Book Review: Harbinger by Sara Wilson Etienne

Title: Harbinger
Author: Sara Wilson Etienne
Publisher: Putnam
Release Date: February 2nd, 2012
Page Count: 320 Pages
Source: Melina
Book Twin: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer
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Plagued by waking visions and nightmares, inexplicably drawn to the bones of dead animals, Faye thinks she's going crazy. Fast. Her parents beleive Holbrook Academy might just be the solution. Dr. Mordoch tells her it's the only answer. But Faye knows that something's not quite right about Dr. Mordoch and her creepy, prisonlike school for disturbed teenagers.

What's wrong with Holbrook goes beyond the Takers, sadistic guards who threaten the student body with Tasers and pepper spray; or Nurse, who doles out pills at bedtime and doses of solitary confinement when kids step out of line; or Rita, the strange girl who delivers ominous messages to Faye that never seem to make any sense. What's wrong with Holbrook begins and ends with Faye's red hands; she and her newfound friends--her Holbrook "family"--wake up every morning with their hands stained the terrible brown of dried blood. Faye has no idea what it means but fears she may be the cause.

Because despite the strangeness of Holbrook and the island on which it sits, Faye feels oddly connected to the place; she feels especially linked to the handsome Kel, who helps her unravel the mystery. There's just one problem: Faye's certain Kel's trying to kill her--and maybe the rest of the world, too.

A rich and tautly told psychological thriller, Harbinger heralds the arrival of an exciting new voice in young adult fiction.

"Unlike any other YA out on the shelves now, Harbinger is executed in a stunning, lyrical prose that brims with vivid imagery and intoxicating twists and turns."

I don't know how I waited so long to read Harbinger. Everything about the packaging calls to you. The cover is just stunning, and the way that the cover and whole book looks like a tarot card is just one giant sign saying READ ME.

 From the moment I opened the first page, I couldn't stop. Sara's writing style is atmospheric, and the way she makes you feel the way Faye felt, and how she could send goosebumps up my arms with her writing style. And that is simply what makes this book. With a prose that is reminiscent of Victoria Schwab and Jodi Meadows, Sara sucks the reader into Faye's world and her sufferings. It's surreal.

 The plot, by itself, is non-stop twists and turn. There isn't a dull moment, and I really loved how I had no idea what was going to happen next. There was also that insanity part, where I couldn't figure out whether Faye was imagining things or the stuff was really happening. It was quite reminiscent of The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, and it was executed well too!

 There was one thing that kind of kept me from loving this book completely, and that is the characters. Faye was...an okay character. She was just pretty average, and I didn't find anything about her to be interesting. And Kel, the love interest (was he, or not, cause I got kind of confused), was not very appealing either. I found him to be slimy and never really saw what made Faye  like him so much. The supporting characters were okay, and I found them all interesting, but I never really connected to any of them. I know this is a major flaw in some books, but Sara made up for it in other areas.

 Unlike any other YA out on the shelves now, Harbinger is executed in a stunning, lyrical prose that brims with vivid imagery and intoxicating twists and turns.