Hollow Pike by James Dawson
Published by Indigo
Something wicked this way comes... She thought she'd be safe in the country, but you can't escape your own nightmares, and Lis London dreams repeatedly that someone is trying to kill her. Lis thinks she's being paranoid - after all who would want to murder her? She doesn't believe in the local legends of witchcraft. She doesn't believe that anything bad will really happen to her. You never do, do you? Not until you're alone in the woods, after dark - and a twig snaps... Hollow Pike - where witchcraft never sleeps.
Hollow Pike is a fantastic read from an awesome debut author which I thoroughly recommend. In this review (fan girl rave) I will tell you exactly why it is so entirely awesome and why you need this book in your life and probably do this without telling you too much about the storyline or plot so I don't spoil it for anyone
The first reason why I loved this book was because it is uniquely different. It is an odd mix of a contemporary mixed with a horror/thriller than probably shouldn't work but it does so well. I loved how it switched between the very funny to the very dark
Another reason why this was fab this because James can really write girls well and I've never come across a male author who has managed to do this until now. He has this insight into the female mindset which comes across brilliantly in the comments made by the main character which I know for a fact I have thought of or said myself when in a similar situation.
This book is both sarcastic, witty and just down right funny in places. There were so many bits in the book where I was giggling out loud at the things the characters said or did especially when they were arguing.
The characterisation within this book was awesome. I loved the heroes of the piece and hated the nasty girls. I loved the secondary characters just as much as the main ones especially the quirky headteacher who I thought was just brilliant and again someone who made me giggle. James also knows how to write gorgeous boys. I completely got why Lis fell for Danny entirely because I did too.
I particularly loved that this book had gay characters that weren't just used as a gimmick to show how p.c/hip the author is. Another YA author who writes a certain overlong and drawn out vampire series makes me angry with her portrayal of gay characters by making them so over the top camp and by pointing them out all the time like they are a circus freak act. I loved that in Hollow Pike the gay characters were just there and they were quite rightly ordinary teenagers. I love that normalcy and think that in this book teenagers who are gay / might be gay have some kind of example to look to to see that actually being gay isn't an issue. Finally gay teenagers have got role models within British YA fiction.
One thing this book also does when is that it highlights the utterly devastating affect bullying in all its various forms can have on a young person's life. Again this is an issue that really can't get mentioned enough to raise awareness and to ultimately try to combat it within society.
All in all a fantastic debut which I thoroughly enjoyed and could not put down. I loved it entirely and would recommend it wholeheartedly to others. Go buy it in February because it is awesome!
READ IT FOR THE BRITISH BOOKS CHALLENGE
Published by Indigo
Something wicked this way comes... She thought she'd be safe in the country, but you can't escape your own nightmares, and Lis London dreams repeatedly that someone is trying to kill her. Lis thinks she's being paranoid - after all who would want to murder her? She doesn't believe in the local legends of witchcraft. She doesn't believe that anything bad will really happen to her. You never do, do you? Not until you're alone in the woods, after dark - and a twig snaps... Hollow Pike - where witchcraft never sleeps.
***
Hollow Pike is a fantastic read from an awesome debut author which I thoroughly recommend. In this review (fan girl rave) I will tell you exactly why it is so entirely awesome and why you need this book in your life and probably do this without telling you too much about the storyline or plot so I don't spoil it for anyone
The first reason why I loved this book was because it is uniquely different. It is an odd mix of a contemporary mixed with a horror/thriller than probably shouldn't work but it does so well. I loved how it switched between the very funny to the very dark
Another reason why this was fab this because James can really write girls well and I've never come across a male author who has managed to do this until now. He has this insight into the female mindset which comes across brilliantly in the comments made by the main character which I know for a fact I have thought of or said myself when in a similar situation.
This book is both sarcastic, witty and just down right funny in places. There were so many bits in the book where I was giggling out loud at the things the characters said or did especially when they were arguing.
The characterisation within this book was awesome. I loved the heroes of the piece and hated the nasty girls. I loved the secondary characters just as much as the main ones especially the quirky headteacher who I thought was just brilliant and again someone who made me giggle. James also knows how to write gorgeous boys. I completely got why Lis fell for Danny entirely because I did too.
I particularly loved that this book had gay characters that weren't just used as a gimmick to show how p.c/hip the author is. Another YA author who writes a certain overlong and drawn out vampire series makes me angry with her portrayal of gay characters by making them so over the top camp and by pointing them out all the time like they are a circus freak act. I loved that in Hollow Pike the gay characters were just there and they were quite rightly ordinary teenagers. I love that normalcy and think that in this book teenagers who are gay / might be gay have some kind of example to look to to see that actually being gay isn't an issue. Finally gay teenagers have got role models within British YA fiction.
One thing this book also does when is that it highlights the utterly devastating affect bullying in all its various forms can have on a young person's life. Again this is an issue that really can't get mentioned enough to raise awareness and to ultimately try to combat it within society.
All in all a fantastic debut which I thoroughly enjoyed and could not put down. I loved it entirely and would recommend it wholeheartedly to others. Go buy it in February because it is awesome!
READ IT FOR THE BRITISH BOOKS CHALLENGE
Comments
http://thecaitfiles.blogspot.com/2012/02/blog-tour-stop-celia-rees-day-in-life.html
Great to see your thoughts on this book.
~Ailsa
I thought exacvtly the same thing about the gay characters in this book and I LOVED the book as well! I cant wait for what James Dawson brings us next!