This is a story that can bring about important discussion on nature vs. nurture and what it means to be an "imminent criminal". The illustrations are simple, but allow the reader to immerse themselves in the story and characters. I'm looking forward to seeing what Kiesling releases next. This is great for fans of Death Note and Doubt.

I received a temporary digital Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was truly a deeper graphic novel than I anticipated. It really plays with the ethics of justice and retribution and the role that the protagonist plays in all of it. This supernatural suspense thriller expands on what Minority Report failed to do - discuss about the consequences of dealing with future crime. At first I thought that the zeal of the mysterious organization Rowan (the protagonist) worked with was too obviously corrupt but each character offers a different view or perspective that allowed me to expand my own. I love how colors are very important and it lets the art become a character in the story as well.

thank you to net galley for sending me an advanced copy of this as an e-book.

one of my favourite things about this is you actually get some information about the characters before the story starts. sometimes in books (especially in graphic novels) the story just starts and as a reader you find yourself yearning for more, who was this person before all of this? how did their life begin? what are the things that turned them into who they are today? this had all of that, you got to learn about the main character and her family dynamic, then the traumatic event that changed it all and the events afterwards that lead into the main story. It was super fun having all that extra info, it made the characters have so much more depth and made it easier to love them.

I really like the plot idea, having people be able to predict who will turn into a violent criminal is such a unique premise that i have never heard of before! I thought the extra detail of the colour coding system to see what kind of criminal they become was also so well developed and thought out- but i do wish there were more details, perhaps colours based on the amount of victims or type of violence? just something to flush it out just that extra bit to give you even more insight into the world. I adored the relationship between the girls, their found family learning to cope and bond together was super fun and added a lighthearted element to quite a deep book.

I thought the pacing was really good and the storyline was super fun! the only reason this isn’t getting four stars is the ending. I thought that entire idea of the “harrowing” felt kind of rushed, like we just learnt what it was and it was over before we got to truly understand it. for example, Simon’s entire personality change happened over four or five pages, which just wasn’t enough information to help us believe that the good guy was actually the bad guy. I wish it was slightly longer or the big reveal happened over a longer period of time.

other than this if you’re looking for a super unique, horror thriller with sweet childhood friends to lovers aspects then this is the graphic novel for you!

I loved reading this book now, but damn I would’ve eaten it even more as a teen. I am so happy a book like this is being targeted at teens and young adults because it’s not just this really fun adventure it’s also something that allows the reader to question morality a bit. I feel like when your young it’s easy to think of moral questions in a very black and white way. However, in this book things aren’t that way. What seems to be something that is of course very bad, will also show a grey area where what you do about it may be seen as good and bad.

Rowan is the perfect representation of this concept. She has very strong convictions about what is right and wrong and when she discovers her visions and Rosewood’s mission she is of course all for it. However, questioning begins when she thinks of why her mom had left in the first place and why everyone gives her all the easy answers. Eventually, things take a turn and she realizes that there is more nuance in the situation then she realized and that she may not be on the correct side.

I loved the little romance in the book. Rowan and Lucas being best friends from childhood and growing to realize they have deeper feelings for each other was adorable to read about. It ads a lighter tone to this darker story that I think it needed to create a balance.

I highly recommend The Harrowing! It is such a delight to read and it will have you questioning things from beginning to end.

The Harrowing tells the story of Rowan who learns that she can help predict who may become a murderer just by touching them. This was a really interesting premise, but the pacing felt off to me. Some parts progressed slowly, but then I felt like too much was happening too quickly towards the end. It almost could have been done better if the books were separated into two volumes. There was a lot of information to include and it felt like it was just very rushed.

I liked the characters and the plot. I hope the fully story is in color because color is essential to the plot and would really help highlight what's going on. I'm not sure if it was just me, but I had a hard time reading the digital version and it seemed fuzzy.

The Harrowing • By Kristen Kiesling & Rye Hickman
✨Graphic Novel✨Horror✨YA✨
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Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1/2
Netgalley Arc Review:

What would you do if you could predict when someone was going to commit murder?

Years after her mother was murdered, Rowan is getting visions of blood and violence when she makes skin to skin contact with some people. Rowan seeks comfort in her father but is then drugged and kidnapped and sent to a facility which houses girls like her who can predict murder.

The art in this was beautiful and it had promise to be a really great story, and I feel like if the script had been a little bit more detailed and not so rushed it could have been so much better! But I did really enjoy the story, it really makes you wonder if people are born killers or if we’re capable of stopping a murder before it happened could we get that person the help they needed to never want to kill again?

I'm sorry, but the text is too pixelated for me to read without getting eyestrain and a headache. I don't suppose you have a higher-quality ARC (maybe a social DRM pdf file) available to reviewers? Otherwise I'll just wait until the release date and borrow a copy from my library. Thanks in advance.

i liked the premise of this one, but there was just a bit too much going on in this piece to get truly invested. there were a lot of big ideas being explored, and i do think the resolution was a bit of a twist, but i think this graphic novel would have been more successful if it were twice the length.

This book was different than I expected, but I really liked it. Similar to The Minority Report, this is a crime thriller about a teenage girl who discovers she is psychic and can tell if someone is going to commit a violent crime. But things are not as clean cut as those within the organization would like her to believe. My only bummer is that this digital arc was not in full color, which is actually really essential to the story. So I think the reading experience was impacted negatively.

Big thanks to NetGalley, ABRAMS Kids/Amulet books for the ARC of this graphic novel!!

I really enjoyed reading this graphic novel! It packed quite the punch within the story that was being told. One thing I really enjoyed about reading this, is the story made me think. Whether it was the ethical dilemmas that the character was facing, or the fact that there were Easter eggs hidden throughout the novel. Beyond the actual story itself, the illustrations were amazing. I found that they really fit within the mold of the story that was being told, adding to the darkness of it all. Also the color choices were fantastic!!

Another graphic novel to add to the several I’ve read already this year, and another cracker.

Harrowing, is something that is really upsetting, and the Harrows are struck with unsettling visions when they touch people who will, some time in the future, commit murder.

We find out that Rowan’s mother was a Harrow and that the headaches and visions Rowan gets means she will also be a Harrow.

but nothing is that simple, Rowan’s mother left when she became pregnant and is murdered when rowan is young, there are mysterious things afoot at Rosewood but will Rowan find out before it is all too late?

Absolutely loved the story telling in this book, along with the artwork it strikes a balanced narrative and exciting vision throughout.

The revelations when they come are excellent, thrown off track a couple of times by a couple of solid red herrings, one revelation was expected but another was so unexpected but was right for the story!

Great read and great conclusion, leaving the world open for further exploration.

Received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

"The Harrowing" is a truly nightmarish tale with hints of "Minority Report" and "Unbreakable". Harrows are people who can see future crimes that will be committed by people simply by touching their hands. An organization finds and trains Harrows to detect murderers and mark them so that handlers can intercept before the murders are committed. Rowan is a newly discovered Harrow, and due to her own mother's murder years before, she finds herself dedicated to the cause. But things change when her best friend since childhood turned boyfriend becomes a target of the organization. Rowan is left unsure of who to trust, questioning everything she thinks she knows. The story builds steadily in intensity, and readers will be swept along by intrigue and thought provoking questions. At the time of my reading, the art was in black and white, but it will be colored by publication. I expect the coloring to only enhance this powerful graphic novel. Recommended for horror, sci-fi, and psychological thriller fans.

Harrowing is certainly the right word but this one! A gripping fast paced gorey graphic novel with very striking artwork to match.

I’m not a huge gore person, and while this isn’t like… awful gore? I still got squicked in a couple places. But that’s a me thing! And even so, the art style was cool, and the story was really interesting! I could see there being more from this world, but also get it if it’s a standalone. The pacing is done well, and I enjoyed the twist!

The Harrowing Review!!

Thanks so much Amulet Books and Netgalley for this gifted graphic novel, in exchange for an honest review! The Harrowing is out April 16, 2024!

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect going into this one, but I ended up enjoying it! The Harrowing was a 4.25/5 ⭐️ for me! I really liked the main characters in this one and the love interest was so sweet. I thought this was dark and tense. Some of the pages were pretty blurry, so I didn’t get the full experience I’d say, but it was still pretty fun!

I enjoyed the gruesome trail this story leaves us and I just know the colors have to be gorgeous to accommodate it. While I enjoyed its plot I think it was so fast paced that I would have loved to see a bit more world building around this interesting idea.

Though I did enjoy the concept of this book and exploring the idea of choosing to be a hero and help others, I found it overall a little bland and the art wasn't my favorite. I do intend to check out other works from this creator though and think this one may hit better with others. I still overall enjoyed it and will recommend to others who may like it even more.

loved the art style and storyline. I started reading and then somehow forgot to finish, but once i picked it back up it was super easy to get through.

The Harrowing was an interesting graphic novel. The story was pretty fast paced and I liked the main character. I also liked the artwork. The arc copy I read was in black and white so I want to eventually read the finished copy, which I think will be in full color.

3.5 stars

This was a twisty, thrilling tale. I almost wish it was expanded across more volumes. But the author did a great job of covering everything succinctly and effectively while still developing the characters. I can’t wait to see this in color.