The Mystery of Hollow Places

In this gorgeously written YA mystery, 17-year-old Imogene Scott sets out to find her father, a forensic pathologist and mystery writer, after he abruptly vanishes one day. But he left her a single clue, one tied to the bedtime story he used to tell her about her mother. Other than that tale and a photograph, that's all Imogene knows of the woman who gave birth to her, then left when she was only a toddler. Convinced that her father must be looking for her mother, Imogene begins her own investigation to try to find him. But first, she must unravel the truth behind the identity of her mother - and her own origins. Beautifully written and utterly mesmerizing, THE MYSTERY OF HOLLOW PLACES is much more than, well, a mystery. It's a story about a girl searching for her family and grappling with the unbelievable reality of her father's disappearance. It's also a story of teen friendships and insecurities, as Imogene's life as a high schooler doesn't just vanish because her father did. While the story is well plotted and the questions of "who the heck is Imogene's mom" and "where the heck did her dad go" serve as great hooks, it was really the the hypnotic writing and Imogene's voice that kept the pages turning for me. Like I said, utterly mesmerizing. I read the whole thing in maybe 48 hours (while on a vacation with plenty of distractions). As a character, Imogene is a fantastic mix of the snarky and the profound, a teen who alternates seamlessly between rattling off fun quips in both dialogue and narration and delving into gorgeous descriptions of her world and emotions. I also loved that the story explored a female friendship rather than focusing on her romantic interest. Not that there's anything wrong with romance, mind you. And there's a bit of that too. The whole book flows like a river, sometimes serene, often bouncing up against rocks, winding around obstacles to reach a thoroughly satisfying conclusion that left me staring into space and sighing for far too long (fortunately, my travel companions were too asleep to witness the weird smile that must have been on my face). Finishing was indeed bittersweet... I loved how it concluded but was sad that it was over. And in conclusion: READ IT READ IT READ IT!!! P.S. In the interest of full disclosure - Rebecca Podos and I share an agent (Lana Popovic), but other than that leading to my discovery of her awesome novel, that has nothing to do with anything. (What, I work at a Big Company and they've gotten me in the habit of adding disclaimers to everything)

3.75. This author has STUNNING prose. I re-read passages so many times because they were so exacting and beautiful. This was an interesting read about a 17 year old daughter whose father disappears, only leaving her one "clue" in his absence. Her father, a mystery writer, was an interesting character to read based on his profession and that he was a single parent. In attempting to find her father, our protagonist must overcome obstacles, out think her mystery writer father and uncover secrets from their past. Things that I loved about this book were the writing, the female friendship and the close introspection into single parent families and mental illnesses. A great debut novel that has sold me on any future book this author writes. [...]

I love mysteries, and this book seemed to scream mystery to me. And it's unfortunate that as much as I liked the main character, the setting, and the storyline, I had a lot of trouble connecting to the voice of the book. I kept losing interest and put it down for months. It's a fine read and has some nice notes of diversity, but I'm still disappointed that I didn't love it more. Podos's writing is capable, but just not for me. Recommended for: ages 14+, YA readers, adults who read YA, mystery fans, school libraries, public libraries

The Mystery of Hollow Places is one of the best YA novels I have ever read. From the voice to the brilliant and flawed main character (and her journey), I could not put this book down. This debut novel by Rebecca Podos has a lot of precise and precious things to say about mental health, forgiveness and identity. To say I loved this book would be a huge understatement. Podos has joined the ranks of insta-buy authors for me and I'm already eager to see what she writes next. No, not eager. I'm impatient to see what she writes next. Because I look forward to being in this authors capable hands once again.

There was much more to this than I expected. Very touching little mystery about our hearts and what's in them

Imogene Scott wakes up on Valentine's Day to discover from her stepmother that her father has disappeared. His car is there, his wallet is there, but he is nowhere to be found. The only two clues are the date (the day her mother and father met), and the geode left on her nightstand which is the center of the story of how her parents met when her grandmother ended up dead on her father's table at the morgue. Im has never met her mother who disappeared when she was just a baby. She thought her father had moved on from her, since he remarried their family therapist a few years ago. But the clues make Im believe that her father has set out to find her long lost mother. After all, he is now a famous mystery writer. It'd be like him to leave her clues the police and her stepmother would miss. So Im recruits her best friend and takes off on her own investigation to find her mom and hopefully find her long lost father. But there's one more thing. Her mother was mentally unstable. And her grandmother also ended up in the morgue after being mentally unstable. Is Im's brain reliable? I liked the mystery and that it surprised me by not turning out the way I expected. Im's stepmother gets kudos for not being Disney stepmother material; her line after finding Im when she's scared she's disappeared as well is hilarious and pretty much Gilmore Girls worthy. She may be my favorite character in the book. I really wasn't sure what to think of Im herself for quite a while. She's had some rough spots in her past, she has issues making friends (and being a friend), and it takes a long while to figure out how reliable of a narrator she is. That adds to the mystery but I wasn't sure if I liked Im or not most of the book (and sometimes I was pretty sure I didn't like her, pitied maybe, but not like) so I was kept reading to find out the mystery but I didn't necessarily find it fun. The best part of this is the respectful and realistic look into depression, mental issues, and the way it affirms that there's no shame in getting help or seeing a counselor/therapist. Those who like contemporary mysteries with damaged main characters are going to be the best readers for this (but see content notes because there is some mature content). Notes on content: There were around 10 f bombs, and a handful of other mild to moderate swears. No sex scenes, however there is some discussion about sexual activity and what kinds of things teens Im knows are involved in. Heavy kissing on page. No violence. Im and her best friend (who are underage) get drunk with some college guys.

Coming from a blended family, I found this novel to be heartbreakingly poignant. The push and pull, need for support without getting to close is captured with stark clarity. I was also endeared by the authors honest yet respectful depiction of mental illness. My favorite aspect however may have been Imogene herself, as I love flawed protagonists. Her angst-riddled, dogged determination is refreshing and relatable. In short, this novel is beautiful, and I truly look forward to more from this author.

Seventeen year old Imogene is being raised by her Father and step-mother, Libby. Her mother walked out when she was two. When she wakes up to find her Father is gone, she tries to figure out what motivated him to leave, where he went, and how to get him back. Imogene is determined to find her father throughout the story. Her father is a medical mystery writer, and Imogene has been learning his style her whole life. Imogene doesn’t trust the police to find her father. She alone really knows him, and his history. Aided by her best friend Jessa, Imogene follows the clues her father left to find him. This book had me at the first sentence. "The bedtime story my dad used to tell me began with my grandmother’s body." The story was written so well. I consumed this book in one day. I loved the flow of writing so much in this story. At first, I thought this was a fantasy story, but then I came to understand that the fairy tale told in the beginning just helped to shape the journey of a young girl. This author has a gift for telling a story. There were well fleshed out characters in this story and I fell in love with all of them. The author has great command of the language and I loved how the story just flowed. There were a few words I had to highlight and add to my list. The author brilliantly sprinkled words like übermensches and Machiavellian into the story for the reader to enjoy. Imogene is believable character. Everyone is this book is well described and seems genuine. Imogene goes on a quest in this this book, but she comes to discover herself more than anything else. Imogene is a bit of a loner, but her best friend Jess does everything she can to help her change that. Jess is about the best best-friend anyone could hope for. She is not perfect though. Of course, there is a crush in this story. Like most girls Imogene falls for the most popular guy. The romance isn’t the main aspect of this story. I think it added a lot to the story, since this was about a teenage girl. "So I have a crush. A crush is not a contract. I am obligated to do nothing more than feel all my feelings and then close them up and put the back on the shelf, to be taken out and revisited like any familiar story that feels safe precisely because the ending never changes." The thing that really sets this book apart, for me, was the family aspect of the story. Imogene loves her father very much. She has always wondered about her mother, but her step-mother Libby is a good person. Libby is good for Imogene and does everything she can to keep it together for a young girl that has lost her mother and now her father. Libby does typical parenting stuff like grounding her and making her check in. It is so refreshing to see a book where the young adult is loved and cared for. Lindy to Imogene: “Imogene Mei Scott, you need to realize that you’re a strong young woman who is perfectly capable of having a great time sans male.” The other thing I just have to mention is that nobody is perfect in this story. All the characters have flaws and nothing magically falls into place for anyone. Although the step-mother Libby is a therapist, depression is a real theme throughout the story. The thing about depression is that there is no magic cure. It can go into remission and then rear it’s ugly head at anytime. There are real life lessons in here. The story is messy and like real life, there are no easy answers. In case you hadn’t guess by now, I loved this story. The adventure was fun and full of real places in New England I have actually been to. Some of the things that happen are a bit unbelievable, but it is a well told tale. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well written YA mystery. This is an author I will definitely be reading more from in the future. *I received this product free of charge in exchange for an honest review.