Kidzworld reviews The Hollow by Jessica Verday. Check it out!
Title: The Hollow
Author: Jessica Verday
Ages: 12+
Rating:
When Abbey’s best friend, Kristen, disappears, her whole world falls apart. They used to do everything together. And now Abbey is all alone. When the small town of Sleepy Hollow holds a memorial service for Kristen, Abbey spots a boy she’s never seen before. How does he know Kristen?
The Mysterious Boy
The boy introduces himself as Caspian, and he and Abbey hit it off immediately. Finally, she has someone else to talk to. Well, besides the cemetery’s caretaker, Nicholas, that is. Their relationship evolves in private, and Abbey realizes that she’s falling in love with him. Until one day, Caspian pulls away. He’s always secretive and mysterious. But that was part of his charm. Until Abbey learns the real reason behind his mystery.
The Secret Life
Meanwhile, Abbey finds Kristen’s diary and learns that she had a whole secret life and relationship with a boy behind her back. Why was Kristen keeping secrets from her? Could this boy have something to do with Kristen’s disappearance?
The Bottom Line
The Hollow by Jessica Verday is a classic example of why you shouldn’t judge a book by its genre. People assume that because Twilight was so amazing, that every other teen paranormal book will be worth reading. And that’s where they’d be wrong. The Hollow had a solid overall concept, and a fantastic twist at the end. But about 400 of its 500+ pages were uneventful. The book should have been half its size or less.
Also, the character wasn’t relatable. Most of her thoughts and dialogue seemed corny, or maybe just unpolished. It’s like when you watch a reality TV show that you know is scripted. It loses its magic. Based on The Hollow’s concept, it’s clear that Jessica Verday has the potential to become a good writer. She just needs to tighten her writing, leaving only the scenes that progress the plot.
