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Skeleton Lake (Hollows #1)

by Angela Kulig (Goodreads Author)

3.57 of 5 stars 3.57 · rating details · 65 ratings · 27 reviews

Unsure if she's drowning or being saved, all Marlow wants to do is run away. Ensnared in a haunting love triangle, she realizes both boys have holes in their hearts; gaping spaces she can never hope to fill.

Scars from loving the same girl, a girl who managed to stay dead.

Now she is being hunted, for what she has become and what she never asked to be. Even as a Skeleton Mar...more

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Published (first published October 17th 2011)

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Feb 17, 2013 Eric Townsend rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A mixture of emotions flows through me after reading Skeleton Lake. The idea of a Skeleton in the way Kulig represents them is fascinating and I was intrigued from the onset. Killing off your main character, even if not completely in every sense, right at the beginning of the book is always an entertaining way to go. Once you’ve done something like that it challenges the writer to essentially reverse the usual writing order of things, your ending is essentially your beginning. I felt Kulig did a...more A mixture of emotions flows through me after reading Skeleton Lake. The idea of a Skeleton in the way Kulig represents them is fascinating and I was intrigued from the onset. Killing off your main character, even if not completely in every sense, right at the beginning of the book is always an entertaining way to go. Once you’ve done something like that it challenges the writer to essentially reverse the usual writing order of things, your ending is essentially your beginning. I felt Kulig did an admirable job at achieving that reversal.

The writing was excellent, truly beautiful in many parts of the story. I felt for Marlow, though not because of her initial drowning or sadness over some boyfriend which I found petty at best, but that she must relearn what it means to exist so quickly. It is never easy to do that in any environment and the one she encounters well, it’s not filled with rainbows and butterflies to say the least, so it is easy to empathize with her.

As for the supposed “love triangle”, it felt more like a pairing and a third wheel to me. It seemed like she was destined to choose the “white knight” type and not the dark/brooding one from the get go and that lessened any tension that might have arose. She may have had some conflict internally about them, but I sure didn’t as a reader.

The main problem with Skeleton Lake is definitely the pacing. You are ripped from “regular reality” to this Skeleton world that somehow coexists with the seemingly normal one while encountering one weird being after another. Without much explanation from one step to the next it felt like the plot was a bit rushed in order to get to the good part, very unfortunate given how lovely Kulig’s writing style is and how much I think I would have enjoyed the fully fleshed out story. The length of the eBook according to Amazon is 215 pages, if that’s accurate (hard to say, that may be in “kindle” pages) then I think this easily could have been closer to 300 and had it been so it could have been richer and not so seemingly hastily moved along.

Overall I certainly enjoyed Skeleton Lake. While the jumping forward was disconcerting at times and I had to make a mental effort to keep up and piece some things together as I went along, the prose was so beautiful that I couldn’t help but be enthralled. If you don’t mind a bit of a mental challenge then I think this book is definitely worth your while. I know the sequel is being worked on and I can’t wait to read it and find out what happens next.

Rating: 3.5/5(less)

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Mar 02, 2012 Brittany rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

*Let me start off by saying that I absolutely HATE not finishing a book. However, in the case of Skeleton Lake I think I might have to make an exception.

The Good
- the concept behind the book was surprisingly fresh. Instead of using the typical YA cast of zombies, wolves, and vampires the author chose to go with skeletons. Kudos to her for stepping outside the box
- the main character, Marlow is very easy to relate too. She's not some perfectly made up bombshell but instead a socially awkward t...more

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Oct 17, 2011 Nancy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Running through the forest, mad as hell, hurt more than mad; Marlow saw the old dock and did what her heart told her to do. She jumped. The water wasn’t cold, even with the snow on the ground. It welcomed her and made her feel loved.
Not so much when she woke up on Lena’s sofa with people staring at her. Kids she knew from school in a “Hi, what’s up?” kinda way. Not close friends at all. Then she gets news she hadn’t planned on. She’s dead.
This isn’t a simple thing at all. Her bones are a lovely...more

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Oct 19, 2011 Rebecca rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It’s not every day that I find a book about skeletons, in fact Skeleton Lake by Angela Kulig is probably the first one I have read in which the protagonist is a skeleton. That being said, I really enjoyed Skeleton Lake.
The first reason I enjoyed it so much was because it was so original and I thought the skeletons and the lake was explained really well within the book. I did have a couple of questions about one or two of the concepts but I believe that this is the first book in the series so I’l...more

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Apr 11, 2012 Star (The Bibliophilic Book Blog) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed

Skeleton Lake grips you in it's bony embrace and doesn't let you go. When Marlow gets the shock of her life (so far), she runs away and ends up in Skeleton Lake. She is found by Raiden and given a new gift and new love. Can Marlow choose the right path or will she end up finishing what she started the night she came to Skeleton Lake?

Skeleton Lake is a story that is fresh and unique. The characters were well-developed and you learned their back stories as the events unfolded. I read Skeleton Lake...more

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May 04, 2012 ABookVacation rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

While I found the premise of this novel to be phenomenal, the story itself did not impress me as much as I’d hoped. It felt rushed to me—moving too quickly without giving me the background information or characterization that I needed to really become enamored with the novel.

The novel starts off with Marlow running away from a party where her boyfriend, or ex boyfriend now, is hooking up with another girl. Almost immediately, she becomes a Skeleton, and two Skeleton males are suddenly vying for...more

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May 08, 2013 Coty Lynn rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Death permeates this story perfectly from beginning to end. Paranormal romance is not my usual genre of choice, but I'm glad I stepped out and tried this book. The writing flows so well and although the pace is fast, it was really easy to keep up with what happens in the story. I was a bit upset with how dependent the main character is upon a guy in her death, until I started to understand the reason behind the closeness. Most everything in the book was explained to my satisfaction, but especial...more

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Oct 29, 2011 Melanie McCullough rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The idea of soulmates is one I cling to. I like to believe that somewhere in the world we each have someone with whom we were meant to be (in case you didn't know, I'm a little bit of a hopeless romantic). What I like best about Skeleton Lake is the fact that Raidan and Marlow are in fact soulmates. Instantly drawn together and destined to love one another. Yeah, swoon.

Of course at this point enter Conrad because, after all, you can't have a love triangle without three sides. I didn't love Conra...more The idea of soulmates is one I cling to. I like to believe that somewhere in the world we each have someone with whom we were meant to be (in case you didn't know, I'm a little bit of a hopeless romantic). What I like best about Skeleton Lake is the fact that Raidan and Marlow are in fact soulmates. Instantly drawn together and destined to love one another. Yeah, swoon.

Of course at this point enter Conrad because, after all, you can't have a love triangle without three sides. I didn't love Conrad, but I found myself sympathizing with him a lot. Something about unrequited love and being the odd man out will pull at my heartstrings every time. I felt so bad for him. I couldn't imagine loving someone knowing that they would never love me back. I couldn't break my heart like that over and over.

I think the funny thing is that despite the two possible love interests presented for Marlow in Skeleton Lake, I fell for Alex. All of the characters were well-rounded, fully fleshed out. And Alex was strong, kind, and brave. And I loved the portrayal of his relationship with Lena, his soulmate. So I'm officially declaring myself Team Alex. Unfortunately this will probably be a team of one since Raidan and his heart-melting words will inevitably get all the love.

I truly loved this book. It's full of action and romance. And, um, skeletons. Does it get more unique than that? Throw in a mystical lake that I'm still not certain isn't alive and evil, and well, I'm hooked.

Is it perfect? No. I could point out a few stray commas here and there, or some run-on sentences. As a reader, does it matter? Not at all. Because there's something that Angela does better than some of the most well edited authors out there. She tells a good story. She understands the elements that make outstanding fiction and she executes each of them flawlessly. She sucks you in, and once you're in, you're in. There's no escaping her writerly clutches until you reached The End.

And when it was over, I was sad. I wanted more. I know a sequel is in the works, so I'll have to wait a few months. Highly recommend to lovers of the paranormal romance genre and for anyone looking for a fresh mythos.
(less)

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Jan 10, 2012 Rhiannon Frater rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is a rough book to review because I really liked a lot of the elements, but in the end there were such massive gaping holes in the plot I wanted to bash my head against the wall.

Warning: Spoilers ahead

What I Liked:
I enjoyed the teenage characters quite a bit. I felt they were well-defined in personality and interacted with each other in what I felt was a believable way (outside the main character, that is).

The concept of the Skeletons and Skeleton Lake was really a cool idea. I LOVED it (t...more

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Nov 27, 2011 Sherri Dub rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I enjoyed this YA paranormal story.
It felt like a metaphorical story that engulfed all the usual high school "teen" problems and a new paranormal treat with skeletons & demons.
Marlow is a typical teen who finds herself emotionally disraught and therefore in the clutches of discovering a new world, which lies beneath the everyday presence of her own. She has a drowning expirience that thrusts her into a realm of unusal characters and laws that she would never have believed existed~ Hence, Ske...more

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Apr 07, 2012 Katy rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I really wanted to like this book, but it is one of the worst books I have ever read. While the concept was truly unique and had a lot of potential, the story was chaotic and made no sense whatsoever.

I'm already put off after reading the first chapter. I don't know from personal experience, of course, but you can't just drown by throwing yourself into the water. There's a reason why you weigh yourself down because you float and you have a natural instinct to save yourself when you begin running...more I really wanted to like this book, but it is one of the worst books I have ever read. While the concept was truly unique and had a lot of potential, the story was chaotic and made no sense whatsoever.

I'm already put off after reading the first chapter. I don't know from personal experience, of course, but you can't just drown by throwing yourself into the water. There's a reason why you weigh yourself down because you float and you have a natural instinct to save yourself when you begin running out of air. Your body just automatically stuggles to survive so you can't just jump in and wait until you lose consciousness. Right?

Like I said, the concept of skeletons had a lot of potential, but I never truly understood the concept. Kulig tried to explain, but the explanations were first of all dragged out with "I'll tell you everything later" and they were scattered throughout the book without really connecting as a whole. The were so many holes, and I still can't grasp the concept if they're born or made, how they came to be, what they truly are and what their purpose is.

And about the romance. I'm one of those girls who has to have romance in the book and can really wrapped into the relationships. In this book, however, I felt that Kulig focused way too much on the love triangle than the actual story. And when it came to the love triangle, I felt everything was rushed, and it was as chaotic as the rest of the book and I felt like I was watching a ping pong match. It wouldn't have been a problem except that Marlow just loved both guys without rhyme or reason. I understand the concept of soulmates and everything, but the relationships was very surface deep on the feelings part and she just all of sudden kissed them and you're left thinking what the heck? And that the end, when she finally does decide, it's like she totally dismissed him as a brother so easily like she hadn't spent all this time creating a lot of tension.

I could not STAND Marlow. I felt she was always dumb creating a bunch of senseless drama. Yes, some may argue it was because of Cassie, but Marlow had such strong feelings and accepted them easily. But not only that, I hated how she's such a weak character. I always love a guy who can defend and protect me, but she was always getting into trouble and she never fought back. And she was always feeling sick or throwing up. I understand she's going through some unbelievable things, and I wouldn't be so mad about it if the whole thing hadn't been so contradicting - as in how easily she accepted her feelings with Raiden and Conrad, but how helpless she was with the actual theory of what she is now.

I don't know, this whole book was so chaotic and confusing (not in the I don't understand way but in the this doesn't make sense way), that I just found myself actually really disliking the book.(less)

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Nov 14, 2011 Jennifer Anderson rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya

Fantastic book! Wonderful idea.
I was hooked immediately and couldn't put the 600 page book down! And the pages flew by. Once I was done, I immediately contacted the author and asked when the next one was coming out.

The descriptions were well done and allowed me to believe I was standing by Skeleton Lake. I could almost feel my clothes being absorbed from my body.

The relationships were angst filled which to me, is extremely important in YA.

If you haven't yet, you have to check this book out.

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Dec 20, 2011 Jamie (LadyJai) Dement rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

All the reviews I read made me want to read this book. I was so excited when I received my copy and couldn't wait to read it.

From the first chapter, I was completely lost. I had no clue what was being said. Maybe this was deliberate since Marlow was "drowning". So, I kept reading. The story began to work itself out over the next few chapters and I could see it more clearly.

The characters were not very deep. Even though the story was told through the eyes of Marlow, I just couldn't get into her...more

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Jan 25, 2012 Amanda Rudd rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Let me start by saying that the premise of Skeleton Lake is absolutely fascinating. Marlow is a normal high school girl who lives with her parents, has a boyfriend, has a very normal life. But one night she sees her boyfriend cheating on her, and runs away, dashing through the woods and diving into a lake to drown herself.

And then she awakens, surrounded by people she knows only vaguely from school: Lena, Alex, and the suddenly inexplicably attractive Raiden. Raiden tells her she died in the lak...more

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Dec 11, 2011 K.T. Hanna rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It took me a few chapters to get into the book. The first few chapters, while essential to your understanding of Skeleton Lake, moved a little slow for me.

However, once I got into it, I couldn't put it down.

Angela builds a vivid world with a compelling story. She skillfully fills in the backstory in such a way that you know more about the characters than you thought you did just when you need to.

The main characters, Marlow and Raiden, are very well constructed. As the reader, you come to care...more

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Mar 04, 2012 Hmr28 rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book had many grammatical, spelling and word choice errors. The story was, for the most part told rather than shown and the dialogue was unrealistic. I think the overall idea was neat but the execution needed more work. A good editor might have been able to pull this up to a 3.

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Apr 11, 2013 Stephanie rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was def a strange book. interesting enough and very imaginative, i will give it that.
I can see it possibly becoming a strange cult classic along the lines of Donnie Darko (meets nightmare before Xmas)..or something Ed Wood would produce.

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Nov 14, 2011 Kristi Olson rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Wanted to like this story but just didn't click for me. I kept reading hoping it would grab me but I just felt like there were too many holes.

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Dec 20, 2011 Linda Dao rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

OMG! I can't praise this enough. Hopefully my future review will suffice. I want everyone to pick up a copy! It's full of awesomeness!

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Oct 22, 2011 Ali Cross rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-read-in-2011

I haven't read a truly unique story in a long time. SKELETON LAKE is full of surprises, full of twists and turns, monsters and danger--totally kept me going and guessing the whole time.

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Aug 04, 2012 Cindi Phillips rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

a very scattered read.

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Jun 15, 2012 Krysta rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Took me awhile to read this book. I find myself reading other books and then trying to come back to this one because I just couldn't get into the story.

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Apr 22, 2012 Susy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Great!

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Nov 04, 2011 Ashley - The Bookish Brunette rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011-release

AWESOME AWESOME book... Full review coming soon!!!

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Mar 16, 2012 Michael rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I couldn't shake the feeling that something was missing, but I'd still like to see more of this universe in the future.

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Nov 16, 2011 Allison Ridley rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Awesome story! Seriously cool twist on the paranormal.

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Jun 28, 2012 Chandra rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-could-not-finish

just couldn't read it...

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May 16, 2013 Aatl marked it as to-read · review of another edition

May 14, 2013 Mary marked it as to-read · review of another edition

May 13, 2013 Lissy Ann marked it as to-read · review of another edition

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Skeleton Lake (Hollows #1)

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