A car accident shattered sixteen-year-old Morgan’s family. Now her brother’s dead, her mom’s paralyzed in more ways than one, her dad lives at work and her seven-year-old sister Amy tries too freaking hard to salvage everything. What’s more, high school is its own special kind of hell, where her ex-boyfriend delights in spreading rumors that shred her reputation and make her feel like a loser.… loser.
When she finds an old camera in a creepy abandoned hospital, it seems like her luck is finally changing. And it is changing–from bad to worse. Because of course it is. Each time Morgan photographs one of her classmates they become corrupted versions of themselves. It’s like the camera steals their goodness, their essence, and leaves them hollow.
Then her sister uses the camera to take a selfie.
No matter what the cost, Morgan will find a way to reverse the effects of the cursed camera and save Amy, before her already-fractured family completely self-destructs.
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Rhonda Parrish’s Hollow tells the story of Morgan, a young girl who stumbles upon a camera with a dark power. With her family still reeling from a tragedy that changed their lives forever, Morgan is struggling with even more dealing with an asshole ex who won’t stop harassing her. One day, to avoid confrontation she ducks into the old abandoned hospital on their block. While inside, she comes across an old Polaroid instant camera. What seems like a sweet score soon turns sour when the subjects of her photos all take a turn for the worse.
The first thing that struck me about Hollow is that it’s written in first person, present tense. This is something that I haven’t personally seen elsewhere, and it took some getting used to. However, it did offer a uniquely intimate narrative and experience, which is one of the best parts of Parrish’s writing. Morgan begins as something of a tragic character, and Parrish seems to perfectly illustrate her anxious, guilt-ridden mind. She gets inside the mind of a teenage girl struggling to deal with her traumas and stay strong and pours it all out on the page. I’m pretty far removed from the mindset and situation of Morgan, but the way Parrish portrays her seems so raw and genuine.
As a horror story, Hollow doesn’t really take flight until the last quarter or so. Up until then, Parrish is setting the scene, lining up the circumstances and crafting the relationships necessary for the big final payoff. This first act might be a bit slow of a burn for some readers. There is a lot of time spent living in Morgan’s head, hearing her thoughts rattle around before the action truly kicks off. However, Parrish’s successfully intimate portrayal of Morgan is certain to make this slow burn bearable to all but the most impatient of readers.
Once the final act begins, Parrish truly kicks it into gear. The final act is haunting, dark and beautiful. Parrish pushes the envelope with scene after suspenseful scene, including some of the most gripping sequences I’ve read this year. She elicits a powerful, emotional response; all without relying on gore or violence. This culmination puts Morgan in some gut-wrenching scenarios that are certain to keep you locked in through the end.
Hollow is an emotional, psychological horror story about a girl confronting her traumas and inner demons. It’s not extreme, nor is it blood-soaked and violent. It’s a bit of a slow read, but the payoff is well worth the wait. It will get into your head, making you think and making you feel. If you’re looking to get emotionally invested in a strong, character driven story, look no further than Rhonda Parrish’s Hollow.
Everything has changed since the car accident that she is struggling to be normal even at school.It is bad until she finds a camera. It seems when she takes a picture the camera takes everything good from the person. Then her sister takes a selfie now she needs to save her. Is the camera cursed? What happens when the photo is taken? Will she be able to save her sister? See how she gets on
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
So I pretty much enjoyed this alittle weird but mostly good, I like the idea of the photos taking something from the subjects.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Hollow by Rhonda Parrish. This is told from MFC Morgan’s perspective. With problems at home due to the death of little brother Aric in a car accident which Morgan, her mother (who was paralyzed), and her little sister were involved in, Morgan not only has to deal with the guilt she feels but also the fact that her ex-boyfriend raped her. To make matters worse Morgan finds an old camera in the abandoned hospital near her home. The camera changes the people whose picture it takes, it is as though it steals all their goodness. When Morgan’s little sister takes a selfie, Morgan is determined to do whatever it takes to get her back. This is a short story but one that keeps you turning pages to find out how and what Morgan must do to correct the situation. I received a free copy from Booksprout and this is my voluntary and honest review.
I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started reading this book but fell in deep and wanted more. This book feels very much in the beginning like your run of the mill young adult teen angst but slowly morphs in a horror tale that delves into the interior of the teen mind and conflicting internal battles of good and evil which is swayed by family and circumstances. I instantly fell in love with the pace and the tone of the narration. You feel connected with the main protagonist, who is introduced and slowly we see her layers peeled away to see what makes her tick and therefore we are invested in her and her story. I highly recommend this book and advise that although there is some “horror” it is not something most people can’t handle.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Teen dealing with way too much
Morgan’s house is devoid of happiness since her little.brother was killed and her mother paralyzed in a car accident. Her Dad works all the time now, her Mom hardly ever comes out of their room, and Morgan is basically raising her younger sister and herself.
At the same time she’s having to deal with high school bullies that are making her life miserable. The only thing she’s still getting enjoyment from is photography and her best friend, Sevren.
Toss in an abandoned hospital that is supposedly haunted.Ted across the street, a camera she finds there, and a strangely colored magpie.
This book did have its spooky moments but it is mostly a book about loss and the ways people deal with it plus a look at a sad teen life.
CAUTION (might be spoilers):
This book is advertised as a Young Adult book but be aware of language, adult situations, and a rape scene.
I would have rated this 3 1/2 stars if I could have.
I received this book from Tyche Books through Net Galley in the hopes that I would read it and leave an unbiased review.
I love a good horror read that’s builds suspense as the story evolves. This is one of those stories. Plus more. Brilliantly written, this story increases the tension and the horror chapter by chapter, never allowing the reader one iota of the finale. And what a finale!
Five stars for a chilling read.
I enjoyed this book! I picked it up because the premise sounded like a horror movie that I would buy and I knew if I would buy the movie then I would definitely enjoy the book.
I don’t want to give too much away but basically Morgan lost her brother in a car accident that her mother, sister and herself were also in. Now home is horrible due to the fall out of the accident and she’s just try to hang on. When she finds an old camera in a creepy abandoned hospital she doesn’t expect that the camera will steal the goodness out of everyone it take a picture of. In true horror fashion, her sister ends up taking a selfie with it and now Morgan has to find a way to undo the camera’s effects before its too late.
When I say it reminds me of a horror story I mean it! I was totally yelling not to go into the hospital and definitely not to touch the camera!! The story builds at a good pace and is enjoyable. The characters were interesting and even though there were super serious parts, there was also a some very humorous spots too!! I honestly wasn’t ready for it to be over but I can see myself doing future rereads! I definitely recommend the book!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Morgan is 16 in this PG15 six-hour nightmare about high school hell compounded by a haunted hospital.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Sixteen year old Morgan’s problems just keep piling up. First a tragic car accident shatters her family, her brother I’d dead, her mother paralyzed, her dad is missing in action and her seven year old sister is feeling it the most. Her ex boyfriend spread humiliating rumours about her so school is no escape. She then finds a camera in an abandoned hospital, only when she takes someone’s picture it seems to still the goodness from the. To top it off her sister takes a selfie. Now she is trying to get her life back by reversing the camera’s effects.
This is a general horror story filled with all the necessary creepiness to give you chills. The characters are well crafted, full of personality, both with positives and negatives. The storyline was full of surprises and twists and turns, scares, omens, ghosts and suspense. I enjoyed the interaction between the characters and the narrative did a good job with setting the scenes and the haunted nature of the book. The author takes the reader on an emotional rollercoaster as the characters deal with the situations they go through the obstacles they faced. I really liked this book and think that the target audience will too.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I love books that involve photography in some way, so when I read the blurb, I had to check out Hollow by Rhonda Parrish.
The accident changed her world.
Her only solace was running…and Sevren.
An abandoned hospital. An evil doctor. A camera. A magpie.
Life is full of ups and downs, good times and bad times, good people and some not so good, but we all have a story to tell.
It’s hard to talk about Hollow without giving too much away, but Morgan faces her fears and tragic events.
I enjoyed Hollow by Rhonda Parish and it kept me curious. This is an easy reading story that I finished in one sitting.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of Hollow by Rhonda Parish.
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Hollow is a solid horror story in which the only thing scarier than the monsters are the people. The story is filled with rich characters, it has deep psychologically rooted fears, and faces life questions that rarely have good answers. The concepts were compelling and at times a little shocking.
The plot felt at times like it would fall into tropes of the genre but smartly turned the ideas slightly. Characters that I thought would be more ‘hollow’ had more depth than I expected. It read in many ways like an old pulp mystery but instead of coming off as campy it dug just a little deeper for something more important. It doesn’t shy away from real trama and issues facing teenagers.
The only problem was that it ended abruptly. The characters and setting have enough life that I'd have liked to linger just a little longer with them. But, the story doesn't wear out its welcome either with unnecessary fluff.
*Spoilers*
*CW: sexual assault, death*
The story follows a young girl, Morgan, after the tragic death of her younger brother. She blames herself for the accident. Her family is still recovering. In the midst of this, she is dealing with being sexually assaulted by an ex-boyfriend. Things only seem to go from bad to worse when she discovers a magical camera that turns those pictured evil.