Friday, 22 August 2014

Book Review - The Hollow City by Dan Wells

Dan Wells' gained a reputation for writing horror and suspense with his John Cleaver Trilogy: I am Not a Serial Killer, Mr. Monster, and I don't Want to Kill You. Needless to say, I have had very little interest in those books. I have heard they are wonderfully written, but I don't like my fiction that dark. He also has a YA post-apocalyptic trilogy: Partials, Fragments, and Ruins, but again I haven't read them because I don't particularly like that genre. I have listened to Dan's A Night of Blacker Darkness, also known as the vampire bunny story, and it is one of the funniest things I've ever heard. The one current story of his that I was interested in was The Hollow City. I was apprehensive considering his other works, but I was fascinated by the idea of the story. A first person narrative from the head of a paranoid schizophrenic. I heard Dan talk about this book, its development, and its release while listening to Writing Excuses and wondered. I found it at the library this weekend and thought I would give it a try.

Plot: Michael Shipman doesn't know what to believe. As a paranoid schizophrenic he has delusions and hallucinations that are just as real as anything else. He's convinced that there are people after him. He knows they're watching him through electronics. He's sure that there is a conspiracy out there. What is out there is an killer who completely destroys the faces of his victims. His last attack was a week ago, right in the middle of the two weeks that Michael disappeared from his home and his job. Two weeks that he can't remember. When the doctors hear him talking about seeing faceless men they're sure there is some kind of connection between Michael and the killer. Their question is whether he's the one doing the killings or the next victim. The question important to Michael though is what should he do if he's right.

My personal favorites: This book was very well written and very compelling. The prose matched the character's state of mind and despite the narrative being from a mind that had been fractured it was easy to follow along. The character of Michael was very compelling. I honestly cared about him and wanted him to succeed. Watching him shift from his lowest state of believing everything his mind presented to him to understanding more about his condition was uplifting. His relationship with the other characters was fascinating as well. It many ways it reminded me of the movie A Beautiful Mind but without needing a reveal. We know what Michael's condition is and so you find yourself looking to see what is real and what isn't. Dan does a great job of turning expectations against us as we build up to the climax. It many ways it also reminded me of Feedback by Dan's brother Robison Wells. The ending were given may not address the bigger picture, but it is one that address the character's role in the story. I found the epilogue very uplifting and rewarding.

Considerations: There was no language that I can remember. Nor was their any sexuality. There was violence which was descriptive without being graphic. There were two scenes where police officers are describing victims of the Red Line Killer but it is they are short and sterile. There are some paranormal elements in the story. I've seen people that were surprised about that in some of his other books, so I mention it here. I had no problem with them.

Overall, The Hollow City was an excellent thriller. I heartily recommend it to anyone looking for an intriguing story with a great character who overcomes and embraces his greatest challenges. The total length was 332 pages.

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