The Hollow Kingdom

Title: The Hollow Kingdom

Author: Clare B. Dunkle

Publisher: Henry Holt and Company (2003)

Genre(s): Young Adult Fiction, Fantasy

Length: 230 pages

Synopsis:  Kate and Emily Winslow arrive at Hallow Hill estate newly orphaned and left to the care of their distant, old-fashioned uncle and their properly fussy great-aunts.  The estate belongs to Kate, and will be hers upon coming of age, but her uncle has other ideas.  When strange happenings begin to make Kate question her own sanity, her uncle takes the opportunity to push her further, hoping to have her committed to an asylum.  Trapped between her devious uncle and a power even more wild and strange, Kate is forced to make a choice: relinquish her sister to  her uncle’s power and herself to an asylum, or ally herself with a creature she can scarcely fathom- the Goblin King of Hallow Hill.

My Rating: 3 Stars

My Opinion: 

While the concept behind this book is appealingly classic, the style leaves a bit to be desired.  Every writer has heard the old adage “Show, don’t tell.”  This story doesn’t so much tell as grab the reader by the wrist and frog-march him through the first 50 pages or so.  Dunkle wants to start in the middle of the action, another excellent writers’ trick, but there’s just too much back-story required to let her plunge right in.  The prologue, set 70 years before the book takes place, is an unfortunate hint that the rest of the book will lurch past in odd fits and starts.  Little time is spent developing characters as they’re pushed onward through an admittedly intriguing plot.  By the last third of the book, the balance has resolved a bit, but I still feel no need to read the rest of the trilogy. 

The Fever Tree

Title: The Fever Tree

Author: Jennifer McVeigh

Publisher: Viking (March 2012)

Genre(s): Historical Fiction

Length: 346 pages

Synopsis:  Frances Irvine grew up in the sheltered, wealthy world her father worked so hard to create for her.  Though as the daughter of a merchant she was never truly accepted into the world of high society, it was the only life she knew until her father’s sudden death left her facing a difficult choice: a life dependent on the goodwill of her family, or a voyage to South Africa to begin a life of her own.  Finally given the freedom to make her own choices, Frances plunges blythely forward.  By the time she realizes the repercussions of her actions, it may be too late to reverse them.

My Rating: 4 Stars

My Opinion:

This book is really a rather interesting take on the story of a young Victorian woman.  Many historical fictions surrounding women at this time in history tend to focus on “strong women”: independent individuals bucking the restrictive order of their time.  Frances, however, is well aware of the work her father did to ensure that she would never need to be strong and independent, and also, unfortunately, that he never counted on leaving his painted blossom alone.  Initially, Frances is an appealing character- devoted daughter sacrificing as she must upon her father’s death- but she quickly loses that appeal.  Her choices grow steadily more objectionable as they become increasingly selfish.  It’s understandable; she feels she has no one left worth sacrificing for, but as a reader, it’s a bit unpleasant to have to deal with this self-centered, childish young woman.  She has redeeming moments, but so much of the time, the reader just wants to reach through the page and smack her.  It takes some time for her to hit rock bottom, but the momentum of the novel seems to have petered out by the time the reader gets to see what we’ve all been hoping we will: Frances’s redemption.  This is not to suggest, however, that Frances is unbelievable as a character.  In fact, it is her complete reality that makes extended time in her company somewhat uncomfortable.  Despite our somewhat unlikeable guide, this truly is a wonderful book, and definitely worth the read, even if only for its gritty exploration of Victorian South Africa.

Acceleration

Title: Acceleration

Author: Graham McNamee

Publisher: Wendy Lamb Books (2003)

Genre(s): Young Adult Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Crime Thriller, Suspense

Length: 210 pages

Synopsis:  Duncan’s summer day job, as gopher in the dungeon-like Toronto Transit Authority’s lost and found, is anything but glamorous.  Looking for a way to spend dull hours, however, Duncan stumbles across a little brown book filled with newspaper clippings and disturbing diary entries.  Sick and twisted descriptions of mutilated animals and arson fill the pages, and Duncan becomes convinced he’s found the diary of a serial killer.  Haunted by recurrent dreams of a drowning victim he was unable to save, Duncan feels that at last he’s been given the chance to redeem himself by catching the book’s creator, but the more he immerses himself in the terrifying diary, the more he becomes convinced that he alone can catch this killer.  As the puzzle unravels, however, the question becomes less of how Duncan will accomplish this, and more about what will happen if he does.

My Rating: 4 Stars

My Opinion: 

An excellent book for that hard to please audience: the teenage boy.  Like a summer blockbuster action flick, it’s got a little bit of everything: thrills, suspense, redemption, comic relief, and a pleasantly subtle romance.  Also like that blockbuster, however, Acceleration is just a little too cut-and-dried to reach great heights.  From Duncan’s motivation to the neatly packaged resolution, everything has an explanation.  With the exception of Duncan, all the characters feel somewhat flat and generic, though this doesn’t really detract from a plot driven largely on Duncan’s single-minded quest for redemption.  It plays to everyone’s secret (or not-so-secret) desire to be a hero, solve the crime, and save the day.  With a truly frightening villain lurking behind the scenes, the reader can’t help but hope that Duncan will succeed, and quickly!  Acceleration is a pleasant diversion and certainly worth your time, but probably not about to land on the classics shelf.