BOOK REVIEW: The Hollow by Nora Roberts

Title: The Hollow

Author: Nora Roberts

Publisher: Piatkus Books

Publication Date: 8 May 2008

Paperback: 336 pages

Genre: Paranormal Romance

REVIEWED BY LAURA

RATING: 6/10

SUMMARY:

In the small village of Hawkins Hollow, three best friends who share the same birthday sneak off into the woods for a sleepover the evening before turning 10. But a night of pre-pubescent celebration turns into a night of horror as their blood brother oath unleashes a three-hundred year curse. Twenty-one years later, Fox O'Dell and his friends have seen their town plagued by a week of unexplainable evil events two more times - every seven years. With the clock winding down on the third set of seven years, someone else has taken an interest in the town's folklore. A boutique manager from New York, Layla Darnell was drawn to Hawkins Hollow for reasons she can't explain - but the recent attacks on her life make it clear that it is personal. And though Fox tries to keep his professional distance, his interests in Layla have become personal too.

REVIEW:

Nora Roberts' demonic trilogy continues with 'The Hollow', which began with 'Blood Brothers' and will conclude with 'The Pagan Stone'.

The story continues where it left off with Fox and his love interest Layla taking up the narrative. Fox and Layla are very different characters from the steady Caleb and vivacious Quinn who were the focus of the previous novel, but it's very easy to get back into the swing of the story.

As a male lead, Fox is easy to warm to. With his unorthodox, hippy, vegan family which has led to his gentle coke swilling, junk food rebellion. Making a living as a lawyer, he is submerged deeply into small town life, yet what should be small pettiness is written with affectionate warmth and is interesting, endearing and despite all of this he still comes across as ruggedly sexy.

In contrast, I found Layla harder to identify with. Somewhat aloof, it took me until the end of the book to really get a sense of who she is. Maybe it's how she arrived in the first book: drawn to the town by strange dreams she had a vision that told her to go to Hawkins Hollow, but as consequence she does not have a connection to the town or any of the deeper relationships or connections that the others do. Her family is never mentioned, or her hair colour, small things, but their absence bugged me.

In terms of the overall narrative, the demonic haunting continues to gain pace, with the episodes getting darker and more prolonged. Developing the creepy, chilly edge I so enjoyed in 'Blood Brothers'. The swarm of black spiders turning the windows black in particular gave my arachnophobic self the heebie geebies.

The relationship between the six friends, three women and three men continued to grow, the solidarity, strength and matter of fact way they approach the haunting is inspired. Index cards and diagrams for sightings, they would make any murder detective proud.

As with the first in the series, the book is inescapably the second of a trilogy and in that sense would fail as a stand alone novel. But if you're prepared to read it, as I have, as one of three, then it's a warm, easy reading page turner.

I'm already eagerly anticipating the final instalment as the electricity between Gage and Cybil is particularly tangible. I have a feeling it may be my favourite of the three.

SOURCE: This book is from Laura's personal library

**Look out for Laura's review of the third installment in the Blood Brothers series, The Pagan Stone, next Wednesday 17th!**