliver on it.