Thank you, NetGalley, for allowing me to preview "The Hollow Places" in an e-book format before publication. The beginning of the story by T.Kingfisher caught my attention immediately with its quick wit and beautiful character building. I loved the beginning relationship between "Carrot" and her uncle and truly relished in the flashbacks from her childhood that were used to enhance this relationship.
***There are a few slight spoilers in the next paragraph, so read at your own risk ***

I wish that the level of effort to build up the characters was as strong in the actual plot of the story. Sadly, the excitement for the plot just wasn't there. After they found the dead body at the beginning, it just didn't leave me shocked enough to care why it was there. I feel like the build-up to the hole in the wall was great, but after traveling through, it lacked a connection for me, as a reader. After they found the body and traversed the hallways, the banter between the characters just felt non-sensical, silly, and a little forced. It didn't really add to the story any and I became easily distracted while reading, as well as, not interested in the journey.
I think that people who enjoyed the Goonies, Stranger Things, and general science fiction would probably like this adventure. I wanted to like it too, but this time, it just wasn't for me. I appreciate any writer's gift and truly appreciate the time and effort put into the story. I also am thankful to NetGalley for a chance to review this story.

Weird and twisty. Those are the two words I would use to describe The Hollow Places by T. Kingfisher. After finding a hole to another place that shouldn't exist, Kara and her friend/neighbor, Simon, are compelled by a need to explore and find answers. The story wraps up nicely with an almost traditional sifi/horror feel. For me, The Hollow Places was a fun scary story filled with adventure, several head scratching moments, twisted scary moments, and even humor. Kara's internal observations and her dialog with Simon had me laughing at times. I loved the mix of horror and humor. As someone who tends to deal with fear by using humor, I could relate. The story is engaging. I had no difficulty keeping up with this page turner. I do wish that the story would have provided more insight to the hollow places rather than guesses and observations by the main character, but the why was probably not as important as the what. I think in the end, I was really okay with that. Overall, I loved the book. I definitely would
read it again.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy and the opportunity to read and review T. Kingfishers The Hollow Places.

After Kara gets divorced and moves in with her Uncle Earl who owns the Glory to God Museum of Natural Wonders, she anticipates a quiet life cataloging all the oddities at the museum, having coffee at the Black Hen next door, and designing logos for her graphic design clients and ordering in Chinese food.

But when she discovers a hole in the museum and enlists Simeon, an employee at the Black Hen to help her patch up that hole, they discover a portal to another world full of silverlight willows, bunkers and the stuff of nightmares.

Kara and Simeon are such a great duo! I really enjoyed the banter between them. With his top hat, fishnets and fingerless gloves, Simeon brought both a sense of flare and someone to keep Kara grounded after they found themselves lost in a strange world of doors and islands and a mysterious boatman.

In many ways The Hollow Places reminded me a lot of The Twisted Ones. The main characters in both novels have a similar sounding voice, both tend to repeat their fears inside their heads over and over and have a similar sense of humor.

Both novels also have a similar tone. There is a lot of humor in the midst of some truly horrific scenes. It’s a book that is quiet and slow and gradually builds up to its horror, so don’t go into the book expecting fast-paced action. In fact halfway through the book, there is a twist that I didn’t expect that shifted the book in a different direction and slowed the pace down quite a bit.

I’ve read several T. Kingfisher books now, and I’m impressed how she can blend both the everyday, ordinariness of life with some creative, supernatural twistiness.

With a close cast of catchy, quirky characters, and a strong narrative voice from page one, "The Hollow Places" is equal parts sarcastic humor and unnerving horror. 

Kara’s Uncle’s museum, full of taxidermy, oddities, and religious paraphernalia, may seem weird to others, but to her, it’s like home, and literally will be for the foreseeable future after her divorce. After all, the elk head mounted on the wall, the stuffed mermaid with the razor-sharp teeth, and the fake didgeridoo are all more than familiar to her...although the hole in the wall to another world is new…and most certainly evil.

"The Hollow Places" will send readers diving headfirst into the strange worlds of Kara’s life, in both this dimension and the next. The first half of the novel is filled with addictive doses of mystery, tension, and vivid yet haunting world-building. 

Unfortunately, an odd plot structure makes the second half of the story a lot less exciting as the world-building dissipates and readers are left feeling frustrated as they watch the characters ignore blatantly obvious answers to all of the characters' questions and the slow build to an ending that's evident from the halfway point.

The attachment to the characters is the only thing that drives the conclusion forward, although we see noticeably less of one of our two leads in the latter pages. Still, readers’ connection to Kara only goes so far when the plotline seems as backward as the world she falls into, and it ends up being somewhat maddening to see a story that could have been so great if it had been swapped around, and which started with such a strong beginning, end up so lackluster.

A five-star start with a two-star ending I rated "The Hollow Places" 3 out of 5, but would still recommend to fans of the world of "Reverie" and those who are looking for another novel like it with a touch of "Stranger Things" vibes. 

Thank you to Netgalley and Gallery Press for an early copy in exchange for an honest review!

This book!

I want to thank Netgalley and Gallery Books for sending me a copy that I could read. THANK YOU!

October is the spooky season and if you know me I enjoy spooky books. I want to be scared and I want to be unsettled. This book by T. Kingfisher did just that and more.

What would you do if you found a portal to another dimension? Another place? What if that place was truly dangerous? I will tell you, if I found myself in this place I would probably have died in seconds. Kara is not some weak horror novel character. She has been through a bad patch of life, and she’s smart. What I loved about her is that although there was fear, there was also humor. She found a way to laugh through the darkness. There were times the tension got so bad that her humor was what pulled me back in and kept me from taking a break from the book.

There are some very twisted scenes in this book. The images will stay with you in some cases. I still think about the man in the water. Trust me, when you get to that part you will get my reference. He will haunt you for all of October.

The Hollow Places is very much about its setting. You will find yourself getting lost in the place and its horrors. The characters are important but it is very much the places that linger more than the people.

This was a really good book and I am so glad that I was able to read it. Spooky, unnerving, and well worth the read.

I don’t normally read horror, but I can’t resist anything written by T. Kingfisher, and this book did not disappoint. It was just as quirky and funny as I hoped, and more horrifying than I could have imagined. This is not a story for the squeamish, faint of heart, or easily offended, but I am glad I put my faith in the author and joined her on this deeply disturbing journey.

This may be the scariest books I’ve ever read, but it’s also quite endearing. The story grabbed my attention and would not let go, and I suspect I will be thinking about it for a long time to come. The characters are charmingly relatable, and the ending is almost cozy. Highly recommended for fans of nerdy speculative fiction.

Note that the book contains brutal descriptions of death and body horror, as well as swearing. May cause nightmares.

Thanks to Gallery Books for providing me with an ARC through NetGalley, which I volunteered to review.

DNF-Ed at 34%

It has an interesting concept and the writing was pretty good, but there was something that didn’t quite hook me into continuing with the story.

This book is genuinely deeply disquieting, I literally had to read another book at night after starting this one because it was just too creepy. It majorly kicked off my spooky season and has thoroughly terrified me of portals to other worlds. Honestly, the plot of the book isn't too important - so much of it is about the atmosphere and world building. Kingfisher does a wonderful job of creating an ambiance that permeates the story and starts to flow off the page. I'm not always one for horror, being an utter scaredy cat, but this was really well done. The pacing was somewhat uneven, but I'm willing to forgive it since other parts of the book were so solidly executed.

I love books about other worlds or dimensions. In this book, inspired by The Willows (which I now need to read!!), we follow Kara and Simon as they accidentally enter a hole into a different world. This world is full of creepy willows and other things that Kara and Simon must escape from.

This was the perfect blend of creepy with humor mixed in. Sometimes I struggle with horror, but the dialogue between our two main characters kept me smiling and laughing even when they were in danger. I also really loved the side character, Uncle Earl.

I recommend this book to anyone looking for a creepy read that’s not too dark or gory.

The Hollow Places is super WEIRD and extremely well written. I just adore Kingfisher's style. I think it's really hard to nail weird, yet she does it. The humor and heart she is able to bring to her stories is absolutely top notch. If you haven't read anything by Kingfisher yet, this is a great place to start.

Okay, with the low-key fangirling out of the way, let's get into the story, shall we?

Recently divorced, Kara, known as Carrot by her family and friends, returns to her beloved Uncle Earl's Museum of Wonders to live, lick her wounds and help him out. The museum, think smaller version of Ripley's Believe It or Not, is her Uncle's pride and joy.

He has spent years curating the various items, including a vast collection of taxidermy, and tends to it all with care and dedication. Carrot's favorite piece is an elk head, known as Prince, which her Uncle has now placed in her room above the bed to make her comfortable.

With Carrot around to help, Uncle Earl finally plans to have the knee surgeries he has been in desperate need of. As he heads off to hospital, Carrot falls into a groove of running the museum on her own. Along with her cat, Beau, it begins to feel like a home. She even kindles a friendship with the barista at the coffee shop next door, Simon.

After a tourist knocks a hole in the wall of the second floor of the museum, Carrot, definitely lacking the skills to repair such damage, enlists Simon's help. As they peer through the hole, Carrot and Simon discover more than they ever could have bargained for. A portal to another world.

As anyone would, they explore.

Narnia from hell. That's what they find, Narnia from HELL!!! Let's call it the Willow World, scenes from which chilled me to the bone.

I refuse to tell you more, you will have to pick this one up and discover for yourself. Kingfisher's writing is so much fun. Her characters are hilarious. As frightening as this got, there were still many, many times when I laughed out loud. One of my favorite things about her writing is how real her characters seem; and how likable.

They also don't magically turn into superheroes who can overcome all obstacles with grace and without breaking a sweat. Carrot and Simon, although not helpless, were bumbling around trying to figure this out just like you or I would.

I mean, unless you know how to defeat mysterious monsters and close the portal to hell before it swallows your entire town. Maybe you do, who am I to judge?

In summation, as you can clearly tell, I want you to read this book. I loved it and if you are into weird and scary things, I think you will too!

Thank you so much to the publisher, Gallery Books, for providing me with a copy of this to read and review. I truly appreciate it. This was one of my most anticipated books of the year and it didn't disappoint for a second. I will read ANYTHING Kingfisher writes.

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: The Hollow Places

Author: T. Kingfisher

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 3/5

Recommended For...: horror lovers

Publication Date: October 6, 2020

Genre: YA Horror

Recommended Age: can’t recommend, DNF-ed

Publisher: Gallery/Saga Press

Pages: 352

Synopsis: Pray they are hungry.

Kara finds the words in the mysterious bunker that she’s discovered behind a hole in the wall of her uncle’s house. Freshly divorced and living back at home, Kara now becomes obsessed with these cryptic words and starts exploring this peculiar area—only to discover that it holds portals to countless alternate realities. But these places are haunted by creatures that seem to hear thoughts…and the more one fears them, the stronger they become.

With her distinctive “delightfully fresh and subversive” (SF Bluestocking) prose and the strange, sinister wonder found in Guillermo del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth, The Hollow Places is another compelling and white-knuckled horror novel that you won’t be able to put down.

Review: DNFed at 24%. I'm not giving up on this story, in fact it's really good, but I want to come back to this one when I'm in the right mood. It's a fairly spooky book and I'm not in the mood for spooks.

Verdict: I will be back for this.

Ahoy there me mateys!  I received this fantasy horror eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  So here be me honest musings . . .

I am a newcomer to the works of T. Kingfisher having only previously read minor mage, which I loved.  So I was very excited to get a hold of this horror book for the October season.  This ended up being an okay read for me but I blame this on me and not the author.

Ye see, this work was inspired by a 1907 novella called "The Willows" by Algernon Blackwood.  I hadn't heard of this.  Lovecraft called that story "the finest supernatural tale in English literature."  Now I am not a Lovecraftian fan.  The First Mate once had to tell me what a shoggoth was.  So had I known that Kingfisher's book was more in that style or had a clue about the 1907 novella (and taken time to read it first), I may have liked this better.

Now to be fair, I don't really think the blurb does this book justice.  Because it only talks about the main character, Kara, living in her uncle's house.  It does not mention that said house is actually a room in her uncle's museum called "Glory to God Museum of Natural Wonders, Curiosities and Taxidermy."  The place is as good as it sounds.  In fact the entire beginning of the book was utterly captivating.  I love the museum, Uncle Earl, and Kara.  I loved the entire set-up and was avidly hanging on every word.  Then the "hole" is discovered.

I even enjoyed the exploration of the bunker and the other world.  I found the existence of the hollow places to be interesting.  I loved that Kara brings in Simon the barista from the coffee shop next door to help explore.  I adored their banter and the humor throughout the book.  I thought much of it was atmospheric and fun.  Oh and there is an awesome cat.  Made me happy.

The main problem was the climax and the wrap up.  It was very much Lovecraftian and I just didn't like it.  I can objectively say it was written well but it just didn't float me boat.  Plus the "why" of the hole existing was obvious from the beginning and I didn't like that it took forever for Kara to figure it out.  It is me not the book.  That said, what I did like I loved and I am very much looking forward to reading more of the author's work.  Arrrr!

So lastly . . .

Thank you Saga Press!

Kara, who is recently divorced, moves closer to home and agrees to help her uncle run his "oddities" museum when he is out of commission after having knee surgery. One day she notices a hole in the wall and decides to investigate. She discovers that this hole is a portal to another dimension. Wanting to explore further, she enlists the help of a male friend that runs the coffee shop next door. Together they explore further and find themselves in a huge mess.

I don't want to give anything away, so I will stop there.

This book was fascinating and unlike any book I have read before. The attention detail and all the little nuances of a truly good story are in this book. This is not usually the type of book I read, but I am so glad I did. If you are on the fence, just read it! You won't regret it,

Thank you Net Galley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book.

I got to about 25% expecting the narrative to open up into a comfortable Lovecraftian multiverse of Cosmic Horror. Then, suddenly, I reached a particular scene, and as the protagonist (feckless, female) and sidekick (Southern, Gay) were simultaneously screaming internally, SO WAS I!! From that point on we were off on a wildly inventive, tremendously dangerous, roller coaster of Cosmic Horror and I don't think any of us have stopped screaming yet. WOW.

I had doubts requesting this book because I am not a horror fan, but I have found that a lot of books labeled “horror” are more of a mystery or thriller feeling for me, so I thought I would take a risk. Approximately 30% in I realized my error...definitely a horror story. But, I liked it! I was first drawn in by the museum filled with macabre, strange, and creepy items crammed into every nook and cranny. Kara starts living and working at her uncle’s museum to escape a divorce and start a new life. One day, a hole appears through a wall in the museum, leading to a world of curiosity and terrors.

This was a truly unique novel and it was both impressive and a bit worrying when thinking this came out of someone's imagination. It was a creative story with darkness, grotesque descriptions, lots of taxidermy, and horrifying absurdity. I wanted to escape the suspense and skin-prickling descriptions, yet I so badly wanted to discover more. The writing was beautiful and the plot fast-paced with some twists. The creepy vibes had me reading the majority of the novel during the day and I will never look at a Willow tree the same, but it was a thrilling read. There were some choices the protagonist made that were idiotic decisions just to propel the story forward, but that is really the only negative thing I can think of...other then potential nightmares that may occur from reading it...but that means it’s a good horror story, right?

Thank you NetGalley and Gallery Books for a gifted copy in return for an honest review.

Perfect amount of horror, suspense, and humor! Kira's temporary manager duties at her Uncle Earl's curiosity shop/museum turn into a horrifying journey when she and her friend, Simon, stumble into a portal to other worlds. The descriptions for the crazy things they encounter were so vivid (e.g., that bus!) I loved the surreal and creepy scenes juxtaposed with Simon and Kira's humorous banter. An October read must!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read such a fabulous book!

This is sure to become a Halloween classic! T Kingfisher has managed to craft a thoroughly creepy horror story that will satisfy the most discriminating horror reader and populate it with some of the most memorable characters I've come across in quite awhile. Kingfisher has struck the perfect mix of horror that is highlighted by the characters ability to see the humorous side of life at every turn.

The backstory finds a young woman accepting a job and a place to live from her uncle when her marriage fails. Instead of feeling sorry for herself, she jumps into the cataloging of every item on exhibit in the Glory to God Museum of Natural Wonders, Curiosities and Taxidermy. As she wanders the outrageous displays, she is joined by the quirky barista from next door. The two of them will discover the museum contains a portal to dimensions best left unexplored....but no, explore they must. This is where the really creepy starts. Prepare to be spell bound and read late into the night.

T Kingfisher has now set the bar high for any horror titles to be released this year. The entertainment found in the book is great but still second to the very real goosebumps raised when our two intrepid explorers find never before monsters and ghoulies. I really loved this book!

Content Rating: 18+
Genre: Horror, Fantasy, Fiction
Published: October 6, 2020, by Gallery/Saga Press

The Hollow Places should come with a warning, DO NOT read alone in the dark. Creepy, chilling, and darkly twisted do not even come close to describing this book. I often got goosebumps while reading this story, and I will never look at a willow tree in the same way. The many campy humorous exchanges between the two main characters woven throughout gave a sense of balance to this book.

“They Can Hear You Thinking”

This story starts with our main character, Kara, who finds herself with nowhere to live after her divorce from her whiny, annoying husband. As luck would have it, Kara’s Uncle Earl has offered her a place to live. Uncle Earl has set up a bedroom in the back of his unique museum, the Glory to God Museum of Natural Wonders, Curiosities, and Taxidermy, better known as the Wonder Museum. Imagine a museum filled with all kinds of oddities, including an overabundance of stuffed life-sized animals, and then multiply that by one thousand.

As Kara settles into her new reality, she starts to catalog all the Wonder Museum contents. Next to the Wonder Museum is the Black Hen coffee shop, where a unique barista named Simon works. This camo wearing, fishnet stocking strutting man who can rock a top hat with a feather kept me smiling throughout this book. The story was good, but the characters were better. Kara finds a hole in the Wonder Museum wall, and she enlists Simon’s help in figuring what is going on behind the wall because something is not quite right.

“In another, much larger sense my brain was screaming hysterically that there was a hole in the world.”

And that is when things get creepy in The Hollow Places. There are too many sinister and macabre things to list, but I will say that I no longer think that otters are cute, and I did have a couple of bad dreams about a certain
boatman.
“the willows it’s the willows they hear you
thinking they’re listening right now and rustling
their leaves and talking to each other”

The Hollow Places was a fun chilling read, and if you are a fan of horror with a touch of comedy, you will enjoy this book, I did. The Hollow Places was the first book by T. Kingfisher that I have read and will be looking to read more from the author with a most unusual pen name.

* Please note the quotes in my review are subject to change once the book is published. *


** I kindly received this galley by NetGalley, T. Kingfisher, and Gallery/Saga Press. I was not contacted, asked, or required to leave a review. I received no compensation, financial or otherwise. I have voluntarily read this book, and this review is my honest opinion. **

Pros:
This was the perfect level of terrifying. This claims to promise madness and terror, and well yeah, I felt terror all right.
The writing style. This is just the right level of snarky and funny when the time calls for it.
Which brings me to the pacing, this story lent well to how fast paced it was and it shown.

Cons:
Some of the repetition in the story either with references or plot beats can be a bit much at times.

Overall: While it can be a bit repetitive in some aspects, this is the right level of terrifying.

Another perfect spooky pick for October! This was very creepy to me, but not so scary that I had to put it down and hide. To be honest, taxidermy kind of already creeps me out, so as soon as she got to the museum and started describing things I was tensing up. I don't think I'll be able to be around taxidermy again for a while, after this. I loved Simon, and I liked that it was two people sucked into this together, and not just her - two heads were definitely better than one here. The idea that the monsters are drawn by thoughts *shudder* and I was unable to put it down. I tried...because I didn't want to get too creeped out before bed, and then I woke up early and binged the rest in one sitting.