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greenvillemelissa's review
4.0
Book #115 Read in 2016
The Mystery of Hollow Places by Rebecca Podos
This was a decent young adult mystery book. Imogene's mother left Im and her father when Im was just a baby. Then one day her father has disappeared. Imogene feels that his disappearance is linked to her mother's and begins her own investigation. Will she find answers about many things? Will this reveal some insight into herself? This was a good read. I borrowed the book from the public library.
The Mystery of Hollow Places by Rebecca Podos
This was a decent young adult mystery book. Imogene's mother left Im and her father when Im was just a baby. Then one day her father has disappeared. Imogene feels that his disappearance is linked to her mother's and begins her own investigation. Will she find answers about many things? Will this reveal some insight into herself? This was a good read. I borrowed the book from the public library.
trisha_thomas's review
3.0
I'm really torn on this one.
On one hand, this was a wonderful character driven story. I loved Imogene and just how driven and yet aimless she was. Imogene is struggling. Her dad has just gone missing and she's left with her stepmom. Imogene's mom left when she was little and she's never known her.
But her father left her a clue. A clue to a puzzle that Imogene knows only she can decipher.
I did really like Imogene with all her flaws and insecurities. She was a great character to read about and I loved her friendship with Jessa. I even loved her crush on Chad.
But the story....was slow moving for me. The mystery never really hooked me and I struggled and almost stopped early on. In the end, I'm glad I continued. The writing was great and the end was interesting.
On one hand, this was a wonderful character driven story. I loved Imogene and just how driven and yet aimless she was. Imogene is struggling. Her dad has just gone missing and she's left with her stepmom. Imogene's mom left when she was little and she's never known her.
But her father left her a clue. A clue to a puzzle that Imogene knows only she can decipher.
I did really like Imogene with all her flaws and insecurities. She was a great character to read about and I loved her friendship with Jessa. I even loved her crush on Chad.
But the story....was slow moving for me. The mystery never really hooked me and I struggled and almost stopped early on. In the end, I'm glad I continued. The writing was great and the end was interesting.
kimching232's review
3.0
When Imogene was two years old, her mother took off unexpectedly without telling anyone why or where she was going to. Now Imogene is a teenager, and this time, it's her dad who took off without telling anyone. Imogene knows that she's the only one who can find her father, so she used various detective novels to help her reach her father.
This book was not what I expected it to be. I expected this book to be centered on mystery, but I didn't feel pulled the mystery at all. However, as I read on, I realized that the mystery is not the main point of the novel. The main point was the journey that the main character took to find meaning and understand her family and herself even more. That is actually my favorite thing about the novel. However, I just couldn't rate this more than 3 stars.
This book was interesting, yes, and I liked the journey that the main character took but I still feel like there's something missing from the book to make it more meaningful and compelling. I just wasn't that drawn into the story as much as I hoped to be, and I kept putting the book down because I wasn't compelled to read it. The story is interesting in it's own way though, so don't get me wrong. It was not boring; not at all. I just didn't feel the pull.
While I was reading this novel, I was just like "meh" the whole time. I wasn't able to connect to the main character or any other character for that matter. In the end, I was neither shocked nor did I say, "Aha! I knew it!" I was just reading the book and not feeling anything, but I know that the story is nice.
This book was not what I expected it to be. I expected this book to be centered on mystery, but I didn't feel pulled the mystery at all. However, as I read on, I realized that the mystery is not the main point of the novel. The main point was the journey that the main character took to find meaning and understand her family and herself even more. That is actually my favorite thing about the novel. However, I just couldn't rate this more than 3 stars.
This book was interesting, yes, and I liked the journey that the main character took but I still feel like there's something missing from the book to make it more meaningful and compelling. I just wasn't that drawn into the story as much as I hoped to be, and I kept putting the book down because I wasn't compelled to read it. The story is interesting in it's own way though, so don't get me wrong. It was not boring; not at all. I just didn't feel the pull.
While I was reading this novel, I was just like "meh" the whole time. I wasn't able to connect to the main character or any other character for that matter. In the end, I was neither shocked nor did I say, "Aha! I knew it!" I was just reading the book and not feeling anything, but I know that the story is nice.
fantasmariana's review against another edition
5.0
“This happened, he knew from his school days; with enough time and the right conditions, precious stones could grow in hollow places.”
This is a story about a 17 year old girl named Imogene, whose father has gone missing. Imogene's dad is a succesful mystery writter who also happens to have bipolar disorder. "Im" is particularly attached to him because her mother left them when she was only two.
She is convinced that her father left her all the clues that she needs to find him, and she's also certain that if she manages to track down her long lost mother, she will also find her dad. This is how Imogene embarks on an investigation that will bring back painful memories, answer many questions, and finally show her what she's really capable of.
The Mystery of Hollow Places is Rebecca Podos's first novel and, boy, this woman can write. Her style is very beautiful without being over the top. Since the first chapter she gives us a great picture of Imogene's life and how scared she is of being like her mom: a troubled woman who rather disappear than stay to raise her daughter.
The women in that family were cursed. They could be lonely wherever the were.
Imogene is a very well constructed character. She is not super likeable, she is resentful, sad and conviced that she can do things on her own, therefore she pushes away everyone who cares about her. However, her best friend Jessa acts as a counterpart, constantly reminding us that Imogene is not only facing the disapparence of her dad, but also the everyday struggles of a highschool student.
I really liked the way the author treated depression and bipolar disorder, neither romanticizing or stigmatizing them. I also really enjoyed the fact that the author made realistic remarks, such as how a highschool student has a limited budget to conduct a missing person investigation on her own.
The story was very compelling. I was eager to find out what had happened to Imogene's dad and the whereabouts of her mom. I think Podos really managed to build up the mystery, create memorable characters and deliver a satisfactory ending (even when I was waiting for a much darker finale, tbh).
I will definetely keep track of her work and you should definetely give this book a chance. This is some of the most refreshing YA I've read lately.
Note: I received an e-galley of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to HarperCollins and Edelweiss.
lolarmoore's review
4.0
I really enjoyed this book. It was surprising and comforting and realistic and definitely ended with a lot of personal growth. The girl didn't get the boy. The mom didn't run away to meet the dad. The dad didn't find an easy solution to his mental illness. I think it was very beautiful.
lorimanning's review
2.0
I did not love this book. I know it has some starred reviews, but it isn't for me.
blakehalsey's review
5.0
This book is gorgeous, wise, emotional, & messy. The voice is all at once authentically teenage girl & vulnerable & brave. It's not an easy book, but a beautiful one & that's even better. Put this on your TBRs, because this book shows us that answers are rarely simple, rarely easy, but love can exists in between all that, and that choices are powerful. And I think we all need that reminder from time to time.
megancrews's review
4.0
Rebecca Podos's debut novel The Mystery of Hollow Places is a combination coming of age story and atmospheric mystery. Imogene has always loved reading detective books, especially the ones written by her dad. When he disappears in the middle of the night, leaving behind only one cryptic clue, Imogene decides to start sleuthing herself. The clue points her toward her absent mother, a figure she only knows from fairy tales spun by her father at bedtime. In order to find him, Imogene is convinced she must find out the true story behind this woman who vanished from their lives so long ago.
As a mystery aficionado, Imogene draws on the skills she has picked up from novels over the years to try and solve her case. Her dad’s first best-seller becomes her how-to manual as she tries to figure out the fine art of private investigation. Along the way she references dozens of fictional detectives which fans of the genre will enjoy. The fast-paced plot is set against a chilly, snowy New England backdrop, perfect for a good mystery story.
In the hands of a lesser writer, it could become a fun, noir -flavored mystery, but Podos creates a novel with depth. Imogene is forced to start rethinking who she thought she was in the light of the truths she uncovers about her missing parents, both of whom battle mental illness.
Podos hooks readers with a suspenseful mystery, but what makes this book so memorable is her beautiful style and Imogene’s endearing first person narration. Aside from missing parents, Imogene still has to navigate awkward interactions with the boy she has secretly adored forever, fights with her best (only) friend, and procuring gas money for her illicit investigation. There is nothing trite or saccharine about Podos’s handling of love, loneliness, and the struggle towards self-discovery. Imogene is real, funny, and absolutely endearing.
This book works so well, I am already looking forward to whatever Podos does next.
As a mystery aficionado, Imogene draws on the skills she has picked up from novels over the years to try and solve her case. Her dad’s first best-seller becomes her how-to manual as she tries to figure out the fine art of private investigation. Along the way she references dozens of fictional detectives which fans of the genre will enjoy. The fast-paced plot is set against a chilly, snowy New England backdrop, perfect for a good mystery story.
In the hands of a lesser writer, it could become a fun, noir -flavored mystery, but Podos creates a novel with depth. Imogene is forced to start rethinking who she thought she was in the light of the truths she uncovers about her missing parents, both of whom battle mental illness.
Podos hooks readers with a suspenseful mystery, but what makes this book so memorable is her beautiful style and Imogene’s endearing first person narration. Aside from missing parents, Imogene still has to navigate awkward interactions with the boy she has secretly adored forever, fights with her best (only) friend, and procuring gas money for her illicit investigation. There is nothing trite or saccharine about Podos’s handling of love, loneliness, and the struggle towards self-discovery. Imogene is real, funny, and absolutely endearing.
This book works so well, I am already looking forward to whatever Podos does next.
narniaxisxhome's review
3.0
Full review to come but... I just glanced at the blurb on the back again and "Sharp plotting, unexpected twists..."?!?!?! ARE YOU KIDDING ME? There was literally NO twist and the plot was SO UNORIGINAL!! The writing was good but I'll be damned if I haven't read a million YA and JF books EXACTLY like this plot wise... Literally, I guess you could say there were "twists" but they were so small and insignificant and... Lame. I could not WAIT for this book to be over just because the whole plot was ENTIRELY OBVIOUS and certainly not my definition of "twisty"... Drama and finding out secrets or information are not what I consider good plot twists. Would've rated it less if the writing style wasn't good... Also, as someone who has been diagnosed with depression, a Psychology major, and someone who knows and has seen mental illness first-hand, I just didn't like the way depression and mental illness was represented... I feel like most of that was based on research, because, again, as a Psychology major but also someone who has seen mental illness up close I can tell the difference between someone who has just researched and read about it and someone who actually knows, you know?