Book Review: The Hollow Kingdom by Clare B. Dunkle

September 2006, 240 pages.
My Source: borrowed from the library
Amazon Description:

"She had never screamed before, not when she overturned the rowboat and almost drowned, not even when Lightfoot bucked her off and she felt her leg break underneath her with an agonizing crunch. But now she screamed long and loud, with all her breath."

Hallow Hill has a strange and tragic history. For thousands of years, young women have been vanishing from the estate, never to be seen again. Now Kate and Emily have come to live at Hallow Hill. Brought up in a civilized age, they have no idea of the land's dreadful heritage-until, that is, Marak decides to tell them himself.

Intelligent, pleasant, and completely pitiless, Marak is a powerful magician who claims to be a king-and he has very specific plans for the two new girls who have trespassed into his kingdom.

The Hollow Kingdom is a 2004 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.

My Review: I loved the way this story drew me in right from the start. Girls have been disappearing over a long period of time and it seems to be quite mysterious. When Kate and her younger sister, Emily, find themselves involved, a whole new world opens up.

I really enjoyed how innocent Emily was. She was ready for any sort of adventure and made the best of everything. Kate was more reserved, yet she was willing to fulfill a promise and to do what was required of her, even though she absolutely had no desire to at all. Kate eventually accepts her situation and realizes that it's not always the appearance of people that is the most important thing. She learns some great lessons and it really reminded me of a Beauty and the Beast type of story.

Marak was so creepy and over-confident at first, but then the reader gets to know him better and realizes that he's not as he first seemed to be. I thought the author did a great job in portraying him.

This was such a unique story--magic elements, fantasy creatures, normal situations, adventurous, and the stuff legends are made out of. A great book for ages 11 and up.

Content: some violence, but not overly descriptive.

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