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patchworkbunny's review against another edition
4.0
Liz has been having recurring nightmares. When she moves away from Wales to escape bullying, she finds the place of her dreams of the edge of Hollow Pike. She brushes the thought off as coincidence, after all, aren't all woods pretty much the same? Yet the history of Hollow Pike is rife with Pagan rituals and witch hunts, could there be any truth in the silly superstitions of the townsfolk?
Immediately Liz falls in with the popular crowd at school although she is drawn to the “freaks”. Soon enough, she's the victim of bullying again but there's something much more sinister going on. Are her new friends hiding something? Is witchcraft really being practised in this Yorkshire town? Is she even safe?
It's a creepy and tense story with a dash of paranoia. It's not a new-girl-at-school-learns-magic sort of plot but one on the edge of being perfectly believable. I've also come to the conclusion that I much prefer British young adult writing, these teenagers actually seem a lot like the teenager I remember being as well as the ones I overhear talking on the bus. They're not mature and sensible. They are bitchy, get drunk and obsess about what other people think.
I keep reading books at the moment that remind me of films and I generally don't like comparing the two but this did make me think of Heathers now and then. Overall Hollow Pike is a solid début novel from ex-teacher James Dawson. If anything, teenagers might just learn that teachers are paying attention.
Immediately Liz falls in with the popular crowd at school although she is drawn to the “freaks”. Soon enough, she's the victim of bullying again but there's something much more sinister going on. Are her new friends hiding something? Is witchcraft really being practised in this Yorkshire town? Is she even safe?
It's a creepy and tense story with a dash of paranoia. It's not a new-girl-at-school-learns-magic sort of plot but one on the edge of being perfectly believable. I've also come to the conclusion that I much prefer British young adult writing, these teenagers actually seem a lot like the teenager I remember being as well as the ones I overhear talking on the bus. They're not mature and sensible. They are bitchy, get drunk and obsess about what other people think.
I keep reading books at the moment that remind me of films and I generally don't like comparing the two but this did make me think of Heathers now and then. Overall Hollow Pike is a solid début novel from ex-teacher James Dawson. If anything, teenagers might just learn that teachers are paying attention.
pewterwolf's review against another edition
4.0
Review Taken From The Pewter Wolf
Lis London is moving from her home in Wales to Hollow Pike. But that doesn't seem to help her. She keeps having a nightmare that she's going to murder. And when she sees the copse, she realise that this is the place in her nightmares.
But she doesn't believe in nightmares nor the local tales of witchcraft. Until a terrible thing happens that forces herself to think again...
Now... what can I say? I EFFING LOVE THIS BOOK! Not going to swear, but this book is so great! And it's a debut novel and the fact that this has such a strong reaction from me is amazing!
I want to talk about the subject that this book raises: bullying. This book very much shows the effects of bullying. Lis left her home in Wales because of terrible bullying she faced. Only to walk again into bullying, and it's nasty bullying. There were scenes that some people might find shocking (the use of fake emails, for example) but it doesn't surprise me and just reflects the levels some people will go to. But I think James tackled this issue with a good amount of care but was unflinching over it. I found this brave.
And then, James turns the book on its head and throws us a murder mystery. And not just a typical murder mystery, but the idea of witchcraft being involved. And he seems to blend the genres of this book together with the greatest of ease, and it was always interesting to see where he took me next as the twists were always there, lurking in the darkness of Hollow Pike's copse...
I had very high standards for this book. And Hollow Pike met each and every one of them. And excelled them all. Keep an eye on James Dawson. He is going to be huge! I demand his next book AT ONCE!
Lis London is moving from her home in Wales to Hollow Pike. But that doesn't seem to help her. She keeps having a nightmare that she's going to murder. And when she sees the copse, she realise that this is the place in her nightmares.
But she doesn't believe in nightmares nor the local tales of witchcraft. Until a terrible thing happens that forces herself to think again...
Now... what can I say? I EFFING LOVE THIS BOOK! Not going to swear, but this book is so great! And it's a debut novel and the fact that this has such a strong reaction from me is amazing!
I want to talk about the subject that this book raises: bullying. This book very much shows the effects of bullying. Lis left her home in Wales because of terrible bullying she faced. Only to walk again into bullying, and it's nasty bullying. There were scenes that some people might find shocking (the use of fake emails, for example) but it doesn't surprise me and just reflects the levels some people will go to. But I think James tackled this issue with a good amount of care but was unflinching over it. I found this brave.
And then, James turns the book on its head and throws us a murder mystery. And not just a typical murder mystery, but the idea of witchcraft being involved. And he seems to blend the genres of this book together with the greatest of ease, and it was always interesting to see where he took me next as the twists were always there, lurking in the darkness of Hollow Pike's copse...
I had very high standards for this book. And Hollow Pike met each and every one of them. And excelled them all. Keep an eye on James Dawson. He is going to be huge! I demand his next book AT ONCE!
amber1989's review against another edition
3.0
I liked this book but didn't love it. It wasnt 'witchy' enough for me, I expected spells and potions but instead we got a bitch who got killed and Lis playing detective. I wish the author spent more time telling us about the witch hunters and what happened in hollow pike during the witch trials. The last few chspters were a bit rushed and he could have expanded on this further instead of adding as many 'OMG'S and 'babes' to rival those on TOWIE.
I'll give it a 3.5 rating because I did like it but i wouldnt read it again.
I'll give it a 3.5 rating because I did like it but i wouldnt read it again.
embersofstories's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
cat_invelaris's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
aestheticroxie's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
haruchan's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
larryleex's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
marissacelina's review against another edition
4.0
This was more than scary... This was definitely closer to thriller and mystery. The novel was told from a 15-year old girl's perspective, I will admit at first I was skeptical considering I didn't know if I was going to identify with her as much. Turns out Dawson's writing didn't make me feel like I was being squashed into a 15 year old's mind. This book did lag a bit towards the middle when there was a small gap between introducing us to the characters and when Lis is truly in danger. But for the sake of the ending, this novel deserves 4 stars because the ending was close to brilliant. Dawson did not hold back for these poor characters and I liked that!
There is a part in this novel that did surprise me. When Lis and her new little group of friends do something pretty cruel to the stereotypical beautiful yet mean popular girl. I was pretty shocked that again, Dawson did not hold back on any part. Of course there is romance in this and it's pretty sweet. Either way, the book was good and perfect for a stand-alone. It ended greatly and I particularly liked how thriller and creepy it was. Truly. 4 stars for this bad boy!
IF you liked this review, check out more on my blog where I review YA and other genres!
http://keepcalmandloveboooks.blogspot.ca
There is a part in this novel that did surprise me. When Lis and her new little group of friends do something pretty cruel to the stereotypical beautiful yet mean popular girl. I was pretty shocked that again, Dawson did not hold back on any part. Of course there is romance in this and it's pretty sweet. Either way, the book was good and perfect for a stand-alone. It ended greatly and I particularly liked how thriller and creepy it was. Truly. 4 stars for this bad boy!
IF you liked this review, check out more on my blog where I review YA and other genres!
http://keepcalmandloveboooks.blogspot.ca
nitzanschwarz's review
3.5
Hollow Pike was a big surprise for me. I admit I didn't quite know what I was walking into when I bought the book. I knew the synopsis was damn intriguing, and the purpleness of it was so eye-catching, so I got it. But between the moment I bought it and the moment I read it, there was a gap of about a year, and I'm now quite angry at myself for it because this was quite a good book, and I recommend you give it a try.
First of all, Hollow Pike is almost divided into a contemporary part, and a paranormal part. The first part of the book mostly deals with Lis, the main character, dealing with school life, picking "sides" and fighting bullies. Lis ran from her last school because she was bullied. Now she's in Hollow Pike, and she realizes it might all happen again. There are streaks of creepy bits, and hints of what might happen, and her dreams are chill-inducing, but it's almost contemporary.
Then comes the second part, which is a lot more paranormal, with more witchcraft, intrigue, and a murder investigation. More along the lines of what the synopsis promises, actually.
I'll be completely honest with you guys for a moment; Hollow Pike is not one of my usual reads. It's low on romance, which is one of my "musts" in a book, and the characters are younger than I usually read about. But there are so many good things about this book that I was able to enjoy it regardless.
First of all there were Delilah, Kitty, and Jake, the group of "freaks who are so freaky they're cool" in the school. Nobody messes with these three, and they demand almost as much respect and attention as the mean, popular crowd. Delilah and Kitty are lovers, and Jake just has something cool about him that I loved so very much.
Second, this book just keeps you guessing and on your toes. Who's the murderer? Is it one of her friends? someone from school? her boyfriend?... I had a suspicion which turned out to be right on this regard, but I was still jumping from that one to the rest of the cast the entire read, praying it won't be someone I love.
This book was, quite honestly, creepy. Which I seriously loved. From Lis's dreams, to the ravens, to the murder, and the person/s behind it, it was very creepy. I also loved that this book ended on the note of; maybe she's a witch, maybe she's not. It's not about witches, exactly, but more about Lis growing into herself and becoming the person she needs to be. And if she can also cast spells and see the future in her dreams on the way? that's just a bonus ;)
The only problem I had with this book was that sometime's Lis's character felt a bit inconsistent. She was so scared that she ran from her last school because of bullies, but here she fights them and turns into this strong I-won't-let-them-beat-me person. True, she reverts back to the running option when everything seems too bleak, but mostly she acts a lot stronger than I would expect her to so soon.
Also, the message at the end was a little cheesy, but well suited for the age group of this book.
Lastly, I've got to give huge kudos to James Dawson, who wrote an entire book from a girl's perspective while being a man, and making it sound believable and natural. Way to go, dude!
First of all, Hollow Pike is almost divided into a contemporary part, and a paranormal part. The first part of the book mostly deals with Lis, the main character, dealing with school life, picking "sides" and fighting bullies. Lis ran from her last school because she was bullied. Now she's in Hollow Pike, and she realizes it might all happen again. There are streaks of creepy bits, and hints of what might happen, and her dreams are chill-inducing, but it's almost contemporary.
Then comes the second part, which is a lot more paranormal, with more witchcraft, intrigue, and a murder investigation. More along the lines of what the synopsis promises, actually.
I'll be completely honest with you guys for a moment; Hollow Pike is not one of my usual reads. It's low on romance, which is one of my "musts" in a book, and the characters are younger than I usually read about. But there are so many good things about this book that I was able to enjoy it regardless.
First of all there were Delilah, Kitty, and Jake, the group of "freaks who are so freaky they're cool" in the school. Nobody messes with these three, and they demand almost as much respect and attention as the mean, popular crowd. Delilah and Kitty are lovers, and Jake just has something cool about him that I loved so very much.
Second, this book just keeps you guessing and on your toes. Who's the murderer? Is it one of her friends? someone from school? her boyfriend?... I had a suspicion which turned out to be right on this regard, but I was still jumping from that one to the rest of the cast the entire read, praying it won't be someone I love.
This book was, quite honestly, creepy. Which I seriously loved. From Lis's dreams, to the ravens, to the murder, and the person/s behind it, it was very creepy. I also loved that this book ended on the note of; maybe she's a witch, maybe she's not. It's not about witches, exactly, but more about Lis growing into herself and becoming the person she needs to be. And if she can also cast spells and see the future in her dreams on the way? that's just a bonus ;)
The only problem I had with this book was that sometime's Lis's character felt a bit inconsistent. She was so scared that she ran from her last school because of bullies, but here she fights them and turns into this strong I-won't-let-them-beat-me person. True, she reverts back to the running option when everything seems too bleak, but mostly she acts a lot stronger than I would expect her to so soon.
Also, the message at the end was a little cheesy, but well suited for the age group of this book.
Lastly, I've got to give huge kudos to James Dawson, who wrote an entire book from a girl's perspective while being a man, and making it sound believable and natural. Way to go, dude!