When I first saw this title, I imagined it to be exactly what it said it would be: a ghost story. And it turned out to be that but with so much more than just a regular ghost story.
This novel is about a family that is clutching at their last straws. In a desperate attempt to patch things up, they decide to move. When they first lay their eyes on The Hollow, it is love at first site. It is beautiful and magical and for once, the family is happy together. They immediately buy the place and move in as quickly as possible to begin their fresh start. At first, the house is everything they want and more. But soon, tensions cause the family to break down and the house soon starts to show a different side to it. The house is no longer charming; it is haunted.
This novel is scary as hell. In the beginning, when everything is so hunky-dory, I found myself thinking that this book is so twisted. If my family was in that house, we would NOT be so happy about the strange “mysteries” that were happening. But the more I read, the scarier things got, and the more afraid I was to read the book at night. If you are looking for a creepy read, this is definitely the one!
But there was more to this book than just that. It had a lot to do with family and the relationships that bind members to each other and to the unit as a whole. This relationship and the actual horror story were blended seamlessly. When I put down the book, I felt satisfied at getting a thrilling read but I also felt like I had grown a lot and changed my view on the importance of a family unit.
Read this book. Maybe it won’t seem as deep and insightful as I made it out to be. Maybe it will only seem like a really good horror story. Either way, it will be worth your while.
Happy reading ~