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3.48 AVERAGE
3.48 AVERAGE
I liked how this book was two mysteries in one, and without giving anything away, I liked how the love plot ended up!
I feel like I never review contemporaries so I’m not sure where to go with this one but we’ll just quickly talk about what I liked with this one. It was the first book I read after a month and a half reading slump so that should say something about how much I enjoyed it. It’s a fast paced and well thought out mystery with some very believable characters.
I really liked the characters in this one, there weren’t too many and the ones that we do get to meet are well rounded enough and their motives are well thought out. Imogene was a good main character, there’s definitely something annoying about her thought process but it’s also completely understandable and the way she progressed was totally reasonable. I also really liked Jessa and the dynamic that they shared, and her relationship with both her dad and stepmother was well done.
The main thing that I liked about this book was the mystery. It wasn’t a super intense one and nothing really shocked me, but it was well written and I liked the pacing of the entire story. It was the perfect length and I’ll definitely read more by this author. If you’re looking for an atmospheric mystery that’s perfect for the cooler months then I’d recommend this one.
I really liked the characters in this one, there weren’t too many and the ones that we do get to meet are well rounded enough and their motives are well thought out. Imogene was a good main character, there’s definitely something annoying about her thought process but it’s also completely understandable and the way she progressed was totally reasonable. I also really liked Jessa and the dynamic that they shared, and her relationship with both her dad and stepmother was well done.
The main thing that I liked about this book was the mystery. It wasn’t a super intense one and nothing really shocked me, but it was well written and I liked the pacing of the entire story. It was the perfect length and I’ll definitely read more by this author. If you’re looking for an atmospheric mystery that’s perfect for the cooler months then I’d recommend this one.
4.5 STARS!!!
Really loved this story.... quite engaging but not dark.... The family bond is portrayed perfectly in it.
Really loved this story.... quite engaging but not dark.... The family bond is portrayed perfectly in it.
Oh my what is happening to YA books. I had high hopes for this book, especially since I read past page 30, but I didn't feel I was living the protagonist's life. I felt like I was reading a Sherlock Holmes book, which is referenced a lot, along with other crime-solving fictions.
The book had a good story line, but I was constantly bored and felt like I was pushing myself through the novel.
I don't know, maybe I'm just not into the YA world anymore, but these new YA books leave me quite saddened.
The book had a good story line, but I was constantly bored and felt like I was pushing myself through the novel.
I don't know, maybe I'm just not into the YA world anymore, but these new YA books leave me quite saddened.
Beautifully written, very atmospheric. It's a mystery that's grounded in reality, and the mystery is really just a metaphor for a coming-of-age story.
Podos captures the voice of Imogene so well--and it's great that she's smart, prickly, and a book lover. (Although what a big part of what defines Imogene as "smart" is her SAT score, which seems like lazy characterization to me.)
As someone who's lived near Boston for the past couple years, it's really cool to read a book that's set around Boston, and the descriptions of the setting grounds the story very well.
Also, I loved the (non)romance!
The only thing that annoyed me was how much of a jerk Imogen was to Jessa, and how easily Jessa forgave Imogen. I felt like Imogen should have done more to earn her forgiveness.
Podos captures the voice of Imogene so well--and it's great that she's smart, prickly, and a book lover. (Although what a big part of what defines Imogene as "smart" is her SAT score, which seems like lazy characterization to me.)
As someone who's lived near Boston for the past couple years, it's really cool to read a book that's set around Boston, and the descriptions of the setting grounds the story very well.
Also, I loved the (non)romance!
Spoiler
While Imogen was having her crush on Chad, I was really, really hoping they wouldn't get together. It's not that there wasn't chemistry, but I think they were just in such different stages of life. There's a huge gap between being in college and being in high school, and I'd like Imogen to explore her options a little more. But I could kind of see them together four years or so down the road. But I think Chad needs to be developed more first.The only thing that annoyed me was how much of a jerk Imogen was to Jessa, and how easily Jessa forgave Imogen. I felt like Imogen should have done more to earn her forgiveness.
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This was really enjoyable. Well-constructed and well-written, pulled at my heartstrings, made me cry, lots of wishful longing for parents who aren't there and maybe were never there. I loved the sleuthing (hard to resist a teen sleuth) and the main characters.
First off, let me give credit where it’s due. This is a really good debut novel. The author’s narration is pretty smooth and the writing flows off the pages effortlessly.
That being said, this book was really only an average read for me.
Imogene Scott is a half-Asian, half-American teenager. She’s an introvert and she’s grown up preferring the company of authors and fictional heroines to uncomfortable social situations. Her mom was said to be a troubled woman and left the family when Imogene was just two years old. Immy now lives in Sugarbrooke, with her dad, a forensic pathologist-turned-famous author of medical mysteries and her therapist-turned-stepmom, Lindy.
When her dad goes missing on Valentine’s Day, leaving behind no tracks of his location except a half of a stone heart in her desk drawer, Immy’s convinced that he’s looking for her mother. Piecing together the clues in her dad’s computer and the stuff she’s gleaned from reading so many of his books, Immy slowly starts to uncover her family’s story, finding herself in the process.
Here, I must warn anyone who is reading: do not be fooled into thinking that this book is a thriller, or even a major mystery. It’s more a YA coming-of-age contemporary that deals with friendships and mental illness. This was my first disappointment. I went into this book expecting a mysterious, exciting read; the first few chapters promised something pretty strange too, but the rest was really a very slow, dull read.
My second disappointment was Imogene herself. In any other book, I would have empathized with a nerdy, introverted heroine, but here she’s just too childish for my liking. She picks fights with her stepmother for no apparent reason. She uses her best friend, Jessa in her ‘detective work’ and later insults her by calling her dumb. She constantly compares her plain-self with Jessa’s attractiveness and it was so tiresome after a point.
Also, I wasn’t fond of the excessive descriptions. I mean, do I really need constant updates about the weather changes and the color of the sky? I don’t think so. And I don’t care about the various train/bus/car routes she took while getting to different places, especially since I haven’t been to any of the said places.
What I did like was the characterization. I loved that Imogene, her parents, her stepmother and Jessa weren’t typical, predictable creatures, but had a lot of depth and felt very real. I do not have a lot of experience with mental illness, but I think its portrayal in this book was quite good. Also, there are a ton of literary references, which I was quite familiar with (for once), hence the extra half star!
And the icing on the cake (or a thick growth of fungus, depending on your mood) : there’s no romance!
I totally feel you, Immy!
ACTUAL RATING: 2.5
That being said, this book was really only an average read for me.
Imogene Scott is a half-Asian, half-American teenager. She’s an introvert and she’s grown up preferring the company of authors and fictional heroines to uncomfortable social situations. Her mom was said to be a troubled woman and left the family when Imogene was just two years old. Immy now lives in Sugarbrooke, with her dad, a forensic pathologist-turned-famous author of medical mysteries and her therapist-turned-stepmom, Lindy.
When her dad goes missing on Valentine’s Day, leaving behind no tracks of his location except a half of a stone heart in her desk drawer, Immy’s convinced that he’s looking for her mother. Piecing together the clues in her dad’s computer and the stuff she’s gleaned from reading so many of his books, Immy slowly starts to uncover her family’s story, finding herself in the process.
Here, I must warn anyone who is reading: do not be fooled into thinking that this book is a thriller, or even a major mystery. It’s more a YA coming-of-age contemporary that deals with friendships and mental illness. This was my first disappointment. I went into this book expecting a mysterious, exciting read; the first few chapters promised something pretty strange too, but the rest was really a very slow, dull read.
My second disappointment was Imogene herself. In any other book, I would have empathized with a nerdy, introverted heroine, but here she’s just too childish for my liking. She picks fights with her stepmother for no apparent reason. She uses her best friend, Jessa in her ‘detective work’ and later insults her by calling her dumb. She constantly compares her plain-self with Jessa’s attractiveness and it was so tiresome after a point.
Also, I wasn’t fond of the excessive descriptions. I mean, do I really need constant updates about the weather changes and the color of the sky? I don’t think so. And I don’t care about the various train/bus/car routes she took while getting to different places, especially since I haven’t been to any of the said places.
What I did like was the characterization. I loved that Imogene, her parents, her stepmother and Jessa weren’t typical, predictable creatures, but had a lot of depth and felt very real. I do not have a lot of experience with mental illness, but I think its portrayal in this book was quite good. Also, there are a ton of literary references, which I was quite familiar with (for once), hence the extra half star!
‘I think it’s like this: as long as you don’t turn the last page in a book, you get to believe whatever you want to believe. You can have faith the good guys will win, the bad guys will lose…
But I am so fucking scared to turn the page.’
And the icing on the cake (or a thick growth of fungus, depending on your mood) : there’s no romance!
‘I mean, how are two people supposed to like each other the right amount in the right way at the right time? Impossible.’
I totally feel you, Immy!
ACTUAL RATING: 2.5
Imogene’s father, author of a popular series of medical mysteries, has gone missing, and her stepmother Lindy is freaking out. He left the medication he takes for depression behind, and Lindy fears the worst. But he also left a special memento for Imogene that only she understands, and this is how Imogene knows that he is actually searching for her mother, who walked out on them both many years before. Using the techniques of Miles Faye, the main character of her father’s novels, Imogene attempts to track down her father by searching for the mother that she’s never known.
This novel was the perfect mix of serious issues with moments of levity and humor. Podos explores the topic of depression and the impact it can have on a family while still keeping the plot lively and suspenseful. I loved the character of Imogene as well as her best friend Jessa, who looks like she’s going to be a cookie cutter at first and then develops into her own fully fleshed out character. The two have been friends since they were little girls, thrown together because they lived near each other, and Podos examines how their friendship has evolved through the years. As they approach adulthood, the two girls no longer have much in common, but they have a strong bond that withstands many tests throughout the novel. Though there are some hints at a possible romance with Jessa’s brother, the real focus is on the friendship between the girls which I found extremely refreshing. The novel ended in a way that was both satisfying and realistic. Recommended for readers of YA contemporary fiction with a twist of mystery.
Genre: Realist, Mystery
Grade: 9-12
Characterization: Excellent
Literary Merit: Very Good
I just don't have a lot of strong feelings for The Mystery of Hollow Places. It started off very interesting, but I wasn't moved by Imogene's search or what she discovered and I found myself very uncomfortable with her methods. I also was frustrated by the pop culture references (Fruit Ninja, Bebe heels, Baby Lips lip gloss, WiiU, etc.) which serve no purpose other than make the book feel dated already.
Longer review to come.
Longer review to come.