Review: Hollowland (The Hollows #1)

Title: Hollowland (The Hollows #1)

Author: Amanda Hocking

Page Count: 312 pages

My Rating: 4 TURTLES: A great read, I definitely recommend.

Synopsis:

Hollowland - the first book in the young adult dystopian series The Hollows... "This is the way the world ends - not with a bang or a whimper, but with zombies breaking down the back door." Nineteen-year-old Remy King is on a mission to get across the wasteland left of America, and nothing will stand in her way - not violent marauders, a spoiled rock star, or an army of flesh-eating zombies.

My Review:

Wow, what a thrill ride this one was! This was my first Amanda Hocking book (and, coincidentally, my first zombie book), which I had been meaning to read for a long time since I got it for free on Amazon. I'm super glad I finally got to it.

First off, I loved how tough Remy was! She definitely deserves to be up there with all the YA kick butt heroines! She was basically the only reason the people traveling with her were alive. Because of this she had to be tough as nails, but she also has a soft side which made her more likeable and human, and not just a zombie killing machine. I also loved how fast paced this book was! I recently finished Divergent, and I felt that this was even a bit more of a page-turner than that was. There was not a dull moment in the book, and the plot did not feel choppy, like some plots do when writers are trying to hurry from one action scene to the next.

Now, when I read any type of action novel, the type of writing I like best is the type that allows the story to move quickly. Some of the other reviews I have read of this book have complained of Hocking's minimalist style, but I thought it really fit with the story. There wasn't much flowery language, in fact, the little there was seemed out of place, and this, in part, enabled the pace to go as fast as it does. What did slow down the book for me was the amount of typos. It detracted from my reading when I was in the middle of an intense fight, and at times had to go back to reread something that didn't make sense, only to realize it was a typo.

All in all, the good definitely outweighed the bad. I don't know how Hollowland compares to other zombie novels, but as an action novel it is right up there. I definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for an exciting, dystopian read. I am looking forward to reading the second book in this series.

Buy Hollowland on Amazon