I am very sad that I was not able to read this book. I was having issues with my amazon account. It was not sending it to the kindle app. By the time I got it fixed (hopefully) this book had already been archived.
Please ignore the star rating of this review. It is just the average of most other reviewers for this book.

At the center of Hollow is Morgan, our lead and the character through the eyes of which we witness the story unfold. After the death of her little brother, Aric, in a car accident where she, her mother and younger sister were also participants, Morgan copes with not only the deep depression that stems out of this traumatizing experience and the strenuous relationship she now has with her mother. But she also has to deal with the assault that she went through at the hands of her ex-boyfriend not long after said accident.

For those who may feel triggered by stories in which rape is a component, please tread with care before picking up this book.

While Hollow is presented as a horror book, there is very little to define this story as such. Other than the creepy presence of an abandoned hospital near Morgan and Sevren's house (her best friend) and it history, little else happens in this book to portray it as such.

The camera that she finds in this hospital, which begins to negatively affect those photographed, is a rather vague part of this story. We never find out where the camera comes from, why Morgan was meant to find it, or what its origin is. There is a “portal” through which Morgan enters that allows her to travel through the different limbo-like lands that hold the “good” parts of the individuals whose pictures she took, and while these moments are tense, they still don't shed a lot of light.

The book is very short, which makes it a very quick read, but it also means that there is not a lot of room for in-depth development. Not only is the camera one of the things that I wanted to know more about, but I was expecting more suspense in-story as a result of the characters that are photographed with it and how twisted their personalities appeared to become. And I would have liked to know what becomes of them after the camera was destroyed.

Morgan's depression, however, is well portrayed not only internally but in the way that she relates to those around her. Especially with her mom, the person that she seems to have the most rocky of relationships post-accident. Sevren's and her friendship is a nice boon—as usually is the case whenever we have a best friends' dynamic in a novel—and the magpie psychopomp was quite adorable.

I would have loved for there to be more story, more details, more exploration into the hospital and a way to bring that out into the present day of the plot so that it could connect with everyone in it and expand it. It would have certainly added that creepy kick that the premise promised.

Following a car accident that left Morgan's mother in a wheelchair and her brother dead, her family is barely getting by. High School is no better as Morgan's ex is determined to spread vicious rumours about her. Her luck is about to change when she finds when she finds an old camera in an abandoned hospital... from bad to worse.

The first thing that I will say is that this book needs to come with a content warning for sexual abuse (also infant death but that is explicitly stated in the blurb).

I didn't hate this book but it wasn't a hit for me either. Parrish's writing style makes this book a very easy read even if the subject matter is everything but.

The characters felt realistic and the plot felt a little spooky and scary which felt refreshing, unfortunately the ending felt a little weird and a like a crude metaphor.

This is something new. The plot are pretty interesting but it just fall flat. If the author explain more then I think it's going to be a good story. I wanted to know how did the camera take people's goodness and left the bad one. The ending doesn't help at all lol it ends without even answering what I wanted to know phewww

Thank you Netgalley, author and publisher for Hollow ARC!

🌟🌟🌟

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.

Hollow is about a young girl named Morgan and her family and how they deal with the aftermath of an accident that has occurred that has caused them to lose a beloved family member. Morgan runs to cope with her thoughts and guilt of the accident as well as her reputation at school. Throughout the book, we are introduced to characters in Morgan's life that are not so great for example, her ex-boyfriend. Morgan loves photography and one day when she goes to a creepy abandoned hospital, she finds a camera but that camera has sinister plans of its own. We see throughout the book how Morgan and her family cope with the loss of their beloved brother/son and how they grow as individuals. I loved the creepy hospital setting and the backstory of the hospital. The writing style sucked me in from page one and I did not want to stop reading. This book tackles tough themes such as grief, depression, mental health. I will definitely be buying a finished copy!

This is a very slow read, but if you have the patience the descriptions will lure you into their hold. I wouldn’t say the book is scary, but it is creepy. Especially, the hospital descriptions.

This is a book that leaves you wanting more of the Authors imagination, like taking a single bite of your favorite chocolate and throwing the rest away. The audience it is tailored too is YA however the sexual experiences with her boyfriend lead me to think it would be better in the hands of an adult reader. Not something I would want my 13 year old son reading.

The writing is excellent and descriptive. You will be stuck in the Authors world. Definitely worth going down the rabbit hole.

*Thank you Netgalley for a copy in exchange of my honest review.

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!