The Hollow Inside by Brooke Lauren Davis

Synopsis (via Goodreads): Sadie meets The Glass Castle in a smart, gripping, and twisty YA debut about a girl seeking to reveal the truth about her mother-and herself.

Seventeen-year-old Phoenix has spent much of her life drifting from town to town with her mom Nina, using their charms to swindle and steal to get by. Now they've made it to their ultimate destination, Mom's hometown of Jasper Hollow. The plan: bring down Ellis Bowman, the man who ruined Nina's life.

When Phoenix gets caught spying on Ellis, she spins a convincing story that inadvertently gives her full access to the Bowman family. As she digs deeper into their secrets (and begins to fall for daughter Melody), she finds herself entrenched in the tale of a death and a disappearance that doesn't entirely line up with what Mom has told her.

But there's even more to this story Phoenix doesn't know. Who, if anyone, is telling the whole truth about what happened? Debut author Brooke Lauren Davis explores the murkiness of right and wrong, of choices and consequences, of heroes and villains, in an eerily compelling and thought-provoking small-town saga.

I read The Hollow Inside in just two days! Do you know how long it’s been since I binged a book? AGES. The twists! The turns! It was a masterfully crafted debut, and I’m already looking forward to more from this author. If you enjoy puzzles, definitely add this one to your TBR—I promise you’ll be piecing it together long after you’ve finished the story.

Phoenix is a wonderfully complex character that I enjoyed reading about. She loves her mom, but she’s conflicted about some of their choices and the lengths they go to in order to survive. Her mother doesn’t seem as fazed by the brutality or uncertainty of their lives, though she’s haunted by a past that continues to affect her. Phoenix often finds her mom silent and trapped within her own mind, which leaves Phoenix feeling alone and unsure of herself. For so long, the only other person in her world was her mother, so it makes sense that she would do anything for her. However, the head games Nina played—using affection like a reward—made their relationship extremely toxic.

Phoenix was frequently surprised by Mrs. Bowman’s kindness, and it made my heart ache for the love she should have received from her mother. I both hated and understood Nina’s choices. At times they were extreme, but she was so lost in grief and revenge that she couldn’t see anyone or anything else. Phoenix was the bright spot in her life, but even that was dulled by Nina’s need to make Ellis Bowman confess and tell the truth. It was heartbreaking how much Nina wanted her father—more than anyone else—to finally believe her, and how much she had to fight for just a few words. I hated what had happened to her, but I also disagreed with the methods she used to exact her revenge. Innocent people were hurt, but she was too blinded by fear and anger to care.

My one complaint is the lack of reparations at the end. Nina and Phoenix fought and sacrificed so much, but everything wrapped up in just a few minutes. The story’s focus was largely on getting Ellis to confess (with some flashbacks thrown in), and then it just stops. There’s an ending, and I think Phoenix deserved it, but too many threads were left unresolved. I wanted to know more about specific people and what happened to them, see the chaos left in their wake, and learn how certain events unfolded:

1. The box of trinkets
2. Jameson
3. Melody
4. Nina
5. Ellis
6. Neil
7. Jasper Hollow
8. Phoenix
9. All the illegal things they did throughout the book

You might have to suspend some disbelief for this book to work, but if you can look past a few cracks, The Hollow Inside will captivate your mind and leave a few bruises on your heart. (★★★★☆)

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Any quotes I use are from an unpublished copy and may not reflect the finished product.

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