This Lovecraftian adventure comes out in March 24, 2015 in hardcover from Tor Books in the US, in trade paper from Titan Books in the UK, and in audio from Audible.com. Excerpt on Tor.com.

 

And why not try out the interactive companion story / adventure game, Harrison Squared Dies Early!

Where to order

Indie Bound (US)
Powell’s Books (US)
B&N (US)
Amazon (US)
Amazon UK (UK)
Waterstones (UK)
Audible.com

Harrison Harrison—H2 to his mom—is a lonely teenager who’s been terrified of the water ever since he was a toddler in California, when a huge sea creature capsized their boat, and his father vanished.  One of the “sensitives” who are attuned to the supernatural world, Harrison and his mother have just moved to the worst possible place for a boy like him: Dunnsmouth, a Lovecraftian town perched on rocks above the Atlantic, where strange things go on by night, monsters lurk under the waves, and creepy teachers run the local high school. On Harrison’s first day at school, his mother, a marine biologist, disappears at sea. Harrison must attempt to solve the mystery of her accident, which puts him in conflict with a strange church, a knife-wielding killer, and the Dwellers, fish-human hybrids that live in the bay. It will take all his resources—and an unusual host of allies—to defeat the danger and find his mother.

Reviews

RT Book Reviews : “Gregory’s versatility as a writer is almost as impressive as his plotting and character work; Harrison and his friends, family and foes (both mundane and deeply weird) are a joy to follow, and the setting here is vivid and deserves some return visits. … Harrison Squared is a fantastic, fun, and gripping book, as suited to adult readers as it is to younger ones; hopefully in addition to expanding his range, Gregory follows up on this particular story because readers will be craving more.”

NPR Books: “With stakes that feel high (rescuing a kidnapped parent, not getting stabbed in the face by a very murder-y Big Bad) and consequences that feel real (the end of the world if they fail), it moves confidently from page to page, squeezes in a few laughs and lays all the responsibility in the hands of its teenaged protagonists.” full review

io9: “If you have been hankering for a new Scooby Gang of witty young people bonding together and fighting horrors from beyond space and time, this is for you. For any marginally sane soul who enjoys being taken over by Daryl Gregory’s brilliant storytelling, the stars are right and we have much to look forward to.” full review

Barnes & Noble SF & Fantasy Blog: “Imagine H.P. Lovecraft ‘s take on the Scooby gang. But no need to be afraid: this companion story’s horror is more rollicking than bone-chilling…. It’s ambitious, spooky, deftly plotted, and disarmingly charming,” full review

Publishers Weekly  “Gregory (Afterparty) delivers a thoroughly entertaining novel built on H.P. Lovecraft’s Cthulhu mythos. [clip lotsa plot summary] Gregory delivers an enthralling and exciting tale that should intrigue both readers unfamiliar with Lovecraft and longtime fans of the stories.” full review

Kirkus:  “Most readers will grin at Gregory’s deft, spiky parody of high school. For the rest, it’s a tale handled with confidence and control, with loads of salty, piscine atmosphere, but it’s perhaps a little too self-consciously reminiscent of Lovecraft or Clark Ashton Smith. Superior, with plenty of crossover teen appeal.”  full review

Booklist: “Yes, there’s a whole lot of weirdness going on in Dunnsmouth, and danger is everywhere, as Gregory’s nicely imagined story amply demonstrates…. Give this one an E for eerie.”

Locus (Gary Wolfe): “Since I’ve already mentioned Daryl Gregory as a writer of unannounced left turns, it’s very helpful of him to provide me with evidence…[Harrison Squared is] a lot of fun, and Gregory is shrewd enough to pepper it with allusions that offer something for everyone from young readers (the setup of going to a new high school where everyone is weird is basic R.L. Stine), to horror fans (research buoys named after famous horror writers), to more literary types who’ll enjoy allusions to everything from Coleridge and Melville to Auntie Mame.”

Tor.com: ““Slick and smooth where it isn’t covered in squamous suckers, Harrison Squared represents a real tentacle of a time. Take a hold of it forthwith, but be warned: this one is slippery when wet.” full review

More reviews below!

Comments from colleagues

“Harrison Squared takes old time boy’s adventure fiction, throws in a soupçon of the Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys mystery hour, and recklessly dumps it all into the briny, boiling cauldron of Lovecraftian horror. The result is nothing less than splendid.”
—Bill Willingham, New York Times bestselling author of Fables and Down the Mysterly River.

“Harrison Squared gave me the feeling of reading an eldritch Harry Potter. With tentacles! I definitely rooted for the cast of likeable characters caught up in a very strange world indeed. And the ending hints at more adventures on the way. . .”
—Carrie Vaughn, New York Times bestselling author of the Kitty Norville series

“Harrison Squared delivers witty characters, sparkling dialog, effortless prose, and eldritch creatures swaddled in cosmic horror. A pure delight. More please!”
—F. Paul Wilson, New York Times bestselling author of the Repairman Jack series

“Harrison Squared is sweet, creepy, touching and horrifying. If you locked H.P. Lovecraft, Judy Blume, and Louis Sachar in a run-down seaside cottage for a couple of months, this is what they’d produce.”
—James Cambias, author of A Darkling Sea.

“Harrison Squared is a strange, wonderful read. The isolated seaside setting is beautifully crafted, and the prose is at once eerie, foreboding and funny. Lovers of the weird, and of things from the briny deep will find much to appreciate.”
—Kendare Blake, author of Anna Dressed in Blood and Mortal Gods

And even more reviews from around the internet

Gnome Reviews: “The ending is an unexpected cliffhanger, which leaves the gnomes hopeful that there will be a sequel.” full review

By Hook or by Book: “It’s often difficult to maintain a balance between humor and horror, but Daryl Gregory pulls it off brilliantly. I think any horror aficionado will love this book.” full review

Bibliotropic: “This is what you get when you read Gregory’s novels. Something to make you think, something that isn’t quite what you expect and that challenges expectations. It’s one of the reasons why I love reading his work.” full review

Nerdophiles: “There are very few authors whose style alone can win me over and Daryl Gregory proved that he was one of those rare few within mere pages. This is a man who has a way with words and I instantly fell in love with his descriptions of people, places, things, and events.” full review

Books, Bones, and Buffy: “For those of you looking for a highly entertaining adventure with plenty of slimy creatures just waiting in the shadows and lots of mysteries to solve, then Harrison Squared is not to be missed.” full review

Horror After Dark: “Here’s to more from the universe Gregory has created – be it YA dark fantasy or straight out horror. I’ll take whatever I can get…4 Overly Large Squids for Harrison Squared.” full review

Liz Loves Books: “Overall then a brilliant read – Highly Recommended from me and never before have I wished so hard for more books in a “series”. I hope that Mr Gregory brings us back to Harrison’s version of the Universe many times in the future. I will be the first in line.” full review

Book Reviews Forevermore: “I love Gregory’s writing; for me he hits an enjoyable blend of clever description, interesting characters, fun dialogue and nicely paced plotting. I highly recommend reading both Harrison Squared and We Are All Completely Fine. Just beware the tentacles.” full review

Buzzy Mag: “Gregory knows what he’s doing. He writes teenagers well without trying to be all hip and bust out perfect slang. He also writes…cool. There’s almost no other way to describe it. This book is just cool.” full review

BiblioSanctum: “I had a great time with this book. It’s not a heart-pounding tale of horror, but rather a well-paced delectable mystery that’s also a fun adventure filled with lots of unexpected twists and turns, while exuding an eerie vibe. Full review

Fantastical Librarian: “If you like the spooky stuff and a good old tale of mystery, then I can’t recommend Harrison Squared enough.” Full review