Review based on an ARC. Kingfisher writes an imminently bingeable horror again. The Hollow Places mashes up our fascination with a safe scare (like the exhibits in the oddity museum the main character works at) with the eerie terror of strange places that are just to the left of familiar--but deadly different. Like a lot of horror, this ends with more dangling threads than I would like, but a great, enjoyable read.

n ‘The Hollow Places” freshly divorced Kara needs a new place to crash and that last thing she wants to do is move back in with her mother. Lucky for her, her Uncle Earl has a spare room in the back of his museum of oddities. Kara stumbles upon a hole in the wall with impossible hallways and rooms does what most people would do: investigates.

I have mixed feelings about this book. “The Hollow Places” is Coraline meets Narnia meets Night at the Museum which is such a blindingly cool concept I can’t believe it didn’t work.

Kara and Simon are interesting characters with a fun dynamic, but they feel almost like parodies of characters. Neither of them took anything seriously the whole time; always a witty comeback or sarcastic comment, and while they are generally funny it’s the only way they speak to one another. Despite Simon constantly mentioning how the things they are about to do are Dumb Things People Do in Horror Movies™ they always do the thing anyway. Kara ignores all the signs from the very start. Once is chance, twice is coincidence, and three is a pattern. I understand it’s a horror novel and so dumb choices must be made for the sake of plot but then why make the characters so self-aware in the first place?

In terms of the horror itself, I found it lacking a bit in the first half. The saving grace of this book is its second half and the genuine dread you feel after Kara and Simon escape. The invasion of willows in the space Kara and the reader deemed safe has much more impact on my fear levels than anything that happened while in the bunkers or with the willows. Speaking of, I had a hard time visualizing for a good portion of this book, as the monsters (or just They) are described as simultaneously existing and also not. The attempts at descriptions often feel rambly and confusing, the author either giving too much information or not nearly enough. Somehow the image of what They should look like never clicks and neither does the story.

Not a book I would normally pick up, but when I got the chance to read an Advanced Reading Copy from NetGalley, I thought “why not?”

In retrospect, I didn't think it was as scary as I thought as it might be--I am a chicken when it comes to scary books--but of course reading it during daytime and/or not right before bed certainly helped. There are some gory sections in the book, but for the most part I really enjoyed the storyline, and throughout the book I always wanted to know what happened next. The fact that the entrancy to this other, scary world was in her uncle's house made this story oddly relatable. This is the first book I have read by this author, and I really liked her writing style. She managed to balance the horror with just enough humor, and made the (good) characters very likeable. Definitely interested in the author's other books (e.g., "The Twisted Ones").

THE HOLLOW PLACES is the second novel I have read by T. Kingfisher. This one takes place in Hog Chapel, North Carolina, in a store named the "Glory to God Museum of Natural Wonders, Curiosities and Taxidermy". Our main characters are Kara (Carrot), her Uncle Earl (owner of the "museum"), and Simon, the barista from next door.

"Eighteen years to the day after Uncle Earl accepted Bigfoot into his life, my marriage ended."

After Kara's divorce, she moves into the museum to help out her Uncle. While he's away, she and Simon discover a hole in one of the walls upstairs--one that simply CAN'T be . . .

". . . there's a hallway that can't exist and a giant locked door at the end . . ."

The characters are absolutely phenomenal here! I love the sarcasm and dark humor that compose much of the novel. Even in light of the horror facing them, this adds so much enjoyment and depth to the tale.

". . . we'll discuss this like people who don't die in the first five minutes of a horror movie."

The story itself put me in mind of a certain classic novella to an extent, but only slightly. This book was all Kingfisher's vision. To have this unique idea, coupled with some great characters, and an enjoyable writing style, you have a narrative that's rocketed to the top of my "Best Books Read" list for the year.

". . . I was no longer willing to swear that nothing weird was going on . . ."

There was a strong psychological horror element present here, as well as the physical. I felt that the author did a great job of balancing the two out, while utilizing the quirky personalities of Kara (Carrot) and Simon to offer some "comic relief" at times.

"'A giant bolted metal door seems a little excessive just to keep out your relatives.'"
"'You only say that because you don't know my mother.'"

Overall, I absolutely loved the style of this novel. Everything from the writing, characters, location, and . . . horrors . . . felt like something completely new when brought together like this.

". . . if there's a way into hell, someone will always find it . . . "

T. Kingfisher is now on my list of auto-buy authors.

Highly recommended.

What a fun read - I read it in one day! I wasn't sure if I'd like this one since it's a little different than my usual fare, I do usually stick to horror, crime mysteries - but have started reading some urban fantasy and am enjoying it! Wasn't sure if I'd like this one, but the characters were engaging, there was some enjoyable mystery, and the book moved along at a good pace - so much so that I just kept on going until I read the whole darned thing in one day! I do read a lot, but definitely just kept on going with this one. This would be a great beach or vacation read, it moves along, keeps the interest, and a lot happens. I will likely look for this author again.

This is one of those books you can't put down! After Kara moves into her Uncle Earl's small museum/home, she finds a secret portal to a terrifying other dimension. As she and her friend, Simon, keep having strange things happen to them, Kara finally figures out the truth about this other place..
I could not stop reading until the end. I thought to myself what a great movie this would make! I give this book five huge stars. Lovers of sci-fi and horror will definitely appreciate this read.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This was a really great surprise! I went into this book totally blind and it was a fun, spooky ride. I am definitely tracking down the authors other work now.

I this book was a modern spin on lovecraft. I’m a sucker for these secret worlds that people stumble into and this one was doubly nice because it’s not kids who find the secret way. Usually it’s like only kids still have imaginations or willingness to believe.... or something. But this story follows someone just freshly divorced and it just felt so real. They don’t fine a fairly land populated with cute talking animals. This is a cruel and strange reality. It is creepy and horrible and we were all desperate to get back home!

Thank you NetGalley for a review copy!

I don’t like horror. I never wanted to watch scary movies as a kid. I got nightmares from E.T. I never saw anything with Freddy or Jason. So I would never ordinarily have been on the lookout for a book like The Holllow Places by T. Kingfisher, except for the fact that T. Kingfisher is also Ursula Vernon. Ms. Vernon is the author of the Hamster Princess books, which my daughter enjoys, and is a delight on Twitter (I highly recommend her thread explaining what happens when she tried the Ancient Greek method of using pottery shards in place of toilet paper). Furthermore, I recall Seanan McGuire effusively praising last year’s Kingfisher horror novel, The Twisted Ones so much that I just had to buy it ( but have not read yet). In addition, her novella Minor Mage was absolutely delightful and I cannot recommend it enough. So I decided to be brave and request an eARC of The Hollow Places. And I am SO glad that I did. The Hollow Places was fantastic. The protagonist is a recent divorcée who moves in with her uncle into a room in his tiny small town museum of taxidermy and oddities. There she and the barista next door find a portal to another world, a terrifying place of willows that are not quite willows. The characters are amazingly detailed and feel so real and the fantastical elements impinge on the story so gradually that you never lose your suspension of misbelief. The mysteries are meaty and satisfying, though the final reveal felt a little out of left field. Only a little though - the wackiness of the museum of oddities setting did help sell it. It worked in the context mostly, but it was the only weak point in an otherwise excellent novel. I’m so glad I read this book! Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher!

Okay I’m not sure why I picked this book because I’m not a fan of horror or suspense but I’m trying to broaden my horizon and man did this book take me on a ride. Reading it I knew I was way out of my normal element, and there where times that I had to put the book down and take a breather, because I’m not trying to spoil anything, but why....why would someone stay there after seeing the stuff happening. I would have been gone. Lol

Honestly I don’t know how I truly feel about this book. I really like the authors writing style but the story line is both super interesting and so strange at the same time you’re like what did I just read. I have a feeling this is going to be a book that you will either really love or hate as a reader.

DNF. Just really bad writing and the characters are really ridiculous. The main character is 34 but acts 18. Overuse of comparisons to Narnia. Descriptions were totally confusing and I couldn’t visualize the places described. Inappropriate affect by the characters with some tasteless comments about being gay. Could not waste my time further.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Hollow Places by T. Kingfisher is an excellent mix of horror, suspense and witty humor. I simply loved the main character Kara. I could relate to her in a lot of ways. The way she deals with troublesome situations is a fresh breath of air in the horror genre. Her friend is also hilarious. The conversations between them were quite amusing.

The story itself is excellent. The author has a vivid imagination, and possesses the right words to portray it. I felt myself sucked into the story. While this book might not seem very heavy on the horror itself, there are a few scenes that gave me goosebumps. Just don’t go in expecting to be horrified every two seconds. The suspense builds up quite nicely, and has an overall nicely done spooky feel.

Thank you to Netgalley and Gallery/ Saga Press for the advanced review copy!

I still have mixed feelings about this book and not quite sure how to rate it. I was really looking forward to reading a good, scary horror but this book did not really deliver.

The main character, Kara moves in to her uncle’s house after her divorce. She discovers a secret hallway that takes to another reality full of mysterious creatures and a person stuck in the alternate universe.

I would describe this book as a mixture of Alice in Wonderland and The Night at the Museum. To me this was more of an adventure, not a horror. The two main characters were fun and I really liked their friendship. Overall I think this book is a 3 star read. It’s easy, fun and fast but just not quite the horror I was expecting.

Oh my holy crap was this an amazing book. I love when it's hard to figure out the who dun it lol. This was very exciting and I wish it didn't have to end.

Once I started this I had to read it all in one day. Delightfully spooky and ominous story of a portal to another world that is so unsettling and creepy I will probably be doing my best to not think about it too much as I go to bed tonight. This one reminded me a little bit of the novella Finna that I read earlier this summer, only with more southern charm and love of cryptids than retail worker angst. A most enjoyable read.

Honestly this book was waaaaay out of my element and I loved every second of it! It was so different, distinct, and original that I can honestly say as I type this that I have never read a book quite like The Hollow Places!

I love this author’s writing. Love it. I feel like it’s strategic and clean. It makes the plot of the already interesting story-line that much stronger. There is nothing better than picking up a new to me author and finding out they have impeccable writing. It doesn’t happen often so that when it does I get really giddy and obsessive.

The Hollow Places was a fast paced, entertaining, and honestly smart story that I enjoyed every minute of. I loved the characters, the references and metaphors, the depressing atmosphere– all of it! I am immediately checking out her book The Twisted Ones that I keep seeing so much about.

An amazing take on a great science fiction theme. Highly recommend for genre fans and those wishing to expand their genre experiences. Purchasing for library.

A fun, fast creature (?) horror about strange places and the even stranger things that live in them. I enjoyed it for what it was, even if it didn't exactly blow me away, and fans of T. Kingfisher's other book (THE TWISTED ONES) or books like THE ANOMALY by Michael Rutger will definitely be entertained.

After a brief, blindsiding divorce, Kara finds herself taking up a room at The Wonder Museum—a small museum in the middle of nowhere, filled with oddities and curiosities. The oddest thing by far is the bunker that she finds through a hole in the wall, which leads into a different world.

As with her previous book, Kingfisher's protagonists are spunky, sarcastic, and fairly practical. Which is not something I often see in the horror genre as a whole. Kara and Simon's bantering was definitely the highlight of the book—and I do enjoy the fact that Kingfisher doesn't rely on romantic tropes to build relationships between people. These characters are very voicey, and there are a lot of references to fannish culture that I personally got a kick out of.

The high point of the book was definitely the time they spent in the willow world. Though that was super interesting and eerie, and I wish we had spent a little more time there. There were a lot of interesting elements that I was more interested in than the ins and outs of Kara and Simon working through the days and drinking through the nights to forget (except for all of Kara's conversations with her ex, because those were hilarious).

Would recommend for anyone looking for a light horror book that doesn't veer too close to reality. No scary murders or the depravity of the human race here—just good, old-fashioned monsters and spooky worlds.

Thanks to Gallery/Saga Press and Net Galley for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Publisher’s blurb; Pray they are hungry.
Kara finds these 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 the peculiar bunker—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 you fear them, the stronger they become.

After reading other reviews I almost feel like a bad guy...but while The Hollow Places was entertaining it was not scary, disturbing, read in one sitting, type of book to me. The writing was very well done and the characters were well described. Though I thought Simon was a little too stereotypical as the “gay character” with his weird mix of Jonny Depp’s Willie Wonka and Mad hatter style of dress and anal jokes are way to teenage boy for my taste.

I just didn’t get the creepies, not even one shiver. This is listed as a horror genre book and Horror is my usual brew of choice when picking a new book. This would fare better, in my opinion, under speculative fiction, even fantasy then horror.

If you like your horror on the mild side; spooky not splatter, and like your fiction with a nice dose of fantasy then you will enjoy this book immensely.

I received this book free from Gallery Books, Saga Press, and Netgalley for my honest, unbiased review.

This book is creepy and wonderful all at the same time. The premise hooked me and the excellent writing reeled me in. I couldn't put it down and finished it in a day. The characters are very well developed, and the relationship between Simon and Kara was delightful. A great read!

The Hollow Places is a wonderfully spooky delight. Kara and Simon show that you can be both from the American South and intelligent and SFF fans. I love that they have this experience together--that this isn't one of those novels where only one character has a strange experience that can never be believed or understood by anyone else. I love that their relationship is one of growing friendship, and that romance is off the table. I love the realness and honesty of all of the characters' voices I love the consideration of how things in one world or dimension have consequences in another, eve if it's as seemingly small as missing work--no "and when we got back, only 5 minutes had passed!" tricks here. The atmospheres of the two worlds Kara and Simon experience are beautifully crafted and written, and the Hollow Places are scary as hell.