Morgan's life is pretty rough after a car accident killed her brother and paralyzed her mother. Morgan's old brother is terrorizing her, but she has finally met a nice guy who seems to like her back. But Morgan's life takes a weird turn when she finds an old polaroid camera at an abandoned hospital... While the novel was enjoyable parts of the plot really needed more development.

Well, for starters: CW: rape

Ok, moving on from there…I enjoyed this book quite a bit. Its GoodReads page clocks it in at 316 pages, but it read really fast. If I had been asked to guess, I would have gone with half that length – but I’m notoriously garbage at those ‘guess how many whatevers in this container’ games, so…what do I know.

With that being said, those of you who know me also probably know that I am pretty-YA averse, generally speaking. I only even picked this one up because it fulfills the Women in Horror Month #lohfreadathon elusive prompt #5 YA/MG Book.

But ya know what? I’m not mad that I did. It was a totally interesting concept, and the story was very well executed. Not only was it (as I mentioned previously) a fast read, but it was a pretty damned good one! I will admit, I haven’t read a ton of YA/MG, but the reason for that is because I feel like I get burned every. freaking. time. with bad writing, poor character development, and predictable storylines (not saying this is always the case, not knocking those of you who like the stuff, etc. – just simply stating my experience/feelings). Hollow definitely flew in the face of my expectations on all three counts. The writing was polished, the characters felt pretty well fleshed-out, and the story was solid.

About the Author (from Net Galley):
Like a magpie, Rhonda Parrish is constantly distracted by shiny things. She’s the editor of many anthologies and author of plenty of books, stories and poems. She lives with her husband and three cats in Edmonton, Alberta, and she can often be found there playing Dungeons and Dragons, bingeing crime dramas or cheering on the Oilers. Her website, updated regularly, is at http://www.rhondaparrish.com and her Patreon, updated even more regularly, is at https://www.patreon.com/RhondaParrish. Book will also be available as a paperback

Rating:

⭐⭐⭐⭐
I say give this a try even if YA isn’t usually your speed – you might be surprised.

3.75 stars

It's a quick and easy read, the chapters are short so you just fly through them wanting to know more about the camera and what will happen. I don't know if I'd consider it horror but it still had some scary elements. There are some scenes containing bullying, sexual assault and dealing with grief.

I did enjoy reading this since I finished it in one day and I would definitely recommend this if you're looking for a quick thrilling read.

Morgans family has been unraveled by a terrible accident that killed her little brother. Her mother is injured and so depressed she rarely leaves her bedroom. The father is always at work now and her little sister wakens her often with nightmares. Life is hard for Morgan who is also having problems at school with bullies and rumors. She is not popular and really has only one friend. Her passion is taking pictures. One day she finds an old Polaroid camera in a creepy abandoned hospital and obviously she must have it! Although when she starts taking pictures with it the people whom she has taken pictures of begin to change. They become almost evil. When her little sister takes a selfie with it Morgan knows she must find a way to fix things quickly. I seldom read Young Adult titles so thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for the ARC. I enjoyed this read. Morgan is a sympathetic character and the idea of a haunted camera is unique. I will recommend this book to any teen who enjoys horror stories.

Hollow is a psychological thriller with a truly solid grasp on reality. From the beginning, I was intrigued by Morgan, a girl who's world was shattered less than six months ago. After a car accident took the life of her brother, and forever altered her family dynamic, she found herself afraid of an ex-boyfriend as well.

To escape confrontation by her ex, she finds herself exploring an abandoned, and possibly haunted, hospital where she finds a cool old camera.

As Morgan confronts the consequences of the camera, she finds strength within herself she didn't know she had.

What I love the most about this novel is that as Morgan finds her resolution, she also finds a new truth and new normal in a way that's very realistic.

This story began just a touch slow, but by the second third of the book, I was sucked in and finished reading it in a night.

I really enjoyed the imagery in this story, and add you follow Morgan through the old hospital, she becomes even more real and empathetic.

This was a solid read, I'm glad to have read it.

I received this ARC from Netgalley for my honest review.


“I think when we leave this world we leave something behind”


Hollow is YA horror novel.
If you love the horror genre do not come here and expect much.
The book had its moments but it was not scary at all in my opinion.

Hollow is a very well written book and it sucked me in right from the start.

The story follows high schooler Morgan who is dealing with the aftermath of a car accident that killed her little brother and left her mother paralyzed. Morgan finds an old camera at an abandoned hospital and she believes it steals people’s goodness once their photo is taken.

I liked this book but it wasn’t amazing like it could have been. It was very short and I wish the author had given more details about the camera.

Overall it was an okay book.

I wish it addressed more things and gave a more clear ending.

I was confused at times during this book. I did read the book in one night lol

TW for rape, car accident, and loss of a young family member.

I wasn't exactly sure what I was going into when I was accepted for this arc by Netgalley. I had expected maybe a thriller somehow, but this is more alone the lines of subtle horror and dealing with traumas our main character Morgan has to deal with that she ultimately blames herself for when it's not her fault.

This book is a good candidate for a movie as the writing style and plot works well if it were to be adapted.

I am not really one to enjoy YA novels, but I will admit, I thoroughly enjoyed this one. If you've watched the movie Polaroid and enjoyed it, you'll love this book. It is along similar lines just without the deaths and the gore.
It was very well written and honestly I was sucked in straight away. I felt quite disappointed when it ended and did want to read more.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to review this fabulous book.

A physiological horror, a young girl trying to get her life together after a tragic accident taking the lives of who she loves most and costing her mother something dear. While being in high school she comes to a point where she needs to decided whether or not she’ll drown in her problems and fears and stand up for herself. This book stars more character development than horror but I found it to be a great read!

Bizarre. It's like "Alice in Wonderland" meets "The Crow." I don't consider this book anywhere close to being a horror story. It was just a peculiar and painfully slow read. The excitement doesn't start until you are a little past the 33% mark; and it's not much.

I didn't get how the camera fit into the story, let alone the magpie. I mean, how did the camera get possessed or imbued with evil? What did the magpie signify?

There were some humorous moments and that broke up the monotony. Overall, a somewhat decent book
Rating it two stars (it was okay.) Thank you to NetGalley for having this book available to read.

**I was provided an electronic ARC by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for honest review.**

In Hollow, Rhonda Parrish tells the story of Morgan, a high school student who is going through quite a lot. Morgan has had a bad breakup and has been in a bad car accident that killed her brother and left her mother disabled. Morgan finds an old camera in an abandoned hospital, and the camera steals the goodness out of whoever is photographed.

I felt sort of mixed about this novel. I didn't dislike it, but I also didn't feel compelled to continue. I could understand the points that were meant to built tension and suspense, but I just wasn't invested enough in Morgan or the camera plotline to feel any kind of way.

Parrish did well at establishing the high school drama, and it was relatively believable prior to the introduction of the camera. I did like her writing style in general, and felt that the story was possibly just too short. The camera plot was resolved very quickly and with limited trouble, so it wound up a little anticlimactic for me.

This is likely just an issue of being a poor fit for me, because the main complaints I have are the length and lack of personal investment. That being said, I'm glad to have read this novel and would not hesitate to read works by this author in the future.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Tyche Books for a chance to review this book. This is my first from NetGalley and I look forward to many more. Hollow is a YA horror novel which prevails on several fronts. The novel is a well-told tale that provokes reading. Despite its very lyrical quality, it moves at a fast pace with a vocabulary that is organic and poetic. It’s as if the reader is being drawn in by a skilled bard that whispers at a campfire.
The narrative is told from the first-person point of view by Morgan, who is a high school student trying to cope with the accidental death of her baby brother named Aric. High school has become an ever more constant trial, where a former boyfriend is spreading rumors about her, a potential new beau suddenly turns on her, and a best friend has resorted to shaming her with the use of the term “slut.” Even her younger sister has turned her back on her, and it seems as if her harsh reality has become harsher. The one bright spot is her best friend Sevren, but they have become distant because she can’t tell him everything. There are some things that have to be held inside. There are some things too shameful to share, things that leave you hollow inside, and you just KNOW that nothing can fill it. This is a very fine psychological, paranormal horror story.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a free e-arc of this title!

Ooooh, this was creepy and good! I was a little nervous going into it, because I'm not a fan of horror at all, but this had just the right amount of creepiness for me.

The story follows 16 year old Morgan, a high school student who is really into photography, as she struggles with a LOT of really hard experiences life has thrown at her. This poor child has gone through a devastating car accident that paralyzed her mother and killed her baby brother, and is dealing with the repercussions of her ex-boyfriend spreading awful rumors about her at school, on top of all the normal high school drama teens have to go through. Luckily she has her best friend, Sevren at her side (and I admit I was totally hoping they would be a couple by the end, but alas) to help her get through this, even though she hasn't told him all of the horrific details. Things get worse after an impromptu to an abandoned psychiatric hospital in her neighborhood, where she finds a mysterious Polaroid camera. She figures out that whenever the camera take a picture of someone's face, their very goodness seems to eke out, leaving a shell of their former self.

I really enjoyed this story, and I just wanted to hug Morgan through the entire book. The author did such a fantastic job of capturing the loneliness of being a teenager, and feeling like you have no one to share your darkest secrets with, and no one understands you or would like you if they knew. I could almost feel myself how Morgan felt dealing with the aftermath of her breakup with Keith and the accident that shattered her family. And the relief when she finally is brave enough to share her story with Sevren - so wonderful! Her character growth at the end is incredible, even the way the author shows her stumbling and trying again.

I do wish that the author had done more to explain the supernatural/fantasy elements of the story. The last quarter of the book felt very rushed compared to the first part, and while I still enjoyed it, I would have liked more detail on why the camera worked the way it did, and who cursed it, and why it happened to begin with, etc. But Morgan's journey to save her friends was fascinating.

Overall, an excellent book. I hope it comes out in a physical format so I can add it to my collection at work!

Morton likes to take pictures. She is extremely interested in photography. Trouble is she doesn't have a camera, other than her phone.
As she's running around the block that encloses an old abandoned hospital, she is inextricably pulled to enter the building. She finds the loose wood panel that covers a shattered window.
The place is dark and dusty. It is also filled with the remains of the garbage left from partiers. The smell is horrid, suffocating in its acrid sharpness. There is bird poop all over. It is eerily silent and the air seems heavy.
She climbs the stairs to where the mental patients were kept. Urban legend was that a doctor had been attacked and killed by his patients here.
Morton approaches what may have been a nurse's station. Like everything else it is thick with dust and bird excrement. On one of the shelves she sees an old Polaroid camera. One that developed it's own pictures. Morton is so excited. At last a real camera she can take actual pictures with. As she reaches for the camera a flutter of wings flap against her. It is a grey magpie. Everytime she reaches for the camera the bird flaps its wings at her as if to prevent her from claiming it. Telling herself it is only her imagination, she succeeds in obtaining the Polaroid.
Looking back on what she and other had to go through, she wishes she had just left the thing there to rot.
Great storyline and characters.

I was given this arc in exchange for an honest review. The book was a powerful read and though I felt the horror aspect was not necessarily needed for the major points to come across it was a nice change of pace from most contemporary YA books. Overall I really liked it though I felt the end wrapped up a bit too quickly as I would’ve liked to see what happened in a bit more depth. 4 Stars.



https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48387926

This is hard book for me to review, i liked the main character and her best friend and her relationship with her sister. I could relate to her struggles for self acceptance and healing self blame, but the horror part was not believable , i skimmed it to get to the point, the point i thought was that everyone was suffering and that is why they behaved badly but no that point didn't get followed through and was left hanging, as were a few of her relationships so not sure why they were in there

While I did enjoy this book, I found that the word choice at times seemed a bit clunky. I related a lot to the protagonist's journey of dealing with her rape. The mystery elements fell a bit flat for me, but I think it would be a good starter book for people looking to get into YA horror.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I'm usually not a big horror person, but this book was the exception. Since its not out yet, I need to keep this very short, because I do not want to give ANYTHING away! It's a quick read, so I almost feel like this should be more of a short story, but that's just me. Right from the first chapter, I really REALLY liked Morgan. She was strong female lead whose male best friend DID NOT TURN OUT TO BE the love of her life (FINALLY!!)
I said I wouldn't give too much away but all I can say is Morgan finds a camera that turns out to be so much more than just a camera. Once the book is released in March, I will come back and update my review!

Thank you so much NetGalley for the ARC

Many thanks to Net Galley and Tyche Books for a chance to review this book.

Hollow is YA horror fiction that hits all the right notes. Personally, I have not held much stock in the classification of YA and this book kind of reinstates it. Well, for someone who can still read and watch Harry Potter any number of times, YA classification is a moot point for me. Even so, Hollow by Rhonda Parrish is clearly a book that can be read by all fans of horror fiction.

Morgan has lost her brother Aric in an accident. At 16 years, of course high school is a nightmare, her ex-boyfriend, Keith, making her life more miserable, her 7-yr old sister Amy requiring constant support and parenting as her mom is bound to a wheel chair and suffering from depression. When the whole world seems dark and gloomy, the only sunshine in her life is her best friend Sevren who has been with her thru thick and thin. Morgan’s passion for running and her penchant for photography always takes her around an abandoned hospital which is the local haunted and ‘dare you’ spot for the children. Rumors abound the place about Dr.Woods, haunting the hospital after having died in a most horrific and gruesome way. Morgan has always steered clear of the place but during a routine run, trying to avoid confrontation with Keith, she trespasses into the hospital and finds an old antique camera. A very peculiar off-color magpie seems to be following/protecting her but Morgan is not too sure of the bird’s warnings. Before long Morgan realizes that the camera has adverse effects and that the horror in her life has just begun. When Amy leaves a selfie for Morgan to find, she knows, come what may, the cause of the ugliness brought about by the camera has to found and with the help of Sevren sets about for the task.

The story works well as psychological horror as Morgan is left to face her worst nightmares and every obstacle in her path a quest to save her friends and her sister. Rhonda Parrish has written a well-defined horror fiction and being YA, the gore and violence is conveniently absent. It is more of mind involved horror that keeps the reader hooked and turning the pages quickly. But what I absolutely loved about the story is the deep friendship between Morgan and Sevren, that gives a generous feeling of warmth.
Recommended for all fans of horror fiction.