Next week, Abrams Fanfare will publish the genre-bending graphic novel thriller The Harrowing by illustrator Rye Hickman and writer Kristen Kiesling, who is making her comics writing debut. Stylish, surprising, suspenseful, and unsettling, the book follows a psychic teen who hunts potential killers…  until she discovers the boy she loves is her next target. The Harrowing will be published on April 16, 2024.

On the very day that 17 year-old Rowan Sterling almost, nearly, finally, kisses her longtime best friend and secret crush Lucas, she makes a surprising (and quite unwelcome) discovery. Rowan should be worrying about normal teenage things like attending college and whether Lucas is maybe more than a friend after all. But Rowan Sterling is gifted and she’s having terrifying visions of blood and violence. As her 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. And it isn’t long before Rowan discovers that it isn’t a boarding school or an asylum: it’s a training center for teens with special abilities who are known as Harrows. Rowan is a Harrow, a seer of death, and her world has forever changed. 

Kiesling has shared an exclusive playlist and commentary to go with the upcoming graphic novel.

Music impacts all aspects of my writing. Different melodies and rhythms help me build tension or draw out a character’s emotions in a scene. For example, when I was writing The Harrowing, I knew Rowan’s character had to undergo the journey of losing everything she believed about her family, finding a new sense of identity, and then having it all torn away. It demanded that I tap into emotions of grief, chaos, love, and betrayal. Sometimes, I found myself stuck, unsure of what to write next or how to infuse the scene with the emotional punch it needed. Creating a playlist helped me immerse myself in the direction the story needed to take and kept me inspired to continue. I hope you enjoy!!!

Kristen Kiesling

Check out the playlist and a preview below!