Hi all!

Welcome back to the book club! In February, we read The Hollow Dead by Darcy Coates for The You’ll Read Too Bookclub! Spoilers ahead!

Quick Reminder: This month we are reading ‘Lock Every Door’ by Riley Sager! 

Today I’m going to give a quick plot summary, plus my overall star/scare-factor ratings. Then I will share the discussion topics and trivia questions. Please include all of your answers and opinions down below. I want to know exactly what you thought. I’ll also leave the answers to the trivia questions at the very bottom of the post. Without further ado, let’s get into it!

THE HOLLOW DEAD BY DARCY COATES – FEBRUARY 2024

PLOT SUMMARY

Peeling back layer upon layer of the mystery surrounding her origins, Keira has finally learned that strange, masked men work for Artec, an organization profiting off spectral energy produced by hundreds of chained, tormented souls. Their goal is to spread their macabre cemeteries across the world, using the agony of the dead to extend their power and only Keira and her loyal group of friends can stop them. But there are still mysteries to uncover in Keira’s foggy memories, and what she doesn’t know about her own past, may come back to haunt her.

OVERALL STAR RATING 

I gave The Hollow Dead 3/5 stars. Unfortunately, it was my least favourite in The Gravekeeper Series. It wasn’t terrible, it just lacked a lot of the adventure and excitement I’m used to. However, I was happy to finally get some answers. It was a great way to prepare readers for the fifth and final novel.

OVERALL SCARE-FACTOR RATING 

I gave it a scare-factor rating of 2/5 stars. It wasn’t scary. By now, I am used to the ghosts Keira can see. The supernatural elements were a lot tamer compared to the other books.

DISCUSSION TOPICS 

1.) Keira finally recovered her memories. What was your reaction to hearing her story? 

I found Keira’s story to be quite satisfying. I liked that her parents weren’t perfect people. It honestly gave me Harry Potter vibes, with Schaeffer possessing a Voldemort quality to him. One of my bookclub members said Keira reminded her of Eleven from Stranger Things, which is also very fitting.

2.) What theories do you have for the way this story is going to end? 

I believe Keira is going to use every ounce of energy she has to defeat Artec. She will probably take from the spirits in the graveyard, plus the living residents of Blighty. It will be a huge showdown, with the tortured ghosts turning on their captors.

3.)  Out of your friendship group are you a Zoe, Keira or Mason? Discuss. 

I’m probably more of a Keira – a quiet leader who doesn’t give herself enough credit.

TRIVIA QUESTIONS 

Easy: Ironically, what did Fish-Face actually look like?

Medium: What was Harry’s codename? 

Hard: What were the names of Keira’s parents? 

I hope you enjoyed the book club discussion in this post. As mentioned above, share all of your thoughts in the comments below! If you have any feedback/suggestions to improve the book club, please let me know. I look forward to talking to you all next month! Thanks for reading!

Peace & Love xoxo

TRIVIA ANSWERS: Easy: A horse. Medium: ‘Dead Man Walking’. Hard: Vivienne and Michael Collis.