"The crow in me had loyalty and passion. The MoFo in me, hope. I was about to unleash a motherfucking hurricane."
Hollow Kingdom, by Kira Jane Buxton, is the story of a crow and his dog fighting to survive during the mass extinction of mankind. And it is absolutely wonderful. Everything I want in a book. Nature, suspense, laughter, tears, zombies.
The book is narrated by S.T., a crow who was raised as a pet by a human. S.T. loves the humans (or MoFos, as he affectionately calls them) and wishes he were one. His world is turned upside down on day when he realizes that his human, Big Jim, is terribly ill and cannot be saved. S.T. decides to leave home and explore Seattle with his best friend, a bloodhound named Dennis. He quickly realizes that the world isn't what it once was as he searches for any human survivors and he makes it his mission to rescue as many domestic animals as he can. Because S.T. was raised as a domesticated animal he is very leery of the other birds and wildlife, but he quickly discovers that he has no reason to be ashamed of his natural side.
This book ruined me. It was that good. One of those books that you just can't get out of your head despite being finished with it for days. So good. Kira Jane Buxton creates this amazing animal society within the dying landscape of the city of Seattle that is completely believable. Like many others, I've enjoyed the fad that is zombie apocalypse fiction, and this book is like nothing I've read before. It shows the world after people are gone. The animals and the struggles they face. As an owner of many pets, I really spent a lot of time thinking about what would happen to them if this were to really occur. Would they find a way out of the house? Would Sadie and Rocket roam the world, Pancake settled on one of their backs, searching for a better life? Would they morn me forever? This booked sparked a lot of thought.
In the beginning Hollow Kingdom seems like a funny book. And it is. S.T. has a way of speaking that makes you giggle and relate. But as you venture deeper into the book and it's complexity it becomes so much more. There are glimpses of how the world is a better place without humans. And also so many ways that the animals miss people. And throughout the book you get a sense of how nature works as one. This was a great book for bird lovers like myself. I've always paid close attention to the birds while out on my runs or walks, but this made me see them in a whole new light.
One of my favorite characters was Big Jim, and he barely makes it past the first page. But his love for S.T. shows throughout the entire book. He made S.T. into the sweet, strong, hopeful little crow that he is. And as the book progresses S.T. is able to reflect and learn so much more about the man he loved.
Spoiler alert: there is a section of the book that had me in tears. Full on, reaching for the kleenex, tears. I was tempted to just end it there, but I didn't. The tears are worth it in the end. You'll see.
All in all, this was an excellent book. My favorite new book of 2019 for sure, and I've read a lot of fantastic books this year. I could go on and on all day.
Hollow Kingdom, by Kira Jane Buxton, is the story of a crow and his dog fighting to survive during the mass extinction of mankind. And it is absolutely wonderful. Everything I want in a book. Nature, suspense, laughter, tears, zombies.
This book ruined me. It was that good. One of those books that you just can't get out of your head despite being finished with it for days. So good. Kira Jane Buxton creates this amazing animal society within the dying landscape of the city of Seattle that is completely believable. Like many others, I've enjoyed the fad that is zombie apocalypse fiction, and this book is like nothing I've read before. It shows the world after people are gone. The animals and the struggles they face. As an owner of many pets, I really spent a lot of time thinking about what would happen to them if this were to really occur. Would they find a way out of the house? Would Sadie and Rocket roam the world, Pancake settled on one of their backs, searching for a better life? Would they morn me forever? This booked sparked a lot of thought.
In the beginning Hollow Kingdom seems like a funny book. And it is. S.T. has a way of speaking that makes you giggle and relate. But as you venture deeper into the book and it's complexity it becomes so much more. There are glimpses of how the world is a better place without humans. And also so many ways that the animals miss people. And throughout the book you get a sense of how nature works as one. This was a great book for bird lovers like myself. I've always paid close attention to the birds while out on my runs or walks, but this made me see them in a whole new light.
One of my favorite characters was Big Jim, and he barely makes it past the first page. But his love for S.T. shows throughout the entire book. He made S.T. into the sweet, strong, hopeful little crow that he is. And as the book progresses S.T. is able to reflect and learn so much more about the man he loved.
Spoiler alert: there is a section of the book that had me in tears. Full on, reaching for the kleenex, tears. I was tempted to just end it there, but I didn't. The tears are worth it in the end. You'll see.
All in all, this was an excellent book. My favorite new book of 2019 for sure, and I've read a lot of fantastic books this year. I could go on and on all day.
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