The paranoia thrives in the situation Vernon crafts. Our creatures here are purposely kept indecipherable to the human psyche, but they rely upon our very thoughts to find us. The Twisted Ones managed to be terrifying in the cramped corridors of a dead hoarder’s house and with its twisted monsters, but The Hollow Places takes this to even greater heights. Second of all, Vernon really, really ups the creepy factor in this book.

I love this kind of attention to detail in Vernon’s books. Because Vernon spends a good amount of time detailing Carrot’s positive associations with the Wonder Museum, it creates an interesting side to the character, and it makes the building’s later danger more heartbreaking to see. For example, unlike most people that would live in a museum filled with creepy taxidermy, Carrot loves the weird place. I also particularly like her individual quirks. Her woes regarding divorce, her job, her financial situation, and her eventual descent into trauma caused by time in a Hellworld all endear her to the reader. Much like Vernon’s previous venture into horror, The Hollow Places continues this trend in my reading life.įirst of all, our main character Carrot is great. Her books lure me in with this well-crafted optimism and affection and keep me there with a host of wonderful characters and engaging plots. No matter the genre, Vernon’s books are so wonderfully positive, hilarious, well-written, and full of a deep affection for the subject matter. Kingfisher, I become more and more enamored with this author’s worlds. Review: As I continue diving into the adult works of Ursula Vernon written under the pseudonym, T. But these places are haunted by creatures that seem to hear thoughts…and the more one fears them, the stronger they become. Freshly divorced and living back at home, Kara now becomes obsessed with these cryptic words and starts exploring this peculiar area-only to discover that it holds portals to countless alternate realities. Kara finds the words in the mysterious bunker that she’s discovered behind a hole in the wall of her uncle’s house.

The hollow places review