This was such a cute follow-up to Ravenfall! It was lovely seeing the characters develop each in their own strengths and also to read from the house's point of view as well. I can't wait to see what the author has in store for the next book in the series, what adventures Colin and Anna will go on, and what hijinx Max will get into.

My thanks for the ARC goes to NetGalley and Random House Children's, Delacorte Press. I'm voluntarily leaving this review.

Genre: Fantasy, Jewish Fantasy, Paranormal
Age: Middle-grade (age 7-11)

Hollowthorn is a delightful novel for kids!

I love how the parents and other adults are dealing with their own problems while helping the kids. No one is perfect! The kids are front and center in all the action and are making their own decisions on what they will do.

There are mistakes.
Betrayal.
Surprises.
And lots of fairy creatures.

I'm a big fan of this book and recommend it to you.

Happy reading!

Let me just start by saying how grateful I am for the little summary of the first book, it’s been a year since I read Ravenfall and my memory is not that great so I was super happy for the little throwback, more authors should do that, it would certainly make my life easier.

Hollowthorn continues following Anna, Colin and the Ballinkays, but this time there’s a new danger in the horizon, a powerful demon is looking for the Tree of Life, the source of all magic, so Salem an old friend of the family comes to Ravenfall asking for help from Henry, Anna’s father and they all embark in a journey through the Otherworld to try to find and protect the tree from the demon.

I have such a deep love for this characters and I’m glad this book only made it deeper, Anna is trying to learn more about her powers and I loved seeing her journey to discovering more about herself and understand more about her relationship with her dad and Colin.

Max, as always is my favorite character, I love that Jabberwocky! And I was so happy we got to see more about his past, it was very surprising.

Overall it was a very good book, I can’t wait to see what new adventure Anna and Colin are going to embark in the next book.

Thanks Netgalley and Random House Children’s, Delacorte Press for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review

Hollowthorn takes us back to Ravenfall Inn and it's good to be home!

If Ravenfall was Anna's book, Hollowthorn felt more about Colin, growing into his role as a Raven while navigating the traces of the King of the Dead still lingering within him, sending spooky visions.

Anna's dad is back in town, but when he immediately decides to go back out to assist family friend Salem to find a magical artifact, she cons her way on the trip to spend some valuable quality time.

Meanwhile, the Inn is overbaking bread, it's not responding to requests. Something's awry and the woods seem to be creeping closer.

This was such a fun little follow-up to Ravenfall. I loved this world and loved that for it's wintry series entry the book discussed Judaism and Chanukah and brought stories from Jewish lore to live. Because of that, it felt like something that I'd might expect to be under Rick Riordan's mythology umbrella.

The plot felt a little one note and linear so that's why I went four stars instead of five, but I loved this follow-up to one of my favorite books of 2023.

I am so in love with this series!
I was sucked into the story from the first page, with some great twists and turns that had me glued to the story until I reached the last page. I loved seeing Anna and Colin go on an adventure and be able to show off how their powers have grown.

While Anna and Colin are my favorite characters, I also totally love the house, and Max the cat/ Jabberwocky. We get to see some POVs from the house and Max and it really made me love them even more. I'm sad that we won't get the next book till next year, but so happy that we are getting more of Ravenfall and all my favorite characters.

This is such a fun series. A magic house? Witches? Jabberwockies? Ravens (protectors)? Count me in. It’s geared toward a younger audience and I think middle grade would love it. The main characters are younger and their friendship is a main part of the story.

This was such a fun sequel! I knew when I first read Ravenfall that Kalyn Josephson had captured something truly special in her book about a magical family, sentient house, and mythology. So I’m thrilled she was able to write a sequel that’s just as fun and heartwarming.

I appreciate that this book focuses more heavily on the Jewish side of Anna’s heritage since book 1 was more about the Celtic magic and mythology. It was so fun to adventure into the Otherworld and meet all types of new creatures and stories. Kalyn just does a great job bringing the aesthetics of the story to life with her plot and descriptions.

I also love that once again she doesn’t shy away from including darker and serious tones in a middle grade story. The themes and messages woven throughout Anna and Colin’s adventure are so powerful! I am so grateful there are well-written middle grade books out there that also tackle real life problems (even if the main conflicts are magic-related).

But my favorite part of the book was definitely the Ravenfall interludes. I love that the inn gets its own POV chapters so we can see what’s happening back at home while the main characters are off on an adventure.

Definitely worth picking up if you loved book one. I’m so excited that she’s writing a third book. It’s much deserved.

Hollowthorn was another cute story based in the Ravenfall world following Anna and Collin's adventures. This one was less magical for me since it wasn't based around Halloween and they spent most of the story away from the house. This was still and enjoyable read and I am looking forward to the next story!

Ravenfall was going to be a tough act to follow, but Hollowthorn proved to be the perfect sequel. I love that both this book and Ravenfall allow readers to learn more about different cultures and mythologies without making it feel like a lesson. A big part of this book is based on Jewish traditions and mythology. It was interesting getting to see Anna learn more about her own family and their history. The part with her and Henry when they are back in the house was really well done and a nice example of how our parents are people too and have their own struggles. The dynamic between Anna and Colin is also really well developed. They are going through their own challenges and trying to find their place in all of this. On top of that Colin is still grieving the loss of his parents and trying to understand and forgive them for not telling him what they were. I could understand how he would feel such a connection to Salem. Despite everything that happened in this book it was nice to see that it was Anna and Colin working together that saved the day. I also really liked that Colin and Liam had a much needed heart-to-heart - I think Colin needed to see things from Liam's point of view in order to really move past his own feelings of being held back. I liked getting some chapters from the house's perspective - it really is another character in the novel. I'm a bit bummed we won't get book three until next year, but I'm sure it will be well worth the wait! I strongly recommend this book for school and classroom libraries.

This was such a great book! If you love a bit of mystery and a bit of magic, you'll love following along with these characters and their adventure. I also loved the components of Jewish religion that were throughout the text.

First, thank you to NetGalley for the free eArc in exchange for a fair and unbiased review. I was anxiously awaiting the 2nd Ravenhall novel and I was not disappointed. While I missed the exchanges between mother and daughters, I enjoyed getting to know Anna's father. We got to see his whole personality, helping us to understand why Anna's sister has a hard time giving him any grace or forgiveness for his behavior. Even Anna begins to understand. But, through the course of trying to save the Tree of Life, Anna begins to understand him and learn how to reach him. In the meantime, we have an action-filled adventure, as Anna and Colin work to overcome the evilness in the Otherworld and save the day!

I can't wait to let my young patrons know that this will soon be out!

I absolutely loved Ravenfall and Hollowthorn is a wonderful sequel. There are twists and turns, a little mayhem, and a little mystery. Friendships and boundaries are tested, torn, and rebuilt. Perfect for the tweens at our library.

Really enjoyed this sequel middle grade fantasy!!

Hollowthorn picks up shortly after the events of book one, and gets the action going quickly. I loved seeing Anna and Colin grow into their powers more, and to learn more about Anna's magical house, who is a character in their own right.

The Jewish mythology is really interesting and the book was paced well.

Excited to continue on this series!

This book is a delightful follow up to the first Ravenfall novel. I really enjoyed following Anna and Collin on another adventure. The Jewish folklore/mythology included in this tale was entirely new to me, and I really learning about it. The dual POV narration divided between Collin and Anna is well done, with a bonus of on occasional chapter in the POV of the magical Ravenfall house itself. In addition to showcasing a richly drawn fantasy world that pulls from multiple traditions, this book is a thoughtful exploration of family dynamics and the longing of two young teens to prove themselves worthy and find their place within their families. I can't wait to come back to this world!

Ravenfall will be going on my October family book club list specifically so this book can be part of our December one. The setting of this particular novel around the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah lends a sort of educational aspect to it that I loved, without losing the whimsy of fiction.

Now, this is book 2, so you'd obviously have to read book 1 to get the full scope of everything. Keeping that in mind, be prepared for some rather hard questions if your younger readers are prone to asking them. So brush up on what you're willing and ready to say regarding some of those harder topics like death. Nothing too terrible that a younger teen wouldn't be able to grasp, but can still be mildly upsetting or difficult.

Adding to the rich catalog of middle grade fantasy and mythology books out there, Hollowthorn offers wild ride of an adventure featuring some charming and powerful kids. Second in a series, this story continues the adventures of Anna and Colin as they race to save the Tree of Life (and the world) from certain destruction by a fearsome demon.

The relationship between Anna & Colin is further refined here, developing into a strong bond that will appeal to young readers struggling to understand deep friendships. The Jewish mythological aspect of the story is fascinating and provides great insight to this rich and ancient culture.

Fantasy readers will scoop this up in the fall.

Recommended.

I loved the magical aspects of the story, and especially the references to Jewish folklore and culture, and the fairytale feel of the story. Anna and Liam are multi-dimensional characters whose struggles, successes and fears are relatable. They go into the Otherworld to protect their magic house Ravenfall, and prove they just might be stronger than they thought.

What worked:
The author skillfully crafts a creative story that makes readers anticipate what’s in store as events develop. Ravenfall Inn has its own personality and typically fulfills most of the roles of a typical hotel staff. However, the opening chapter finds the inn acting strangely so readers don’t know if that will become something significant. In the same way, Max, a jabberwocky usually appearing as a cat, always has a testy attitude toward certain characters so his behavior is unpredictable. However, animals in stories often sense secrets that human characters can’t. Anna’s father is typically absent from Ravenfall, off searching for magical artifacts, but he reappears in this book while his wife travels off to Ireland. Anna is eager to prove to him that she has more abilities than visions of death but she’s still learning to magically connect with inanimate objects. She’s starved for her father’s attention and becomes frustrated and angry with him.
A new character is introduced as Simon, an old, experienced Raven, who’s seeking help from Anna’s father. Colin’s only recently discovered his own abilities as a Raven so he’s excited to learn from such a talented veteran. Colin’s older brother never lets Colin do anything on his own but Salem encourages him to trust his powers and kill every magical creature they find in the Otherworld. Anna is okay with Colin learning to master his abilities but she has some reservations about some things he’s being told. Max, on the other hand, clearly doesn’t like Salem and everyone chalks it up to a grudge from the Raven stepping on Max’s tail. Salem leads the group in search of the Tree of Life but something seems off with the quest, especially once they enter the Otherworld. Colin’s internal struggle dealing with the death magic inherited from his father adds another uncertain element to the story.
The Jewish religion is a big part of the story but it’s not overdone so much that it becomes a distraction. The setting is around the time of Hannukah but Anna notes that she uses it to keep track of time and not necessarily a celebration of the holiday. She also realizes she’s growing up Jewish but doesn’t really understand what it’s all about. Her father makes a connection between Hebrew letters and numbers and Anna hopes her father will teach her more about the Hebrew alphabet once their adventure ends. Jewish demons, gods, and bible references are part of the plot, and protecting the Tree of Life is the goal of Anna and Colin’s quest. A Hebrew prayer plays an important role at a critical moment in the plot.
What didn’t work as well:
The story is told from two points of view which isn’t typically a problem. For some reason in this book, I need to remind myself when Anna or Colin is narrating a particular chapter. It’s not a big issue and it lessened as the plot move along. Periodic chapters share concerns from Ravenfall and it’s nice to be reminded the inn is still part of the story.
The Final Verdict:
You might be able to read this book on its own but I recommend reading Ravenfall first. It will be especially helpful in understanding Colin’s turmoil. This book takes readers on an exciting adventure to the Otherworld and they’ll sense an underlying problem that’s waiting to explode. Overall, this book and series are quite entertaining and I recommend you give them a shot.

This book is a delightful follow up to the first Ravenfall novel. I really enjoyed following Anna and Collin on another adventure. The Jewish folklore/mythology included in this tale was entirely new to me, and I really learning about it. The dual POV narration divided between Collin and Anna is well done, with a bonus of on occasional chapter in the POV of the magical Ravenfall house itself. In addition to showcasing a richly drawn fantasy world that pulls from multiple traditions, this book is a thoughtful exploration of family dynamics and the longing of two young teens to prove themselves worthy and find their place within their families. I can't wait to come back to this world!

I enjoyed Hollowthorn more than the first book, Ravenfall. Getting a POV from Ravenfall (the house) was a delight and the angry teen trope is always one of my favorites to watch play out. I felt the characters got more depth in this book as well. Overall, a magical MG novel that manages to pack a lot of culture in around the edges!