Hollow Kingdom

The zombie apocalypse from the animal's point of view.

The setting is in Seattle and the main character is Shit Turd aka ST a crow raised by a human.

I enjoyed this book and also how the author weaved the science of animal behavior (and plant intelligence) into this novel. Cleavrly done.

I'll be reading volume 2.

Hollow Kingdom has a snarky, crass, Cheeto-loving crow narrating the end of the world. If this sounds like your vibe, buckle up, because Hollow Kingdom is truly unlike anything I’ve ever read. Kira Jane Buxton drops us into a zombie apocalypse, but not from the perspective you’d expect. Instead, we follow S.T., a domesticated crow whose entire worldview has been shaped by his human, Big Jim. Unfortunately, Big Jim’s colorful vocabulary is the only language S.T. knows. When Big Jim quite literally starts falling apart, S.T. is forced out into a Seattle that has gone fully feral. Where humans are no longer at the top of the food chain and the animals are left trying to make sense of it all. The concept is wildly original. Watching the collapse of humanity through the eyes of animals adds a strange mix of humor and heartbreak. Especially one as sharp and observant as S.T. There’s something unexpectedly touching about his mission, which slowly shifts from survival to something bigger. His journey gave Noah’s Ark energy. Except instead of a flood, we get zombies and chaos. Let’s talk about the humor because this is going to make or break your experience. S.T.’s voice is loud, irreverent, and very much shaped by being raised by a man who casually calls people mofos. The language is crass with middle-school-style humor that pops up constantly. If that’s your thing, you’ll probably have a great time. For me, it felt a bit immature and didn’t always land. It sometimes pulled me out of what could have been more emotionally impactful moments. There’s also quite a bit of body horror and gore. The descriptions can get graphic, especially as the world deteriorates. Something to keep in mind In you’re sensitive to these themes. That said, I have to give major credit to the audiobook narration. Robert Petkoff absolutely commits. Every character feels distinct, has a clear voice, and he adds so much personality to an already eccentric story. The side characters animals, especially the cat, quickly became beloved parts of the story. This is one of those books where I can appreciate what it’s doing. Even if it wasn’t entirely for me. It’s creative, chaotic, and surprisingly heartfelt beneath all the middle school humor. I just think the language style and zombie gore will really determine whether you love it or bounce off it.

RIP Seattle, you would have loved crows

Fun read with a creative story.

So I had this book as an ARC back in 2019, but I put it aside, unable to push through the darker apocalyptic setting. Thanks to a prompt on my reading challenge AND a prompt on a readathon (to finish a book you DNFed), I picked it back up. It's very well-written, hilarious, but also still a little soul-crushing. The first half of the book was my favorite, while the last half was a little harder to get through. The ending was great, though! I just wish there had been more cats in the story. I'm convinced they could have gotten things done. Ha! And I don't think I'll ever look at a crow the same way.

#popsugarreadingchallenge2023 (advanced prompt #6 - A book with a pet character)


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Original review - DNF 8/2019

I was provided an advance copy of this novel from the publisher through Netgalley.

I firmly believe this was a case of it's not you, it's me. There's nothing wrong with this novel. It's timely, witty, well-written. But I just couldn't get into it. It sent me straight into a hit-the-brakes, full-on reader's slump. I just didn't want to pick it up. Maybe the concept was too real for me in the current climate?? Everything is too depressing and I'm just not ready to laugh about it yet. I'm hoping I'll want to pick it up again later on down the road. It very much reminded me of [b:Warm Bodies|15842439|Warm Bodies (Warm Bodies, #1)|Isaac Marion|https:i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1394072655l/15842439._SY75_.jpg|10090210] which I loved, but had more of a feeling of hope for human kind. So don't let me dissuade you. If this is your typical genre, pick it up and give it a try!