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.