The Corruption of Hollis Brown
K. Ancrum
From acclaimed author K. Ancrum comes a queer romantic thriller in which the lives of Hollis, a boy in search of meaning, and Walt, a spirit with unfinished business, collide when Walt takes possession of Hollis's body...and maybe his heart. For fans of Adam Silvera and Aiden Thomas! Hollis Brown is stuck. Born to a Blue-Collar American Dream, Hollis lives in a rotting small town where no one can afford to leave. Hollis's only bright spots are his two best friends, cool girls Annie and Yulia, and the thrill of fighting his classmates. As if his circumstances couldn’t get worse, a chance encounter with a mysterious stranger named Walt results in a frightening trap. After unknowingly making a deal at the crossroads, Hollis finds himself losing control of his body and mind, falling victim to possession. Walt, the ghost making a home inside him, has a deep and violent history rooted in the town Hollis grew up in and he has unfinished business to take care of. As Walt and Hollis begin working together to put Walt’s spirit to rest, an unspeakable bond forms between them, and the boys begin falling for one another in unexpected ways. But, it’s only a matter of time before Hollis’s best friends begin to notice that something about Hollis isn’t quite…right. With the threat of a long overdue exorcism looming before them, will Walt and Hollis be able to protect their love and undo the curse that turned their town from a garden of possibility into a place where dreams go to die? Praise for "The sparse prose in this unconventional, must-read of a trauma-infused borderline thriller is packed with emotional breadth." —Kirkus Reviews (starred review) "In this intimate poetic reimagining of the Icarus myth, Ancrum crafts a subversive triumph that is a love letter both to healing from trauma and to the importance of connection and empathy." —Publishers Weekly (starred review) "Beautifully written...Psychologically acute, subtle, and sophisticated." —ALA Booklist (starred review) "In her extraordinary fifth novel, Icarus, K. Ancrum performs a confident high-wire act, balancing the weighty manifestations of connection, desire, and contradiction." —BookPage (starred review) "Both romance and thriller fans will likely be gripped by this memorable love story, tinged with mythology, built around a mystery made up of bitter secrets between the two families." —The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (starred review)
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**I was provided an electronic ARC from the publisher through NetGalley.** K Ancrum returns with a YA queer romantic thriller in The Corruption of Hollis Brown. Titular character Hollis is stuck going no where fast in a worn down small town with few options. A dash of possession adds a bit of interest to his days after he inadvertently strikes a crossroads deal with Walt Eidelman, who died at age 17 in 1931. Walt is a local guy and is shocked to learn that his home is haunted and might be tied to the circumstances leading him to share a body with Hollis. But so much time together with no true barriers between Hollis and Walt leads to stronger feelings and Hollis' friends are certain that something is off with him. Hollis has to save the town from whatever is cursing it while not accidentally getting Walt exorcized. This is K Ancrum's writing a la The Wicker King and Icarus, and it is so much fun. Content warnings for mental health discussions and suicidal ideation as well as descriptions of violence. This story is basically exactly as described in the synopsis. The actual journey to achieving those things and the execution of the plot points is what makes this story successful. As with previous Ancrum books, chapters that are very short are used to push the action forward at a steady, driving pace. This book adds in some fun recipes as well. I would happily recommend this to anyone interested based off of the synopsis and look forward to whatever Ancrum puts out next.
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