Customer Reviews

Dark Hollow

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

If you like horror and suspense and reading how books are written then this will be a double treat. The main hero, Adam Senft is a decently successful writer who decided to give up his other job to write that great story that would be his ticked to solidified fame. With his wife Tara he settles into a quiet lifestyle in a home in Pennsylvania. His wife carrying the burden of commuting to work gave him time to sit back, enjoy the quiet, walk the dog and write those hot selling books. Little does he know but that peace is shattered with the arrival of spring. From the very first page the story hits off and then drops the reader back on Earth to catch up. Adam finds his neighbor, an attractive female involved in some strange activity in the LeHorn woods. Embarrassed and freaked out he starts a chain of events that brings upon him strange lust, bad luck and a horrific creature that is after every wife in town. When people start to disappear and those left act strangely little time is left before Adam's wife and his entire life is thrown into a well of chaos. Along with his friends he must get to the bottom of a mysterious nemesis that shakes his reality and to defend his territory from a menacing male - something.

Brian Keene surprised me this time, I didn't particularly like "The Conqueror Worms" and after reading it I was afraid that his style was set in stone; that another story would have random additives and would be scattered, but not so with "Dark Hollow". Was it literary genius? No, but it was darn addictive and enjoyable, it did what a good, gripping fiction book should - it enchanted the reader and gave satisfaction for reading it. I felt my teeth sink into the story until I absorbed its contents. It took me in and hardly ever stopped being great. The reason for 4 stars versus 5 ( since I am gushing about it ) is really simple; as I get older I get little tougher when I judge a book, and really only give 5 stars when it stirs my guts with a stick and makes me obsessed with what I just read - hard task, so 4 stars is not too shabby, trust me. Some of my favorite parts were reading about Adam's preparations and how he did his writing, it felt real and was such a treat.

Before I finish I must just say how proud I am of Keene for making this book steamy; he was very liberal with all sorts of naughty scenarios and wrote his book fulfilling his fantasies about just putting out that salty novel out there into the world. I saw no holding back and hopefully he can always write like this, but obviously only when necessary to the plot, gratuitous use of sex is plain fake, when the story doesn't scream for it; don't include it to avoid embarrassment- unless you're Richard Laymon. He was the king of lascivious books - at least to me and it's hard to knock him of that throne in my head. Like Laymon, Keene tapped into that channel and produced a decent read; I really enjoyed it tremendously and will try to read his other works. I know I criticized him heavily in my last review so I am trying to redeem myself, but it feels right only because this book deserved it. Fun, raunchy and actually interesting, good change from the usual gore and bloody horror, I read it on the bus, after dinner and then in bed; it was good stuff.

- Kasia S.

I think it's a safe bet that in the horror section of any bookstore, there are more books under "K" than any other author. It's almost certain given since Stephen King and Dean Koontz are a couple of the biggest selling authors, each with an extensive list of titles that remain in print. According to the back of Dark Hollow, the Horror Review calls Brian Keene the next Stephen King. That may be a bit of hyperbole; more likely, he will be the author next to Stephen King in the bookstore.

Actually, Dark Hollow is a pretty good book and there is a certain King-like quality to it. After all, the main character is a writer (very common to King protagonists) and he likes to throw in rock `n roll references here and there (another King trait). The hero in Dark Hollow is Adam Senft, a writer who is just beginning to be successful enough to be a full-time novelist. He and his wife Tara live in a small Pennsylvania town that abuts a large, old forest. One morning while walking his dog, Adam goes into the forest and stumbles upon a female neighbor indulging in rather kinky acts with what turns out to be a satyr.

Of course, Adam doesn't realize this at first, but soon enough, he realizes that there is a supernatural being living in the forest, one that can play its pipes and hypnotically seduce any woman. As women begin to disappear, and even Tara hears the call of the satyr, Adam recruits his nearby friends to take action. This will involve looking into a decades-old murder case as well as more excursions into the forest, where it will turn out the satyr is not the only strange creature.

Keene may not stylistically be the most original author, but he works well in the horror genre. Dark Hollow is an effective thriller which keeps the pages turning and leads to a satisfying concluding twist. He may not be Stephen King, but Keene is still worth reading.

Most people that have read a Brian Keene novel probably associate him with zombies and for good reason. His novels The Rising, City of the Dead, and Dead Sea are among the top novels in the zombie sub-genre. Don't let these three fool you into thinking that Keene is just another guy writing a zombie novel. Dark Hollow one of his three non-zombie horror novel and his best writing to date.

The story of Dark Hollow follows the fledgling writer Adam Senft who accidentally becomes central to a plot steeped in ancient myth and magic. Adam lives in the prototypical all-American neighborhood complete with neighbors who are not just neighbors but good friends. These neighbors join Adam in defending their wives and neighbors against the terror who lives within the dark and shadows of LeHorn's Hollow, while people disappear and suspicion is cast upon them.

First I have to say that if blatant and in your face (no pun intended, OK maybe it was intended) sexual scenes turn you off, you might be done with this book after the first line. That is not to say that this book is all about sex, it most certainly is not, but it most definitely is a part of the story. Since Dark Hollow is centered around an evil Satyr (they are known for their uncontrollable sex drive) it only stands to reason that sex should have a role in the novel. I only mention this so that kids or people who may be offended by sexual content don't mistakenly buy this book.

For the rest of the people like me that have no problem with sexual content, if done well, the Dark Hollow is highly original and entertaining. Keene plays on both mythology and pagan like magic. I found it very interesting that Keene included Pow-wow magic (a folk religion & magic system of the Pennsylvania Dutch) in the story. I have always been interested in folk magic , as I call it, but had yet to read anything on this system. Pow-wow magic added another layer of mystery and something deeper, darker to the story. However, for others it will simply strain their suspension of disbelief even further than finding out that a Satyr is the one responsible for the evil of LeHorn's Hollow.

What Keene really managed to get right is a sense of knowing each and every character involved in the book ,in appropriate depth, given their importance to the plot. You know Adam near as well as yourself by the end of the book, broken down marriage, cowardly dog, insecurities and all. At the other end of the spectrum we don't have characters that are built up and then don't play an important role in the story.

Dark Hollow also points a big red arrow at male insecurity. Something tells me that if you are a man reading this book certain things will ring true with you and others will make you squirm in your seat.

In the end Dark Hollow is great read if you like horror. I started out thinking it might be silly reading a horror book about darn satyr. How could a fictional beast be scary? Well, I was proven wrong. Not only is Dark Hollow scary, it is nightmare inducing and well written to boot.

As others have already noted here, any fan of contemporary horror fiction needs to put this one on their reading list for '08. Keene's ability to create nuanced, utterly believable characters and place than in surreal, deeply frightening situations has never been so powerfully employed. The atmosphere in these pages is so thick you can almost feel yourself getting sucked in as the story moves along. Highly recommended, and I'd urge anyone who enjoys Keene's work to also check out Crimson Orgy by Austin Williams, another superb new horror thriller that kept me up late at night.

Brian Keene's success in telling a story is based upon his ability to create characters that you care about. I think this is an area where so many horror writers fail. In Dark Hollow, we meet writer Adam Senft, his dog, and his good 'ol boy neighbors that are the kind of salt of the earth every-men you know in your own neighborhood. The plot could take us in any direction at this point because we care about these people and we are even interested in the minutiae of their daily lives. Keene exposes us to the surreal very early in the novel and it captivates our attention immediately. The other facet of Keene that makes his writing enjoyable, is the fact that he creates a pretty detailed mythos behind every novel. In fact, if you are reading one of his novels, there is a good chance that it began as a short story in the early stages oh his career. While Brian Keene is not writing literature, his writing is entertaining throughout. Great Summertime reading! Beneath the Surface: 13+ Shocking Tales of Terror

I won't say much about this book, other than it was a phenomenal story written by a phenomenal author. You've read the synopsis. You know what it's about.
I will say this. I loved the realness of the story, you know, passages like knowing about Big Steve getting his nails cut, the length of time it took the guys to get back home on foot, etc. There was so much of this in this book, nothing was skimmed over or pushed to the side. No unanswered questions. There was thought put into this story. There was so much emotion. And yes, I'm being cliche here, it tugged at the heartstrings. Just be surprised for who the real hero is in this story....or not.

I am a huge fan of Brian Keene's zombie books, he isn't afraid to get all disgusting and politically incorrect and that's refreshing. Naturally I picked up Dark Hollow to read as soon as I saw the author's name. I loved it, up until a certain point, and I have realized that with Keene's books, this happens a lot, as if he just runs out of steam at the end.

Don't get me wrong, it's an amazing horror novel with Keene's visceral signature all over it. He can write strong erotic overtones, right next to decisively stomach churning heave worthy descriptions, and the next second carry you off into oblivion. I love that he laid down the zombies, and Ob for a change, and introduced us to a new character that will make you think twice the next time you read Greek mythology, or see a statue in the woods.

My only problem is the ending, and it could just be me, but I felt like it didn't have the same brilliance as the other 3/4ths of the book. That said, I would still recommend anyone who loves horror, and needs a refresher on how it should be done.

A lot of times we read a lot of hype on book covers telling us that the author is the future of horror or "the next Stephen King" etc. In the case of Brian Keene, it really is the truth. He is an amazing novelist. Although this is not my personal favorite of his novels, it is a very enjoyable, disturbing, ORIGINAL read. I've read hundred of horror novels but this is truly one of the more unique ones. A great book.

Keene is quickly working his way into my heart as a favorite author, and "Dark Hollow" may have clinched it. If you had told me two days ago that I would read a horror story about satyrs or fauns and actually like it I probably would have cocked an eyebrow at you and asked if you were feeling okay. But I more than "Liked it," this book was an absolute blast!

Short Summary: Adam Senft is a mystery writer who lives with his wife Tara and their dog "Big Steve" in a nice house in a quaint town, bordering an ancient mysterious wood. One day while walking Big Steve though the woods, Adam and Big Steve come across one of their female neighbors performing questionable acts on a statue... or at least it looked like a statue until it turned its head and stared at Adam. Suddenly the women in town are disappearing and the men are turning up headless... Adam and his neighbors believe it has to do with something that happened many years ago at the LeHorn farm... in the center of the dark and sinister woods.

My favorite character by far is Big Steve (yes, he's the dog) who at times seems to be the most human of characters, and unlike most stories that include a dog, Big Steve is always there, being a good boy. The characters in this book are very real, flawed, scarred, and honest. I have always like that about Keene, his people are believable. This book grabs you right from the beginning and it's very hard to put down. At just over 300 pages you can feasibly read it in a day. I stayed up way later than I had intended to finish this book. And the ending is typical of Keene, no the world doesn't come crashing to the end, but there is that sense of apathetic loss that even his "happy ending" books leave you with. I wondered if Keene would have the courage to go where this book needed to go, and he did. There was quite a bit of sex and gore (the gore comes in mostly at the end) though not as much as a Laymon or Lee novel.

Now don't get me wrong, this is no work of literary genius... what it is however, is a fun, fast paced read with a single story line (unlike many of his other works) that the reader can't turn their eyes from. This is one of the few horror novels I've read in a while that makes you actually care about most of the characters, you become involved in their lives, and their routine and truly worry about them... particularly if you have read other Keene novels and know that there is a very high chance that most of them won't make it through the book alive. I highly recommend this book to Keene fans, it is my favorite of his works so far, and I feel that this book is the type of read that fans of old school Steven King would really enjoy.

What can be more frightening than "something" in the dark of a forest? Brian Keene has taken this primal fear of ours and put a new twist on it. Making the evil force irresistible and the very woods come alive in ways never seen before. He has used the small town setting to seclude the scene from the outside world and used small town gossip and small-minded ignorance to confuse the issues. Making us feel like helpless children with no where to turn. It was very interesting that he portrayed the main character as an author - talking about his writing routine and musical tastes. Did he give us an inside glimpse as himself as a writer? Mythology, magic and monsters... how do we really know what's out there in the deepest, darkest part of the woods?

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