Book Review: Hollowed

Hollowed (Half Light #1)

By: Kelley York

Published By: Kelley York

Publication Date: August 15, 2012

eBook

Buy it at Amazon or Barnes & Noble

Source: ARC Kindly Provided by Author

Audience: Young Adult - Paranormal, Vampires

I was a little hesitant to read this one when Kelley York first approached me about it. Vampires lurk behind so many pages and as much as I love the fanged ones, I find myself getting bored with them. I keep seeking out some new paranormal blood to sate my reading thirst. My love of Kelley's writing style won out though and I agreed to give this one a try. I'm so glad I did. This is a vampire novel you do not want to miss.

I love that Kelley's writing is gritty and real. She's not afraid to expose the dark side of human nature. There are so many moments in this one where emotions are laid bare and I couldn't help cringing. I wasn't sure whether to hug Briar, the main character, or slink away in fear. She is a girl I wouldn't want to meet in a dark alley on a bad day. This girl is tough and has lived with the constant pain of the loss of her sister for years. To make things worse, Briar's boyfriend is constantly leaving town for work and the one night she needs him most he doesn't show. That night changes everything - literally - as Briar awakens to find that she is no longer human. But who passed along the virus that has forced her to live the life of a vampire?

Also, this is not a typical vampire book. There is so much going on that the vampire angle didn't feel like a rewashed version of previous novels that I have read. I did have a brief moment that conjured up memories from reading Peeps by Scott Westerfeld, but it only last a split second. This novel is more about Briar and how she handles all the half truths and secrets that swirl about her. I also love these characters. I was wrapped up in them and nothing else seemed to matter. Daniel alone would make this novel well worth the read, but all the characters, even the villains are intriguing and memorable. 

The mystery and action elements in this one will keep you frantically reading. I had a few suspicions concerning Briar's transformation, but I never could have predicted some of the twists and turns. Kelley York is a master story teller who is quickly becoming one of my Indie favorites. Her pacing and characters are superb. I also appreciate that even though this was a self published novel, it was not littered with typos and grammatical errors. Kelley knows her stuff and continues to find ways to keep me trapped in her web of words. After reading two of her novels, I'm a fan and would read future works without hesitation.

One Last Gripe: The beginning was a little slow for me, but things started to pick up fairly quickly after the first few chapters.

My Favorite Thing About This Novel: I love the dark, edgy quality of Kelley's writing

First Sentence: He's not coming.

Favorite Character: Briar

Least Favorite Character: Joel

Summary:

All 18-year-old Briar Greyson wanted was to figure out this whole living-away-from-your-parents thing. Apartment, steady job, cool roommate? Check. Noah, her adorable (albeit elusive) boyfriend? Check. Everything in the life of Briar was pretty good.

Then she and her roommate are attacked on their way home one night. Briar wasn't supposed to survive.

Instead, according to the two guys who saved her, she's turning into the things that attacked her: a vampire. Totally crazy and Not Okay. Now Noah's secrets are coming to light, and he wants Briar dead. Then there are the vampires who attacked Briar to lure out her sister.

Her sister...who died years ago.

(Didn't she?)

The city's body count is rising, and Briar wants to help put a stop to it. But first, she has to figure out who the real enemy is: the vampires, the boy she loves, or the sister she thought she'd lost.