This novel contains sexual assault and violence.

After a Romany girl is sexually assaulted and her friend nearly murdered for trying to protect her, she uses dark magic, the kind that requires lots of blood sacrifice, to bring him back to life and have her revenge. I really loved how this tale balanced her desire to punish against her need to remain a good person, but also save her friend. It's something that most revenge fantasies don't include.

I enjoyed this book a lot. It's the ultimate creepy/scary story. I found certain parts difficult to read, but the writing was so powerful, and it evoked a lot of emotion in me. Awesome book. If you like revenge plots, highly recommend.

I was looking for some spooky/creepy reads for this month in celebration of Halloween and came across The Hollow Girl on Netgalley. Magic, witches, I'm all for it! I love books about witches. That's now all this book is about though. There are so many elements to this story and some being very serious and important topics.

Bethan wants revenge on the boys that harmed her and her friend Martyn and in doing so she has to do some pretty intense things. Things that could damage a person's sanity and change them completely. The story was pretty dark and the journey Bethan had to go on was not an easy one. I was rooting for Bethan all the way. I loved her and she did what she had to do. I felt like she grew throughout the story, especially with the things that she had to do (some pretty gory things!) and the things that were done to her. They will completely change a person. 

Overall, I loved this story and I loved Bethan and Martyn. I especially loved Bethan's relationship with her Gran. There is a strong family bond in this story, which I loved so much. Bethan went on this dark emotional journey, but she also gained so much as well. I honestly wish there was a sequel, because I would really like to see more of what happened after the things in The Hollow Girl. Perfect Halloween read or to read anytime, really. It deals with a lot of important things such as physical abuse (and more). I highly recommend checking this one out!

I really enjoyed this book, much more than I thought I would. The Hollow Girl is a story of revenge that follows a girl from a Romany society. She has a brutal altercation with boys from her clan who have long been causing her problems and how her grandmother helps her exact revenge while helping a friend of hers that was hurt while trying to protect her. This book has serious trigger warnings for rape and violence and gore. That being said, I feel like the rape and the brutalization were handled extremely well. It might be my favorite part of the book. The rape scene isn't explicit but it doesn't hide from what is happening. And repeatedly the story makes sure to mention the horror and wrongness of what happened. Our main character suffers a lot mentally following her attack and while it was extremely hard to read, it felt so real and it was actually really wonderful to read a realistic experience of what goes through the mind of a rape victim and how horrifying and empty a person can feel after that kind of experience.
The other element of this story that I loved was how it handles the idea of the dangers and horrors of the "boys will be boys" mentality and that those who stand by and refuse to stop violence are also responsible. The boys who attack Bethan, our main character, have been known to harass girls and Bethan for years but were written off as just messing around and were allowed to continue their behaviors until it escalated to the point of Bethan getting raped and assaulted.
The violence however was extremely graphic and I didn't really have a problem with this but it made the story hard to read without having to take breaks and step away. I felt that some of the tension at the end of the story was unnecessary and I was getting frustrated as Bethan struggled with the last act of revenge. She had gone through so much by this point and then when faced with her worst tormentor, she found herself in the role of victim until the last second and it seemed like unnecessary tension when I would have preferred her to come from a place of strength. I actually liked that Bethan struggled with the acts of violence and always had an inner monologue fighting her conscience and wondering how these acts would mar her forever.
While I felt that the violence was necessary for the story, it still just made it difficult to read at times for me personally. I could also see how the depiction of Romany culture could be seen by some as offensive although the author mentions her own Romany heritage and her attempts to treat the culture with as much respect as possible. The biggest issue I had with this book wasn't a fault of the book itself but rather was with the marketing. The book's synopsis gives away pretty much the entire plot so I wasn't really surprised by anything that happened. I think it would have been more interesting to not know every major plot point before it happened and to just experience the story.

So, I'm not really sure what to say about this one. I was really looking forward to a spooky read for October and I don't know if I read the synopsis wrong or what but it wasn't really what I was hoping for. It was still an interesting read and had some spooky elements but I had a hard time connecting with the characters.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Children's for the opportunity to read and review The Hollow Girl by Hillary Monahan! The author’s foreword explains the reasoning for the story and also forewarns the reader of difficult content. The story is based on the author’s ancestry and heritage. Bethan meets Martyn at the market and they become friends and Martyn protects Bethan from a group of bullies. The bullies are led by Silas, who’s selfish and entitled and cruel. He and his group do terrible things to Bethan and harm Martyn in the process. This book is full of darkness and full of hope and interestingly eye-opening because of the Romani history. 5 stars for a story full of strength and retribution.
*I received a complimentary copy of this book for voluntary consideration.

THE HOLLOW GIRL was written by a Romani to honor her grandmother and their shared Romani heritage. I was drawn in by that fact, excited to learn more about the Romani culture from the point-of-view of a young woman learning magic from her grandmother. However, I feel I must start this review by acknowledging that THE HOLLOW GIRL deals with a trigger warning for sexual harassment, abuse, and rape.

Bethan is subject to many different abuses at the hands of people both within and outside of her clan. She faces the awful reality of sexual harassment and rape culture. People touch her without her permission, because of her birthmark and because she stands outside of the clan as the drabarni's apprentice. She is both feared and admired, but ultimately thought of as an object to be possessed by the clansmen. This is not a book for people that want to escape the harsh reality that, even in 2017, women are treated horribly across the globe.

The rape, while not descriptive, remains the center of the book and propels all action. Her grandmother, the clan's drabarni, foretells something terrible is meant to happen to Bethan. I was uncomfortable with this plot decision from the start, but I could not get over the implication that it was Bethan's destiny to be raped and to survive. Until the rape, Bethan is largely passive. Afterwards, she is motivated to learn magic from her grandmother for the purposes of revenge. And when she completes her revenge, the book abruptly ends.

THE HOLLOW GIRL is well-written and covers the harsh truths of life that many women, especially minorities, face. But I could not get over the use of rape as a motivating plot-device. Some might find the revenge cathartic. I, like Bethan, only felt hollow.

This book. THIS BOOK. I’ve been staring at my screen for the past half hour trying to collect my thoughts and write them into words but I’m failing miserably because as hard as this book was to read, it felt so deeply personal to me. Beyond the revenge, beyond the gore, Bethan’s inner thoughts and journey spoke to my soul for more reasons than one reason but holy wow, it was an amazing read that I would recommend BUT with caution as it can be very graphic.

Hillary Monahan is such a freaking talented writer, I love her writing style in general but what surprised me even more here is how she is able to tailor it not only to the genre of the book but also the themes it deals with. Here it’s gorgeous and strong and so so emotional, I could feel everything Bethan was feeling, the despair, the hollowness, the fear, all of it and I’m not gonna lie, it was tough on me, I had to take breaks but I got there and I loved it.

The only thing I did not like about the book is its pacing. It feels unbalanced. The whole first half of the story is slow paced and nothing much happens in it if we’re being honest. I think it was done to help the reader get familiar with the setting, the culture etc… and to immerse themself in the story, and build up to the revenge part but I think all of it could’ve been done in a fewer chapters as it felt like it dragged unnecessarily.

But once the story picked up, oh boy, did it get good. I can’t say I enjoyed it, because that word feels inappropriate considering how the book deals with rape but it was brilliant, so freaking brilliant. I loved how the rape was treated, it’s a mortal sin in Bethan’s Romani community and is treated as such and I also appreciated how the revenge wasn’t for the sake of revenge (not that there’s anything wrong with that) and that she didn’t enjoy any of the thing she did, doing them with a sense of duty only. But still, the fact that she was so powerful and ruthless about it was amazing.

There’s something I disagree with though, people say the rape is off page, but it’s not completely off page, the start AND end are in the book, not the whole thing thankfully and that alone was enough to put me in a rough state for a couple hours. So, I would advise you proceed with cotion when picking this up if rape can trigger you. The first part of the novel has a lot of harrassement, so I’d be careful with that as well. The second part though is very graphic with the violence and revenge execution it’s bloody, it’s vicious and fascinating especially in the way it was laced with Romani culture and beliefs.

Another huge plus in the novel is how the Romani culture is treated and so so well crafted in the story, even the atmosphere of the writing matches it perfectly. The author (being multiracial and of Romani heritage) threads with care and makes sure to subtly address many of the bad stereotypes Romani people are subject to. I was completely sucked in the multiple layers of the culture and all the intricate aspects of it.

I loved Bethan‘s character arc and how authentic she felt to me (emphasize on the *me*). The portrayal of the aftermath of her assault on her mentally and physically was something I cherished because of the nightmares, the hollowness, the touch-averseness. All of it was great to read and reassuring. I also appreciated how her relationship with Martyn didn’t save her. It didn’t even happen (as a romance) by the end of the book because she needed time to heal on her own.

Hillary Monahan’s The Hollow Girl is one of the few books that I would strongly suggest reading the synopsis of before diving in. The storyline involves the rape of the protagonist and how this dramatically changes her, as well as following her quest for retribution. Knowing the inevitable assault was coming did not make the beginning of the story any easier to read. There’s a lot of building tension that is both frustrating and representative of what the character is about to go through. The reader knows what’s coming, but is powerless to stop it. So many times we see the rape of a character used to shock audiences or propel another character’s arc forward. In The Hollow Girl, rape isn’t used for shock value and thus the author is able to approach it with sensitivity to the victim by centering Bethan.

Bethan has been raised as the eventual successor to the drabarni in her Romani clan. As drabarni, “Gran” functions as a healer to her people and is well respected within the community. Bethan has spent a considerable amount of time learning herbcraft, but has always been more interested in Gran’s other magical talents. To outsiders, the most that is shared is a cure for common ailments or a charm for dreams, but Bethan knows that Gran has greater power than this. After Bethan is raped, Gran offers her the opportunity to learn the craft in order to save the life of her new friend Martyn by taking something from the individuals responsible. Bethan learns that this kind of magic is costly. It not only demands sacrifice from these violators, but also demands her to do things she never thought herself capable of.

Bethan’s strongest relationship is with Gran. Though the older woman is harsh at times, she looks out for Bethan in her own way. Gran is a character who I won’t soon forget. She’s fierce, strong, and with a few words can induce fear in others. Bethan slowly begins to understand what it truly means to be drabarni by following Gran’s lead and in so doing gains a more complete understanding of her mentor. Bethan has always believed she will follow in Gran’s footsteps, but the accumulation of her experiences, has her calling this belief into question. I’m a big fan of fictional witches, but am mostly drawn to darker depictions. I loved the details in this one when it came to the witchcraft. It was messy and gruesome, but by making it so the author is able to show that these facts take a toll on the wielder of magic.

The Hollow Girl is not an easy read. It can be an emotionally exhausting experience. It is however an important story about a girl who endures a horrific trauma, but who takes back control of her life.

Plot: I was hesitant about this book because of the mention of brutal assault, but because I adored MARY: The Summoning I decided to give it a go. Before diving into the book, I read the author's note which was about Hilary's Romani grandmother and Hilary's journey to discover her heritage. It was clear that this was Hilary's love letter to her Romani culture, but it felt as though The Hollow Girl was more to educate people about Romani beliefs and terminology rather than a story.

As the synopsis mentioned, the main character, Bethan, is raped by a group of neighborhood boys who are basically "untouchables". Knowing that I was preparing myself for that moment as rape is a hard topic for me to read. Monahan dropped many not-so-subtle hints about the impending assaults and it definitely upped the tension. After the incident, Betham and her adoptive mother, Drina, found a spell that required Bethan to explore her dark side. I can't say that there was anything spooky about this book, there were some gruesome moments but nothing like in MARY: The Summoning. There was also no time spent on the emotional effects of the horrific assault that Betan experienced, she literally went right into planning revenge.

Like I said, this felt more like an opportunity for the author the explore Romani way of life than telling a story, and while I was interested in learning more about Monahan's culture, it felt like all of the terms, traditions, and lifestyle aspects were info dumps.

Characters: Because this was a relatively short book, there weren't a lot of opportunities to get inside the heads of characters. It was interesting to read all of the casual sexism and double standards that existed, but nothing to make me feel like I understood the characters. Martyn was the young love interest of Betham but because their budding relationship had only lasted a number of days, it was unbelievable that she would feel so attached to him.

Worldbuilding: The Hollow Girl took place in Wales, I believe it was present day but there weren't a lot of physical descriptions. Most of the action took place in Bethan's wagon and the local market; there were many missed opportunities to truly flesh out the world.

Short N Sweet: The Hollow Girl was an obvious love letter to Romani culture and lacked the creepy atmosphere I had been expecting.

Blog review will go live on the 10th!

Wow! This book was truly amazing and so very emotional. From the first pages of this book it tore me in half, the way the author beautifully wrote about the importance of writing this book and the beauty of the words throughout. This was a hard book to read because of the darkness of it and the subject matter which was mentioned in the beginning, but the author did such a great job on how she wrote the scenes. This was a book that discussed the true strength behind family and the strength within oneself. Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this book and write a honest review.

A magical novel written with pure love, The Hollow Girl has officially become one of my new favorite books of the year! This novel reads so purely and I loved every single second of it.

One thing that made me so happy to see what the Author’s note in the beginning explaining why Hillary decided to write this book and what it meant to her and also, giving her own trigger warning explaining that rape does have a part in this novel and that she wouldn’t want to doing that on anyone (which to me meant so much because it has felt like a very long time since the ya has been fighting for trigger warnings in books and to have an author take it upon herself to provide that was a wonderful sight to see.

What I also loved about The Hollow Girl was the diversity and how beautifully the descriptions of Romani culture were written. I felt like while I was reading I learned so much about a culture that I had very little ideas about and what it means to be Romani.

What I loved most however, was the magic. The way that it was a mixture of dark and light and how it changed Bethan as a person as she began to learn the craft from her Grandmother. The magic is bloody at times, but it always gives off a feeling of spirituality and I loved reading about it.

Then there is this underlying romance that blooms in this novel between Bethan and Martyn that made my heart sing! Especially at the beginning of the novel when they were first getting to know each other and some of the proprieties of Romani culture I started to really fall in love with them together. It felt so nice to see such a pure romance come together in such a beautiful way in the beginning of the novel despite all the cultural struggles.

The Hollow Girl is a book that will inspire magic in people’s hearts as well as the belief in something more in the universe. Beautifully written, this book is dripping in cultural Enchantment.

**** Huge thank you to Delacorte Press for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review! ****

I knew I was going to enjoy this book but I didn’t expect to love it as much as I did! Even though this book handles some tough content I still thought it was a fantastic book and something I just know I’ll be recommending, however, please keep in mind the following trigger warnings since this book gets very dark and gritty:

****Trigger Warnings: Rape, Graphic Violence, Physical and Sexual Abuse, & Gore****

Plot

First I’d like to say I actually really liked the Author’s Note/Forward at the beginning of this novel explaining her Romani heritage and some background on her inspiration for this book. I thought the Romani culture included in the story was absolutely fascinating and it’s very clear it’s handled and represented well by the author.

The story follows our protagonist, Bethan, who is learning herbcraft from her Gran who is also their clan’s drabarni (dealing in witchcraft). She desperately wants her Gran to start teaching her spells and witchcraft but must be patient and so instead goes to the market to sell their “spell” bags. At the marketplace she meets a very bold, sweet boy named Martyn who quickly befriends her. However, Bethan is constantly being harassed by the chieftain’s son Silas and his cronies and on her way home, she and Martyn are attacked and brutally assaulted. Bethan is learning quickly the ugly prices they have to pay to cast spells and must collect body parts from the wicked boys in order to save her friend.

The atmosphere in this story is very dark and very gritty dealing with blood and dark witchcraft, it definitely isn’t a story for the faint of heart. It’s also a very powerful and emotional story though and I thought the rape scene was handled well as it happens off page. How Bethan deals with the aftermath is incredible she’s an extremely strong character and slowly comes to terms with what was done to her over the course of the story.

I was on an emotional roller coaster while reading through “The Hollow Girl”, the way Hillary Monahan writes it made me feel every emotion that passed through Bethan. The anger, the rage at what was done to her and Martyn but yet she still had so much hope and mercy to give as well. We go from raging on a Hell bent revenge story to something……a lot more powerful and that’s all I’ll say. Everything comes full circle in a bit of an unexpected way. So overall though I thought the writing was fantastic.

As far as the pacing goes I thought it was very fast paced and was incredibly interesting from start to finish. The beginning may be considered more slow to other readers but it’s building up the story, the characters, and Romani rep so it really isn’t dull or boring at all. The action really picks up in the middle though and there’s also a couple surprise plot twists I did not see coming whatsoever!

Overall the plot was dark, suspenseful, and just plain amazing.

Characters

There weren’t too many central characters that came into play but the ones that did were fantastic, there was a lot of complexity and development to our main characters.

Bethan, is an amazing protagonist she’s extremely strong and develops a lot through the events of the story. Probably one of the best character arcs I’ve read! I don’t want to give too much away though by going in depth, just know she is a very well done character.

Gran, the current clan’s Drabarni and who is teaching Bethan to take her place, is also a very powerful and important character. Honestly Gran was such a badass, straight up badass is the best way to describe her. There were some scenes where I had goosebumps from her powerful spell craft displays. Go Gran!

Martyn didn’t have much “screen time” but he’s an important character at the beginning and end of the story especially. I thought he was incredibly charming, sweet, and adorable he was very much the chivalrous gentleman in my opinion. So much cuteness!

As for that little toad Silas and his gang they were despicable, I WISH I could have gone into this story and whooped some ass myself! However, every character got what they had coming to them and it was very satisfying.

Romance

While there isn’t really a romance in “The Hollow Girl” there is some flirtation and attraction between Martyn and Bethan, however after her assault she doesn’t want to be touched or too close to anyone, for good reason. However, it’s implied at the end of the story that they could be together in time. They are adorable and I’d love to see them end up together eventually.

In Conclusion

Overall an incredible story that had horror, suspense, and gore but also managed to be an incredibly emotional and powerful read.

What I Loved:

The writing was incredible
The Romani rep and culture was done well and was fascinating
Loved the dark, gritty revenge aspect of the story
Very fast paced and interesting all the way through
Very strong protagonist and great characters all around

What I Didn’t Love:

I honestly can’t think of anything I DIDN’T like about this story

Recommend?

I highly recommend checking this book out if you’re a fan of YA horror that gets dark and gritty. The addition of Romani culture and the witchcraft added to the story all the more as well. However, as I mentioned earlier please keep in mind the trigger warnings as this won’t be a book everyone can read.

Sigh. Such a struggle to read: the revenge part was ok (if you like this type of story) but the part about the Roma was so stereotypical it was difficult to read. In this day and age, more could have been said and more delicately.

ARC provided by publisher.

This story deals with a difficult subject - it's mentioned in the book description and the author addresses it in the foreward - but it's handled very well.  The actual rape occurs 'off stage', but that didn't make it any easier to read.  Obviously, I knew it was going to happen, but kept hoping something would change - as if it could.

The first part of the story has a slower pace, but it allowed me to immerse myself in the Romani culture, learn more about it, and get to know the characters.  After Bethan is assaulted, things happen very quickly.  The author did a wonderful job in portraying her conflicting emotions.  She understandably wants revenge - and attains it in some graphically detailed ways - but, as Drina tells her, there's always a price, and it's something Bethan struggles with even at the end. 

Drina is quite a character - demanding, stubborn, and ill-tempered at times, but also strong, humorous, and loving in her own way.  Martyn oozes goodness, sweetness, and integrity and it's easy to see why Bethan fights to bring him back.

The Hollow Girl is a satisfying revenge tale dealing with a sensitive topic.  It contains gut-wrenching emotions and some graphic violence, but I wouldn't hesitate in recommending it to older YA readers.

This book didn't freak me out like the Mary series by this author. It was still very good, and the descriptions in some of the scenes were downright gruesome. There was a lot of suspense, and the antagonist was a truly despicable human being.

Reading about the Romany culture was interesting. I haven't read a lot about them. The strange thing about this book is that I have no idea what time period it is set in. That's not a bad thing, it's just interesting.

I would hesitate to hand this to a teen that I was unfamiliar with based on the content. There is rape, a lot of violence, and a lot of blood. If they picked it up on their own, I would have a blast discussing it with them.

I truly think the title and blurb doesn’t match the main character. It’s directed to a different character and not the main character herself. Drina, the amazing grandma, is the hollow girl. She’s the character that kept me reading this book. DRINA is the REAL HOLLOW GIRL in the story and NOT Bethan!

Let me explain, Bethan is a good girl. She follows her grandma’s order/s all the time. When her grandma put the thought of revenge on Bethan’s mind (because of the rape incident), Bethan hesitated. She hesitated numerous times even when it’s already too late to hesitate. Meaning, some of her enemies had already paid her through blood and flesh, yet she was still hesitating. I was really annoyed. I was hoping for Bethan to have a change of heart – you know, character development. It did not happen.

What is this revenge, you ask? It was all from her grandmother’s ideas. I don’t think her grandma taught her the magic. Her grandma told her what to do. Telling is different from teaching. It’s not like Bethan is applying what she learned. It’s more like her grandma gave her a crash course on what she knows Bethan should do. Then Bethan does it anyway because her grandma says so, and also for what the boys did to Martyn.

As for the pacing, I thought it was pretty unusual. I expected the rape scene to be at the beginning and the rest would be spent planning on revenge, or it would be a cycle of violence until the rest of the bad guys would be eliminated/punished. Unfortunately, that did not happen. The revenge portion happens around 50%. Then Bethan’s grandma had some brilliant ideas on how to punish those who wronged her. The blurb says it all…

The romance was okay. It’s predictable, but at least that filled the gaps on the first portion of the book where nothing interesting had happened. It lasted until 40ish%. Then the rape scene happens.

The writing of that scene was more like a metaphor. It was horrible what they did to Bethan. I can’t wrap my head around the fact that the boys had no goodness in them. I wonder if it’s because they were supposed to be labeled as the villains. None of them cared about their families (maybe except two characters). They’re all proud and refuse to admit their mistakes. I wished their punishments were fitting based on their crime. For instance, the punishment for killing someone innocent would be death. Finally, the punishment for rape would be cutting off their man part. etc. etc. These are just my two cents.

Overall, it was okay. It didn’t exactly meet my expectations, simply because the main character was different from what I expected her to be. I expected Bethan to be vengeful but she was afraid and hesitant, even if she already enacted the punishment to two criminals already. The hesitance was always there, and I understand. But if you were to put “hell hath no fury like a woman wronged” in front of the cover of the book, you would expect the character to be vicious. The problem was that The Hollow Girl was supposed to be Bethan, or at least that is to be expected. The main character wasn’t vicious, it’s the grandma. I love Drina, the grandma. People wronged her and made a wrong impression of her and Drina fought back. Meanwhile, Bethan would ask whether the punishment was too harsh. I mean, TOO HARSH??? YOU WERE RAPED BETHAN. PUNISH THOSE BASTARDS!

I am clearly invested in this book. I hope you guys give this book a try. I would still recommend this book because of grandma Drina. She’s the kind of character you didn’t know you need in your life, and you’re glad you’re reading someone like her in a young adult novel. Also, the author educates the reader on Romani culture. I don’t know anything about the culture, but I appreciate how she incorporated it in her story. It’s very interesting, and I’m looking forward to reading more books from Monahan.

Initially, I had a lot of problems with the writing style of this book. Throughout, the descriptions of Romani culture and practices were a bit like reading a textbook—rather than showing the cultural customs and beliefs of this group of people in their actions and activities, or in conversations between Romani and other people (which was a method used very, very occasionally), the narrator of the book gave somewhat endless academic descriptions of everything they did or might do and why they might do it. It would have been so much better and more interesting if these had been allowed to come up more naturally, or if we could learn a bit more organically from immersion in what was happening, rather than have everything completely spelled out.

By the end of the book, though, I was no longer noticing this problem—the fast-paced plot, varied characters, and magic-fueled action were far more interesting. While the descriptions of general Romani practices were more stilted than immersive, the inner journey of Bethan as she moves through her pain, grief, and desire for revenge after being beaten, raped, and traumatized by the murder of a friend was exactly the opposite.

A shrewd interrogation of rape culture – now with dark magic!

** Trigger warning for violence, including sexual harassment, stalking, and rape. **

“The single most important thing to know about magic is that there is always a price. Making the impossible possible is difficult, as it should be, so I must weigh results against what I am willing to pay. It is never a gratuitous thing. This makes some people—people like Silas—disbelievers. They see my unwillingness to perform on command as a sign that the magic is untrue. Let them drown in their ignorance. When it is time for them to know a witch’s wrath, they will know it—and there will be no mistaking it.”

Seventeen-year-old Bethan Jones is a diddicoy: born to a Romany mother and a gadjo father, she was left in the care of her caravan’s wise woman, Drina, after the death of her mother Eira during childbirth. Her apprenticeship under the drabarni should have kept her safe – and might have, under other circumstances. But the chieftain’s son, Silas, has set his sights on Bethan. Silas is spoiled, entitled, and cruel; a dangerous powderkeg of toxic masculinity and male privilege that his father Wen (himself a recovering teenage bully) lacks the fortitude to extinguish.

So it’s no surprise when Silas’s sexual harassment and stalking of Bethan escalates to rape. Silas and his four cronies ambush Bethan and her would-be beau, Martyn, on the way home from market. The assault leaves Bethan physically and psychologically scarred – and desperate to save Martyn, who’s left for dead after the attack. With the help of Gran and her dark magic, Bethan just might be able to resurrect Martyn, while exacting revenge on her assailants too. She has three days to collect a finger, an eye, a nose, a tooth, and an ear from the five boys. What becomes of them after the harvest is entirely up to Bethan.

I was super-excited when I first heard of THE HOLLOW GIRL. Lately I’m really into rape revenge stories; as I said in my review of A GUIDE FOR MURDERED CHILDREN, if done right, rape revenge stories can provide a satisfying outlet/alternative to real life, where rape is more likely to be excused and minimized than punished and condemned. Throw in the supernatural twist and diverse cast of characters, and I’m sold.

THE HOLLOW GIRL is a really solid story. It’s like I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE meets DRAG ME TO HELL – but not nearly as brutal as the former, and much more culturally sensitive (read: accurate) than the former. While I appreciate the compassion with which Monahan handles the subject matter (beginning but not ending with her awesome foreword), I was hoping for a little more graphic violence and gleeful vengeance (directed at the rapists, I should add) than we actually get.

In many rape revenge stories (or at least every one I’ve read to date), the hero grapples with the morality of revenge and justice; Bethan is no exception. I anticipated this, but was still disappointed by the conclusion Bethan reached by story’s end (which I won’t discuss here, because spoilers). I kept rooting for Bethan to embrace her inner vengeance demon, but ultimately she is more Lumen than Dexter. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, necessarily. In the words of Gran, “Strength comes in many guises, Bethan. Knowing yourself, your limitations—knowing what you will and will not do, following your heart—that is strength. Enduring what you endured and still being merciful and hopeful? Also strength.”

What also impressed me about THE HOLLOW GIRL is Monahan’s deft portrayal of rape culture, as well as the aftermath of rape for survivors. While the Romany way of life may be different from many readers’ experiences, rape culture is depressingly similar across time, space, and peoples. From Wen’s “boys will be boys” excuses for his son’s behavior, to blaming the victim and equating rape with sex (in one especially heartbreaking scene, Bethan realizes that she now has to cover her hair, since she’s no longer a virgin – even though her maidenhood was taken from her, not given freely), readers will notice obvious parallels between Bethan’s society and their own.

Likewise, Monahan’s portrait of a rape survivor is brimming with compassion and insight. The book’s title describes how Bethan feels after the assault – like a ghost, an imposter, a hollow girl. Bethan struggles with connection and kindness, unable to bear even Gran’s touch (rare as it is). When Gran prophesies that Bethan will find love one day, she has to trust in the truth of the magic, for her battered psyche cannot possibly imagine trusting a man, any man, after all she’s been through. Yet, despite the violence and trauma, THE HOLLOW GIRL ends on a hopeful note. Given that one in nine girls under the age of eighteen – i.e., this book’s demographic – has been sexually assaulted by an adult, this is a Good Thing.

Pair with: THE FEMALE OF THE SPECIES by Mindy McGinnis; Kady Cross’s VIGILANTE; and season five of DEXTER.

** Full disclosure: I received a free electronic ARC for review through NetGalley. **