Originally posted on my blog http://www.csdaley.com/?p=4243

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There is not enough time in the day to work and read all the books I have waiting for me. I have been wanting to read Daryl Gregory for some time but just have never quite gotten to him (despite the fact that I own two of his books which have been well reviewed). When the opportunity to review Harrison Squared came up I decided the time had finally arrived. The best thing I can say about this book is that when I was done I knew I would be quickly reading the other Gregory books I owned. I absolutely adored this book.

While the book clearly falls in the teen age range it is very accessible for adults. It is a great book that never gives into many of the common cliches in teen fiction. The plot unfolds nicely revealing bits and pieces of the mystery. It's a hard book to review plot points without giving up too much of the surprising story. I'll give you the bare bones. Harrison Harrison and his mother move to the small Lovecraftian town of Dunnsmouth, Massachusetts. Harrison is a little damaged both mentally and physically. Both a direct result of an attack by a giant sea creature (at least that's how he remembers it) that cost him his leg and his dad his life.

It turns out Harrison is a sensitive. His mind finely attuned to the paranormal world around him. This was probably not the right town to move to because Lovecraftian horrors abound and Harrison soon finds himself right in the middle of it all. Between his way strange high school, the deep ones, fish human hybrids, and knife wielding maniacs trying to skin him alive Harrison has his hands full.

The story is often quite hilarious and creepy scary in equal amounts. What really jumped out at me was Gregory's total command of the story. His writing is fast and crisp. He is able to set the mood, keep you guessing, and introduce mountains of great characters (including Lub who may be my favorite new character of the year. I would read a whole book with him as the star). One of my favorite books this year and I hope the beginning of a wonderful relationship between me and Daryl Gregory.

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This book was an advance reader's copy provided by Tor Books ( )

Harrison Harrison, or Harrison Squared is on his way to the small town of Dunnsmouth, Massachusetts to accompany his marine biologist mother on a research trip. She is searching for a large squid who shouldn't be this far North. Soon after Harrison's arrival and a very strange first day of school in a cathedral like building with unwelcoming teachers and a student body that all seems to look the same, Harrison's mother disappears at sea. Harrison lost his father and a leg in what seems like an awfully similar accident when he was a toddler. Since then, he has had a healthy fear of the water. Now, Harrison is determined to find his mother, no matter what. As he digs around Dunnsmouth, Harrison begins to discover a strange history of the town: a series of disappearances and people left in comas for no reason, a worship of an unknown set of gods and beings that aren't entirely human. With his new friends, Harrison is determined to find his mother and battle the monsters of Dunnsmouth.

I have always loved Daryl Gregory's writing and how it completely envelops me into the setting. Harrison Squared is no exception; I could easily imagine the dreary, sparsely populated coastal town and the people there. Another brilliant aspect are the characters. Not everyone that you would expect to be a monster is, and some of the things that should be easily identifiable as monsters aren't. Harrison is far from perfect, he is fearful and has a short temper; yet, his determination, curiosity, and open-mindedness are perfect for the strange tasks he must complete. Some of the side characters were amazing as well, Lydia, Lub and Aunt Sel were all great to get to know. I liked that the horror and monsters were teased out slowly, they were so ingrained into Dunnsmouth that it wasn't obvious what to be afraid of all the time. An intense an exciting ending only left me wanting more from Harrison and the crew.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review. ( )

I was looking forward to reading this book, so, of course, it only took me months to read it. But anyway, the first time Harrison Harrison was introduced was in the novella We Are All Completely Fine and now it's been a while since I read the book, but stuff about his childhood came back to me while I read this book. But I must admit that I feel a bit inclined to read We Are All Completely Fine again now that I have read this book.

Harrison Harrison or H2 has his mother calls him has been terrified of water since he was very young and the boat he and parents was on capsized and his father vanished. Now he has moved to the town Dunnsmouth because his mother who is a scientist is locking for a squid, or at least that's what she has told Harrison. But Harrison discovers that not everything is as she has told him when it comes to the boating accident when she goes missing on a trip out on a boat. Now he must find his mother before it is too late.

I had some problem connecting with the story and the characters in the beginning, but around 50 % into the book then it's starting to get really good. It was then everything started to get more intense and questions is starting to get answered. This may be YA, but the story is darker than I'm used to when it comes to YA. The book started out OK, but it turned out to be really good and the ending is wonderfully open for a sequel!

I received this copy from the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review! Thank you! ( )

This was just an ok book, it certainly wasn't bad but it also wasn't terribly interesting. It was definitely YA so no idea why I found it in the adult SciFi section unless it was an error in labeling. ( )

Harrison Harrison, or H2 as his Mom calls him, tags along with his scientist mom when she goes to explore the waters in Dunnsmouth in her search for a giant tentacled sea creature. Decades before, when H2 was just a toddler, he and his parents had encountered some kind of sea monster that bit off part of Harrison's leg, and his father was lost, and likely killed. His mother managed to get him to safety, but he spent a long time in the hospital recovering due to some kind of poison injected into him from the bite. He survives, but it leaves him "sensitive" to some interesting things.

When Harrison starts school in Dunnsmouth he discovers that things are even more unusual than he first thought. They learn things like Cryptid Biology and how to tie nets by hand, and something seems to be swimming under the dark water of the school swimming pool. Even the kids seem strange, and H2 realizes they have learned to communicate with each other using finger movements.

When his mother goes missing after a boating accident, H2 discovers that sometimes people aren't who you first judge them to be, and that he and the strange kids in Dunnsmouth have more to unite them than he first believed.

I loved Harrison's Aunt Selene, who comes to stay with him after his mother goes missing, and found the story interesting enough to keep me turning the pages to find out what was going to happen next. There was some really fascinating and creative ideas, with just the right amount of creepiness and mystery. I read this is the first of a trilogy, but can't seem to find anything about the follow up books, which is a shame because I really want to read on and find out how all the loose ends resolve. ( )