Review of The Hollow that Ate the Sun

[Gabriela Contreras Gonzalez]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Hollow that Ate the Sun" by Douglas A. Gosselin.]

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3 out of 5 stars

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Set in Houston during the 1970s, The Hollow That Ate the Sun by Douglas A. Gosselin follows Mickey, Jimmy, Ricky, and Davy, four brothers that have always been with each other no matter what. One day, the brothers embarked on a mysterious adventure in the bayou after Jimmy told them about a crying girl. What Jimmy didn’t tell his brothers was that he had heard the girl before, in different places, for over a year. There are things more dangerous and stranger than what we imagine; there are mysteries that we should not investigate. Read The Hollow That Ate the Sun to discover what happens with Jimmy and what is hiding in the bayou.

The plot is interesting, but I found some scenes confusing, as I could not understand how they connected to the story. Those moments are minimal, and the story (in general) blends perfectly. The author wrote this book in such a way that the reader is able to experience everything alongside Jimmy and his brothers: the excitement, the fear, even the confusion. I enjoyed the author’s writing style; the story was intriguing and captivating, and it kept me at the edge of my seat. The book is also short, so I could read it all in one sitting, which is something I love with mysterious books, because I cannot sleep if I don’t know how the story ends. I also enjoyed the relationship the brothers have with each other, the description of how close they are, and how they protect and care about each other. Unfortunately, the book is not perfect, and there were some things that could be improved.

One thing that bothered me was that my copy had a formatting issue, causing uneven spacing between words. I also would have loved that the book did not focus so much on Jimmy, as I would have enjoyed getting to know better the rest of the brothers; it felt like their characters were not relevant enough to give them real personalities.

Overall, I rate this book 3 out of 5 stars. The book has been professionally edited, but between the formatting issues and some grammatical errors, there are things that need to be improved; another round of editing could benefit the book. The plot was interesting, and with the current length of the book, it was nicely crafted, but I still felt that it needed something else: more detail, more protagonist to the secondary characters, more information… At the end, the book simply feels as it is missing something to be perfect.

I recommend this book to those who enjoy suspense novels. This is not a typical horror book; it is not meant to scare the reader but to keep them engaged. This is also a book that teenagers (especially male) might enjoy, as they can relate to the characters.

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The Hollow that Ate the Sun
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[Emmanuel Maduabuchi Eze]

The suspense hits me hard. I would really want to know who the crying girl and what unfolds in the bayou. I would also like to how how the brothers Mickey, Jimmy, Ricky, and Davy functioned through the plot twists.

[Kibet Hillary]

I am glad the reader is able to experience everything together with the main character; I am wondering how the four brothers will react to the cries of the girl and what the mystery is. Thank you for the informative review, @Gabriela Contreras Gonzalez.

[Onyemuwa-dave]

I'm particularly drawn to the mystery of the crying girl in the bayou; I fancy a well-written mystery myself, especially one that keeps you on the edge of your seat. It's helpful to know about the strong brotherly bond, though your point on wanting more depth for other characters is noted. Thanks for this detailed feedback.