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A review by nitzanschwarz
Hollow Pike by Juno Dawson
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!