July 15, 2024
Harrow’s promising debut finds videographer Annie Radford reluctantly returning to her alma mater. Eight years after graduating from college one semester early—and abruptly abandoning her work-study job shooting game tape for the basketball team—she’s offered her old position back. Desperate for work, she accepts. Her anxiety about being back on campus seems reasonable given both a past trauma and the icy welcome she receives from Ben Callahan, her former work-study colleague turned team statistician, who still resents her for leaving mid-season. Still, she’s determined to make the best of an awkward situation. Annie’s hype videos and genuine connection with the players are quickly appreciated—and even Ben starts to warm up to her, particularly when she joins his reality TV fantasy league. But as Ben and Annie grow closer, they have to agree to disagree on how they communicate about Coach Maynard, the former basketball coach who has mentored Ben since he was a teen, but is the reason Annie avoided the sport after college. The central couple is appealing, but the conflict, which surfaces late in the narrative and could be resolved with a simple if difficult conversation, frustrates. Still, the high-stakes world of college basketball provides a fun backdrop, and the author does a fine job dealing with sensitive and topical issues, including sexual misconduct and the abuse of power. Harrow should win plenty of fans.
