The Hollow Places by T. Kingfisher Summary

The Hollow Places follows Kara, a newly divorced woman who moves into her Uncle Earl's quirky Wonder Museum in North Carolina while he recovers from surgery. When she discovers a mysterious hole in the museum wall, she and her friend Simon, a barista from next door, stumble into a terrifying portal leading to alternate dimensions filled with malevolent creatures that can hear thoughts. What begins as curious exploration becomes a fight for survival as they navigate hollow spaces between worlds.

The Hollow Places is perfect for readers who enjoy cosmic horror with humor, portal fantasy enthusiasts, and fans of genre-savvy protagonists. T. Kingfisher's novel appeals to those who appreciate Lovecraftian themes blended with contemporary settings and relatable characters. It's ideal for horror readers seeking atmospheric tension without overwhelming gore, and fantasy lovers interested in alternate dimensions and weird fiction. The book works well for both adult horror fans and mature YA readers looking for entertaining supernatural adventures.

The Hollow Places is worth reading for its unique blend of horror and humor, compelling character development, and imaginative world-building. T. Kingfisher creates an engaging narrative through Kara's relatable voice and her dynamic friendship with Simon, making the terrifying moments more impactful. The novel offers fresh takes on cosmic horror tropes, inspired by Algernon Blackwood's "The Willows," while maintaining accessibility through its clear writing style. Readers consistently praise its page-turning pace and satisfying conclusion.

T. Kingfisher is the pen name of Ursula Vernon, a versatile and acclaimed author known for horror novels, fantasy romances, fairy tale retellings, and children's books. Beyond The Hollow Places, she wrote The Twisted Ones (another horror novel), A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking, and various fantasy works. Her ability to blend genres—horror with humor, fantasy with romance—has earned her recognition across multiple literary communities. Kingfisher's writing is characterized by relatable characters, sharp dialogue, and imaginative settings.

The Hollow Places blends horror and fantasy, though many reviewers note it leans more toward fantasy with horror elements. T. Kingfisher incorporates cosmic horror themes and unsettling body horror moments, but balances them with humor and adventure typical of portal fantasy. The novel features alternate dimensions, strange creatures, and Lovecraftian influences, yet maintains an accessible, entertaining tone. The genre-savvy protagonist and quirky character interactions soften the horror aspects, making it feel like "humorous fantasy" with genuinely terrifying sequences rather than pure horror.

The Wonder Museum (Museum of Natural Wonders, Curiosities, and Taxidermy) in Hog Chapel, North Carolina, is Uncle Earl's eccentric tourist attraction filled with taxidermy specimens, oddities, and curiosities from around the world. Visitors find:

• albino raccoons
• Feejee mermaids
• stuffed cane toads in costumes
• Mothman evidence
• pig skulls
• shiny armadillos wearing hats

The museum serves as Kara's childhood sanctuary and becomes the story's central setting—a homely, familiar space transformed into something unsettling when it becomes a portal to terrifying alternate realities.

The Hollow Places centers on Kara (nicknamed "Carrot"), a 34-year-old recently divorced graphic designer who's genre-savvy, relatable, and prone to cyber-stalking her ex. Her companion is Simon, a 40-year-old gay barista who works next door and wears eccentric fashion including top hats. Simon claims he absorbed his twin in the womb and carries her eye, giving him a unique perspective. Their witty banter and genuine friendship drive the narrative, with both characters taking sensible precautions despite finding themselves trapped in increasingly horrifying situations.

"Pray they are hungry" is a cryptic warning Kara discovers in a mysterious bunker behind the museum wall. The phrase reveals a disturbing truth about the creatures inhabiting the hollow places: if they're hungry, they'll simply kill and consume you, but if they're not hungry, they become fascinated and might dissect you alive to understand how you work. T. Kingfisher borrows this concept from Algernon Blackwood's "The Willows," emphasizing that the entities are conscienceless, alien beings whose curiosity is far more terrifying than their appetite.

The Hollow Places draws heavy inspiration from Algernon Blackwood's classic weird fiction tale "The Willows," with T. Kingfisher directly referencing the willow-light and the concept of otherworldly entities requiring victims. The novel also incorporates Lovecraftian cosmic horror elements, including references to H.P. Lovecraft's "At the Mountains of Madness" regarding disturbed Elder Things. Kingfisher adds fresh elements like:

• alternate military forces from parallel universes (the "U.N.A." instead of U.S.A.)
• found documents revealing apocalyptic horrors

creating a modern take on classic weird fiction.

The hollow places are spaces between worlds—a liminal dimension containing portals to countless alternate realities that Kara and Simon access through the museum wall. This world between worlds is inhabited by malevolent creatures that hear thoughts and grow stronger from fear, creating an atmosphere of existential dread. The hollow places feature eerie locations like abandoned bunkers, school buses, and willow-haunted landscapes that defy normal physics. These spaces represent cosmic horror's fundamental theme: the existence of incomprehensible realities beyond human understanding.

The Hollow Places balances genuine scares with humor, creating moderate horror intensity rather than overwhelming terror. T. Kingfisher includes atmospheric dread, body horror sequences, and unsettling cosmic horror concepts, but the quirky character banter and genre-savvy protagonist diffuse tension throughout. Most reviewers note it feels less scary than traditional horror due to its humorous fantasy tone, though specific moments—particularly near the end and scenes involving the willow-light—deliver authentic terror. The novel works well as entry-level horror for readers new to the genre.

Some readers criticize The Hollow Places for genre confusion, expecting pure horror but receiving a humor-infused fantasy adventure instead. Critics note the fast pacing—characters dive headlong into the alternate dimension rather than building slow-burn dread typical of cosmic horror. The abundant humor occasionally undermines tension and horror elements for some readers. Additionally, while the first half develops character relationships, some find the transition from "amusing museum life" to "interdimensional nightmare" feels abrupt, lacking the gradual escalation preferred in traditional horror narratives.