The Hollow Places

Genuinely scared me, had to stop for a bit and turn on all the lights in my room. Really fun!

This is silly. And why is there a concrete slab on the second floor of a residential building?!?!

3.5 - fairly enjoyable but not anything that “wow-ed” me. Some parts were pretty creepy to listen to and the story was unique enough to keep listening.

There's a scene in this novel that I think about quite frequently. I was cringing inwards with great discomfort when reading it. That's praiseworthy for me. But what makes this book quite a bit more special is our main character and how humor was incorporated in the horror parts. I loved this book so much I even convinced my non-reader partner to read it as well. I just couldn't shut up about it to be honest.

Really great elements of a bit of everything. But maybe not for everyone.

Tonally and structurally very similar to [b:The Twisted Ones 42527596 The Twisted Ones T. Kingfisher https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1567950921l/42527596.SY75.jpg 58145790]. The main character voice is also almost identical. One difference is the main character here will not shut up about fanfiction. I think its a great hobby to give your main character honestly but anytime she mentioned it I felt more like the author was talking to me, especially when she goes on a half page tirade about people calling her out over “technically incest” (whatever that means) smut. I do not care but I'm not convinced anyone would think of this during a life or death situation. I'm sure whatever fanfic drama the author has or had was very annoying but please keep it away from me. (also a more minor annoyance but, how many times did the male lead mention he isn't into women out of nowhere, and how many times has the main character mentioned if he was straight they would totally have fucked in that scenario or whatever? too many.) Other than that well the best bits of the story were at the start I really enjoy the sort of “impossible space” stories. I didn't like where it went eventually, very similar to the Twisted Ones but that one saved the stuff I disliked more towards the end. It really felt like reading the lesser version of that book sadly.

The parts that were weak were totally mitigated by the fact that if I am ever trapped in another world being stalked by an eight foot long blind giant otter I want the main character in this book by my side for comic relief alone. Cause you know when the sh*t goes down you need your person.

I can't be the only one who absolutely loves when a horror filled novel also has portions that make you laugh out loud, can I? It's that perfect juxtaposition of terror and hilarity that are so hard to achieve. When it's done perfectly though, you have this reader absolutely enthralled. So bravo to T. Kingfisher for doing just that! The Hollow Places got its hooks into me from the very beginning, and the absolute only reason this took me as long as it did to get through was because I was busy with work.

First, we need to talk characters. Anyone who has been following my reviews for any length of time knows how much I love books with solid characters. It doesn't matter whether or not I'm meant to like them, I just want them to feel real. Kingfisher did this beautifully. Both Kara and Simon were wonderful, from their personalities right down their little quirks. The fact that this book was able to have these two stuck together, pitted against evil, and not have a weird instant love vibe made me smile so much. Kara and Simon are two peas in a pod. Witty, strong, and yet human. The amount of times that they acknowledged how screwed they were, and actually referenced themselves being stuck in a horror movie, got me. I adored them, and I was hardcore rooting for them the entire book.

As for the plot, well you really can't ask for a more solid premise. Kingfisher leads the reader on a merry chase as Kara and Simon navigate this new willow world beyond the wall. Now, I'll admit that I figured out the case of this anomaly well before Kara did. However that didn't take away from my enjoyment of the story. The tension built up was perfect, the horror just enough without going over the edge, and the whole atmosphere of this book leads you to want to hunker down in your own bunker until it's all over. The ending especially? Well, I won't spoil, but I thought it was fantastic.

Overall this was so much fun to devour. I'm honestly quite happy that I made it the first book of the year! If this sets the tone for the rest of my year of reading, I have zero qualms with that. Are you a reader who likes to be a little bit scared, and also laugh a lot? The Hollow Places is for you.

Fun, mellow cosmic horror!

I don't know how to rate this book. I love T. Kingfisher but I hate horror novels, and only read this in the pursuit of being a T. Kingfisher completist. I liked Kara and Simon, and I was properly creeped out, but I couldn't quite figure out what happened to them in the middle section, and I am still not sure exactly what the “hollow places” represent. I don't know that I will read any more of the author's horror novels (completist be damned) but that's on me, not her. I guess the only useful thing I can say is, if you are looking for a wry fantasy romance like Kingfisher's [b:Paladin's Grace 50702014 Paladin's Grace T. Kingfisher https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1580209503l/50702014.SY75.jpg 75730699] or [b:Swordheart 42747739 Swordheart T. Kingfisher https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1542983306l/42747739.SX50.jpg 66478946], keep on moving, there's nothing for you here.

To be fair....
This was going to be a 4 star read (at least!) before I even opened the cover on it because I love T. Kingfisher's writing, The Twisted Ones was my favorite book of last year and because I really didn't care what the plot was because I knew I was in good hands.
I was right. I loved it. I didn't 5 star love it, but I loved it a lot. I did no prep work on this book so that I went in cold and I think that may have been what hurt me. I knew nothing about Algernon Blackwood or The Willows. If you don't know there is source material, you cannot appreciate the cleverness it takes to create a whole new story. So, a lot of the clever was lost on me.
Still The Hollow Places is creepy AF and parts of it will stay with me every time I close my eyes. I was enchanted with Beau (is this a Kingfisher/Vernon thing?). I swear no one writes better animal sidekicks.
So, why not 5 stars? It may be me. Cara's crying got on my news. She cries a great deal. Also, the constant complaining about the leg kind of serves one brief, small purpose but it got old reading about how painful it was over and over. Also, Simon shows up at really convenient times and we all know I don't like to see my female protags survive because some man saves her,and it happens multiple times. Also the ex-husband bit did nothing for me, except show character growth? Maybe? I'm being generous here.
That said, The Hollow Places is awesome. I swear, on an animal that has been stuffed and chemically treated, that I will reread this in a calmer year and see if I can amend my review.

Strangely Enjoyable

This is my first read by T. Kingfisher this is one of my first attempts at reading the genre of fantasy in 2020. I have a hard time connecting with the genre there for I am super selective. The book however had many spooky qualities that made it closer to horror for me which made me intrigued enough to want to read it. To me this book is like Alien meets The Chronicles of Narnia which shockingly enough I just finished a day ago with my nephew. At page one I fell in love with Carrots relationship with her friend Simon and what made it more enjoyable for me is that one of my closest friends has the name Simon. I felt like I was Carrot and he was in the story with me. I loved how Kara (Carrot) moves in with her Uncle and pretty much runs the museum as her uncle recovers and what is more entertaining is that while he is recovering the world comes undone. I loved every minute. There is a hole in the wall of the museum that leads to a new creepy place that the readers get to explore. creepy willows, shadow things, scary people, other worlds, bizarre bunkers, and so much more to keep the pages turning. I want to apologize for my delayed review to all involved because my delay has no baring on how good this book is. I recommend this to anyone who loves horror mixed with a little bit of fantasy. Also a Finalist in the 2020 Goodreads Choice Awards very well deserved!

I loved the characters. Uncle Earl and Simon were fabulous. I especially loved the scenes where the ex-husband calls and Kara doesn't give a shit because there's much worse stuff going on.

I felt like the other world was a letdown. I would rate this a three if not for the characters and Kingfisher's writing. Creatures that want to kill/eat you and can know where you are if you think about them. That's overdone.

I read The Twisted Ones in a tiny studio in Kyoto on the eighth story as a typhoon raged around me. That book scared the pants off me. This one wasn't as scary. I'm not sure why. I know the willows are a reference, but willows that change position aren't particularly scary. Things whose danger is known because Simon says so aren't particularly scary. I think what was missing was a feeling of malice - if new characters who could have been saviors actually were evil, or the item that caused it all had been more alive/humanoid. It's hard to attribute malice to willows.

This book was a real treat. Its impressively creepy with a quirky sense of humor that prevents the fear from being oppressive. I really enjoyed it!