Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

I really liked this book, and I think it will circulate well in my area. World War II is a fascinating and heartbreaking time period to study, but much of what is in this book, children can still relate to. Kids who have family members that return from war might be struggling with how the army or war has changed their loved ones. This book is a way for them to process their feelings. As someone who has many veterans that I care about, I think this book is good for children with veterans in their lives that may be suffering.

Seldom do novels address mental illness in such a tangible way, portraying it as a thing that can be seen and battled. Giving it a face, like a pack of ravenous wolves, can make it easier for a child to understand even if they don't fully grasp the symbolism. It's tough to work your way through understanding symbolic characters. Sandstrom helps us out by giving the wolves blatant names: rage, regret, that sort of thing. We do get into the discussion of the role the individual wolves play in society, how they have changed, and the nature of their desires, which becomes a pretty high level of thinking. It's a well developed, important book but one I'd want to check in with a kid while they were reading. The base scenario and vocabulary are relatively simple but the concepts and emotions will be challenging for some.

Hollow Chest was a haunting, moving, beautifully-written middle grade story set in London near the end of World War 2. Charlie lives with his mother and grandfather (a WWI veteran), and his faithful cat companion, Biscuits (BISCUITS!!!). His older brother, Theo, finally returns from fighting in France, and is nothing like the warm and caring person he was when he left. He is cold and cruel and suffers from terrible nightmares. Charlie discovers that his brother's heart - along with those of many other soldiers - has been eaten by shadowy creatures called war wolves. With help from some unusual allies -- Biscuits (of course), a few pigeons, and a homeless woman who has suffered her own terrible loss -- Charlie seeks out the wolves to try to get Theo's heart back.

This was a really unique, fairytale-like exploration of the effects of trauma and grief on individuals and the people around them. It was really something special, and I'm looking forward to reading more of Sandstrom's work in the future. Highly recommended for ages 11+.

Charlie's family has been radically altered by war. His grandfather who lives with them is missing an arm from World War 1. Charlie's dad was killed in the bombing of London and his brother has gone to serve in the army. When Charlie and his mom get word that his brother Theo is coming home, they try to make everything perfect, but really, nothing is like it was before. Charlie starts seeing wolves who eat hearts and that helps him on a path for healing not only himself but also his brother. This is a wonderful story, not just for the historical fiction parts, but for giving a concrete vision of what trauma might look like to anyone. Don't miss this one.

Some of this book is very beautifully written. The characters, the way Biscuits moves, and Charlie’s flashbacks are so vividly written that they feel completely real. I have a better idea of what the characters look like due to her writing and not the unnecessary illustrations.

The way the author describes the feelings of those living with mental illness feels very authentic but the heart being eaten/hollow chest thing is a very heavy handed metaphor for it. The scenes where Theo has a nightmare and Charlie reads his letters are really powerful.

I also really liked the use of storytelling throughout. The characters use it as a means of distraction of talking about difficult things and also as a way to say what they really feel.

Charlie is an authentic kid character. He really wants to help but doesn’t know how or understand that he probably can’t do much at all. He often ends up hurting people’s feelings accidentally. I’m glad the book ended the way it did.

The pacing feels really off and there are several scenes that take the plot to a complete halt (such as taking tea with Aggie or the scene with Biscuits in the hospital and the way the rat speaks). It’s not completely clear to me how Charlie seems to know what he has to do to get Theo’s heart back.

Sandstrom’s middle-grade debut novel centers on twelve-year-old Charlie who lives in post-war London with his mom, grandpa, and cat Biscuits. A World War I veteran, his one-armed grandpa prepares Charlie for the return of his wounded older brother, explaining that the war experience steals something from people, giving them a hollow chest. I won’t spoil the story for you, but I fell in love with this family (and its cat), altogether a creative and compelling historical read.