Happy Halloween! I know I’m about a week early for Halloween, but I wanted to do a spooky themed post anyways. So on that note, I am reviewing The Hollow Ones by Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan. And, in the Halloween spirit, the cocktail I’m making is none other than a Sleepy Hollow. As soon as I realized I could make this perfect Halloween cocktail, I knew I needed to order this book and get reading. So, I hope you enjoy this review and have a very spooky Halloween!
Sleepy Hollow Recipe
2oz Gin
0.5oz Apricot Brandy
0.5oz Absinthe*
1oz Lemon Juice
0.5oz Simple Syrup
~10 Mint Leaves
1 Lemon wheel
*Absinthe is optional.
In a cocktail shaker, lightly muddle the mint leaves. Once mint is muddled, add ice and all other ingredients and shake for approximately 10 seconds. Then strain into a highball or old-fashioned glass filled with ice. To finish off, garnish with a lemon wheel and enjoy.
Ok, I’m officially back to more interesting special ingredients (and back to schedule). This week I chose to use absinthe as my special ingredient. I landed on this because there is a section of the novel where three characters in the 16th century drink wormwood for their occult ceremony. And, since wormwood is the key ingredient in absinthe, I chose that as my special ingredient. However, I do know that absinthe is quite expensive and an extremely strong alcohol, so it is optional!
I also actually preferred the drink this week without absinthe in it. I know that’s the ingredient I chose to add, but that’s only to make it connect with the book. I’m not a fan of black liquorice and the small bit of absinthe overpowers the drink and makes it extremely black liquorice-y. Without the absinthe, however, it is light, refreshing, and delicious. I seriously think this blog is making me into a gin fan with all these awesome gin cocktails! So, though I personally preferred a regular Sleepy Hollow, if you’re like my boyfriend and enjoy black liquorice you’ll probably like both options.
P.S. there are other recipes online for a Sleepy Hollow that are darker and a bit spookier looking than this one if you want to try those for your next Halloween party (when we can eventually have them again) instead. I actually originally wanted to do one of these dark ones, but this recipe is significantly easier to make at home for people who don’t have a fully stocked bar. And if you did want to do this one but darker you can always add food colouring!
The Hollow Ones Synopsis
(from book cover)
Odessa Hardwicke’s life is derailed when she’s forced to turn her gun on her partner, Walt Leppo, a decorated FBI agent who turns suddenly, inexplicably violent while apprehending a rampaging murderer. But what most troubles Odessa isn’t the tragedy itself—it’s the shadowy presence she thought she saw fleeing the deceased agent’s body after his death.
Questioning her future with the FBI and her sanity, Hardwicke accepts a low-level assignment to clear out the belongings of a retired agent in the New York office. What she finds there will put her on the trail of a mysterious figure named Hugo Blackwood, a man of enormous means who claims to have been alive for centuries, and who is either an unhinged lunatic, or humanity’s best and only defence against unspeakable evil.
Review
“Every letter that arrives at The Box is a letter of urgent need—a desperate call for help—and every single envelope carries the same name: Hugo Blackwood, Esq.“
Honestly, I don’t know where to start with this novel. I typically try to be nice and find some good in these books that can justify a higher rating and a nicer review, but this one I couldn’t do that with. I was really excited about this book because of the synopsis and because Guillermo Del Toro is such a well-known and talented screenwriter and director. But, The Hollow Ones does not do Del Toro justice. Based on other reviews I’ve looked at, it seems people are leaning towards Del Toro coming up with the idea and being less involved with the writing. I don’t know if that’s true, but I want to think it is.
Interestingly, my only real positive for this novel is that the idea is fun. I won’t say that it’s the most unique concept, it’s just intriguing and creative. The execution of the concept, however, is where this book is flawed. I’m going to be honest and say that I have not even finished reading this book, and I don’t think I will. I really tried to push through so I could give my review on the whole thing, but I had to stop. Seriously, if you asked the girls I teach pole to what I’ve talked about this week half of them would say I’ve complained about this book.
So, my first problem with this novel is that its female main character, Odessa, is so obviously written by men. A lot of what she thinks, says, and does are not things real women think, say, or do. I specifically disliked the first chapter where there’s a scene in a diner with a waitress. I won’t go into detail, but essentially Odessa describes the server’s feelings and her own reactions. And, as a woman who has worked in the restaurant industry for ten years, I can tell you every detail of that scene is laughable. No server thinks that way and no woman would react the way Odessa does.
Problem number two is Hugo Blackwood. He is not my jam. Not only is he a mansplaining douchebag, he’s a centuries old mansplaining douchebag. Also I could tell he was supposed to be the love interest and I was not feeling that at all. Aside from this general dislike, I also found the whole centuries old thing to be trope-y and poorly written. I mean he’s centuries old, but somehow never adapted to the times? He has sophisticated and new scientific equipment, but uses reel-to-reel tapes and doesn’t know what a cellphone is? Please.
Going off of that, I actually found the whole book (at least the 75% that I read) quite condescending. I think most writers know that the best books show and don’t tell. But all this book does is tell and tell and tell. This really bothered me as I, like most other readers, am not stupid and don’t need the symbolism spelled out for me. I won’t go into the symbolism that bugged me the most (a lot of pleasurable “ejection”) since my Grammie reads this, but you can imagine most people don’t need the double entendre explained. Sorry Grammie.
Finally, the writing. It is juvenile, flat, and not creative. My first thought during the meeting of Odessa and Blackwood was “am I reading a 15-year-old’s fanfiction?” There is literally a section practically word-for-word from Twilight. And if I had to choose between them, I’d read Twilight every time. They also are really trying to sound young and hip in this book. But, as I’ve learned from my nieces, if you don’t know how to use the slang just don’t use it. This misused slang, along with some other writing elements, gave off the impression of trying too hard and does not add to the reading experience at all.
All right, that’s all I’m going to say about that, even though there’s genuinely so much more I could say. I know I’m normally not this harsh or blunt in these reviews, but my mom told me if I really don’t like something I need to say that and be straightforward so people don’t buy a book that isn’t worth it. So, I hope you appreciate my bluntness and don’t mind the slightly aggressive tone of this piece. I also hope you try out the Sleepy Hollow cocktail, with or without absinthe, this Halloween!
My Rating:
Thanks for reading! And, if you read the book or try the cocktail let me know in a comment, on Instagram, or in person (if you know me). Also, if you haven’t yet read my previous reviews, I recommend reading The Black Shadows for another Halloween-y review!
Teghann
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