Kristen Kiesling & Rye Hickman
The Harrowing
(Abrams, April 2024)
Featured in Publishers Weekly‘s Spring 2024 Preview
Exclusive interview and look inside from The Mary Sue
The Harrowing is an April Book Pick on Professional Book Nerds
Read an interview with author Kristen Kiesling in Daily Dead
Read an interview with illustrator Rye Hickman in Fanbase Press
See an exclusive excerpt in Girl Talk HQ
Read the review in Comics Beat
Read a breakdown of a section of The Harrowing in Comic Book Club
Take a look at author Kristen Kiesling’s mood-generating writing playlist
Look inside The Harrowing with Cemetery Dance’s excerpt
Preview a page in AIPT Comics
Lotusland Comics offers a look into the early pages of The Harrowing
Read an interview with author Kristen Kiesling in ComicBuzz
Toons Mag reviews The Harrowing
In this YA graphic novel, a psychic teen hunts potential killers until she discovers the boy she loves is her next target
Rowan Sterling should be worrying about normal teenage things like attending college and whether her best friend Lucas is maybe more than a friend. . . . Instead, she’s having terrifying visions of blood and violence. As the premonitions increase in number and intensity, Rowan seeks her father’s help, but instead finds herself drugged, kidnapped, and sent to a mysterious facility called Rosewood. It isn’t long before Rowan discovers Rosewood isn’t a boarding school or an asylum: it’s a training center for teens with special abilities who are known as Harrows.
Harrows can view the actions of would-be murderers before they commit crimes, and the scientists at Rosewood believe it is their duty to use the Harrows’ powers to make the world a safer place. When they are apprehended by a Harrow, imminent criminals, known as imcrims, are captured and indefinitely detained in a state of sedation. At Rosewood, the Harrows are taught how to identify, track, and apprehend imcrims.
Rowan is immediately drawn to Rosewood’s mission; after all, she lost her mother to a random act of violence two years prior. However, some of the other Harrows question the treatment of imcrims—how can it be ethical to imprison people who haven’t actually done anything yet?
Empowered by the skills she’s acquired and ready to change the world, Rowan returns home, but when she reunites with Lucas, she has a vision of him shooting a man in cold blood. Now Rowan is questioning everything she learned at Rosewood—she refuses to believe Lucas is capable of murder—and sets out to protect him from the Harrows.
Praise for The Harrowing
“Suspenseful.” —The Mary Sue
“Eerie.” —The Daily Dead
“Kiesling’s writing is masterful, weaving a tale of suspense and supernatural intrigue that keeps readers on the edge of their seats… Hickman’s illustrations are equally impressive, bring the world of The Harrowing to life with stunning detail and atmospheric flair. … With its stylish storytelling, surprising twists, and unforgettable characters this graphic novel is a must-read for fans of suspense and supernatural thrillers… A debut that will leave readers clamoring for more.” —Toons Mag
“Perfect for fans who love a supernatural horror story.” —Girl Talk HQ
“A promising debut… One standout aspect of the story is its intricately layered world, rich with character moments and precise backstories that establish a stark and thematic backdrop… The artwork by Rye Hickman stands out… Final verdict: Buy.” —Comics Beat
“The Harrowing will give you death, destiny, defiance and most of all love. You will shiver in fear and delight. You will want to be held and to hold.”
—Kieron Gillen, The Wicked + the Divine, Young Avengers
“An original, genre-blending graphic novel.”—Kirkus Reviews
“I read The Harrowing in one sitting — it’s that good. It kept me up long after I turned the final page, pondering big questions — namely, how far would I go to protect the ones I love.”
—Max Brallier, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Kids on Earth
“Kiesling makes excellent use of smooth, engaging, and natural-feeling dialogue to provide most of the world-building, and the heavy, shadowy illustrations do much of the rest.”
—The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
“A story for fans of the morbidly supernatural. Kristen Kiesling’s story is brought to life by Rye Hickman’s stylish art in a world of grey and red that will feed your inner goth.”
—Daniel McCloskey, creator of Cloud Town
“A wonderful mix of creepy crawly paranoia with a pinch of horror, Kiesling and Hickman have created something special that will keep you looking over your shoulder for days after reading.”
—Marco Finnegan, illustrator of The Keeper
“Rowan’s struggles with her identity as she searches for her voice and purpose will resonate with teens, especially those who like psychological horror.”—Booklist
—Samuel Sattin, author of Buzzing“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.”—Publishers Weekly
Kristen Kiesling is extremely good at one thing—scaring herself. She grew up in Oklahoma, where she spent her days uncovering fictional truths, exploring mysterious forests, and solving imaginary crimes. A resident of Houston, Kristen writes graphic novels, young adult books and stories for children. Her debut YA graphic novel, The Harrowing, is set for publication in the Spring of 2024 with Abrams’ Amulet, and her YA contemporary manuscript, If I Tell, won the 2020 SCBWI National Sue Alexander Award. She was awarded the 2019 SCBWI Nevada Mentorship and was a top twenty finalist for the Killer Nashville Claymore Award.
Rye Hickman is an illustrator/comic artist, and co-creator of Lonely Receiver, Moth & Whisper, The Dead, Test, artist on SFSX and colourist on The House, Feathers, Kingdom Bum. They are a graduate of the Savannah College of Art and Design’s Sequential Art program.